Who can legally help with an 870 visa application in 2026?

Three categories of people can legally give you immigration assistance on a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 870) application: a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person. Anyone outside those groups can still be appointed to receive documents for you, but not to assist with the application itself. This comes from the Australian Department of Home Affairs' official "Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 870)" page, as reviewed in its October 2026 version.

Who counts as a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner or an exempt person?

The Department's 870 page names the three categories without defining them, and links each one to its own Home Affairs guidance: using a migration agent, using a legal practitioner, and exempt persons. The test the page actually states is simple — if you appoint someone to give you immigration assistance, that person must be one of those three.

The 870 page does not publish a checklist for verifying which category someone falls into. The Department's separate "Who can help you with your application" guidance is where it directs applicants for that detail.

Can a family member help instead?

Yes, but only in the narrower role. The Department draws a clear line between giving immigration assistance and receiving documents. You can appoint anyone at all to receive documents on your behalf relating to your visa matter; the restriction applies to the assistance role, not the postbox role.

Suppose an applicant's daughter lives in Brisbane and wants every Department letter to arrive in her inbox so she can print and post them to her parents overseas. That is receiving correspondence, and the Department places no category limit on who can do it. If the same daughter wants to prepare and lodge the application and deal with the Department about its substance, she has to fall into one of the three categories above.

Which form do you use: Form 956 or Form 956A?

Two different forms cover the two different jobs, and the names say which is which.

What you want	Form	Who can be appointed
Someone to provide immigration assistance	Form 956 Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person	Only a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person
Someone to receive your correspondence	Form 956A Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient	Anyone you choose

The Department asks you to upload your written notification or your forms to ImmiAccount.

The same pair of forms handles the reverse situation. If you no longer want someone to receive your correspondence, complete Form 956A; if you no longer want someone to provide immigration advice, complete Form 956. Upload the form to ImmiAccount in either case.

What should you check before paying anyone?

The Department's overview for this visa puts the warning before the payment: if you are getting help with your visa, read its information on who can help with your visa application before you pay someone.

Paying for help does not create a fourth category. The person still has to be a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner or an exempt person if what they are doing is immigration assistance.

This article describes published rules in general terms and is not advice on your own circumstances, and it does not predict any outcome for an individual application. Where your situation is unclear, rely on the current official pages or on a registered migration agent or legal practitioner who can look at your specific facts.

Where the appointment fits into the rest of the application

You cannot apply for or be granted this visa without an approved Parent Sponsor, so the appointment paperwork sits alongside a sponsorship that has to be settled first. Applications are lodged online, from outside Australia within 6 months of sponsorship approval, or within 60 days if the Department grants Permission to Apply in Australia.

The appointment forms are not part of the eligibility evidence — they travel with the application through ImmiAccount, along with any written notification. If the Department later asks for more information, or if you need to withdraw the appointment, ImmiAccount is where those updates go.

Two fee points are worth knowing before you commit: the visa application fee is not refunded if you withdraw your application, and it is not refunded if the application is refused.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my son or daughter act as my authorised recipient?

Yes. The Department allows you to appoint anyone to receive documents on your behalf relating to your visa matter. That role covers correspondence only; it does not authorise them to give immigration assistance.

Is a migration agent the same as a lawyer here?

No. The Department lists registered migration agents and legal practitioners as two separate categories, both of which may provide immigration assistance. Either one is appointed using Form 956, not Form 956A.

Which form appoints someone to give immigration assistance?

Form 956, Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person. Form 956A is the other one — it appoints or withdraws an authorised recipient who only receives correspondence.

Can I remove someone who is helping me?

Yes. Use Form 956A to withdraw an authorised recipient, or Form 956 to withdraw someone providing immigration advice. Upload the completed form to your application in ImmiAccount.

Do I have to appoint anyone at all?

No. Appointing someone is optional. The Department's requirement only bites once you do appoint someone to give immigration assistance — at that point they must be a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner or an exempt person.

Where do the appointment forms go?

Upload them to ImmiAccount, which is also where the Department expects written notification and any later documents you did not include with the original application.