864 Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864)

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa	Contributory Aged Parent (subclass 864)
Stay	Permanent; stay indefinitely
Cost	From AUD49,900; two instalments
Apply online	Required from 22 April 2026
Application location	Australia; not immigration clearance
Decision location	Australia; not immigration clearance
Eligible parent	Aged parent of eligible child
Age requirement	Age pension age
Sponsor	Approved eligible sponsor required
Balance of family	Must meet test
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 family
Visa record	Digitally linked to passport

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Purpose

This permanent visa lets an aged parent of a settled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen stay 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 approved eligible sponsor. Usually, this is your eligible child.
• Meet the balance of family test.
• Obtain an Assurance of Support, unless applying under the retiree pathway.
• Meet health and character requirements.
• Repay any Australian Government debt, 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 immigration history. A previous visa cancellation or refusal may affect eligibility.

Balance of family test

You meet this test if either:

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

Subclass 884 visa holders have already met this test.

Two-stage pathway for subclass 884 holders

You may apply under the second-stage permanent pathway if you:

• Hold a Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884);
• Held that visa within the previous 28 days; or
• Can show compelling and compassionate circumstances after a longer gap.

Apply for subclass 864 before your subclass 884 visa expires. The Department encourages applying immediately after the subclass 884 grant.

Stay, Rights and Benefits

This is a permanent visa. Permanent residence begins on the visa grant date for citizenship purposes.

You can:

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

Newly arrived residents may need to wait before accessing certain Australian Government payments and benefits.

Family Members

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

Applicants must meet health and character requirements. Non-migrating family members may also be asked to meet these requirements.

Dependent children

A 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 over, dependent due to physical or cognitive limitations.

For dependent children aged 18 or over, provide Form 47A and evidence of at least 12 months’ financial dependency.

If including a child under 18, obtain consent from any non-migrating person with legal parental responsibility. Use Form 1229, a statutory declaration, court order, or applicable home-country law evidence.

Retiree-pathway applicants cannot include their children or their partner’s children.

Cost

The visa costs from AUD49,900 for a single applicant, paid in two instalments:

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

You may also pay for health checks, police certificates, and biometrics.

Costs may be lower for certain subclass 884 and substituted Visitor visa (subclass 600) holders.

Pacific Island and Timor-Leste 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 family members receive the lower cost based on the primary applicant’s passport.

Processing

Parent visa demand exceeds available places. Processing times are long.

Applications are subject to capping and queueing and are generally processed in order received. Assessment occurs in two stages:

1. Initial eligibility assessment for queue placement or refusal.
2. Final assessment when a place becomes available.

Processing may take longer if forms are incomplete, documents are missing, information requires verification, or the correct charge is not paid.

Do not arrange to stay permanently in Australia until the visa is granted.

Documents

Provide documents for yourself and any included family members.

Identity

Provide:

• Passport pages showing photo, personal details, issue date, and expiry date.
• National identity card, if available.
• Evidence of name changes, if applicable.
• Four recent passport-size photographs for each applicant.

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

Sponsor and family evidence

Provide:

• Form 40 completed by your sponsor.
• Evidence of your relationship to each child.
• Evidence of each child’s citizenship or permanent residence.
• Evidence supporting any child’s exclusion from the balance of family test.

Partner and dependent evidence

Provide relationship evidence, such as birth or marriage certificates.

For a de facto partner, provide evidence of a relationship of at least 12 months before applying, such as joint accounts, bills, leases, mortgages, or shared-address records.

Other evidence

When requested, provide:

• Assurance of Support.
• Health examination results.
• Character documents or police certificates.
• Biometrics.

Do not arrange police certificates until requested.

Translation and certification

Translate all non-English documents into English.

Provide:

• Original police certificates.
• Certified copies of other documents.
• Certified copies of translations.

Translations completed outside Australia must state the translator’s name, address, telephone number, qualifications, and experience in English.

How to Apply

From 22 April 2026, apply online through ImmiAccount:

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

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

You and included applicants must be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when applying. You must also be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when the Department decides the application.

If you have an undecided application for another Parent visa, withdraw it when applying for this visa.

After Applying

The Department may ask you to:

• Complete health examinations.
• Provide character documents.
• Provide biometrics.
• Submit further information.
• Pay the second instalment.

The visa cannot be granted until the second instalment is paid. If you do not pay the invoice, the application will be refused.

You may be able to add family members before a decision using Form 1436.

Tell the Department promptly about changes to your contact details, passport, relationship status, family composition, or application information. Use Form 1023 to correct incorrect answers.

Stay lawful while the application is processed. If applying in Australia, you are likely to receive a bridging visa when your current visa expires. Do not cancel your current visa, as this may make you unlawful or ineligible for a bridging visa.

If you leave Australia while the application is processing, tell the Department and ensure you hold a valid visa to return.

Travel

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

After the initial five-year travel facility, you need a Resident Return visa to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident, unless you become an Australian citizen.

Check travel-facility validity and visa conditions through VEVO.

Obligations and Visa Record

You and your family members must comply with visa conditions and Australian laws.

Your visa is digitally linked to your passport. You will not receive a visa label. Use VEVO to check visa details, conditions, work and study entitlements, and travel-facility expiry.