When you cannot apply for the subclass 143 parent visa in 2026

The conditions that stop a subclass 143 parent visa application — 870 conflict, undecided parent applications, government debts, and visa history.

Published: 10 July 2026 Reading time 12 min

A subclass 143 application can be blocked outright, or blocked until something changes first. The one absolute bar listed on the Australian Department of Home Affairs' Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143) official page is the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (subclass 870) visa: you cannot apply for this visa if you have already applied for or hold one. Everything else on that page is a criterion you must satisfy — sponsor, balance of family test, health, character, Assurance of Support, and repaid government debt — plus a few procedural rules about where you must be when you lodge and when the decision is made. This article is general information about published criteria, not an assessment of any individual case; which of these rules actually bites depends on your own records, so treat the current official pages as the operative source. The criteria below reflect the Department's subclass 143 page as at July 2026.

The short list: what stops a 143 application

Situation	Effect on a subclass 143 application	What has to change
You have applied for or hold a subclass 870 visa	Cannot apply	Nothing — this is a standing bar
Another Parent visa application is still undecided	Must withdraw it as part of the new application	Withdraw the pending application
You or a family member owe the Australian Government money	Not eligible until resolved	Repay, or have an approved repayment arrangement
A visa was cancelled or an application refused	Your immigration history is weighed; you might not be eligible	Depends on the circumstances of the cancellation or refusal
You cannot prove your identity	Refusal, and a possible 10-year bar for you and listed family members	Produce identity documents
No approved eligible sponsor	Not eligible (unless applying as a retiree)	Secure and have the sponsorship approved
Balance of family test not met	Not eligible (unless retiree or subclass 173 holder)	More eligible children in Australia than elsewhere

Does a subclass 870 application really block you?

Yes, and it does not matter whether the 870 was granted. The bar is written as "already applied for or hold", so a pending 870 application is enough. If you are in that position, the subclass 143 page gives no exception and no waiver route — the option is a different parent visa pathway, not a workaround inside 143.

What happens to a parent visa application you already have on foot?

If you have applied for a different Parent visa and no decision has been made on it, you must withdraw that application when you apply for the subclass 143 visa. The Department's step-by-step guidance treats this as part of lodging the new application rather than a separate process, so it does not by itself stop you — but leaving it unresolved does.

Can you still use the two-stage 173 pathway?

Only on the conditions set out on the official page. You can apply for the second-stage permanent pathway if you hold a Contributory Parent (Temporary) (subclass 173) visa when you apply, or you held one at any time in the 28 days before applying, or more than 28 days have passed since it ended and you can demonstrate compelling and compassionate circumstances to regain your previous status — evidence is required and the Minister must be satisfied. If none of those apply, the application is processed as a standard application rather than the two-stage pathway. Holders of a subclass 173 visa have already met the balance of family test, and if the sponsor dies while you hold a 173 visa you might still be eligible.

Do debts to the Australian Government have to be cleared first?

Yes. If you or any family member owes the Australian Government money, the debt must be paid back, or there must be an approved arrangement to pay it back. The obligation covers family members, not just the main applicant, so a debt attached to someone included in the application can hold up the whole case. No amount or repayment schedule is set out on the subclass 143 page.

Does a cancelled visa or a previous refusal rule you out?

Not automatically, but it is a live risk. The Department says it will consider your immigration history when deciding, which means you might not be eligible if you have had a visa cancelled or refused before. Some circumstances still allow a permanent visa application, and those are set out in the Department's material on limitations on applications in Australia; if you are applying from outside Australia, re-entry ban rules are also relevant. Because this turns on the reason for the cancellation or refusal, it is one of the few items on this list that cannot be resolved by a single document.

What if you cannot prove who you are?

Then the application will be refused. The consequences listed go further: the Department might not grant you another visa for 10 years, and might not grant any family members listed on your application a visa for 10 years. Identity evidence starts with the pages of your current passport showing your photo, personal details and issue and expiry dates, plus a national identity card if you have one and proof of any change of name.

Which criteria must be cleared before lodgement?

Several of the standard criteria are the practical reason an application should wait:

Sponsor. You must have an eligible sponsor and the sponsorship must be approved. Usually an eligible child sponsors you; if that child is under 18, an eligible relative or community organisation can sponsor instead. Retiree applicants do not need a sponsor.
Balance of family test. You meet it if at least half of your children and step-children are eligible children, or there are more eligible children living in Australia than in any other single country. Retiree applicants and subclass 173 holders do not need to meet it.
Assurance of Support. You must be able to obtain one unless you apply as a retiree. It is a guarantee that you will not need to rely on government assistance during the Assurance of Support period, and it covers family members who come to Australia with you. It does not have to be provided by the sponsor or a family member — an individual, several people, or an organisation can provide it.
Health and character. You and any family members applying with you must meet both requirements, and the Department might also ask other non-migrating family members to meet them.
Australian Values Statement. If you are 18 or over, you must have read, or had explained to you, the Life in Australia booklet and sign the statement.
Best interests of the child. The visa will not be granted if doing so is not in the best interests of an applicant under 18.

Are there extra limits if you apply as a retiree?

Yes, and they cut both ways. The retiree route is a transitional arrangement for people who, on 8 May 2018, held or had previously held an Investor Retirement (subclass 405) or Retirement (subclass 410) visa, have not held any other substantive visa between that date and the date of application, and are in Australia. In exchange for not needing a sponsor, the balance of family test or an Assurance of Support, retiree applicants cannot include their children or their partner's children in the application, must maintain adequate health insurance until the visa is granted, and are personally liable for healthcare costs while the application is processed.

Does it matter where you are when you lodge and when the decision is made?

It does. You can be in or outside Australia when you submit, but not in immigration clearance; retiree applicants must be in Australia, and not in immigration clearance, when they submit. At decision time, all other Contributory Parent applicants must be outside Australia, unless they applied as a retiree or hold or held a subclass 173 visa or a substituted Visitor (subclass 600) visa before applying. Applications lodged on or after 22 April 2026 must be lodged online through ImmiAccount. There is also no general entitlement to a bridging visa associated with a subclass 143 application — only for retiree pathway applicants, people who held a subclass 173 visa when they applied, and family members of a subclass 173 holder — so anyone else in Australia needs another valid visa to remain lawful.

What should you fix before you pay the fee?

The second instalment must be paid before the visa is granted, and the application will be refused if the invoice is not paid; the application fee is not refunded if the application is refused. That makes the order of operations straightforward: resolve the 870 conflict, withdraw any undecided parent visa application, clear or arrange government debts, confirm sponsorship and the balance of family test, and check identity documents — then lodge.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I apply for a subclass 143 if my subclass 870 application is still pending?

No. The Department states you cannot apply for the subclass 143 visa if you have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (subclass 870) visa. A pending 870 application is enough to trigger the bar, whether or not it is later granted.

Do I have to withdraw my other parent visa application first?

Yes, if that application has not been decided. The Department's guidance says you must withdraw the undecided Parent visa application when you apply for the subclass 143 visa, and that this can be done as part of the new application.

Will an old debt to the Australian Government stop my application?

It will stop it until it is dealt with. The debt must be paid back, or there must be an approved arrangement to pay it back, and the requirement extends to any family member covered by the application.

Does a previous visa cancellation mean automatic refusal?

It does not mean automatic refusal, but it is a serious risk factor. The Department says it will consider your immigration history and that you might not be eligible if a visa was cancelled or an application refused, with some circumstances still permitting a permanent visa application.

What happens if I cannot provide identity documents?

The application will be refused. The Department may also decline to grant you another visa for 10 years, and may decline to grant visas for 10 years to family members listed on the same application.

Can I stay in Australia while my subclass 143 application is processed?

Only if you hold another valid visa. You are not entitled to a bridging visa tied to a subclass 143 application unless you applied under the retirement visa pathway, held a subclass 173 visa when you applied, or are a family member of a subclass 173 holder.