Can I Stay in Australia While My Parent Visa 103 Is Processing in 2026?

Plain-language guide · general information, not immigration advice

No — lodging a Parent visa (subclass 103) application does not give you permission to live in Australia while it waits in the queue. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' Parent visa (subclass 103) official page, current as of July 2026, you must be outside Australia while the application is processed unless you hold another valid visa, you must be outside Australia when the decision is made (unless you applied through the Retirement visa pathway), and you must not arrange to move permanently until the Department tells you in writing that the visa has been granted. This article is general information rather than advice tailored to your circumstances, so treat the official page as the authority for your own plans.

Why can't I settle in Australia while the application is queued?

Because queuing is not an approval in progress — it is a waiting list.

The Department states that demand for Parent visas 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 check of eligibility that either puts the application into the queue or leads to refusal, then a final assessment as places become available.

That structure is why the page repeats the same warning in two places: do not arrange to stay permanently in Australia, and do not arrange to move to Australia permanently, until the grant arrives in writing. Nothing in the queue itself signals that a grant is near.

Do I have to be outside Australia while my 103 application is being processed?

Either outside Australia, or in Australia on some other valid visa — the 103 application by itself carries no stay rights.

To stay onshore lawfully during processing you need that separate visa. If you are in Australia and your temporary visa is about to expire, you need to hold a valid visa to remain lawful while the Department processes your application. Applications that are incomplete, missing documents, or slow to verify can also take longer, which lengthens the period during which your stay depends on that other visa.

Does applying for subclass 103 give me a bridging visa?

Only if you applied through the Retirement visa pathway.

For everyone else, there is no bridging visa linked to a subclass 103 application. A bridging visa only appears for Retirement visa pathway applicants, and it starts if their current visa expires before the Department decides the application. In every other case, your lawful status during the wait rests entirely on whatever visa you already hold.

Where do I have to be when the decision is made?

Outside Australia — with one exception.

The general rule is that you must be outside Australia when the Department decides your application. Applicants under the Retirement visa pathway may be inside or outside Australia at that point. You will receive the outcome in writing, and a grant letter will set out your visa grant number, the date the visa starts, your visa conditions, and the date by which you must enter Australia.

How different is the Retirement visa pathway?

The table below summarises the contrast drawn on the official page. It assumes this pathway is genuinely available to you; it is a distinct stream, not a label you can add to an ordinary application.

	General subclass 103 applicant	Retirement visa pathway applicant
Location when applying	In or outside Australia, not in immigration clearance	Must be in Australia, not in immigration clearance
During processing	Must be outside Australia unless holding another valid visa	Bridging visa starts if their current visa expires before the decision
Bridging visa tied to the 103 application	Not available	Available
Location at decision	Must be outside Australia	May be in or outside Australia
Sponsor, Assurance of Support, balance of family test	Required	Not required
Children in the application	May be included if they meet the dependency rules	Cannot be included

So can I visit Australia during the wait?

Yes, if you hold another visa that allows it — but check the interaction with temporary parent options first.

Visiting while your application is queued is a different thing from moving permanently, which is what the Department's warning targets. One constraint matters for planning: you cannot apply for the subclass 103 visa if you have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870). That temporary visa allows parents to visit their children in Australia for up to 3 or 5 years at a time, to a maximum total of 10 years, so choosing it can close off a later 103 application. Similarly, if you have applied for a different Parent visa that is still undecided, you must withdraw it when you apply for the subclass 103.

What should I be planning around while I wait?

Assume a long, open-ended wait and keep the application itself clean rather than counting down to a date.

Treat the queue as unscheduled. The Department does not provide progress updates within normal processing times, and applications leave the queue only as places become available; the Parent visa queue release dates page is where current position information sits.
Keep documents ready for requests. Health examinations, biometrics, an Assurance of Support and police certificates are requested when needed, not upfront in every case. Valid passports are required before the visa can be granted for you and anyone applying with you.
Keep your record current. Changes to phone number, email, address, passport, relationship status or family composition should be reported; genuine mistakes can be corrected, and family members may be added before a decision is made.
Budget for the second payment. The visa costs from AUD 8,665 for a single applicant, paid in two instalments, and the second instalment must be paid before the visa can be granted — unpaid invoices lead to refusal, and the application fee is not refunded if the application is refused.
Know the alternatives. Contributory Parent options (subclass 143, or subclass 173 followed by 143) may be processed faster but cost more. If you switch, the date you originally applied for the subclass 103 visa is taken into account and the switch will not disadvantage you; if one applicant in a family switches, it does not affect the others.

Applications lodged on or after 22 April 2026 must be made online through ImmiAccount, which is also where you attach documents, upload further information and read messages from the Department.

What changes once the visa is granted?

Grant turns the queue entry into a permanent visa with full residence rights.

It lets you stay in Australia indefinitely, work and study, enrol in Medicare, sponsor eligible family members, and travel to and from Australia for five years from the grant date. After that initial travel facility ends, re-entering as a permanent resident requires a Resident Return visa (subclass 155 or 157), or Australian citizenship. VEVO shows when the travel facility ends. For citizenship purposes, your permanent residence starts on the day the visa is granted if you are in Australia, or on the day you first enter Australia on the visa if you were outside.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I live in Australia on my subclass 103 application while it is being processed?

No. The application itself grants no stay rights. You must be outside Australia during processing unless you separately hold another valid visa that permits you to be here.

Does everyone have to leave Australia before the decision?

General applicants must be outside Australia when the Department decides the application. Applicants under the Retirement visa pathway may be either inside or outside Australia at that point.

Will I get a bridging visa if my visitor visa expires mid-wait?

Not ordinarily. There is no bridging visa attached to a subclass 103 application unless you applied through the Retirement visa pathway, in which case it starts when your current visa expires before the decision.

How long will the subclass 103 queue take?

The official page does not give a fixed timeframe. It explains that Parent visa demand exceeds available places, so applications are capped, queued and processed in order, with processing position published separately as queue release dates.

May I sign a lease, ship belongings or retire early before the grant?

The Department's instruction is not to arrange to stay or move permanently in Australia until it grants the visa and notifies you in writing. Permanent relocation steps taken before that point are taken at your own risk.

Can I switch to a contributory parent visa after lodging the 103?

Yes. The Department states the original subclass 103 application date is taken into account for the new application and switching will not disadvantage you, though contributory parent pathways cost more than the subclass 103.