Parents visiting Australia long-term in 2026: 600 tourist stream vs 870 sponsored parent
How the 600 tourist stream and the 870 sponsored parent visa compare for parents planning a long stay in Australia in 2026.
If you are weighing the Visitor visa (subclass 600) tourist stream against the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) for a parent who wants to be in Australia for a long stretch, the short answer on the Department of Home Affairs' official Tourist stream (apply outside Australia) page is that the 600 works as a bridge, not as a destination. Parents and step-parents of Australian citizens or permanent residents may be granted a 600 visa valid for more than 12 months, but they cannot stay in Australia for more than 12 months in total in any 18-month period, and the visa cannot be extended from inside Australia. For a parent who wants to stay longer than 12 months on each visit, the same page points applicants to the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870). This is based on the Department of Home Affairs' official page for the Visitor visa (subclass 600) tourist stream (apply outside Australia), as at the July 2026 version of that page.
What can a parent actually do on a 600 tourist stream visa?
The tourist stream is a temporary visa for visiting family or friends, or for being in Australia as a tourist, on a cruise, or for any purpose other than business or medical treatment. A parent can study or train for up to three months on it, but the visa carries no work rights: the page states plainly that you cannot work.
Two structural limits matter for family planning. First, each person needs their own application — the page says you cannot include family members in your application, and that each family member, including those listed on your passport, must submit a separate application. Second, for this stream the applicant must be outside Australia both when applying and when the decision is made.
There is also a travel detail that catches some families out. If a parent enters Australia during a cruise and the cruise is a round trip, the time spent on the cruise counts as time spent in Australia — the Department does not consider the person to have left, so a round trip cruise does not reset the stay period.
How long can a parent stay, and where exactly is the ceiling?
The stay period is whatever is specified in the visa grant letter, decided case by case. The Department considers how long the applicant wants to stay and why, and it may not grant the length requested. As a general rule the page says it grants a stay period of three months, and up to 12 months in certain circumstances.
Parents get a distinct mention. If the applicant is the parent or step-parent of an Australian citizen or permanent resident and meets all the visa criteria, the Department may grant a visa valid for more than 12 months. These are considered case by case. Where that happens, the visa may allow multiple entry, so the holder can leave and return while the visa remains valid — but the stay is still capped at 12 months in total in any 18-month period, and the applicant must have made adequate arrangements for health insurance.
| Limit | What the official page sets out |
|---|---|
| Standard stay period | Generally 3 months; up to 12 months in certain circumstances |
| Parents of Australian citizens or permanent residents | May be granted a visa valid for more than 12 months, case by case |
| Stay cap on a longer-validity parent visa | No more than 12 months in total in any 18-month period |
| Entry | Single or multiple entry; multiple entry allows travel out and back while valid |
| Extension | Not available — you must apply for another visa in Australia |
| Work | Not permitted |
| Study or training | Up to 3 months |
| Family members | Cannot be included; each person applies separately |
Does a longer validity mean a longer stay?
No, and this is the distinction most families get wrong. Validity is the window in which travel to Australia is permitted; the stay period is the time actually allowed in the country. A visa valid for more than 12 months lets a parent come and go across that window without reapplying, but every day spent in Australia counts against the 12 months in any 18-month period. Suppose a parent is granted a visa valid for more than 12 months and uses most of the 12-month allowance in one visit — the remaining balance available in the following months is correspondingly small, regardless of how much validity is left on the visa.
The same ceiling appears at the regulation level. The Migration Regulations 1994 include a criterion (clause 600.215) framed around whether granting the visa would result in the applicant having spent more than 12 months in Australia on a visitor visa, a Working Holiday visa (subclass 417 or 462) or a bridging visa, which requires exceptional circumstances. The Regulations and the Department's internal guidance are amended over time, so the current text on the Federal Register of Legislation is the reference for how that criterion now reads.
Why the 600 stream cannot replace a long-term parent visa
The 600 is temporary by design, and every feature of the stream reinforces that. It cannot be extended: to remain longer you must apply for another visa while in Australia, and that is only possible if the current visa does not carry a condition preventing further stay, such as condition 8503 — No Further Stay. The Department can waive a no further stay condition only in limited circumstances. Wanting to stay longer or permanently requires a visa that allows it.
The criteria point the same way. The Migration Regulations 1994 require that the applicant genuinely intends to stay temporarily in Australia for the purpose for which the visa is granted (clause 600.211), and that the applicant has, or has access to, adequate means of support (clause 600.212). An application framed around living in Australia indefinitely rather than visiting sits awkwardly against both, which is why a long-stay request has to be supported with evidence of the reason for it and, for parents, proof that the child is an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
Health cover is the other recurring constraint. Visitors are liable for all their healthcare costs in Australia, and some countries have a reciprocal healthcare agreement with Australia. In some circumstances the Department grants the visa with condition 8501 — Maintain adequate health insurance, which makes continuing cover a visa condition rather than a recommendation. The longer the intended stay, the more this shapes the real cost of the arrangement.
Where the 870 sponsored parent visa fits
The Department's own wording on the tourist stream page is the clearest statement of the boundary: if you want to stay longer than 12 months on each visit, you might be eligible for a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870). In other words, 870 is the stream the official page directs a parent to once the 12-months-in-18 limit becomes the binding problem.
The eligibility rules for that visa — sponsorship, duration, conditions and cost — are set out separately on the Department's official Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) page and are not part of the tourist stream criteria described above. Any comparison of the two paths has to be finished against that page, since the tourist stream material does not describe what 870 requires or grants.
What goes into a request for a longer 600 visa?
The Department's step-by-step guidance asks applicants requesting a longer visa to say so in the application and to provide further information about the reason. This expressly includes parents and step-parents of Australian citizens or permanent residents, and the example given is proof that the child is an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
The rest of the evidence is the ordinary genuine visitor package: identity documents, proof of funds for the stay and for leaving Australia (the page lists three months of itemised personal bank statements, pay slips, tax records, term deposits and similar), a letter from the relative in Australia covering the relationship, purpose and length of stay, the applicant's plans while in Australia, and proof of reasons to return home such as employment, study, family, property or other major assets. Documents in another language need English translations. Health examinations can be done before applying or once the Department asks, biometrics may be required, and applications are lodged through ImmiAccount.
On cost, the official page directs applicants to the Visa Pricing Estimator and notes that health checks, police certificates and biometrics may be additional. Applicants should not arrange travel to Australia until the Department has advised in writing that the visa has been granted.
This article is general information only and is not personalised advice for any family's circumstances; the official pages cited remain the reference, and where a decision turns on your particular situation it should be checked against current official information or with a registered migration agent or legal practitioner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my parents be granted a 600 visa valid for more than 12 months?
Yes, potentially. On the Department's official page, a parent or step-parent of an Australian citizen or permanent resident who meets all the visa criteria may be granted a visa valid for more than 12 months. These requests are considered case by case, and the applicant should state in the application that a longer visa is being requested.
Does a longer validity mean they can stay for the whole period?
No. Validity is the travel window, not the permitted stay. A parent on a visa valid for more than 12 months still cannot stay in Australia for more than 12 months in total in any 18-month period.
Can the 600 visa be extended from inside Australia?
No. The page states that you cannot stay longer by extending this visa; you must apply for another visa in Australia. That is only possible if the visa does not carry a condition preventing further stay, such as condition 8503, which the Department waives only in limited circumstances.
Does leaving Australia and coming back reset the 12-month allowance?
Departure and return are allowed on a multiple entry visa while it remains valid, but the limit is expressed as 12 months in total in any 18-month period, so the time already spent in Australia continues to count. A round trip cruise is a specific example: the Department treats time on the cruise as time in Australia, so it does not reset the stay period.
Do my parents need health insurance on a longer 600 visa?
They must have made adequate arrangements for health insurance to be granted a parent visa valid for more than 12 months, and in some circumstances the visa is granted with condition 8501 — Maintain adequate health insurance. Visitors are liable for all their healthcare costs in Australia, and some countries have a reciprocal healthcare agreement.
Can my parents work or study while on this visa?
They cannot work at all on the tourist stream. Study or training is allowed for up to three months, but if study is the main reason for travelling, the Department suggests a student visa may be more appropriate.
Can I include both parents in one 600 application?
No. The tourist stream page states that family members cannot be included in an application and that each family member, including those listed on the same passport, must submit a separate application.
If the 600 cannot cover a long stay, what does the Department point to?
The tourist stream page directs applicants to the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) if they want to stay longer than 12 months on each visit. What that visa requires and grants is set out on its own official page rather than in the tourist stream criteria.