Do You Have to Be Outside Australia When Your Parent Visa 103 Is Decided in 2026?
Where you must be when lodging, while waiting, and when subclass 103 is decided in 2026, plus the retiree pathway exception.
For most applicants, yes. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs Parent visa (Subclass 103) official page, you must be outside Australia when the Department makes its decision on your application. The rule is different at the two earlier points in time: you can lodge from inside or outside Australia, and you may remain in Australia during processing only if you hold another valid visa. Applicants who apply as retirees are treated differently at all three points. This article reflects the official Parent visa (Subclass 103) page as at July 2026 and is general information only, not personalised advice for your own circumstances.
Where can you be when you lodge a subclass 103 application?
You, and any family members applying with you, can be in or outside Australia when you submit your application — the only condition is that you are not in immigration clearance. There is no requirement to leave the country first.
The retiree pathway reverses this. If you apply as a retiree under the Retirement visa pathway, you must be in Australia, and not in immigration clearance, when you lodge.
Two further lodging conditions are worth noting. If you apply on or after 22 April 2026, you must lodge online using ImmiAccount; a paper application is only considered where a technical issue cannot be resolved through support. Separately, you cannot apply for this visa if you have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (subclass 870) visa, and if you have another undecided Parent visa application, you must withdraw it as part of your new subclass 103 application.
Can you stay in Australia while your application is being processed?
Only if you hold another valid visa. The official page states that you must be outside Australia while the Department processes your subclass 103 application unless you hold another valid visa — so any time spent in Australia during the wait has to be supported by a separate visa in its own right, not by the pending parent application.
Staying lawful during the wait
Subclass 103 applications are subject to capping and queueing and are processed in the order they are received, so processing times are long. If you are in Australia and your current temporary visa is about to expire, you need to hold a valid visa to remain lawful while the application is processed.
The official advice is also explicit about timing your move: do not arrange to move to Australia permanently until the Department tells you in writing that the visa has been granted.
Do you have to be outside Australia when the decision is made?
Yes, for a standard application. The Department's stated position is that you must be outside Australia when it makes a decision on your subclass 103 application. If you apply as a retiree, you may be in or outside Australia at that point.
Being outside Australia at the moment of decision does not mean the application is decided quickly. Before a grant can be made you must pay the second instalment when invoiced; if the invoice is not paid, the application will be refused. The visa costs from AUD 8,665 for a single applicant, paid in two instalments.
The decision itself comes in writing. A grant notice sets out your visa grant number, the date the visa starts and your visa conditions. A refusal notice sets out why the application was refused and whether you have a right to review the decision; the application fee is not refunded if the application is refused.
Assume an applicant who lodged from offshore, visited Australia on a visitor visa during processing, and then returned home before the decision: that pattern fits the location rules, because the time in Australia was covered by another valid visa and the applicant was outside Australia when the decision was made.
What changes if you apply through the retiree pathway?
The retiree pathway is the structural exception, because it shifts the location requirement from the decision point to the lodgement point and adds a bridging entitlement.
| Point in time | Standard applicant | Retiree pathway applicant |
|---|---|---|
| When you lodge | In or outside Australia, not in immigration clearance | Must be in Australia, not in immigration clearance |
| While we process the application | Must be outside Australia unless you hold another valid visa; no associated bridging visa | Entitled to a bridging visa; it starts if your current visa expires before the decision |
| When we make the decision | Must be outside Australia | In or outside Australia |
The pathway also removes several other requirements. Retiree applicants do not need a sponsor, do not need an Assurance of Support, and do not need to meet the balance of family test. The trade-offs are that retiree applicants cannot include their children or their partner's children in the application, and a partner can only be included if they also hold a Retirement visa or Investor Retirement visa. If a retiree applicant later adds a spouse or de facto partner, that person must be in Australia when they are added; a dependent child can be added from in or outside Australia.
After a grant: entering Australia and where permanent residence begins
Your grant letter specifies the date by which you must enter Australia, and you must enter before that date. The visa then allows travel to and from Australia for five years from the date of grant; after that travel facility ends, re-entry as a permanent resident requires a Resident Return visa (subclass 155 or 157), unless you have become an Australian citizen.
Where the decision finds you also affects a later calculation. For citizenship purposes, permanent residence starts on the day the visa is granted if you are in Australia, or on the day you enter Australia on the visa if you are outside Australia. Because most subclass 103 applicants are outside Australia at the decision, permanent residence for citizenship purposes usually begins on first entry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to be outside Australia on the exact day the decision is made?
Yes, unless you applied as a retiree. The official page states you must be outside Australia when the Department makes a decision on a subclass 103 application, while a retiree applicant may be in or outside Australia at that point.
Can I lodge my subclass 103 application from inside Australia?
Yes. You and any family members applying with you can be in or outside Australia when you apply, provided you are not in immigration clearance. Retiree applicants are the exception and must be in Australia when they lodge.
Can I live in Australia while my 103 application is in the queue?
Not on the strength of the pending application. You must be outside Australia while it is processed unless you hold another valid visa, and the official advice is not to arrange to move permanently until the visa is granted in writing.
Do I get a bridging visa with a subclass 103 application?
Generally no. The official page says applicants are not entitled to a bridging visa associated with a subclass 103 application unless they are applying under the Retirement visa pathway, in which case the bridging visa starts if the current visa expires before a decision is made.
Does the retiree pathway remove the sponsor and balance of family requirements?
Yes. Retiree applicants do not need a sponsor, do not need an Assurance of Support and do not need to meet the balance of family test. In exchange, they cannot include their children or their partner's children, and a partner can only be included if they also hold a Retirement or Investor Retirement visa.
When does my permanent residence start if I am outside Australia when the visa is granted?
For citizenship purposes, permanent residence starts on the day you enter Australia on the visa if you are outside Australia at grant, and on the day of grant if you are in Australia. You must still enter before the date specified in your grant letter.