Parents in Harare or Bulawayo and a child in Australia? A queue of up to 33 years explains the risk

Visa guide · 2026-08-31 · 4 min read

A Zimbabwean woman comforts her ageing parents beside a laptop and papers at their sunlit dining table.

Waiting times decide whether a parent visa is useful at all. In Australia the queue for the non-contributory Aged Parent visa is about 33 years. The contributory pathway, priced at close to $50,000 per applicant, runs to around 15 years. For families in Harare, Bulawayo or elsewhere, that can outlast the very need that prompted the application.

Timeline of a problem

The queue is the product of policy rather than accident. The annual allocation is capped, and the cap has fallen from 8,500 places to 7,060 for this financial year. The waiting list now exceeds 157,000.

A second factor sits alongside it. People who come in as visitors and then apply while in Australia may stay on bridging visas until the case is decided, and they can be processed before offshore applicants. A review of the system commissioned by the government in 2023 called a visa that will probably never arrive in a lifetime both cruel and unnecessary.

The human cost

Estimates from Senate hearings covering the 21 months to 31 March this year indicate that more than 1,500 parent visa applicants died while waiting. That figure is a reminder to treat the timeline as the first question, not the last.

Policy may be about to shift

Expect a wider migration package. One idea mentioned would stop spouses, children and parents of Australian citizens from lodging applications while they are tourists in Australia. Offshore families might gain if that closes the queue-jumping loophole. On the other hand, new arrivals may lose the onshore path that now lets some parents stay near family during the wait. Until anything is finalised, it is best not to build a plan around either outcome.

Reading the figures sensibly

Numbers like 33 years and 15 years can feel shocking, but they are best used as inputs to a decision. Divide them into your parents' ages, think about who in the family can cover care in the meantime, and decide what failure would look like. If your parents might not live to see the visa, the cost is not only money. It is also years of separation that cannot be recovered. A frank conversation with your parents about this is worth having before anyone signs anything.

What to check if you are in the queue

The stream: price and wait differ greatly between the contributory and non-contributory visas.
Re-entry: parents moving between Zimbabwe and Australia on visitor visas must meet every condition, or the main application can be jeopardised.
Priority directions from ministers, which can change the practical order in which cases are handled.
The date: replace the estimate you were given years ago with current data.

Common mistakes in parent visa planning

Families often choose a stream on price alone, forget that six-month temporary stays force parents out of Australia for extended periods, or assume the onshore route will always exist. If you hold a trade or health qualification, remember that a ZIMSEC result or a HEXCO certificate does not on its own equal an Australian licence, skills assessment or registration. Keep your own application moving as well, and build an up-to-date CV with Build AI CV so that nothing stalls on your side.

An agent registered with the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA) can explain the streams and give a realistic timeline for your family. Where an application asks for police clearance, request it from the Criminal Record Office in Harare only when asked.

Frequently asked questions

What is the wait for the cheaper Aged Parent visa?

About 33 years.

And for the contributory route?

Around 15 years, at close to $50,000 per applicant.

Why has the queue grown?

A fixed annual cap, cut to 7,060 from 8,500, and a backlog that has swollen past 157,000.

Are changes coming?

Family visa settings are reportedly part of a wider overhaul, but nothing is final.

Where should I look next?

Read our pieces on bringing family members and the partner visa backlog, and see the visa guides.

Key takeaways

Parent visa waits are about 33 years (non-contributory) and around 15 years (contributory).
More than 1,500 applicants died waiting over the 21 months to 31 March this year.
The cap is 7,060 places and the backlog is above 157,000.
Proposed changes to onshore applications are not yet decided.
Speak to an agent registered with MARA before you commit money.

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