Understanding the Family Balance Test for Australian Parent Visas


If you're planning to sponsor your parents for a permanent visa to live in Australia, one of the first eligibility criteria you’ll need to understand is the Family Balance Test. This test plays a pivotal role in determining whether your parent or parents can apply for certain permanent Parent Visas, such as the Subclass 103 (Parent) or Subclass 143 (Contributory Parent) visa.

In this blog post, we'll break down the Family Balance Test, who it applies to, and how it affects your parent's eligibility for a visa to migrate to Australia.


✅ What is the Family Balance Test?

The Family Balance Test is an assessment used by the Australian Department of Home Affairs to determine whether a parent has enough close family living permanently in Australia. The intention behind the test is to ensure that a substantial portion of the applicant’s immediate family are settled in Australia before granting a permanent parent visa.


📌 Who Needs to Meet the Family Balance Test?

The Family Balance Test applies to most permanent Parent visa subclasses, including:

  • Subclass 103 – Parent visa
  • Subclass 143 – Contributory Parent visa
  • Subclass 804 – Aged Parent visa
  • Subclass 864 – Contributory Aged Parent visa

However, it does not apply to temporary parent visas, such as the Subclass 870 (Sponsored Parent Temporary Visa).


🧮 How is the Family Balance Test Calculated?

Your parent meets the Family Balance Test if:

  1. At least half of their children live permanently in Australia, or
  2. More of their children live permanently in Australia than in any other single country

Let’s look at a few scenarios to make this clearer.


📊 Example 1:

  • Your parent has 4 children.
  • 2 live in Australia permanently.
  • 1 lives in India.
  • 1 lives in Canada.

✅ Result: Test met (2 out of 4 children = 50% in Australia)



📊 Example 2:

  • Your parent has 3 children.
  • 1 lives in Australia.
  • 1 lives in the UK.
  • 1 lives in the USA.

❌ Result: Test not met (Australia does not have more children than any other single country)



📊 Example 3:

  • Your parent has 5 children.
  • 2 live in Australia.
  • 1 in India.
  • 1 in the USA.
  • 1 in the UK.

✅ Result: Test met (Australia has more children than any other single country)



📍 Key Definitions

To correctly assess the Family Balance Test, you need to understand how certain terms are defined by immigration authorities:

  • Children: Includes biological, adopted, and stepchildren.
  • Living permanently in Australia: The child must be:
  • An Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen, and
  • Usually resident in Australia.

Temporary visa holders (e.g., on student, work, or bridging visas) do not count for the purposes of the test.



🚫 Exceptions to the Rule

In rare and compassionate circumstances, if your parent does not meet the Family Balance Test, they may still explore Ministerial Intervention or other options, but this is complex and not guaranteed.

Also, as mentioned earlier, if you are applying for the Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent Temporary Visa, the Family Balance Test does not apply—making it a viable option for many families who do not meet this requirement.



📝 Final Thoughts

The Family Balance Test is a strict but crucial requirement in most parent visa applications. Before lodging any application, it’s essential to assess your eligibility based on this test. If you do not meet the test, consider:

  • Exploring the Subclass 870 temporary visa as an alternative
  • Consulting a registered migration agent to review all possible options



📞 Need Help with Parent Visas?

At AVC Migration, we’ve helped hundreds of families reunite with their loved ones in Australia. We can assess your situation, calculate the Family Balance Test correctly, and guide you through the right visa pathway.



Rajwant Singh
 Registered Migration Agent | MARN 1794016
 📍 Blacktown, NSW | 📞 1300 34 44 84
 📧 info@avc.net.au | 🌐 www.avc.net.au