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The Australian Government has released the Migration (Granting of Contributory Parent Visas, Parent Visas and Other Family Visas during Financial Year 2025-26) Instrument 2026, confirming the number of Parent and Family visas that can be granted during the current financial year. The instrument sets annual limits for Contributory Parent visas, Parent visas, and Other Family visas as part of Australia's ongoing migration planning framework. While the announcement does not introduce new visa pathways or change eligibility requirements, it provides important insight into how many visas can be granted during the year and which family visa categories will be affected.
The Australian Government has confirmed the number of Parent and Family visas that can be granted during the 2025-26 financial year.
These figures are important because demand for Parent and Family visas continues to exceed the number of places available each year. Once the annual allocation for a visa category is exhausted, remaining applications are typically carried forward and considered as places become available in future program years.
For families planning to sponsor their parents, the latest allocation confirms that Parent and Contributory Parent visas will continue to operate under a capped system, which remains one of the key factors influencing processing queues and waiting times.
The newly released instrument does not apply to all family visas. Instead, it affects specific Parent and Other Family visa categories that are subject to annual caps.
The largest allocation has been reserved for contributory parent visa pathways, with 6,800 places available during the 2025-26 financial year. This includes:
Applicants in these visa categories will continue to compete for places within the annual contributory parent visa allocation.
The instrument also allocates 1,700 places to standard Parent visa categories, including:
These visas remain subject to annual planning limits and queue management arrangements due to ongoing demand.
A further 500 places have been allocated across several Other Family visa categories, including:
Remaining Relative Visa
Carer Visa
Aged Dependent Relative Visa
Applicants in these categories are also affected by the annual cap and may be subject to queueing arrangements where demand exceeds available places.
Applicants in these categories remain subject to annual allocation limits. As demand continues to exceed available places, queue management arrangements are expected to remain in place during the 2025-26 financial year.
One notable aspect of the 2025-26 instrument is that the allocations remain broadly consistent with recent years.
The Government has again allocated:
6,800 Contributory Parent visa places
1,700 Parent visa places
500 Other Family visa places
This suggests that the Government is maintaining its current planning approach for these visa categories rather than significantly expanding family migration places at this stage.
For families planning to reunite in Australia, the latest allocation figures provide a clearer picture of the places available under Parent and Other Family visa categories during the 2025-26 financial year. While the announcement does not expand the number of available places, it confirms that annual caps and queue management arrangements will continue. Applicants should keep these limits in mind when assessing visa options, expected waiting periods and long-term migration plans.
