Aged parent subclass 804 visa: bring your family to Australia

Subclass 804 Visa Overview

The Subclass 804 visa is a pathway for elderly parents to reunite with their Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen children and live permanently in Australia.

Like any other Parent visa, the Aged Parent visa (Subclass 804 visa) has specific benefits as follows:

• Live in Australia with their children who are Australian citizens, permanent residents, or eligible New Zealand citizens.
• Obtain permanent residency (PR) status.
• Work and study in Australia.
• Travel in and out of Australia for up to five years.
• Apply for Australian citizenship after meeting residency requirements.
• Access Medicare, Australia’s public healthcare system.
• Receive eligible social security benefits.
• Sponsor certain family members for permanent residency.

804 Visa Requirements

The requirements for a Subclass 804 visa (Aged Parent visa) typically include:

Not eligible if holding Subclass 870

You cannot lodge this application if you currently hold, or have already applied for, a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 870).

Sponsorship requirement

You must have an approved sponsor. In most cases, this will be your eligible child. If your child is under 18, another eligible relative or an approved community organisation may sponsor you. The sponsorship must be accepted by the Department.

Age requirement

You must be at or above the qualifying age for the Australian Age Pension at the time of application.

• Born 1 July 1952 – 31 December 1953: 65 years and 6 months
• Born 1 January 1954 – 30 June 1955: 66 years
• Born 1 July 1955 – 31 December 1956: 66 years and 6 months
• Born from 1 January 1957 onwards: 67 years

Health requirement

You and any family members included in the application must meet health standards. In some cases, non-migrating family members may also be asked to complete health checks.

Character requirement

All applicants must satisfy character criteria. This may also apply to certain family members who are not migrating.

Balance of family test

You must pass the balance-of-family test by meeting one of the following:

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

Assurance of Support

You must be able to secure an Assurance of Support (AoS). This is a financial commitment ensuring you and accompanying family members will not depend on government income support after arrival. You will be advised when this is required.

Outstanding debts

Any money owed to the Australian Government must be fully repaid, or you must have an approved repayment arrangement in place.

Previous visa issues

Your immigration history will be assessed. Prior visa cancellations or refusals may affect eligibility, although some exceptions can apply under specific circumstances.

Australian Values Statement

Applicants aged 18 and over must confirm they have read (or had explained) the Life in Australia booklet and sign a statement agreeing to respect Australian values and laws.

Best interests of the child

If the application involves a person under 18, the visa will only be granted if it is considered to be in the child’s best interests.

To determine if you meet the requirements for the Subclass 804 Aged Parent visa, please contact VEM. Our consultant, Mr. Peter Cao, a registered migration agent (MARN: 1577877) with over 12 years of experience in migration, will provide expert assistance.

You can refer to other Family visas to find out the best visa pathway for your family.

Aged Parent Visa Application

Here is a step-by-step guide for applying for a Subclass 804 Contributory Aged Parent visa:

• Step 1: Check eligibility based on age and family sponsorship.
• Step 2: Gather required documents.
• Step 3: Pay the visa fee and lodge the Aged Parent visa 804 application form with supporting documents.
• Step 4: Undergo health and character checks.
• Step 5: Pay the contributory fee
• Step 6: Provide Assurance of Support.
• Step 7: Await processing and decision notification.
• Step 8: If approved, travel to Australia within the visa’s validity period.

Subclass 804 Visa Cost

Like the subclass 103 visa, the Subclass 804 visa application fees have increased in 2026 to AUD 8,665. Below are the details of the Aged Parent visa 804 cost:

 Note: The fees listed above do not include a 1.4% surcharge.

804 Visa Processing Time

Currently, there is no available information on the processing time for Aged Parent visa applications.

Please note that the Aged Parent visa 804 processing time can be significantly delayed if applications are not properly lodged. It is crucial to ensure that your application is well-prepared to minimize potential delays in processing.

We support our clients throughout their entire immigration journey. Contact VEM for further assistance and guidance.

Our CEO, Mr. Peter Cao, a registered migration agent (MARN: 1577877) and member of the Migration Institute of Australia (MIA: 12648), provides trusted guidance every step of the way.

By: Peter Phong D Cao – Registered migration agent
(MARN: 1577877, MIA: 12648)

Frequently asked questions