Last updated: 30 March 2026

Aged Parent Visa 804: Onshore Application Guide

The subclass 804 is designed for older parents — those who have reached pension age — who are already in Australia and want to stay permanently. It is an onshore application, which means lodging it while you are in the country, and it comes with the practical benefit of a bridging visa that allows the parent to remain in Australia while the very long queue is processed.

That bridging visa provision is the most significant practical feature of the 804. The queue itself — currently estimated at 25–30+ years — means that a permanent visa grant under the 804 is, for most people applying today, a distant or theoretical outcome. But the bridging visa arrangement means that lodging the application can still serve a real purpose: allowing an older parent to remain in Australia lawfully for as long as they choose to stay, within the limits of Australian immigration law.

Who Can Apply: Eligibility

To be eligible for the subclass 804, the parent must meet all of the following:

Pension age

The parent must have reached the Australian pension age, which is currently 67 years. This is the same threshold used for the Age Pension under Australian social security law.

Onshore at lodgement and at decision

The parent must be physically in Australia on a valid visa when the application is lodged. Unlike the offshore parent visas (subclasses 103 and 143), you cannot lodge the 804 from overseas. The parent must also be in Australia when the visa is granted — if they depart Australia on their bridging visa without the correct travel arrangements, complications can arise.

Balance of family test

The parent must pass the balance of family test. This requires that:

• At least half of the parent’s children who are lawfully settled in any country are settled in Australia, or
• More of the parent’s children are settled in Australia than in any other single country

“Children” includes biological children, legally adopted children, and stepchildren. Where children are living in multiple countries, the numbers are compared country by country.

Sponsor requirements

The application must be sponsored by a child of the parent who is:

• An Australian citizen, or
• An Australian permanent resident, or
• An eligible New Zealand citizen

The sponsoring child must be settled in Australia, at least 18 years old, and willing to undertake the Assurance of Support obligation.

Health and character

All applicants must meet standard health requirements (immigration medical examination) and character requirements (police clearances from all countries lived in for 12+ months in the past 10 years).

Costs

The subclass 804 is non-contributory, so its visa application charges are significantly lower than the subclass 143. However, the Assurance of Support bond still applies.

The AoS period for the 804 is two years from the date the visa is granted — shorter than the 10-year period for the contributory parent visa (143). The bond is refunded after two years if no recoverable welfare payments were made.

Total out-of-pocket cost for a single parent, including AoS bond and disbursements, typically runs to $12,000–$16,000. This is substantially less than the contributory parent visa — the trade-off is a processing queue that extends across decades rather than years.

Processing Time

The subclass 804 has one of the longest queues in the Australian migration system. Current estimates:

These are not projections — they reflect the actual rate at which places are allocated annually and the depth of the existing queue.

The Department allocates only a small number of non-contributory parent visa places each year across the 103 and 804 categories. A parent who lodges a 804 today should understand clearly that a permanent visa grant is unlikely within a timeframe that most people would consider planning-relevant.

This does not mean the 804 has no value. Its primary practical benefit is the bridging visa arrangement it provides.

The Bridging Visa: The Key Feature

When a subclass 804 application is lodged, the Department grants the applicant a Bridging Visa A (BVA). This is the most practical reason many families pursue the 804.

What the bridging visa provides:

• The parent can remain in Australia lawfully while the application is pending
• If the parent’s substantive visa (such as a visitor visa) expires, the BVA keeps their status lawful
• The parent can access Medicare if they are from a country with a reciprocal healthcare agreement with Australia
• The parent can remain indefinitely in Australia while the 804 is pending — which, given the queue length, can be a very long time

Work rights:

By default, the BVA associated with a 804 does not include permission to work. Work rights can be requested from the Department in circumstances of compelling need, but this is not automatic and is assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Travel:

A BVA does not allow the parent to depart and re-enter Australia. If the parent wishes to travel internationally while the 804 is pending, they must apply for a Bridging Visa B (BVB) before departing. Departing without a BVB causes the BVA to cease, which can significantly complicate the parent’s ability to return to Australia.

This travel restriction is important to discuss with the parent and with a migration agent before lodging. If the parent needs to travel regularly between Australia and their home country, the bridging visa conditions of the 804 can create complications.

Subclass 804 vs Subclass 864 (Contributory Aged Parent)

The subclass 864 is the contributory equivalent of the 804. The comparison is similar to the 143 vs 103 comparison for younger parents.

The subclass 864 follows the same onshore lodgement requirement as the 804 — the parent must be in Australia when they apply. But because it is contributory, it has a much shorter queue: approximately 4–8 years at the 75th percentile.

For families with an older parent already in Australia who want a realistic pathway to permanent residency, the subclass 864 is a far more practical option than the 804, provided the family can manage the significantly higher cost.

Some families lodge the 804 as a secondary application while pursuing the 864 as the primary pathway. This is possible, but managing two simultaneous parent visa applications — with separate AoS bonds and ongoing compliance — adds complexity.

Why Some Families Still Lodge the 804

Despite the very long queue, families may lodge the 804 because:

1. The bridging visa arrangement is the actual goal — for an older parent who wants to remain in Australia long-term, the BVA is the immediate practical outcome. The 804 provides lawful status while the family considers other options or simply manages the situation year by year.

2. Cost constraints — not every family can afford the subclass 864 or 143 costs. The 804 at approximately $9,530 in visa charges is accessible where the contributory options are not.

3. Securing a lodgement date — every day’s delay in lodging the 804 pushes the queue position back further. Some families lodge as soon as the parent arrives in Australia, even if they are simultaneously pursuing the contributory pathway.

4. Contingency planning — if policy settings change and more non-contributory places are allocated, having a lodged application means your date is preserved.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible for the aged parent visa subclass 804?

The subclass 804 is for parents who have reached pension age (currently 67 in Australia) and who are lawfully in Australia when they lodge the application. They must also pass the balance of family test — meaning at least half of their children, or more children than in any other single country, must be lawfully settled in Australia. The application must be sponsored by an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen child.

How long does the aged parent visa 804 take to process?

The subclass 804 has a very long processing queue, currently estimated at 25–30 years or more. The long queue reflects the limited number of non-contributory parent visa places allocated annually. Most 804 applicants are in Australia on a bridging visa for the duration of this wait. For a faster alternative, eligible parents should consider the subclass 864 (contributory aged parent visa), which has a much shorter queue of approximately 4–8 years.

Can a parent work in Australia while waiting for the subclass 804?

By default, the bridging visa granted upon lodging a subclass 804 does not include work rights. However, work rights can be requested from the Department if the parent can demonstrate compelling need. In practice, most applicants on bridging visas while waiting for the 804 do not hold work entitlements, though they can access Medicare if their home country has a reciprocal healthcare agreement with Australia.

Steps Before Lodging the Subclass 804

1. Confirm pension age — the parent must be 67 or older at the time of lodgement
2. Confirm the parent is lawfully in Australia — on a valid visa at the date of lodgement
3. Check the balance of family test — count the parent’s children by country of settled residence
4. Assess the AoS sponsor’s capacity — the sponsoring child must meet the Services Australia income assessment for a two-year AoS
5. Consider the 864 simultaneously — if the family can access the funds for the contributory pathway, the 864 provides a far more realistic permanent outcome
6. Discuss travel implications — the BVA will restrict international travel; plan this with the parent before lodging

For a full picture of parent visa options, see the parent visa Australia overview. For the contributory pathway with a shorter queue, see contributory parent visa 143. For current processing timelines across all subclasses, see parent visa processing time.

Regardless of the long wait, the goal is the same: permanent residency in Australia for your parent, and a life shared on Australian soil.