Fill Out Home Affairs Form 47PA Online

Making a valid application

The form's validity requirements are unforgiving, and an invalid application is returned rather than assessed. Before lodging, confirm each of the following from the form's own checklist.

• Use the current form 47PA and indicate the correct visa class in Part A.
• Withdraw any existing undecided parent visa application by completing the declaration in Part B.
• Provide the residential address where you intend to live during processing. A post office box is not accepted, and no address means an invalid application.
• Complete the form in English, answer all questions truthfully, and write N/A where a question does not apply.
• Attach a completed form 40 sponsorship with its documentation, unless you are applying as a retiree under the pathway for former subclass 405 and 410 visa holders.
• Attach evidence of payment of the first instalment of the Visa Application Charge, and initial and date any corrections you make on the form.

Supporting documents

Part Q of the form is a checklist of the documents to enclose. Provide certified copies rather than originals unless the department asks for originals later. Certified copies are copies authorised or stamped as true copies by a person or agency recognised by law; in Australia that includes a Justice of the Peace or a Commissioner for Declarations.

Every document that is not in English must be accompanied by a certified English translation. Expect to evidence identity, family composition and the relationship to your sponsoring child, and be aware the department may request further documents during processing.

How to lodge Form 47PA

Post the application with correct prepaid postage, or send it by courier, to the Parent Visa Centre in Western Australia. The form warns that an application submitted to any other office, or in any other way, is not valid and cannot be considered further. Offshore applicants are encouraged to send their documents to their Australian sponsor, who forwards the complete package.

Pay the Visa Application Charge electronically through the Pre-Pay Paper Service in the My Payments section of ImmiAccount. Charges are generally reviewed on 1 July each year and foreign currency exchange rates are updated on 1 January and 1 July, so check current pricing shortly before you lodge. Charges are generally not refundable, even if the application is withdrawn or refused.

Health, character and getting help

All applicants for permanent and some temporary parent visas, including family unit members, are assessed against the health requirement, and in some circumstances non-migrating family members are assessed as well. The department can also request additional health examinations even if you completed some earlier.

Parent visa strategy involves genuine trade-offs between subclasses, waiting periods and contributory charges, and the balance of family and age rules add further complexity. A registered migration agent, registered with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority, or a legal practitioner can provide immigration assistance; the form also lets you appoint an authorised recipient for correspondence using forms 956 and 956A.