Hi Michael,
Actually parent visas are the easiest of the lot and any registered agent who specialised in them would be a legend in their own lunchtime lol.
I think that the DIMIA website is clearer in explaining the two streams than Booklet 3.
On the question of who can sponsor your brother will be in the same position as you if he's coming with a PR visa, or possibly not as good if he's going to have a provisional spouse visa.
On the period you'd have to wait, I think it's going to be a question of seeing an agent when you get here - since all parent visa applications go through Perth you'll need to check what the atbreastude of Perth is to the two year period for "settlement", ie the period you're required to be here before you can sponsor. Some DIMIA offices are more rigid about the two years than others and there'd be no point asking until you were established here.
And during the period while you're waiting to qualify as a sponsor, your mum ought to be able to get a visitor visa for 12 months .
Cheers,
George Lombard
www.austimmigration.com.au
-- www.austimmigration.com.au
