Aged Parent Visas (Subclass 804 and 864)

What are the 804 and 864 visas?

The Aged Parent visa (subclass 804) and the Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864) are permanent visas for a parent who is old enough to get the Australian age pension and who applies from inside Australia. The 804 costs about $8,665 in government charges for one parent, and the Department estimates a 42-year wait for a new application. The 864 costs about $49,900, and its queue is moving much further ahead. Both need a settled child in Australia as sponsor, the balance-of-family test and an Assurance of Support.

If your parent is younger than age-pension age, or is outside Australia, these visas are not the right fit. Look at the Contributory Parent 143, the Parent visa 103 or the temporary Sponsored Parent 870 instead.

At a glance (updated 28 October 2026)

Charges from the Department's visa pricing table, read 28 October 2026. Queue figures from the Department's Parent visa queue release dates page (figures as at 31 August 2026, read 28 October 2026). Additional charges apply for each family member who applies with you.

Figures current as at 28 October 2026; confirm with the Department of Home Affairs before lodgement.

Who counts as an "aged parent"?

The Migration Regulations define an aged parent as a parent who is old enough to be granted an age pension under the Social Security Act 1991 (Migration Regulations 1994, reg 1.03). No fixed age is written into the migration rules. The test follows Age Pension age, which Services Australia states is 67 (read 28 October 2026).

The parent must be "aged" when the application is made (Sch 1 items 1124A(3)(bc) and 1130A(3)(cb)), and must still meet that requirement at decision (Sch 2 cl 804.221 and 864.221). A parent a few months short of 67 cannot lodge early.

The eligibility rules, in plain English

1. A settled child in Australia. The parent must have a child who is a settled Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen (cl 804.212, 864.212). "Settled" is defined in reg 1.03; check how it applies to your child's residence history before lodging.
2. A sponsor. If the child is 18 or over, the sponsor is the child, or the child's cohabiting spouse or de facto partner who is also settled. If the child is under 18, a settled relative or guardian, or a community organisation, can sponsor (cl 804.212(2)–(3), 864.213(2)–(3)). A sponsorship must still be in force at decision time; a new sponsor needs the Minister's approval (cl 804.222, 864.222).
3. The balance-of-family test (below).
4. An Assurance of Support accepted by the Secretary of Social Services (cl 804.224, 864.226). The Department asks for it later in the process, not at lodgement.
5. Health and character. The usual public interest criteria apply, including health (cl 804.225, 864.223).
6. No other parent visa application still open. Any earlier parent visa application must have been decided or withdrawn (Sch 1 items 1124A(3)(ba), 1130A(3)(c); cl 804.228, 864.230).

The balance-of-family test

Regulation 1.05 sets the test. Count all of the parent's children, including step-children and children of a current spouse or de facto partner.

• An eligible child is an Australian citizen, or a permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen who usually lives in Australia. Every other child is treated as living overseas.
• The parent passes if eligible children are equal to or more than the children overseas.
• The parent also passes if more eligible children live in Australia than in any single overseas country.
• Some children are not counted, for example a child removed from the parent's custody by court order or adoption, or a child living where they face persecution and cannot be reunited with the parent in another country (reg 1.05(3)).

A child whose whereabouts are unknown is counted in their last known country of residence.

Note on the last row: one eligible child against two overseas fails the first limb (reg 1.05(2C)). The second limb passes only if the largest overseas group is less than the number in Australia (reg 1.05(2D)); one in India is not less than one in Australia. Rows like this are where families most often miscount, which is why we test it on the documents before anything is paid.

Applying from inside Australia: bridging visas and the traps

Both visas must be applied for while the parent is in Australia, and the parent must be in Australia when the visa is granted (Sch 1 items 1124A(3)(b) and 1130A(3)(b); cl 804.411, 864.411). With waits counted in years or decades, the practical question is the parent's status while they wait.

• Bridging visa. The Department says that when you apply in Australia it is likely to grant a bridging visa, which starts if your current visa expires before a decision, and lets you stay while the application is processed (804 and 864 pages, read 28 October 2026). What it allows, including travel, depends on the type. See our bridging visas guide.
• Tell the Department before travelling. You must be in Australia when the decision is made, so the Department asks to be told about any travel outside Australia while the application is processed.
• Transit visa holders cannot apply. The parent must hold a substantive visa other than a Transit (771) visa, or not have been on a Transit visa when their last substantive visa ended (cl 804.211(2), 864.211(1)).
• No current visa. A parent who holds no substantive visa must also meet Schedule 3 criterion 3002 (cl 804.213, 864.211(1)(b)). Get advice before lodging in that position.
• "No further stay" conditions. Some visitor visas carry condition 8503, which limits applying for other visas while in Australia unless it is waived. Read condition 8503: no further stay before the parent travels.
• 870 holders. A parent who holds a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) 870 visa cannot apply for the 804 or 864, and a former 870 holder must have left Australia since that visa ended (Sch 1 items 1124A(3)(bb), 1130A(3)(ca)).
• Earlier refusal. If section 48 of the Migration Act applies, the 804 is open only if the parent has become an aged parent since last applying for a substantive visa and has not been refused a visa or had one cancelled under section 501 (cl 804.211(1)).

What it costs

Government charges are paid in two instalments: the first when you apply, and the second when the Department sends an invoice. The second instalment must be paid before the visa can be granted; if it is not paid, the application is refused (cl 804.411 and 864.411 notes; 804 and 864 pages).

Charges from the Department's visa pricing table, read 28 October 2026. The 864 page says the 884-then-864 route costs more than going straight to the 864, but spreads the cost over a longer period.

The Assurance of Support can require a bank guarantee (bond) lodged with the Commonwealth Bank. The amount depends on the visa subclass and is set by section 19 of the Social Security (Assurances of Support) Determination 2018: $5,000 for the main applicant and $2,000 for each other adult for the 804, and $10,000 and $4,000 for the 864. Confirm the figure with Services Australia before you plan your budget. Health checks, police certificates and biometrics cost extra. For what happens to contributory money if a plan changes, see can you get contributory parent visa money back.

Figures current as at 28 October 2026; confirm with the Department of Home Affairs before lodgement.

The queue: what the Department publishes

Both visas are capped and queued. The Department first checks the application against the core criteria, including health and character. If it passes, the application gets a queue date, which the Department confirms in writing. If it does not, it is refused. Applications are then released from the queue in queue-date order as places become available each year. The Minister also sets family visa processing priorities by ministerial direction.

As at 31 August 2026, the Department had released for final processing:

Source: Home Affairs, Parent visas queue release dates page, read 28 October 2026. The Department says it cannot give exact timeframes, and the estimates are generally updated once a year. The 804 and 864 are not in the Department's global processing-times tool.

The honest position: a 42-year estimate means that, for most parents who lodge an 804 at 67, the queue is not a realistic route to a grant. The 864 queue is moving much further ahead, at a much higher price. Plan the family's finances, the parent's health cover and any overseas travel around the wait before you lodge.

804, 864 or an offshore parent visa?

• Parent aged 67 or over, in Australia, money available → the 864, or the 884 then 864 to spread the cost.
• Parent aged 67 or over, in Australia, money limited → the 804, lodged with clear eyes about the published 42-year estimate.
• Parent under 67, or overseas → the offshore 143 or 103.
• Balance-of-family test fails → none of these. The temporary 870 has no balance-of-family test.
• Started on the 804 and can now afford more → a move to the 864 is possible (see the FAQ below).

The full parent comparison is on the parent visas hub.

Where aged parent plans go wrong

1. Lodging before Age Pension age — the parent must already be "aged" when applying.
2. Travelling on a visitor visa with 8503 — the parent may then be unable to apply onshore without a waiver.
3. Miscounting the family — step-children and children of a new partner count.
4. Leaving the second instalment to chance — the 864 second instalment is $43,600 and falls due years after lodgement.
5. Travelling without telling the Department or checking the bridging visa — the parent must be in Australia at decision.

How Migration Vision helps

We check the age, balance-of-family and sponsor rules against your documents, work through the 804, 864 or 884 choice, plan the bridging visa and travel position, and prepare the application. We work with families across Australia, online, in English, Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi. We cannot shorten the queue, and we will tell you plainly if these visas do not suit your family.

Book a parent visa assessment{data-visa="Aged parent visa 804/864"}

Frequently asked questions

What age counts as "aged" for the 804 visa?

The parent must be old enough to get the Australian age pension. Services Australia states Age Pension age is 67. The parent must meet this when the application is made.

Can my parent stay in Australia while the 804 is processed?

Usually. The Department says that when you apply in Australia it is likely to grant a bridging visa, so the parent can stay while the application is processed. Tell the Department before any overseas travel, because the parent must be in Australia when the decision is made.

Can we switch from the 804 to the 864 later?

Yes. The parent applies for the 864 and withdraws the 804 at the same time; the Department says this can be done as part of the new application. Where the parent held a Bridging A or B visa from the 804, the Regulations provide a new Bridging A visa (Migration Regulations 1994, reg 2.21A(2)). The 864 charges and the 10-year Assurance of Support then apply. Get advice on the queue position before switching.

What is the balance-of-family test?

The parent must have at least as many children settled in Australia as children overseas, or more children in Australia than in any one other country. Step-children count. It applies to both the 804 and the 864.

What is the Assurance of Support?

A commitment that the parent will not need to rely on government support during the assurance period, backed by the assurer. The assurer does not have to be the sponsor; an individual, several people or an organisation can give it. The period is 4 years for the 804 and 10 years for the 864.

What is the 884 visa?

The Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884) is a 2-year temporary visa with work rights. The parent must apply on paper, from inside Australia. The holder can later apply for the permanent 864, with a lower second instalment of $19,420 at that stage, and should apply before the 884 expires. The Department says this route costs more than applying for the 864 directly, but spreads the cost.

Related guides: Family sponsored visas: who can sponsor you; Visitor visa (subclass 600).

Reviewed by Dr Asad Muhammad Khan, Registered Migration Agent, MARN 2619525. Reviewed 28 October 2026 — eligibility read against the Migration Regulations 1994 (compilation No. 289, 2 October 2026): reg 1.03, reg 1.05, reg 2.21A, Schedule 1 items 1124A and 1130A, Schedule 2 Parts 804, 864 and 884; Assurance of Support periods from the Social Security (Assurances of Support) Determination 2018 (compilation No. 5, 23 March 2024). Charges from the Department of Home Affairs visa pricing table and queue figures from its Parent visas queue release dates page (as at 31 August 2026), both read 28 October 2026; Age Pension age from Services Australia, read 28 October 2026. This page is general information, not migration advice for your circumstances.