Australian Immigration Daily News

The Migration Amendment (Temporary Sponsored Parent Visa and Other Measures) Regulations 2019 (the Regulations) amend the Migration Regulations 1994 (the Migration Regulations) to: 

- establish a new family sponsorship framework, as provided for by the Migration Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Act 2018, and create a new class of family sponsor called a 'parent sponsor' 
- create a new Subclass 870 (Sponsored Parent (Temporary)) visa (a Temporary Sponsored Parent visa) for the parents of Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents and eligible New Zealand citizens; 
- create a new defined term, 'outstanding public health debt', which relates to debts for medical and aged care expenses, which have been appropriately notified to the Department of Home Affairs: 
        o the parent sponsor, their spouse or de facto partner, and their sponsored parent(s) must not have an outstanding public health debt, or they must have made appropriate arrangements to pay any such debt; and 
- clarify requirements for certain temporary visa holders to maintain adequate health insurance in Australia.

 Source: Migration-Amendment-Temporary-Sponsored-Parent-Visa-and-Other-Measures-Regulations-2019---Explanatory-Statement.pdf

The following table summarises the amount of the charge that apply: 

This Legislative Instrument supports the framework established by Migration Regulations 1994 (the Regulations) by specifying the manner in which an approved family sponsor must notify the department responsible for Immigration (the Department) when there has been a material change in the circumstances of the approved sponsor as required by subregulation 2.87CD(1).

The new instrument making power is provided by the Migration Amendment (Temporary Sponsored Parent Visa and Other Measures) Regulations 2019, which requires approval of sponsorship before a valid visa application for a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (subclass 870) visa can be made.

Under this framework, approved family sponsors are required to agree to obligations to notify the Department if there are material changes in their circumstances that could affect the welfare and wellbeing of their sponsored parents.

This instrument commences 17 April 2019.

Amount of taxable income of the applicant

For the purposes of subregulations 2.60W(1) and 2.60W(2) of the Regulations, the amount specified is $83,454.80.

On Friday 5 May 2017, the Government confirmed that subject to the passage of relevant legislation, the temporary sponsored parent visa will be introduced during the 2017-18 Migration Programme year.  Due to lengthy delays involving passing of the legislation, the subclass 870 temporary parent visa was placed in an indefinite hiatus.

The temporary sponsored parent visa is designed to allow the parents of Australians to spend longer periods of time with their children in Australia without placing additional burden on Australia's health care system.  The introduction of the temporary sponsored parent visa was subject to passage of the Migration Amendment (Family Violence and other Measures) Bill 2016 (the Bill) through Parliament which was finally given Royal Assent in December 2018.

On 1 March 2019, Minister Coleman announced that applications to sponsor a parent for a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa will be open from 17 April 2019.