Aged Parent Visa Age Requirement: Who Qualifies and What Happens if You Apply Too Early

The aged parent visas, the Subclass 804, Subclass 864 and Subclass 884, let parents apply while they are in Australia. They are only for parents who are old enough. This guide explains the age test, why applying too early is now a serious mistake, and what happens with a younger partner.

What the age test is

To be an aged parent, the main applicant must be old enough to be granted the Age Pension under Australian social security law. The migration law does not set its own number. For anyone born on or after 1 January 1957, Age Pension age is 67.

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Applying too early: the 17 December 2024 change

An early application is now invalid, not just refused. For applications made on or after 17 December 2024, meeting the aged parent test is a requirement for a valid 804, 864 or 884 application. If the main applicant is under Age Pension age when the application is made, the application is not valid. An invalid application does not give you a bridging visa, so it does not keep you in Australia lawfully.

Before this change, an under-age applicant could lodge and would then be refused. Now the application fails at the very first step. Check the main applicant’s date of birth carefully before you lodge.

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Younger partners

Only the main applicant needs to be an aged parent. A younger partner can be included as a secondary applicant. Choose the main applicant carefully, because the older partner will usually need to be the main applicant.

There is a risk to plan for. If the aged main applicant dies before the visa is granted, a partner who is not old enough generally cannot be granted the 804, 864 or 884. In that situation the application would usually need to be withdrawn or would be refused. For the offshore parent visas, a surviving partner can generally take over as the main applicant and keep the queue position.

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Options if you are not yet old enough

Visa	Age test	Where you apply
Subclass 103 Parent	No	In or outside Australia, granted outside Australia
Subclass 143 Contributory Parent	No	In or outside Australia, usually granted outside Australia
Subclass 173 Contributory Parent (Temporary)	No	In or outside Australia, granted outside Australia
Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary)	No (18 or over)	Outside Australia (unless permission to apply onshore)
Subclass 804, 864 or 884	Yes, Age Pension age	In Australia

Under the new processing order, applications made and granted in Australia are processed first, which makes the aged parent visas more attractive for some families. See how Direction 117 changed parent visa processing priority.

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Other rules for applying in Australia

• if you hold a visa with a no further stay condition such as 8503, it must be waived first, and people without a substantive visa face extra criteria;
• a person subject to the section 48 bar cannot apply for a parent visa in Australia;
• the balance of family test and sponsorship requirements still apply. See the balance of family test calculator.

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What you should do now

• Check the main applicant’s age: they must be at Age Pension age on the day you lodge.
• Choose the main applicant carefully: a younger partner cannot usually continue alone.
• Check visa conditions: an 8503 condition must be waived before you apply.
• Consider the offshore options: the 103, 143 and 173 have no age test.