Can my parents get a longer Australian Visitor visa (600) in 2026?

Plain-language guide · general information, not immigration advice

Yes. If your parent or step-parent is the parent of an Australian citizen or permanent resident, the Australian Department of Home Affairs may grant them a Visitor visa (subclass 600, Tourist stream) that is valid for more than 12 months — but the extra validity does not translate into extra time on the ground. On the Home Affairs Tourist stream (apply outside Australia) — Visitor visa (subclass 600) official page, as of July 2026, the rule is stated plainly: on a visa valid for more than 12 months, your parent might be able to enter Australia multiple times while the visa is valid, but cannot stay more than 12 months in total in any 18-month period, and must have made adequate arrangements for health insurance.

The rest of this article follows the order in which adult children usually ask the follow-up questions: what "longer" actually refers to, who qualifies, what the cap means in practice, how to ask for it, and what to do when 12 months in 18 is not enough.

What does "longer than 12 months" actually mean?

It means the visa's validity period, not a single approved stay. Home Affairs treats the two separately:

Concept	What it controls
Visa validity period	The window during which your parent can travel to Australia, possibly multiple times
Stay period	How long they may remain on any given visit, as specified in the grant letter
12 months in any 18 months	The ceiling on total time in Australia for parents granted a visa valid over 12 months

For most applicants the department generally grants a stay period of 3 months, and may grant up to 12 months in certain circumstances. Parents of Australian citizens or permanent residents are the group singled out for possible validity beyond 12 months. Either way, the decision is made case by case, and the department states it might not grant the length of stay requested.

Who counts as an eligible parent?

The page names parents and step-parents of an Australian citizen or permanent resident. It is not a separate visa or a separate stream — it is the same Tourist stream (subclass 600), assessed case by case, with the longer validity available where all visa criteria are met.

Both of your parents need their own application: the visa does not allow family members to be included, and every family member, including those listed on the same passport, must submit a separate application.

What limits come with the longer visa?

Four limits matter more than the validity date itself:

The 12-in-18 cap. Total time in Australia cannot exceed 12 months in any 18-month period, however long the visa is valid for.
Health insurance. Your parent must have made adequate arrangements for health insurance. Home Affairs also notes it may grant the visa with Condition 8501 – Maintain adequate health insurance, and that visitors are liable for all their own healthcare costs in Australia, with insurance strongly recommended.
No work, limited study. The visa holder cannot work; study or training is allowed for up to 3 months, and a student visa may be more appropriate if study is the main reason for travel.
No extension by staying. You cannot extend this visa; a new visa application is required, and only if the current visa does not carry a condition preventing further stay, such as Condition 8503 – No Further Stay. The grant letter is where conditions are listed.

The Migration Regulations 1994 approaches the same ceiling from the other direction: clause 600.215 requires exceptional circumstances where a grant would result in the applicant having accumulated more than 12 months in Australia on a visitor, Working Holiday or bridging visa. As with any legislative text, check the current consolidated version on the Federal Register of Legislation.

How does your parent ask for the longer validity?

They must tell the department in the application itself. The official document guidance treats this as a normal part of lodging: applicants requesting a longer visa — explicitly including parents and step-parents of Australian citizens or permanent residents — should say so in the application and provide further information about the reason, for example proof that the child is an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

Alongside that, the usual genuine-visitor evidence still applies: identity documents, proof of funds for the stay and for leaving Australia (such as three months of itemised bank statements, payslips or tax records), an invitation letter from the relative in Australia covering the relationship, purpose and length of stay, the plan while in Australia, and evidence of reasons to return home such as employment, study, family or property. Applications can be decided without the department asking for more information, so the complete set belongs in the initial upload. Your parent must also be outside Australia both when applying and when the decision is made.

What if 12 months in 18 is not enough?

Home Affairs' own pointer is the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) for parents who want to stay longer than 12 months on each visit. The subclass 600 route is a visiting arrangement with a hard cumulative ceiling, not a way to have parents living in Australia long term.

Cost and timing are not fixed figures on the official page: the department directs applicants to its Visa Pricing Estimator for the visa application charge and to the visa processing times guide for an indication based on recently decided applications, noting both are guides only. Budget separately for possible health checks, police certificates and biometrics.

One caveat on scope: this is general information about how the published rules work, not advice on your family's specific circumstances, and the official page as currently published is the authority — page wording and requirements can change, so confirm against the latest official text before lodging.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can both of my parents be included in one long-validity application?

No. The subclass 600 visa does not allow family members to be included in an application, so each parent must lodge separately and each is assessed on their own merits. Two parents can therefore receive different validity periods and different stay periods.

If the visa is valid for 18 months, can my parents stay for 18 months?

No. Validity is the travel window, not the permitted time in Australia. For parents granted a visa valid for more than 12 months, total stay cannot exceed 12 months in any 18-month period, and the grant letter specifies the stay period for each visit.

Do my parents need private health insurance for the whole validity period?

They must have made adequate arrangements for health insurance, and the visa may be granted with Condition 8501 – Maintain adequate health insurance, which ties insurance to the visa. Visitors are liable for all healthcare costs they incur in Australia, and the department strongly recommends adequate cover; some countries have reciprocal healthcare agreements with Australia.

Can my parents apply for another Visitor visa while they are in Australia?

They cannot extend a subclass 600 visa, but they can apply for a new visa in Australia if their current visa has no condition preventing further stay, such as Condition 8503 – No Further Stay. Whether a No Further Stay waiver is possible depends on limited circumstances described by the department.

Does requesting a longer visa weaken the application?

The department describes longer validity for eligible parents as a case-by-case possibility, not an entitlement, and it may grant less than requested. What matters is meeting all visa criteria — genuine temporary stay, adequate funds and the other requirements — while clearly stating the request and supporting it with evidence such as proof of the child's Australian citizenship or permanent residence.

How long will a decision take?

Home Affairs publishes a visa processing times guide showing times for recently decided applications, described as a guide only and not specific to any one application. The decision letter will state the visa grant number, start date, conditions, and — if refused — the reasons and whether there is a right to review.