Subclass 804 visa: Aged Parent

804 visa requirements

Home Affairs lists these on the Eligibility tab of its Aged Parent visa (subclass 804) page:

• Not hold an 870. Applicants cannot apply if they have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (subclass 870) visa.
• Sponsor. An eligible sponsor, usually an eligible child. If the child is under 18, an eligible relative or community organisation can sponsor. Home Affairs must approve the sponsorship.
• Age. Old enough to receive the age pension in Australia.
• Assurance of Support. The applicant must be able to obtain an Assurance of Support. Home Affairs says when to provide it.
• Health. The applicant and family members applying must meet the health requirement.
• Character. The applicant and family members applying must meet the character requirement.
• Balance of family test. At least half of the applicant's children and stepchildren are eligible children, or there are more eligible children living in Australia than in any other single country.
• Debts. Any debt to the Australian Government has been paid back, or there is an approved arrangement to pay it back.
• Immigration history. A past visa cancellation or refusal may affect eligibility.
• Australian values. Applicants 18 and over read the Life in Australia booklet and sign the Australian Values Statement.
• Best interests of the child. The visa is not granted if it is not in the best interests of an applicant under 18.

Sponsor requirements

The sponsor, or their cohabiting spouse or de facto partner, must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, settled in Australia, and 18 or over. The sponsor agrees to provide support, accommodation and financial help for the applicant's first 2 years in Australia. There is no fee to sponsor.

Balance of family test

Home Affairs' balance of family test page says an eligible child is an Australian citizen, or an Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen usually resident in Australia. Children in Australia on a temporary visa are not treated as usually resident in Australia. Home Affairs will not waive the test, even in compelling or exceptional circumstances.

Assurance of Support

Home Affairs says an Assurance of Support guarantees that the visa holder will not need to rely on government assistance for the Assurance of Support period. It covers the applicant and family members who come with them, and is a legal commitment to repay the Australian Government any welfare payments made to them. An individual, more than one person or an organisation can provide it; it does not have to be the sponsor. The pricing table also lists an Assurance of Support bond as an "other cost".

What the visa lets you do

According to Home Affairs' 804 page, the visa lets the holder:

• stay in Australia indefinitely
• work and study in Australia
• enrol in Medicare, Australia's public health care scheme
• sponsor family members to come to Australia
• travel to and from Australia for 5 years from grant
• attend free English classes through the Adult Migrant English Program, if eligible
• apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible

For citizenship purposes, permanent residence starts on the day the visa is granted. After 5 years, a Resident Return visa is needed to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident.

Family members and cost

Family members, such as a partner and dependent children, can be included when applying, and details of all family members must be given. Family members can also be added before a decision.

The visa is paid in 2 instalments: the first when applying, the second when Home Affairs asks for it. Home Affairs' Visa Prices table lists:

The second instalment is AUD 2,065 for each person included in the application. Home Affairs states the total as from AUD 8,665 for a single applicant. A lower cost applies from 1 July 2026 to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens. Health checks, police certificates and biometrics cost extra.

Step by step

This follows the Step by step tab of Home Affairs' 804 page.

Before you apply

1. Check that everyone applying has a valid passport.
2. Anyone giving immigration assistance must be a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person.
3. Any undecided application for a different Parent visa must be withdrawn when applying for this one.

Apply

1. Apply online in ImmiAccount. Home Affairs says applications made on or after 22 April 2026 must be lodged online. Pay the first instalment.

After you apply

1. Home Affairs first checks eligibility, then either adds the application to the queue or refuses it.
2. As places become available, applications are released from the queue for final assessment.
3. Tell Home Affairs before travelling outside Australia, and hold a valid visa to return.
4. Home Affairs asks for health examinations, biometrics and the Assurance of Support when needed.
5. Pay the second instalment when invoiced. If it is not paid, the application is refused.
6. Home Affairs gives its decision in writing. The charge is not refunded if the visa is refused.

Applying in or outside Australia

Home Affairs' About tab says the applicant and any family members applying must be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when they apply and when the visa is decided. When the application is made in Australia, Home Affairs is likely to grant a bridging visa, which starts if the current visa expires (804 page).

Capping and queueing

Home Affairs says the demand for Parent visas is greater than the number of places available each year, so processing times for these applications are long. Applications for the 804 are subject to capping and queueing, and Home Affairs processes them in the order it receives them. Home Affairs says the Contributory Aged Parent visas may be processed faster, but cost more (804 page).

804 visa processing time

Home Affairs publishes current processing times in its visa processing times guide.

Compare: Australian parent visas