PR for Retirees
Update (October 2026)
The retirement visa pathway described below started on 17 November 2018 and is still available in 2026 to eligible 405 and 410 visa holders who apply in Australia. The 405 and 410 visas themselves remain closed to new applicants. See “What this means in 2026” below and our parent visa guide.
Note: the 405 and 410 visas are closed to new applicants
A pathway to permanent residency for holders of Retirement (subclass 410) and Investor Retirement (subclass 405) visas will be introduced. A portion of the parent permanent migration places will be quarantined for retirement visa holders each year.
Retirement visa holders in Australia will be eligible to apply onshore for a permanent visa through the Parent (subclass 103) or Contributory Parent (subclass 143) visa streams.
Retirement visa holders will be exempted from some parent visa requirements that they would typically be unable to meet, such as having family in Australia. The pathway will remain open until all retirement visa holders who wish to transition to permanent residency have done so.
As part of the establishment of the pathway, the Government will close the subclass 405 visa to new applicants. The subclass 410 visa is already closed to new applicants.
What this means in 2026
The pathway lets people who held a Retirement (subclass 410) or Investor Retirement (subclass 405) visa on 8 May 2018 apply in Australia for a permanent Parent (subclass 103) or Contributory Parent (subclass 143) visa. You must not have held any other substantive visa since 8 May 2018, and you must be in Australia when you apply. You do not need a sponsor, you do not need to pass the balance of family test and you do not need an Assurance of Support, but you must meet most other parent visa requirements, including health and character.
A portion of parent visa places is set aside for pathway applicants each year. Contributory Parent (143) applicants are given priority, while 103 applications take far longer: no 103 places were available to pathway applicants for the first four years, and some places have been available since 2022-23. While you wait you are not eligible for Medicare, so you need to keep adequate private health insurance.
Who this affects: current and former 405 and 410 visa holders who want to stay in Australia permanently. If you are not one of them, the pathway is not available to you: retirees without these visas generally need to look at family options such as the parent visas (which need an eligible child in Australia) or a long stay visitor visa.
| Parent visa (103) | Contributory Parent visa (143) | |
| Main applicant charge from 1 July 2026 | $6,600 | $6,300 |
| Second instalment | $2,065 per person | $43,600 per person |
| Processing | Very long queue; places for retirees only from 2022-23 | Faster; priority for pathway applicants |
| Sponsor, balance of family test, Assurance of Support | Not required for pathway applicants | Not required for pathway applicants |
Charges are from our visa fees from 1 July 2026 page.
