MigrationBuro - Andrew Heathcote - Migration Agent

23/09/2026

Lodging the parent visa is the start, not the end. The years in the queue are not dead time, and a few sensible moves make the eventual grant smoother.

Keep your details current with the Department, tell them about changes in circumstances, keep documents and police checks in order, and plan for how your parents will spend time in Australia in the meantime. Small, steady upkeep now saves stress at grant.

A practical guide to the wait, and the tools to plan it: https://parentvisas.com.au/news/parent-visa-wait-time-calculator/

Andrew Heathcote, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 0850840).

18/09/2026

As the dust settles from yesterday's minister's announcement

Unfortunately we believe that this could this be the end of onshore parent visas for South African families?

Yesterday, the government announced that it intends to put a “No Further Stay” condition on all future visitor visas. For many parents, the plan has been to visit their children in Australia, then apply for an onshore parent visa and remain here on a bridging visa while they wait.

If this change takes effect as announced, that route could close for parents arriving on new visitor visas. It has not taken effect yet, and the Minister said the change would not affect people already in Australia.

The parent visas themselves are not being abolished. The real loss would be the ability to wait here with your family, a distinction that matters when the contributory parent visa queue is estimated at around 15 years.

I wrote about what this could mean for families here: https://migrationburo.com.au/end-of-onshore-parent-visas/

Andy Heathcote
MigrationBuro | MARN 0850840

Onshore parent visa update: a no further stay condition on every visitor visa would close the subclass 864 and 804. What it means, and what still works.

16/09/2026

Two requirements quietly decide many parent visa applications: health and character.

Parents are older, so health checks carry more weight, and a significant condition can affect an application. Character checks apply too, across every country your parent has lived in. Neither is a reason to panic, but both are worth understanding early, because they are far easier to plan for than to fix late.

What the health and character requirements involve: https://parentvisas.com.au/news/parent-visa-eligibility/

Andrew Heathcote, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 0850840).

09/09/2026

The most common reason families put off a parent visa is the wait. If it takes many years, why start now?

Because your place in the queue is set by your lodgement date. Every year you wait to apply is a year added to the end, not saved. Starting sooner, even with the wait ahead, is usually the single biggest thing within your control.

What the current queue looks like, based on the latest data: https://parentvisas.com.au/news/parent-visa-processing-times-2026/

Andrew Heathcote, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 0850840).

02/09/2026

If your parent has reached Australian age pension age and is already in Australia, the onshore Aged Parent pathway is worth knowing. It comes in two forms: the non-contributory subclass 804, and the contributory subclass 864.

The trade-off is the familiar one. The contributory route (864) costs far more but moves faster; the non-contributory route (804) is cheaper but sits in a very long queue. Which one makes sense depends on your parent's age, health and circumstances.

How the two compare, side by side: https://parentvisas.com.au/news/aged-parent-804-vs-864/

Andrew Heathcote, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 0850840).

30/08/2026

Why Australia? A steady trade, a good income, and a future for your family.

For experienced precision machinists there is an employer-sponsored pathway open now. We run it end to end, the recruitment introduction, the trade skills assessment, the visa and relocation, and we tell you the truth about your chances.

Register your interest:
https://migrationburo.com.au/precision-machinists-wanted/

MARN 0850840

26/08/2026

The Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143) is the faster permanent pathway, but it is also the expensive one, and the cost surprises most families.

The largest part is the second instalment, paid per parent before the visa is granted, and there is an Assurance of Support bond on top. The figures moved with the 1 July fee changes, so it is worth working from today's numbers, not an old quote.

The full 2026 breakdown, instalment by instalment: https://parentvisas.com.au/news/contributory-parent-visa-143-cost/

Andrew Heathcote, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 0850840).

23/08/2026

Cylindrical grinding specialists: Australian engineering employers are hiring, with employer sponsorship for the right people.

If you have five years or more and the evidence to back it, we handle the trade skills assessment, the visa and relocation. Register your interest for a straight answer on your eligibility:
https://migrationburo.com.au/precision-machinists-wanted/

MARN 0850840

19/08/2026

You have lodged the parent visa. Now what? The wait can run for years, and there are things worth doing now: keep your ImmiAccount details current, plan for the second instalment, and keep documents ready. Your after-lodgement checklist: https://parentvisas.com.au/news/after-lodging-parent-visa/

Andrew Heathcote, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 0850840).

19/08/2026

Before anything else, a parent visa comes down to one question that catches families out: the balance of family test.

In simple terms, at least half of your parents' children must live permanently in Australia, or more of their children must live here than in any other single country. If that test is not met, the parent visa pathway is closed, no matter how strong the rest of the case is.

It is the first thing we check, because it decides whether the whole plan is possible. How the test works, with examples: https://parentvisas.com.au/news/parent-visa-eligibility/

Andrew Heathcote, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 0850840).