My 173 visa expired more than 28 days ago — can I still apply for 143 in 2026?
Yes — but only through the narrowest of the three routes. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143) official page (as of the July 2026 version), you can still use the two-stage pathway if more than 28 days have passed since your Contributory Parent (Temporary) (subclass 173) visa ended and you can demonstrate compelling and compassionate circumstances to regain your previous visa status. You must provide evidence, and the Minister must be satisfied that those circumstances exist. This article is general information about how the published criteria work, not personalised advice about your case — for your own situation, rely on the current official page and, if needed, a registered migration agent or legal practitioner.
What are the three ways to qualify for the 173-to-143 pathway?
The official page sets out three alternatives for applicants coming from a subclass 173 visa. Only one of them is open once you are past 28 days.
| Your situation at the time you apply | Can you use the two-stage 173-to-143 pathway? |
|---|---|
| You hold a subclass 173 visa when you apply | Yes |
| You held a subclass 173 visa at any time in the 28 days before you apply | Yes |
| More than 28 days have passed since your 173 visa ended | Only if you demonstrate compelling and compassionate circumstances to regain your previous visa status, provide evidence, and the Minister is satisfied |
| None of the above | No — the application is processed as a standard subclass 143 application, not the two-stage pathway |
The practical consequence of the last row matters as much as the first: if the Minister is not satisfied, your case does not disappear, but it is no longer handled as the second stage of the two-step process.
What does "compelling and compassionate circumstances" actually require?
The official page states the test but does not publish a definition, a checklist, or a list of accepted documents for it. It requires two things: that you provide evidence, and that the Minister is satisfied the circumstances exist.
That means there is no published threshold you can measure yourself against, and no assurance that a particular set of facts will be accepted. To make the structure concrete: assume an applicant whose 173 visa ended four months ago because of a serious, documented medical episode that left them unable to manage their affairs. That is the kind of situation the criterion speaks to, but the page does not say such facts are sufficient — the assessment remains the Minister's, based on the evidence lodged.
What do you give up once the 28 days have passed?
Several practical advantages are tied to holding the 173 visa, or to having held it very recently.
- Document concessions. The step-by-step guidance says you will not need to give some of the documents usually asked for if you hold a subclass 173 visa, or if your 173 visa ended in the 28 days immediately before you apply. Past 28 days, that concession is not described as available, so plan to provide the full set.
- The balance of family test. The eligibility section states that if you apply as a Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa holder, you have already met the balance of family test; the visa overview frames the same exemption as applying where you apply before your temporary visa ceases. Clause 143.213(1) of the Migration Regulations 1994 similarly frames the exemption by reference to whether the applicant holds a subclass 173 or a substituted Visitor (subclass 600) visa at the time of application. If your 173 ended more than 28 days ago, confirm against the current official page and the regulations whether you must satisfy the test again.
- Cost. The page lists the visa as costing from AUD49,900 for a single applicant, and notes costs may be lower for Contributory Parent (Temporary) (subclass 173) and substituted Visitor (subclass 600) visa holders. It does not state how that lower cost interacts with an expired 173 visa, so check current visa pricing before budgeting.
- Fee structure. The charge is paid in two instalments: the first when you apply, the second when asked. The second instalment must be paid before the visa can be granted, and the application fee is not refunded if the application is refused.
Can you stay in Australia while the application is processed?
You can be in or outside Australia when you apply, as long as you are not in immigration clearance. The position during processing is tighter:
- At the decision, you may be in or outside Australia if you hold or held a Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 173), or a substituted Visitor visa (subclass 600), before submitting your application. All other Contributory Parent applicants must be outside Australia when the decision is made.
- In the meantime, staying lawful is a separate question. The page says you are not entitled to a bridging visa associated with a subclass 143 application unless you are applying under the Retirement visa pathway, you held a subclass 173 visa when you applied, or you are a family member of a subclass 173 visa holder. If none of those fit, you must hold another valid visa to remain in Australia, and otherwise must be outside Australia while the application is processed.
For an applicant whose 173 visa lapsed long ago, this is often the sharpest constraint: the decision may lawfully be made while you are onshore, but nothing in the published criteria keeps you onshore until then.
What evidence and documents should you prepare?
Because the document concession is tied to holding the 173 visa (or having held it within the previous 28 days), treat this as a full application.
- Identity: the pages of your current passport showing photo, personal details and issue/expiry dates; a national identity card if you have one; and proof of change of name if applicable. If you cannot prove your identity, the application will be refused and you and listed family members might not be granted a visa for 10 years.
- Sponsorship: an eligible sponsor, usually an eligible child, who must be approved. Form 40 Sponsorship for migration to Australia is the sponsorship document named on the page.
- Changes in your situation since the 173 was granted: a family member is no longer a dependant, your partner relationship has changed, you have had a baby, your contact details have changed, you have a new passport, you want to nominate a new sponsor, or your sponsor has died.
- Standard requirements: health and character requirements for you and any family members applying with you, an Assurance of Support when asked, the Australian Values Statement if you are 18 or over, and any debt to the Australian Government repaid or under an approved arrangement.
- Photographs: four recent passport-size (45mm x 35mm) photos per person included, less than six months old.
- Lodgement: if you apply on or after 22 April 2026, you must lodge online using ImmiAccount.
- Other parent applications: if you have applied for a different Parent visa and no decision has been made, you must withdraw it as part of your new application. You also cannot apply if you have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (subclass 870) visa.
What happens after you lodge?
Parent visa demand exceeds the places available each year, so applications are subject to capping and queueing and are processed in the order received. Assessment happens in two stages: an initial assessment to decide whether to add the application to the queue or refuse it, then a final assessment as places become available. The page notes that applications can take longer if they are incomplete, if documents are missing, or if information takes a long time to verify. If you need to correct something after lodging, the named mechanism is Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers; you must also tell the Department about changes to your phone number, email, address, passport, relationship status or family composition.
Is there another pathway if the 173 route is closed?
The retiree pathway is a separate option with its own conditions: on 8 May 2018 you held or had previously held an Investor Retirement (subclass 405) or Retirement (subclass 410) visa, you have not held any other substantive visa between that date and the date you apply, and you are in Australia. Applicants under this pathway do not need to meet the balance of family test, do not need a sponsor, and do not need an Assurance of Support — but they cannot include children in the application and must maintain adequate health insurance until the visa is granted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a hard deadline after the 28 days run out?
No further deadline is published on the official page. The criterion is not a cut-off date but a substantive test: you must demonstrate compelling and compassionate circumstances to regain your previous visa status, provide evidence, and the Minister must be satisfied those circumstances exist.
What evidence proves compelling and compassionate circumstances?
The official page requires evidence but does not list what qualifies or in what form. What can be said from the published criteria is that the evidence has to support the circumstances you are relying on, and that the Minister must be satisfied — there is no published checklist and no stated guarantee that any particular document will be enough.
Will I have to meet the balance of family test again?
It depends on which route you end up on. The eligibility page says applicants who apply as a Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa holder have already met the test, and the visa overview conditions that on applying before the temporary visa ceases. Clause 143.213(1) of the Migration Regulations 1994 frames the exemption around holding a subclass 173 or substituted subclass 600 visa at the time of application, so past-28-day applicants should verify this against the current official page.
Can I get a bridging visa while the 143 application is considered?
Not on the strength of the 143 application alone. The page says bridging visa entitlement is limited to Retirement visa pathway applicants, people who held a subclass 173 visa when they applied, and family members of subclass 173 holders. Otherwise you need another valid visa to stay in Australia, and must be outside Australia while the application is processed.
What if the Minister is not satisfied with my circumstances?
Your application is not automatically refused on that basis. The page says that if none of the three options apply, the subclass 143 application is processed as a standard application rather than the two-stage pathway — which means the full criteria and the full document set apply.
Can I be in Australia when the decision is made?
Yes, if you hold or held a Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 173), or a substituted Visitor visa (subclass 600), before submitting your application. All other Contributory Parent applicants must be outside Australia at the time of decision.