804 Aged Parent visa (subclass 804)

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	Aged Parent visa (subclass 804)
Visa type	Permanent parent visa
Stay	Indefinitely
Cost	From AUD8,665; two instalments
Processing	Capped, queued, long waits
Key eligibility	Aged parent with eligible child
Age requirement	Australian age pension age
Balance of family	Must meet the test
Sponsor	Approved eligible sponsor required
Application location	Australia required at decision
Work rights	Work permitted
Study	Study permitted
Medicare	May enrol in Medicare
Travel facility	Multiple travel for five years
Citizenship	May apply if eligible
Family sponsorship	May sponsor eligible relatives
Visa record	Digitally linked to passport

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Purpose

This permanent visa allows an aged parent of a settled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen to remain in Australia indefinitely.

Eligibility

You must:

• Have an eligible child who is a settled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen.
• Be old enough to receive the Australian age pension.
• Have an eligible sponsor approved by the Department.
• Meet the balance of family test.
• Obtain an Assurance of Support, unless applying through the Retirement visa pathway.
• Meet health and character requirements.
• Repay Australian Government debts, or have an approved repayment arrangement.
• Sign an Australian Values Statement if aged 18 or over.
• Not have already applied for, or hold, a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870).

The Department considers prior visa refusals or cancellations. These may affect eligibility.

Balance of Family Test

You meet this test if either:

• At least half your children and step-children are eligible children; or
• More eligible children live in Australia than in any other single country.

Sponsor

Usually, your eligible child sponsors you. If that child is under 18, an eligible relative or community organisation may sponsor you.

Your sponsor must complete Form 40 – Sponsorship for migration to Australia.

Stay and Rights

This is a permanent visa. You can:

• Stay in Australia indefinitely.
• Work and study in Australia.
• Enrol in Medicare.
• Receive Australian workplace-law protections.
• Sponsor eligible family members.
• Attend free Adult Migrant English Program classes, if eligible.
• Apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible.

For citizenship purposes, permanent residence starts on the visa grant date.

Newly arrived residents may need to serve waiting periods before receiving certain Australian Government payments or benefits.

Cost

The visa costs from AUD8,665 for one applicant, paid in two instalments:

1. First instalment when applying.
2. Second instalment when requested before grant.

Additional charges apply for family members included in the application. You may also need to pay for health examinations, police certificates, and biometrics.

Pacific and Timor-Leste Cost Concession

From 1 July 2026, a lower visa cost applies to eligible applicants holding a valid passport from:

• Federated States of Micronesia
• Fiji
• Kiribati
• Nauru
• Palau
• Papua New Guinea
• Republic of the Marshall Islands
• Samoa
• Solomon Islands
• Timor-Leste
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• Vanuatu

Eligible accompanying family members receive the lower cost based on the primary applicant’s passport.

Processing

Parent visa demand exceeds available places. Applications are subject to capping and queueing and are generally processed in order received.

Assessment occurs in two stages:

1. The Department checks eligibility and either queues or refuses the application.
2. Applications are released from the queue for final assessment as places become available.

Processing may take longer if forms, documents, payments, or verification are incomplete.

Do not make permanent arrangements to stay in Australia until the visa is granted.

Family Members

You can include eligible family members in your application. You must list all family members, including those not migrating.

All applying family members must meet health and character requirements. Non-migrating family members may also be required to meet these requirements.

Dependent Children

A dependent child may be included if they are:

• Under 18; or
• Aged 18 to under 23 and dependent on you or your partner; or
• Aged 23 or older, dependent due to physical or cognitive limitations.

Applicants using the Retirement visa pathway cannot include their children or their partner’s children.

You may be able to add family members before a decision using Form 1436 – Adding an additional applicant after lodgement.

Required Documents

Provide documents for yourself, each applying family member, and your sponsor. These may include:

• Current passport identity pages.
• National identity card, if available.
• Name-change evidence, if applicable.
• Four recent passport-size photographs per applicant.
• Sponsor’s completed Form 40.
• Evidence of relationship to each child.
• Evidence of each child’s citizenship or permanent residence.
• Balance of family test evidence.
• Partner relationship evidence, where applicable.
• Dependent-child relationship and dependency evidence.
• Health, character, police certificate, or biometrics evidence when requested.
• Assurance of Support when requested.

For a dependent adult child, provide Form 47A – Details of a child or other dependent family member aged 18 years or over and evidence of at least 12 months’ financial dependency.

For applicants under 18, provide consent from non-migrating persons with legal parental responsibility. Use Form 1229, a statutory declaration, a court order, or evidence that home-country law permits migration.

Document Rules

• Translate all non-English documents into English.
• Provide original police certificates when requested.
• Provide certified copies of other documents and translations.
• Keep a copy of your completed application and supporting documents.

Failure to prove identity can result in refusal and may affect future visa grants for up to 10 years.

How to Apply

From 22 April 2026, lodge online through ImmiAccount.

1. Create or log in to ImmiAccount.
2. Complete the online application.
3. Attach supporting documents.
4. Pay the first visa instalment.

If a technical issue prevents online lodgement, submit an ImmiAccount Technical Support Form. A paper application may be allowed if technical support does not resolve the issue.

The source states that applicants and applying family members must be in Australia, and not in immigration clearance, when the Department decides the application. It also states that online applicants may be in or outside Australia when submitting the application, except Retirement pathway applicants, who must apply in Australia.

After Applying

The Department may request:

• Further information or documents.
• Health examinations.
• Biometrics.
• Police certificates.
• An Assurance of Support.
• Payment of the second visa instalment.

If the second instalment is not paid when invoiced, the application will be refused.

Tell the Department promptly about changes to your:

• Address or telephone number.
• Passport.
• Relationship status.
• Family composition, including a newborn child.

Use Form 1023 – Notification of incorrect answers to correct application mistakes.

If represented, use:

• Form 956A to appoint or withdraw an authorised recipient.
• Form 956 to appoint or withdraw an immigration assistance provider.

Bridging Visa and Lawful Status

If you apply in Australia, the Department is likely to grant a bridging visa. It may begin when your current visa expires, allowing you to remain in Australia while the application is processed.

Do not cancel your current visa. Cancelling it may leave you unlawful or ineligible for a bridging visa.

If you travel outside Australia during processing, tell the Department and ensure you hold a valid visa to return. You must be in Australia when the Department makes its decision.

Travel

You may travel to and from Australia as often as you wish for five years from grant, while the travel facility remains valid.

After the initial five-year travel facility expires, you need a Resident Return visa (RRV) to return to Australia as a permanent resident, unless you become an Australian citizen.

Use VEVO to check visa conditions, work and study entitlements, and travel-facility expiry.

Obligations and Visa Record

You and your family members must:

• Comply with all visa conditions.
• Obey Australian laws.
• Maintain a valid passport or travel document when leaving Australia.

The visa is digitally linked to your passport. You will not receive a passport label. Use VEVO to prove your visa status and conditions.