







































AUSTRALIAN POPULATION STUDIES  2020 | Volume 4 | Issue 2 | pages 1-13 

 

 

© Xiong and Han 2020. Published under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial licence 3.0 Australia  
(CC BY-NC 3.0 AU). Journal website: www.australianpopulationstudies.org 

Will my parents come to Australia 
when retired? Later-life transnational 
migration intentions of Chinese parents 

Xueying Xiong  University of New South Wales 

Hoon Han*  University of New South Wales 

* Corresponding author. Email: h.han@unsw.edu.au. Address: School of Built Environment, The 

University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia 

Paper received 25 April 2020; accepted 6 August 2020; published 16 November 2020 

Abstract 

Background 

China is the second largest source country of immigrants to Australia every year. The elderly parents 

of these working-age immigrants in Australia usually visit their children on a tourist visa, which allows 

short term family gatherings. These visits do not require much effort. However, when it comes to 

long-term transnational migration, the decision becomes hard to make and often involves complex 

factors, such as personal preferences and lifestyle choices. 

Aims 

This paper aims to examine the later-life transnational migration intentions of elderly Chinese 

parents and how the parents’ intentions are affected by personal preferences, personality and 

lifestyle differences between the generations. 

Data and methods 

This paper uses data from a two-stage study including an online survey and semi-structured 

interviews conducted in Sydney from October 2018 to May 2019 with both caregivers (adult children 

who are first-generation immigrants living in Australia) and their elderly parents. 

Results 

The study found that external contributors such as language barriers and transport dependence in 

Australia, and existing social ties as well as another adult child living in China, have a negative 

influence on moving to Australia. 

Conclusions 

Elderly parents with an optimistic and outgoing personality are more likely to consider moving to 

Australia compared to those who are more conservative. Foremost, conflicts due to different 

lifestyles between the generations reduces the possibility of parents’ later-life migration to Australia. 

 

Key words 

Transnational migration; population ageing; China 

  

 

http://www.australianpopulationstudies.org/
mailto:h.han@unsw.edu.au


2 Xiong and Han Australian Population Studies 4 (2) 2020 

 

1. Introduction  

Australia absorbs thousands of skilled migrants every year (Spinks 2010). Since 2011, China has been 

the second largest immigrant source country, after India (Australian Department of Home Affairs 

2019a). Over a quarter of the resident population in Australia were born overseas (28.5%, or 6.9 

million), of which 2.2% (0.5 million) were born in China (excluding SARs) (Australian Bureau of Statistics 

2017). In 2018, 109,713 permanent residence visas were granted to immigrants through the Skill 

stream of the Migration Program, of which 13.6% were from China (Australian Department of Home 

Affairs 2019b). 

In contrast to Australian culture, where aged parents and adult children tend to live separately and 

independently, China has a long tradition of ‘filial piety’ (Hui and Yu 2009), the virtue of respecting 

parents and old people. It includes material and emotional requirements including “support, 

memorialising, deference, compliance, respect, and love” (Wang et al. 2009 p. 22). As ageing requires 

elderly people to adapt to declining health with more demand for support (Näre et al. 2017), adult 

children in China generally believe they have an obligation to take care of their aged parents in their 

later life (Bryant and Lim 2013; Lai 2005; Wilmoth 2012). The median age of working-age Chinese 

migrants in Australia is 33.6 years old (Australian Department of Home Affairs 2019a), and their parents 

are retirement age. Elderly parents of immigrants usually enter Australia on tourist visas which allow 

them to visit their children regularly for a short time (Wilding and Baldassar 2018). 

However, it is a difficult decision for elderly parents to migrate to Australia for long-term living or 

permanently. Personal attributes, such as personal preferences and lifestyle choice, are the main 

individual factors that contribute to this later-life decision, as well as external objective factors such as 

visa restrictions and financial status. This study examines how the later-life transnational migration 

intentions of elderly Chinese parents whose adult children have immigrated to Australia is affected by 

personal preferences, personality, and lifestyle differences between the two generations. Previous 

studies on later-life transnational migration are reviewed in section 2. Section 3 presents the interview 

methodology and sections 4 to 6 analyse data collected through semi-structured interviews. Section 7 

concludes the paper. 

2. Later-life transnational migration 

Older people tend to be less mobile and more satisfied with their existing homes and neighbourhood 

(Chapman and Lombard, 2006), and age in place (Zhou 2012). Residential mobility is usually a 

response to lifecycle events (the triggers). For old people, these triggers are usually divorce, 

becoming empty nesters, retirement, physical health degradation, income loss, and widowhood 

(Clark 2011; Walters 2002). Reasons for later-life transnational migration are diverse according to 

previous studies (Han et al. 2019), including seeking better amenities or a warmer climate, dual-

nationality marriages (Warnes, 2009), seeking support from, and living with, children (Thang et al. 

2012), seeking a lower cost of living and more natural environment (Sunil et al. 2007), and 

sometimes seeking the freedom to study and work (Thang et al. 2012). In this research, familism is 

seen as the primary reason for elderly parents to move internationally: to reunite with their adult 

children (Sadarangani and Jun 2015), and to provide childcare to grandchildren.  



Australian Population Studies 4 (2) 2020 Xiong and Han 3 

 

 

Studies have explored why later-life transnational migration occurs, but very little research has 

investigated the elements contributing to this transnational migration decision. For Chinese elderly 

parents, moving to Australia where their adult children live seems to be an obvious choice, especially 

for those from a ‘one-child’ family1 and bounded by filial piety. However, deciding to move abroad is 

a complex process and the decision is constrained not only by the residential location of their adult 

children but also by many other objective factors.  

At the macro level, factors include immigration and settlement policies, visa restrictions, and the 

international relationship between the destination and home country. Micro factors, on the other 

hand, include both subjective and objective factors. Subjective factors include lifecycle and family 

expectations, particularly “cultural expectations and social roles that inform kin relations which are 

often fractured by distance and absence” (Baldassar 2007 p. 278); and seeking better air and food 

quality. Objective factors are related to elderly parents’ health status for long-distance mobility, and 

their knowledge of the English language. The family’s financial ability to sponsor the migration is also 

essential.  

Nonetheless, the first and foremost factor is still personal attributes, including personal preference, 

personality, and lifestyle choice which often vary from person to person. Do elderly parents with 

particular personal preference or personality traits tend to make different migration choices? Adult 

children play a vital role in the migration decision and process since they are normally the inviters 

and financial sponsors for parent visa applications. When adult children and their elderly parents 

have different lifestyles in daily life, conflicts may arise. Will this lifestyle conflicts affect the 

migration intention of elderly parents? In the following sections, these questions will be investigated. 

3. Data and methods 

As indicated earlier, different lifestyles and personality between two generations are vital. To better 

investigate this issue, studies need to explore both parties’ understanding. However, the majority of 

previous studies focus on elderly parents themselves and neglect the adult children’s role in this 

decision-making process. In addition, some adult children refuse to invite their parents to Australia 

due to conflicts in lifestyle and attitudes to daily life, but they may hide the reason from their parents 

due to the ‘filial piety’ moral restraint. By interviewing the adult children, we are hoping to 

undercover these hidden reasons that cannot be revealed by interviewing the elderly parents. In 

addition, many of the elderly parents still live in China which makes it more difficult to have them 

agree to and to participate in interviews. 

Therefore, this paper uses data from a two-stage study including an online survey and semi-

structured interviews conducted from October 2018 to May 2019 (UNSW Human Research Ethics 

Approval Number HC17479). The study was conducted to understand the immigration decision of 

elderly Chinese parents from the perspective of the adult children in Australia and how inter-

generational conflict between the two generations impacts the later-life migration intention of 

elderly Chinese parents.  

 
1 The ‘One-Child’ policy was introduced in the 1980s and lasted until 2015 in China; under this fertility control 
policy, many families in China could only have one child. 



4 Xiong and Han Australian Population Studies 4 (2) 2020 

 

Stage one was a random sampling online questionnaire survey targeting caregivers (adult children) 

who are first-generation Chinese immigrants living in Australia. A multi-stage sampling method was 

designed using Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016 Census data. As most Chinese migrants in 

Australia live in Sydney (39%) and Melbourne (35%) (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2014), Sydney is 

used as a representative city for this target population group. A bilingual questionnaire in English and 

Mandarin was developed and delivered to 38 Statistical Areas Level-1 in Sydney with a high 

proportion of China-born residents. A total of 142 valid responses were received. Of all survey 

participants, 31 agreed to participate in semi-structured interviews. After further contact, ten were 

interviewed in stage two of the study. The others either did not reply or changed their mind. The 

semi-structured interviews were conducted from June to August 2019 in Mandarin by the first 

author. Table 1 summarises the characteristics of the ten interviewees. 

Table 1: Characteristics of the interviewees and their parents 

Code 

Adult Children Interviewees Elderly Parents of Interviewees 

Gendera Age 
Marital 

Statusb 

Visa 

Statusc 
Siblingd 

Age 

Cohort 

Marital 

Statusb 

Parents’ Immigration 

Intentione 

Visited 

Aus 

1 F 36 M PR YB (1) 56-65 M M: Yes, PR visa applied 

F: Not sure 

Yes 

2 M 29 M PR YS (1) 56-65 Divorced 
(Mother); 
Remarried 
(Father); 

Not sure Yes 

3 F 30 M Citizen YS (1) 56-65 M Not sure Yes 

4 F 28 M PR OC 56-65 M Yes, PR visa applied Yes 

5* M 29 M PR OC 56-65 M M: Yes, PR visa received 

F: Not sure Father 

Yes 

6* M 32 NM Citizen OC 56-65 M Not sure Yes 

7 F 35 M PR OC 56-65 M Not sure Yes 

8* F 33 M PR OC 66-75 M Yes, intended to apply Yes 

9 F 43 DF Citizen OB (1) 65-75 M Not sure Yes 

10 F 33 M PR OC 56-65 M Not sure No 

Notes:  

a. Gender: F = Female, M = Male; 
b. Marital Status: M = Married, DF = De-facto, NM = Never Married, D = Divorced, R = Remarried; 
c. Visa status: PR = Permanent resident visa of Australia; Citizen = Citizen of Australia; 
d. Sibling: YB = Younger brother, YS = Younger sister, OB = Older brother, OC = Only child. Number in brackets is the number 
of siblings; 
e. M = Mother, F = Father, PR = Permanent Resident 
* Interviewed with parents. 

Of the ten interviews, seven were conducted with an adult child only and three were with both the 

adult child and their elderly parents, based on the participants’ willingness. All ten interviewee 

groups expressed to some degree that personal preferences, or lifestyle conflicts between Australia 

and China and between the two generations, or the personality of the elderly parents impacted the 

migration intention to Australia. Some mentioned this influence as an additional factor to other 

essential ones such as financial affordability and care responsibilities in China for the parents’ own 

parents (i.e. the grandparents of the adult children in Australia). Three factors that emerged from the 



Australian Population Studies 4 (2) 2020 Xiong and Han 5 

 

 

interviews of personal preferences, personality, and lifestyle conflicts are discussed in the following 

three sections. 

4. Impact of elderly parents’ personal preferences 

Personal preference is one of the most important factors in elderly parents’ intention to migrate to 

Australia or stay in China. This subjective factor is a combination of personal feeling and some 

external contributors. It is hard to isolate it from other external factors such as environment, quality 

of life, language ability, and number of adult children. 

For instance, interviewee 4 indicated her parents-in-law would like to stay in China and her father-in-

law did not want to move because of his personal preference. According to her, her father-in-law 

used to take business trips worldwide and had been to many different places. He had experienced 

different lifestyles at home and abroad, and enjoyed the idea of living in China more than moving 

abroad. Her parents-in-law used to live in cities; now, they have returned to the countryside, where 

their relatives live. Her parents-in-law have another son who lives in China which also contributes to 

their decision to stay in China, although the other son does not live with them. In this case, having 

relatives and another son and enjoying the lifestyle in China formed the parents’ personal 

preference. 

Interviewee 9 said she had asked her parents about migration as an alternative to retirement in 

China six years ago. At that time, it was much easier to apply for a parent visa for Australia than 

now2; but her parents refused, although they agreed that Australia is a nice place. The main reason 

was that her parents felt they could not adapt to life in Australia.  

They have all their friends in China and are used to Chinese culture. I know many elderly 

people here in Australia. Some of them immigrated to Australia and can adapt to life here 

quite well, while others cannot assimilate. So, I do not want to push them. If they do not 

want to come, I will just respect their decision. (Interviewee 9) 

Her older brother lives in China which ensures her parents have support. Her parents were seeking 

more spiritual pursuits in their retirement, not material ones. They feel confident and comfortable 

with their existing social ties. It would be challenging for them to rebuild new social ties if they 

moved to Australia. They would rely more on their children for mobility in Australia; in China, they 

could extend their period of independent living and mobility. 

Both interviewee 3 and interviewee 5 claimed that their mothers are still busy with work in China 

and not being able to speak English worries them about moving to Australia. Although they share 

similar external contributors, the migration decision of their parents differs. Interviewee 3’s mother 

felt uncomfortable in Australia and would prefer to stay in China while interviewee 5’s mother 

 
2 Places available in the Parent migration stream have gradually decreased while demand has increased. In 
2013-2014, 2,250 Non-Contributory Parent visas and 6,675 Contributory Parent visas were granted to 
applicants which decreased to 1,218 and 5,587 in 2018-2019. In the same period, applicants in the pipeline for 
the Non-Contributory Parent visa increased from 36,000 to 49,994 and for the Contributory Parent visa from 
12,800 to 52,805 (Australian Department of Home Affairs, 2011-2019). 



6 Xiong and Han Australian Population Studies 4 (2) 2020 

 

enjoyed living in Australia in general and will move to Australia in the future. Despite different 

personal feelings about living in Australia, another important external contributor to their decisions 

is that interviewee 3 has a younger sister in China while interviewee 5 is the only child in his family. 

5. Impact of elderly parents’ personality 

During the interviews, it was observed that the personality of the elderly parents and their previous 

life experience greatly affected their intention to migrate. Different from personal preference, which 

is a subjective willingness, personality is a personal characteristic that people are born with or have 

formed due to life experience. 

Interviewee 1’s parents-in-law live in a medium-sized provincial capital city in China but grew up in a 

small town. The city has good air quality and a slower pace of life. They had never left China before 

visiting Australia. She believed that this contributed to her parents-in-law’s decision to stay in China 

as they feel comfortable in their hometown. The air quality of Australia is no longer an attractive 

factor to them; but she thought the most important reason was her parents-in-law’s personalities. 

They were not enthusiastic about new or unfamiliar things.  

My parents-in-law have compromising personalities. My parents, in contrast, always try to 

improve and achieve a better result. I believe their immigration decisions are associated with 

their experience and personalities. (Interviewee 1) 

She provided an example: her parents learned to drive when they were teenagers. Her parents-in-

law did not drive at all. She used to suggest her father-in-law learn to drive in Australia and promised 

to buy him a car so that he could drive himself around, but her father-in-law was not interested.  

Although interviewee 1 and her husband had been living in Australia for three years, had new jobs, a 

new house and cars, and they and their children were used to their life in Australia and felt 

comfortable living here, her parents-in-law still thought they were not as comfortable as living in 

China, as they believe their son and daughter-in-law have to work harder. Eating out is more 

expensive (considering the exchange rate between currencies) and public transport is less convenient 

in Australia. Interviewee 1 added that she had told her parents-in-law they could stay in a Chinese 

community where they could live without speaking English. 

My parents-in-law are not good at adapting to a new environment. They prefer to live close 

to their old friends. Making new friends to them is not so attractive. They are afraid of having 

no common topic with new friends. I think it is associated with their personality and living 

habits. (Interviewee 1) 

Her own parents, on the contrary, are keen to learn new concepts and accept new things. Her own 

parents, although also unfamiliar with Sydney, were willing to ‘get the feel of the city’. For instance, 

her father installed a translator in his smartphone and used it to talk to neighbours or when grocery 

shopping, and was confident being out on his own. Her mother was also an outgoing person. Before 

interviewee 1 moved to her current suburb, she lived in a suburb popular with Chinese people. Her 

mother joined a social group during her first week in Australia, and then joined in dancing, and even 

competitions, and quickly became involved in the neighbourhood. Her parents-in-law would not even 



Australian Population Studies 4 (2) 2020 Xiong and Han 7 

 

 

bother to try these things, as in their mind, they had just come for temporary support and would 

return to China anyway.  

This was similar to interviewee 2’s parents and parents-in-law. Interviewee 2’s parents travelled 

extensively worldwide. Both of his parents could drive in Australia. His stepmother was from Hong 

Kong and was very familiar with driving on the left-hand side of the road. On the contrary, his 

parents-in-law had difficulty driving, and limited English skills. Compared to his parents-in-law, his 

parents are better at learning new things and could adapt to new environments faster. Therefore, his 

parents tended to follow their own preferences, however his parents-in-law considered their 

children’s opinion more when selecting retirement locations.  

Interviewee 6’s father, who had travelled widely, had plenty of experience of living and working in 

many cultures and languages. He also had friends in Australia, including those he had met through 

work, or who also have children studying and living in Australia. His personal experiences made him 

confident about living in Australia, even without the company of his son and this ability also enabled 

his wife to feel comfortable living in a country with different cultures and languages. They are willing 

to move to Australia. His father said that, despite the Chinese ‘reunion with family’ tradition, 

Whether you like Australia and the lifestyle here [in Australia] is also important. It will not 

work well if you come here only for your child. The personality of the parents and your 

financial status also count when making the decision. (Interviewee 6’s father) 

Interviewee 8’s father also enjoys travelling and has been to many other countries. He indicated that 

he is optimistic and willing to learn new things. He and his wife are determined to move to Australia 

to be reunited with their daughter. 

Interviewee 7 thought her parents might experience some emotional change if they moved to 

Australia, due to the new external environment. This does not refer to the physical environment, 

such as living style or community facilities, but refers to changes in the neighbours her parents are 

familiar with and the communication style they have with these neighbours, accompanied by the 

feeling of being needed. Her parents live in a ‘Da Yuan’3 in China. Her parents were teachers and 

used to educate other people. Everyone in the community showed great respect to her parents, 

were willing to talk with her parents and consulted her parents for advice if they had a problem. She 

thought her parents would lose the feeling of being respected and needed if they moved to Australia.  

This will be the most important emotional change for them. I think my parents are not the 

ones with a strong will; not like the ones who never care what other people do or say. They 

have a relatively great need for recognition from other people. If they have no one to guide, 

they will feel uncomfortable. Of course, they will deny such need. But they indeed are weak 

in inner strength. They do like worship from other people, although I think this admiration is 

kind of cheap. (Interviewee 7). 

 
3 Da Yuan refers to small communities fenced and guarded by security guards; people in a community usually 
work for the same company. 



8 Xiong and Han Australian Population Studies 4 (2) 2020 

 

This personality of her parents, from her point of view, is the main reason that may affect her 

parents emotionally if they moved to Australia. This can also lead to conflict between the two 

generations in daily life. The daughter did not want to be controlled by, or instructive at, while her 

parents were used to doing this. 

6. Impact of different lifestyles 

For some interviewee families, the different lifestyle is another key reason for their parents not to 

move to Australia. This different lifestyle is explained at two levels: different lifestyles between China 

and Australia; and different lifestyles, or attitudes towards life, between two generations. 

Interviewee 10 indicated that her parents were not used to the lifestyle here in Australia.  

They are so used to life at home. For example, they exercise every morning in small parks 

near home and have ‘Guang Chang Wu’4 in the evening. They sometimes play Mahjong with 

their friends in the afternoon. They already have social ties and a routine. They worry that 

they need to re-build a social network here. It is easy for us young generation, but it is hard 

for them to adapt to new lifestyles. (Interviewee 10) 

Interviewee 1 mentioned that her parents will not stay in Australia long term because they are used 

to the lifestyle in China including food, methods of travel, and social ties. All these stop them from 

leaving China. Her parents-in-law also refused to come to Australia because they are not used to the 

lifestyle in Australia and it is difficult for them to adapt to a new environment. 

Interviewee 7’s parents could communicate in English, although not at a proficient level. Her parents 

have social health insurance in China, and the welfare in Australia, such as Medicare and the age 

pension, is not attractive to them. Better air quality and natural environment are the most attractive 

aspects of life in Australia, compared to China.  

My parents are fond of seeing animals such as birds. I have purchased an apartment in 

Rhodes [a popular suburb for Chinese people in Sydney] where there is a lake and a park 

around it. I think it is a good place for them, although the population density is high, the 

natural environment is good. After all, a better natural environment and air quality are what 

they come to Australia for. My parents can exercise and see animals there. Besides, the 

community in Rhodes is relatively quiet which is different from other popular Chinese 

community. (Interviewee 7) 

Despite Australia’s better natural environment, her parents still prefer to live in China. Interviewee 7 

stated her parents have no friends in Australia; all her parents’ relatives and social ties are in China. 

 
4 “Guang Chang wu is square dancing in Chinese style. It refers to the daily dances which take place in China’s 
public squares; an activity which has over 100 million people regularly up on their feet. Each day, to music 
piped through mounted speakers, dancers gather in the country’s parks and central squares, to perform the 
choreographed routines of guangchang wu.” 
(https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/blog/how-do-you-guangchang-wu-square-dancing-chinese-style. 
Accessed 7 March 2020). 

https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/blog/how-do-you-guangchang-wu-square-dancing-chinese-style


Australian Population Studies 4 (2) 2020 Xiong and Han 9 

 

 

Her parents sometimes strolled around, but normally ended in quarrels, which interviewee 7 was 

tired of dealing with. 

Her parents feel more comfortable living in China with fewer ‘restrictions’, particularly the restriction 

on smoking in Australia where residents cannot smoke in specific, public places. Interviewee 7’s 

father is used to smoking wherever and whenever he wants in China, and he also thought cigarettes 

in Australia are too expensive, at about five times the price in China, and the flavour also varies. Her 

father felt like he was being controlled in daily life in Australia. There are also other differences 

between interviewee 7’s lifestyle and her parents’ lifestyle.  

I have a very high standard in my own home in hygiene. I want everything in my home to be 

clean and in order. My parents, on the contrary, often make home chaotic. They like to store 

a lot of useless things at home (which makes the home a mess). They feel annoyed to clean 

the floor when it is dirty. [Living with me] is like living in someone else’s home and they lose 

power at my home. That is why they do not want to come to Australia. Even when they come 

here, they will not stay long. Our living habits are so different. (Interviewee 7) 

Interviewee 7 also said she and her parents had different attitudes towards life. For instance, her 

mother usually forwarded a lot of ‘spam’ news to her. She sometimes had phone calls with her 

mother, but they were usually her mother’s complaints about her father, or her grandparents. 

Interviewee 7 felt the calls were quite negative which annoyed her.  

When shopping, interviewee 7 believes that affordability and benefits to her own family are most 

important. However, her parents care more about how other people see them. This is called ‘Mian 

Zi’5 in Chinese, and represents a sense of dignity or self-respect. People who care too much about 

‘Mian Zi’ normally mind how other people see them and will sometimes do things beyond their 

capacity just to earn respect or admiration from other people. Interviewee 7 said she cannot 

understand when her parents even felt they had disgraced themselves, but insisted on buying many 

gifts for their relatives. Interviewee 7 and her mother also had different opinions on raising the next 

generation. Her mother wanted her to bear three children, while she thought it would be a bad idea.  

My mother will definitely want to come to Australia to help me take care of my children. But 

I have determined not to let her do so. I am worried that the support they can provide is 

limited while I may use more energy to quarrel with them. I would rather care for the 

children myself, even though I will be quite busy and tired, rather than letting them come to 

help. (Interviewee 7) 

She and her parents have now learnt to respect each other’s lifestyle when they visit each other.  

I used to want to change their thoughts and habits during the first few times when I returned 

to China. But now I have figured it out. It is their home, not mine. If I do not want them to be 

backseat drivers and I want them to respect my lifestyle, I need to learn to respect their 

 
5 Mian Zi is the measure of one’s position, prestige and leverage in society; it “is built up through initial high 
position, wealth, power, ability, through cleverly establishing social ties to a number of prominent people, as 
well as through avoidance of acts that would cause unfavorable comment” (Hu 1944 p. 61; Aris 2017) 



10 Xiong and Han Australian Population Studies 4 (2) 2020 

 

habits. We could not change each other. What we can do is to keep a certain distance. 

(Interviewee 7) 

Differences in lifestyles was an obvious factor influencing interviewee 7’s parents to consider 

whether to move to Australia or not. Interviewee 7 thought the primary cause for her parents to 

choose to stay in China was lifestyle and a spiritual demand. The natural environment and air quality 

in Australia would not be enough to meet their lifestyle and spiritual needs in later life. They can still 

have a social life with their friends and leisure activities, such as attending university for elderly 

people, in China.  

If they come to Australia for retirement life, it would be a passive compromise because they 

could no longer travel by themselves and are only capable of taking care of themselves, 

having no energy to dictate to other people. It would be when they have to go to nursing 

homes and be cared for by professional nursing staff (that they would come to Australia). 

Otherwise, they will stay in China when they still have the self-maintenance ability. Their 

personal demand is the most important reason for their choice. (Interviewee 7) 

This lifestyle difference does not mean the relationship between the two generations is negative. In 

fact, interviewee 7 said she had taken her parents travelling around Australia and they very much 

enjoyed it. Her parents had financially sponsored her education and living expenses when she was 

studying in Australia.  

They are quite satisfied with their retirement life now in China. They have enough 

superannuation and savings. They have their own property. I always tell them to stop saving 

money (as it is a common habit in China) but spend more to have good food, to keep healthy, to 

travel and have fun. I tell them not to worry (about me). I do not need them to spend money on 

me. So, I believe they are having a very satisfied life now. (Interviewee 7) 

7. Conclusions 

This study examined how personal preferences, the personality of elderly parents, and differences in 

lifestyles between two generations impact the migration intentions of elderly Chinese parents 

regarding a potential move Australia after retirement. The results show that these factors are 

important in the later-life transnational migration intentions of elderly Chinese parents (see Table 2).  

Personal preference is a grounding factor in this migration decision-making process. Some elderly 

parents are more than happy to move and reunite with their adult children. Some who are initially 

unwilling to move to Australia may be persuaded by their adult children and agree to move to 

Australia, sometimes after visiting and experiencing life in Australia. Other parents who prefer living 

in China may stick to their personal location preference and not migrate. The adult children will 

normally respect their parents’ decision. They will visit China frequently and consider temporarily 

returning to China when their parents require more care.  

The personality of elderly parents, different from personal preference, also influences their 

intentions. Elderly parents who are open to new things and concepts are more willing to try a new 

lifestyle in Australia. The parents interviewed were optimistic and outgoing. They had travelled to 



Australian Population Studies 4 (2) 2020 Xiong and Han 11 

 

 

Table 2: Summary of impact of three factors on migration intention: personal preference, personality and 

lifestyle differences 

Personal 
Attributes 

Adult Children in Australia Elderly Parents 

Personal 
preferences 

 Negative for migration:  

• Relatives (parents, other child) in China (4, 
7, 9) 

• Social ties in China (4, 7, 9) 

• Relying on children for transport (1, 2) 

• English barrier (2, 3, 5) 
 
Positive for migration: 

• Only child (5, 6, 8) 

• Have friends in Australia (6) 

• English ability (2, 6, 7) 

Personality  Negative for migration: 

• Conservative (1) 

• Less travel experiences (1) 

• Emotional change as lose power in family 
(7) 

Positive for migration:  

• Open to new things, learning (1, 2, 8) 

• More travel experiences (1, 2, 6, 8) 

• Take children’s opinion in consideration (2) 

Lifestyle 
choices/conflicts 

Negative for migration: 

• House hygiene (7) 

• Different parenting concept 
for childcare (7) 

• Different life concept (7) 
Positive for migration: 

• Demand for childcare (1) 

Negative for migration:  

• Food in China, travel in China, social 
activities in China (e.g. dancing, mah-jong) 
(1, 9, 10) 

• Restrictions on life in Australia (e.g. 
smoking) (7) 

Positive for migration  

• Air quality and natural environment in 
Australia (5, 7) 

Notes: Number in brackets refers to interview numbers in Table 1. ‘Negative’ means the factor has negative impact in 
elderly parents’ migration intention to Australia; ‘Positive’ means the factor will positively contribute to their migration 
intention. 

many other countries previously, and were happy to learn English and make new friends. On the 

contrary, elderly parents who are conservative or have stayed in one place for their whole life and 

not travelled to other countries are less likely to migrate. They are less open to new things and tend 

to stay in their ‘comfort zone’, a place they are familiar with and where they have their social 

network close by. 

Adult children play an important role in the later-life migration of their elderly Chinese parents as 

Australia’s parent visa requires adult children to be the sponsor. When adult children, especially 

those who assimilate culture and lifestyle in the host country, have a different lifestyle from their 

elderly parents, conflicts may appear in daily life and this reduces the likelihood of transnational 

migration. In addition, Chinese elderly parents will expect increasing dependence on their adult 

children in daily activities if they move to Australia. This increasing dependence results from both 

worsening health and also external obstacles such as language barriers and transport dependence as 

revealed in this study and previous research (Ip et al. 2007; Sadarangani & Jun 2015; Wilmoth 2001). 



12 Xiong and Han Australian Population Studies 4 (2) 2020 

 

Complex factors affect the decision-making process for transnational migration in later life. Internal 

attributes of the migrant, such as personal preference and personality, and external factors including 

but not limited to visa restrictions, relationship with adult children, and the migration policies of the 

host and home countries jointly influence the later-life transnational migration decision. This 

qualitative study is based on ten interviews. Further study is required to examine the trade-off 

between the costs and benefits of transnational migration for the two generations of Chinese-born 

immigrants in Australia and their elderly parents. 

8. Key messages  

• The difference in adopted lifestyles between two generations (adult children and elderly parents) 

impacts on the transitional migration intention of elderly Chinese parents to Australia. 

• Adult children in Australia play an important role in this later-life migration activity of the elderly 

Chinese parents.  

• Those parents unwilling to move to Australia can be persuaded to move by their adult children in 

Australia. 

• Intergenerational conflicts in lifestyle decrease the propensity of transnational migration of Chinese 

parents. 

Acknowledgements 

This research was supported by the University International Postgraduate Award from the University 

of New South Wales (UNSW) and by the PhD Publication Award from the School of Built 

Environment, UNSW. We are grateful to the constructive comments from two anonymous reviewers.  

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