Parent visa 143 waiting time: queue dates and processing

The Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143) is subject to capping and queueing, and the Department of Home Affairs does not publish a per-application processing time for it. As at 31 May 2026, the Department had released for final processing Contributory Parent visa applications with a queue date up to November 2018. For new applications lodged now, the Department estimates a processing time frame of around 15 years for Contributory Parent visas, but this is an estimate for planning purposes, not a guarantee for your individual application. Your actual waiting time depends on your queue date, the number of places available each program year, and how quickly you respond to requests for information.

How the 143 visa is queued

All Parent visa applications, including the Contributory Parent (subclass 143), are subject to capping and queueing. Capping means there is a maximum number of visas that can be granted each migration program year; once that number is reached, no more visas can be granted in that year, and remaining applications stay in the queue until a place becomes available in a future program year.

The Department assesses Parent visa applications in lodgement date order. When it receives a valid application, it assesses it against the core visa criteria, which include health and character requirements where applicable. Applications that meet those criteria are assigned a queue date and placed in the queue. You will be told your queue date in writing.

There is one important exception for the 143 visa. If you applied for a Contributory Parent visa before 1 June 2018, your queue date is your application lodgement date. For all other applications, including new 143 applications, the queue date is assigned once the Department assesses the application as meeting the core visa criteria. If your application does not meet the core criteria to be assigned a queue date, it will be refused and you will be told in writing.

What the queue release dates mean for you

The Department releases queued visa applications for final processing in queue date order throughout the year. If the migration program outcomes for the year have already been met, no more applications are released in that program year.

As at 31 May 2026, the Department had released the following applications for final processing:

Visa type	Queue release date (as at 31 May 2026)
Contributory Parent (143)	Lodged/queued up to November 2018
Contributory Parent (Temp) (173)	Lodged/queued up to November 2018
Contributory Aged Parent (864)	Lodged/queued up to November 2018
Contributory Aged Parent (Temp) (884)	Lodged/queued up to November 2018
Parent (103)	Queued up to March 2014
Aged Parent (804)	Queued up to April 2014

The table also shows the Department’s progress on assessing new applications. As at 31 May 2026, for the 143 visa, the Department was assessing applications lodged in November 2023 for queue placement, while the visa assessment (queue release) stage had reached applications lodged or queued up to November 2018.

It is important to read this correctly. The queue release date is not the date your application will be decided. It is the date up to which applications have been released from the queue for final processing. If your queue date is after November 2018, your application has not yet been released for final processing, and you will not receive a decision until it is.

Estimated processing time frames for new applications

The Department states that it cannot give exact processing timeframes for Parent visas because they are subject to capping and queueing. It does, however, provide estimates for new applications, which it generally updates on a yearly basis at the end of each program year.

Visa	Processing time frame (estimate)
Contributory Parent visas	15 years
Parent & Aged Parent visas	33 years

These estimates are based on the current number of places available per year and the demand for Parent visas, which is greater than the number of places available. The Department is explicit that estimated visa processing times do not indicate how long your individual visa application may take to process.

What can change your processing time

The Department lists several factors that can change Parent visa processing times:

• changes in planning levels
• the number of visa applications submitted
• the number of applications that are withdrawn or refused
• Administrative Review Tribunal outcomes
• Ministerial Intervention cases
• changes to processing directions

Your individual application processing time can also vary because of:

• whether you have lodged a complete application and included all necessary supporting documents
• how promptly you respond to any requests for more information
• the length of time required to perform checks on the supporting information provided
• the length of time it takes to receive additional information from external agencies, health, character, and national security requirements
• the number of places available in the migration program

Why you cannot get a status update

The Department will not respond to individual visa application status enquiries, due to the volume of applications it processes. This means that calling or emailing to ask where your application sits in the queue will not get you an answer.

The Department processes Parent visa applications in two stages. First, there is an initial assessment to determine whether the application will be placed in the queue. Later, as places become available, applications are released from the queue for final assessment. You will be contacted in writing when your queued application is released for final processing.

What to do next and what to verify

If you have already lodged a 143 application, your first task is to find your queue date. The Department will have told you your queue date in writing, so check your acknowledgement letter and any subsequent correspondence. Compare that date against the most recent queue release dates published on the Parent visas queue release dates page. If your queue date is before the published release date, your application has been released for final processing; if it is after, you are still in the queue.

If you are considering lodging a new 143 application, be aware that the Department’s estimate for Contributory Parent visas is around 15 years, and that this estimate is updated roughly once a year. Before you lodge, check the current visa pricing table on the Department’s fees and charges page to confirm the base application charge and any other charges that apply, because the Department does not publish a single fixed fee for the 143 visa in the pages cited here.

Finally, keep your application as complete as possible. The Department notes that lodging a complete application helps avoid delays, and that how promptly you respond to requests for more information affects your processing time. Check the step-by-step tab on the 143 visa page in ImmiAccount for the document checklist, and use ImmiAccount to attach any further information you are asked to provide.