Aged Parent visa (subclass 804)

Parent Visa Places 2026-27

Parent visas are capped each year under the Migration Program planning levels. For 2026-27 there are 7,060 Parent places (contributory and non-contributory combined), down from 8,500 in 2025-26. The split for 2026-27 has not yet been published. In 2025-26, 1,700 places were for the non-contributory Parent (103) and Aged Parent (804) visas.

Since 25 July 2026, non-contributory parent visas such as the 804 have the lowest processing priority, together with other family visas. Applications are processed after partner, child, orphan relative, contributory parent and carer visas.

Aged Parent Visa Changes!

The Migration Amendment (Substituted Subclass 600 Visa Exemptions) Regulations 2025 introduces a key change for Aged Parent (Subclass 804), Contributory Aged Parent (Subclass 864), and Contributory Aged Parent (Subclass 884) visas.

What’s new?
Holders of a substituted Subclass 600 (Visitor) visa (granted via ministerial intervention under sections 351, 501J, or former section 417 of the Migration Act) can now apply for an Aged Parent visa, even if they don’t meet the age requirement.
Change applies retrospectively from 17 December 2024 , ensuring applicants who received a Substituted Subclass 600 visa remain eligible for the parent visa pathway.
Supports family reunification and aligns with human rights protections under international law.

Why does this matter?

• Provides a pathway for parents to stay in Australia
• Streamlines visa processing for affected families
• Ensures consistency in applying ministerial discretion

Fees (from 1 July 2026)

Aged Parent (subclass 804)	Amount (AUD)
First instalment: main applicant (at time of application)	$6,600
First instalment: additional applicant 18 and over	$3,300
First instalment: additional applicant under 18	$1,655
Second instalment: each applicant (before grant)	$2,065
Assurance of Support bond: main applicant / each additional adult	$5,000 / $2,000

The Assurance of Support bond is held for four years. You will also need to pay for health checks and police certificates. See our parent visa fees page for all parent visa costs.

Who Can Apply for the 804 Visa in Australia?

The 804 is an onshore visa. You and any family members included in your application must be in Australia when you lodge, and you cannot be in immigration clearance (for example, at the airport on arrival).

Most applicants are in Australia on a visitor visa, but other temporary visas can also be used. Before you lodge, check the conditions on your current visa:

• No Further Stay condition (8503). If your visa has condition 8503, you generally cannot apply for the 804 while you are in Australia unless the condition is first waived. Waivers are only granted in limited circumstances.
• Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870). You cannot apply for the 804 while you hold an 870 visa. If you are on an 870, talk to us about which permanent parent visa options are open to you.
• Previous refusals or cancellations. If you have had a visa refused or cancelled since you last arrived in Australia, you may be prevented from lodging a new application while you are in Australia.

The age requirement

You must be old enough to receive the Australian Age Pension when you apply. You do not need to actually receive or be eligible for the pension, you just need to have reached the qualifying age. For anyone born on or after 1 January 1957, the Age Pension age is 67, which means most people applying for the 804 today need to be at least 67. If you are not yet old enough, the Parent visa (subclass 103) and Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143) have no minimum age.

The Balance of Family Test for Aged Parents

Like every permanent parent visa, the 804 requires you to pass the balance of family test. You pass if at least half of your children live in Australia permanently, or if more of your children live permanently in Australia than in any other single country.

All of your children count, including stepchildren, adopted children and children from earlier relationships. A child who lives in Australia on a temporary visa, such as a student or work visa, is treated as living overseas. The test cannot be waived and is checked again when your application is decided, so a change in where your children live during the queue can affect the outcome.

• Example (passes): You have three children. Two are Australian permanent residents and one lives in Malaysia. Two of three children live in Australia, so you pass.
• Example (does not pass): You have four children. One is an Australian citizen, one is in Australia on a student visa and two live in Sri Lanka. Only one child counts as living in Australia, and more live in Sri Lanka, so you do not pass.

Health and Character Requirements

You and every family member in your application must meet the health requirement. Health examinations are usually requested when your application is released from the queue for final processing, not at lodgement. Conditions that are common in older applicants, such as heart, kidney or lung disease, diabetes, cancer and dementia, are assessed carefully. A health waiver is not available for every applicant, so it is worth getting advice early if you have a significant medical condition.

You must also meet the character requirement. When asked, you will need police certificates from each country where you have lived for 12 months or more in the last 10 years. Declare any convictions and any past visa problems in full.

Assurance of Support for the 804 Visa

The 804 requires an Assurance of Support (AoS). This is arranged with Services Australia once Home Affairs asks for it, which happens near the end of processing, not when you lodge.

• Bond: $5,000 for the main applicant and $2,000 for each additional adult. For a couple, this is $7,000 in total.
• Assurance period: four years from the date the visa is granted, as you are already in Australia.
• Refund: the bond is returned at the end of the assurance period, less any recoverable social security payments made to you.
• Joint assurers: up to three people can share the AoS and combine their incomes to meet the income test, which is assessed using ATO notices of assessment.

The assurer does not have to be the same person as your sponsor. Because the AoS is assessed many years after you lodge, think about who is likely to be working and earning enough at that time.

How to Apply for the 804 Visa: Step by Step

1. Check your current visa. Confirm you are in Australia on a visa that allows you to apply, and that there is no 8503 condition.
2. Check your age and the balance of family test. List every child, the country they live in and their visa status.
3. Confirm your sponsor. Usually this is a child who is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen and is settled in Australia.
4. Gather your documents. See the checklist below.
5. Lodge your application and pay the first instalment. The sponsorship is lodged with your application.
6. Receive your bridging visa. If you lodge while holding a substantive visa, you will usually be granted a Bridging visa A, which lets you stay in Australia once your current visa expires.
7. Receive a queue date. If you meet the core criteria, your application is given a queue date and waits in the queue.
8. Queue release. When places become available, you are asked to complete health checks, provide police certificates and arrange the Assurance of Support.
9. Pay the second instalment and receive your visa. The second instalment is only requested when Home Affairs is ready to grant.

Document Checklist

For the parent (applicant):

• passport, including the page showing your current Australian visa
• birth certificate, and any change of name documents
• marriage, divorce or death certificates showing your relationship history
• birth certificates or adoption papers for all of your children and stepchildren
• evidence of where each child lives and their citizenship or visa status
• police certificates and health examinations, when requested

For the sponsor:

• proof of Australian citizenship, permanent residence or eligible New Zealand citizenship
• evidence of being settled in Australia, such as a residential and employment history
• a birth certificate or other document showing you are their parent

Documents that are not in English must be translated by an accredited translator.

Living in Australia While Your 804 Is Processed

Because the 804 queue is very long, most applicants spend many years in Australia on a bridging visa. Keep the following in mind:

• Travel: a Bridging visa A ends if you leave Australia. If you want to travel overseas and come back, apply for a Bridging visa B before you go and make sure you return before it expires.
• Work and study: your rights depend on the conditions of your bridging visa. Check them before starting any work.
• Health cover: lodging an 804 does not automatically give you access to Medicare. Plan for private health insurance while you wait.
• Keep Home Affairs informed: tell them about new passports, a change of address, a new relationship or the death of a family member.
• Stay eligible: you need to keep meeting the requirements, including the balance of family test, until the visa is granted.

804 vs 864, 884, 103 and 870: Comparing Parent Visas

Visa	Where you apply	1st instalment (main applicant)	2nd instalment (per applicant)	Queue released up to (as at 31 August 2026)
804 Aged Parent	In Australia, Age Pension age	$6,600	$2,065	October 2014
864 Contributory Aged Parent	In Australia, Age Pension age	$6,300	$43,600	November 2020
884 Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary), then 864	In Australia, Age Pension age	$6,300, then $555	$29,130, then $19,420	November 2020 (the 864 stage for 884 holders is processed much faster)
103 Parent	Outside Australia at grant, no minimum age	$6,600	$2,065	March 2014
870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary)	Temporary, 3 or 5 years per visa	No balance of family test and no permanent residence. See our 870 visa page.

Fees are government visa application charges from 1 July 2026 and are usually indexed on 1 July each year. Queue dates change regularly. See our family visa processing times for the latest update.

What the 804 costs a couple

For a couple applying together, the government charges for the 804 come to $14,030: $6,600 for the main applicant and $3,300 for the partner at lodgement, then $2,065 for each of you as the second instalment. The Assurance of Support bond of $7,000 is paid on top of this, but it is refundable. Health examinations, police certificates, translations and professional fees are extra.

By comparison, the Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864) costs far more, but its queue is years shorter. Some families lodge an 804 first so the parent can stay in Australia on a bridging visa, and later decide whether a contributory application makes sense. If you are weighing this up, we can work through the costs and timing for your situation.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Arriving on a visitor visa with a No Further Stay (8503) condition and assuming you can still apply in Australia.
• Applying before reaching Age Pension age, based on the older age rules.
• Leaving stepchildren or children from a previous relationship out of the balance of family test.
• Counting a child who is in Australia on a temporary visa as living in Australia.
• Travelling overseas on a Bridging visa A without first getting a Bridging visa B.