Subclass 864

Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864)

The subclass 864 is the permanent contributory parent visa for a parent who is in Australia and old enough for the age pension (67). It costs $49,900 per parent in government charges, the same as the 143, and Home Affairs estimates about 15 years for a new application. The difference from the 143 is that the parent waits in Australia on a bridging visa, which is why it is usually the preferred visa whenever the parent is eligible for it.

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: $49,900 per parent: $6,300 at lodgement and $43,600 before grant
Wait: About 15 years, spent in Australia on a bridging visa
Assurance of Support: $10,000 bond, held for ten years
Medicare: Not while waiting, unless from a reciprocal health care country or after holding an 884
Bridging visa: Bridging Visa A, usually with work rights

Verified against Home Affairs on 8 September 2026

Fit

Who the 864 is for, and who it is not

Usually the right visa for

A parent already in Australia and over 67 whose family wants residence in a known timeframe
Families who can fund the $43,600 second instalment around 15 years from now
Parents who want to live with family through the wait, working if they wish
Families who want the certainty that the 33 year non contributory queue cannot give

Usually the wrong visa for

A parent whose current visa carries condition 8503, unless a waiver is available
A parent under 67, or outside Australia (the 143 applies instead)
Anyone who has applied for or holds a subclass 870
Families who cannot plan for the second instalment: the 804 gives the same stay for a fifth of the charge

Eligibility

What the 864 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: $10,000 for the main applicant and $4,000 for each adult dependant, held for ten 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, which is granted only in compelling and compassionate circumstances that arose after grant.

Cost

What the 864 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	$6,300
First instalment, second parentAbout half of the main charge, confirmed at lodgement	approx. $3,150
Second instalment, each applicantRequested when the application is released from the queue	$43,600
Assurance of Support bond$10,000 main applicant plus $4,000 per adult dependant, refundable after ten years	$10,000
Private health cover while waitingNo Medicare on the bridging visa unless from a reciprocal country. Commonly $2,000 to $4,000 a year for a parent in their seventies	per year
Health examinations and police checksTypical 2026 cost per person, usually done twice	$600 to $900
Skyline professional feeFixed, quoted in writing at the consultation, staged across lodgement and release	On request

Timeline

How a 864 application runs

Before lodgement

Check the current visa

We confirm there is no condition 8503, that the parent is 67, and that the balance of family test is met. We also compare the 884 first route on the family's cash flow.

Weeks 1 to 8

Lodgement and bridging visa

Lodged in ImmiAccount with the first instalment. A Bridging Visa A is granted and takes effect when the current visa ends.

Months 1 to 6

Queue date assigned

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

Years 1 to 14

Life on the bridging visa

The parent stays in Australia. Travel needs a Bridging Visa B. Health cover, changes and the second instalment forecast are managed by Skyline.

Final 12 months

Release, bond and second instalment

Fresh health and police checks, the Assurance of Support with Services Australia and the $43,600 second instalment, then grant while the parent is in Australia.

How we manage the whole timeline

Alternatives

Visas to compare with the 864

884

Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa

Same queue, but the charge is split and the parent gets two years with Medicare and work rights before the 864 stage.

Read the 884 guide →

804

Aged Parent visa

Same onshore stay at a fifth of the charge, with a 33 year horizon and no Medicare.

Read the 804 guide →

143

Contributory Parent visa

The equivalent for a parent outside Australia or under 67, without a bridging visa.

Read the 143 guide →

Compare all seven parent visas side by side →

Questions

Subclass 864 questions we are asked most

What is the difference between the 864 and the 143?

Cost and wait are the same: $49,900 per parent and about 15 years. The 864 must be lodged and granted while the parent is in Australia and requires the parent to be 67 or older, and in return the parent receives a bridging visa to remain in Australia for the whole wait. The 143 gives no bridging visa.

Does the 864 bridging visa include Medicare?

No. The parent is not eligible for Medicare while the 864 is pending unless they are from a reciprocal health care country or previously held a subclass 884. Private health cover is strongly advised for the waiting years.

When is the $43,600 paid?

When the application is released from the queue, shortly before grant, which on current estimates is about 15 years after lodgement. Only the $6,300 first instalment is paid at lodgement.

Can my parent work on the bridging visa?

Bridging Visa A holders with a parent visa application usually have work rights. We confirm the conditions on the bridging visa grant notice.

What if my parent's visitor visa has No further stay?

Condition 8503 makes an onshore 864 application invalid. A waiver is available only for compelling and compassionate circumstances that arose after the visitor visa was granted. Otherwise the parent would need to depart and consider the 143.

Sources: Department of Home Affairs, Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864) 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 864

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 864

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