Subclass 870 – Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa income threshold set to $83,454.80

As we near the 17 April 2019 commencement date for the Subclass 870 – Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa, further information for some of the particulars to be granted this visa have begun to surface. Perhaps one of the most important is the income threshold, which has been set in a recent legislative instrument to $83,454.80. This is the taxable income amount family sponsors must equal or surpass in the most recently completed income year prior to date an application for approval as a family sponsor has been lodged.

Why such a random amount? It is actually the full-time Adult Average Weekly Ordinary Time Earnings for November 2018 according to Australian Bureau of Statistics.

There are two things to note regarding this figure. The first is that it does not need to be met solely by the family sponsor applicant, but can be combined with the applicant’s spouse or de facto partner or a child of the permitted sponsor if they meet certain requirements. What those requirements are unknown at this time because the regulations have yet to be released!

The second is that it is taxable income, meaning that those close to the threshold who want to become a family sponsor will want to watch their deductions as this may reduce their income to below the threshold.

If approved, it has also been made known that sponsors can only notify the Department of Home Affairs (Home Affairs) with details of a change in certain events through their ImmiAccount.

While it is nice for the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs to hype this visa with a media release, it is hard to get excited about a visa without all of the requirements known in advance and in full.