Subclass 804

Aged Parent visa (subclass 804)

The subclass 804 is the permanent, non contributory parent visa for a parent who is in Australia and old enough for the age pension (67). It costs $8,665 per parent in government charges. Its real value is the bridging visa: the parent can remain in Australia with their family for the entire wait, which Home Affairs currently estimates at about 33 years, usually with work rights but without Medicare.

Book a consultation Test eligibility in the pathfinder

Key facts

Outcome: Permanent residence, with a five year travel facility
Where to lodge: In Australia
Where at grant: In Australia
Parent's age: 67 or older at lodgement
Government charge: $8,665 per parent: $6,600 at lodgement and $2,065 before grant
Wait: About 33 years for a new application, spent in Australia on a bridging visa
Assurance of Support: $5,000 bond, held for two years
Medicare: Not while waiting, unless from a reciprocal health care country
Bridging visa: Bridging Visa A, usually with work rights

Verified against Home Affairs on 8 September 2026

Fit

Who the 804 is for, and who it is not

Usually the right visa for

A parent already in Australia, over 67, whose family wants them to stay at the lowest government cost
Parents from a reciprocal health care country, who get limited Medicare while waiting
Families who understand the visa may never be granted in the parent's lifetime and are content with the bridging visa itself
Families who cannot fund the contributory second instalment

Usually the wrong visa for

A parent whose current visa carries condition 8503, No further stay: the application would be invalid
A parent under 67
Families who want certainty of permanent residence: the onshore 864 is the same stay with a 15 year horizon
Parents who will need to travel often: leaving on a Bridging Visa A ends it unless a Bridging Visa B is granted first

Eligibility

What the 804 requires

These are the requirements that decide most applications. Each has detail and exceptions that we work through in the consultation.

Age pension ageThe parent must be old enough to receive the Australian age pension, which is 67, on the day the application is lodged.
A settled sponsorUsually the parent’s child, aged 18 or over, who is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen and has lived in Australia lawfully for around two years. If the child is under 18, their partner, a relative or a community organisation may sponsor instead.
The balance of family testAt least half of the parent’s children must be Australian citizens, permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens usually resident in Australia, or more of the children must live in Australia than in any other single country. All children of the parent and their current partner count, including step and adopted children, with narrow exceptions.
Health and characterA medical examination with the Department’s panel provider, police clearances from every country the parent has lived in for 12 months or more in the last ten years, and the usual character rules. Health is checked when the application is queued and again before grant.
An Assurance of SupportA bank guarantee lodged with Services Australia shortly before grant: $5,000 for the main applicant and $2,000 for each adult dependant, held for two years and returned if no recoverable welfare payments were made. The assurer must pass an income test.
No Subclass 870 on the recordHome Affairs states that the applicant must not have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) when applying. Families considering an 870 as a stopgap should get advice first.
A visa that allows the applicationThe parent must hold a substantive visa without condition 8503 when the application is lodged, or obtain a waiver of that condition, which is granted only for compelling and compassionate circumstances that arose after the visa was granted and were outside the parent’s control.

Cost

What the 804 costs, and when each amount is due

Government charges from 1 July 2026 for the main applicant. The Department adds a surcharge for card payments. Use the cost calculator to model one or two parents and the waiting years.

Item	Amount
First instalment, main applicantPaid at lodgement	$6,600
First instalment, second parentAdditional adult applicant charge, confirmed at lodgement	approx. $3,300
Second instalment, each applicantRequested when the application is released from the queue	$2,065
Assurance of Support bond$5,000 main applicant plus $2,000 per adult dependant, refundable after two years	$5,000
Private health cover while waitingNo Medicare on the bridging visa unless from a reciprocal country. A parent in their seventies commonly pays $2,000 to $4,000 a year	per year
Health examinations and police checksTypical 2026 cost per person	$600 to $900
Skyline professional feeFixed, quoted in writing at the consultation	On request

Timeline

How a 804 application runs

Before lodgement

Check the current visa

We confirm the parent's visa has no condition 8503 and enough validity, and that the age and balance of family tests are met. Getting this wrong makes the application invalid, not refused.

Weeks 1 to 8

Lodgement and bridging visa

The application is lodged in ImmiAccount with the first instalment. A Bridging Visa A is granted and comes into effect when the current visa expires.

Months 1 to 6

Queue date assigned

Core criteria checked and a queue date assigned in the non contributory queue.

Years 1 to 32

Life on the bridging visa

The parent stays in Australia. Travel requires a Bridging Visa B first. Health cover, address and sponsor changes are managed throughout.

Release and grant

Final stage

Fresh health and police checks, the Assurance of Support and the second instalment. The visa is granted while the parent is in Australia.

How we manage the whole timeline

Alternatives

Visas to compare with the 804

864

Contributory Aged Parent visa

Same onshore stay on a bridging visa, but permanent residence in about 15 years for $49,900 per parent.

Read the 864 guide →

884

Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa

Two years on a temporary visa with Medicare and work rights, then a cheaper 864.

Read the 884 guide →

103

Parent visa

The offshore version for a parent who is overseas, or under 67.

Read the 103 guide →

Compare all seven parent visas side by side →

Questions

Subclass 804 questions we are asked most

Can my parent stay in Australia on an 804 application?

Yes. A Bridging Visa A is granted with a valid onshore application and lets the parent remain in Australia lawfully until the application is decided. On current estimates that is about 33 years. The bridging visa usually carries work rights.

Does the bridging visa give Medicare?

No. Applicants for the Aged Parent visa are not eligible for Medicare while waiting, unless they are from a reciprocal health care country, in which case limited cover applies. Private health cover is strongly advised.

What is condition 8503 and why does it matter?

Condition 8503, No further stay, is often placed on visitor visas. If the parent's visa carries it, an 804 application lodged in Australia is invalid. A waiver is possible only for compelling and compassionate circumstances that arose after grant.

How much does the 804 cost?

From 1 July 2026 the government charge is $6,600 at lodgement and $2,065 before grant, a total of $8,665 for the main applicant, plus a refundable $5,000 Assurance of Support bond at the final stage.

Is the onshore aged parent pathway closing?

During 2026 there has been public reporting of a proposal to stop family visa applications being lodged from a visitor visa, which would in practice close this route. As at September 2026 nothing has been legislated. If a parent is eligible now, we recommend lodging properly rather than waiting.

Sources: Department of Home Affairs, Aged Parent visa (subclass 804) and Parent visas queue release dates (as at 31 May 2026); Services Australia for Assurance of Support amounts. Checked 8 September 2026. Charges change every 1 July. General information only, not advice on your circumstances.

Skyline Migration Lawyers

How we help with the 804

Melbourne migration lawyers who run parent visa matters from the first strategy letter to grant, however long the queue.

A written strategy that tests all seven parent visas against your family before anything is lodged
Balance of family and sponsor evidence prepared so the application is queued on the first assessment
An annual review through the queue: addresses, passports, sponsor, health, and the second instalment forecast
Release day handled in advance: health, police, the Assurance of Support and the payment
A fixed fee, quoted in writing, staged across lodgement and release

Next Step

Talk to us about the subclass 804

One consultation, by phone, video or at 470 St Kilda Road, Melbourne. You leave with the visa confirmed, the costs by year and a fixed fee in writing.

Book a consultation Call 03 8108 8748