What Is the Aged Parent Visa Subclass 804?

The Aged Parent visa subclass 804 is a permanent family visa designed for eligible aged parents who have a close family connection to Australia.

If granted, the visa generally allows the parent to:

• Live permanently in Australia
• Work in Australia
• Study in Australia
• Access Medicare if eligible
• Travel to and from Australia during the visa's travel facility
• Potentially become eligible for Australian citizenship if they later meet the citizenship requirements

Subclass 804 is different from the Contributory Aged Parent visa subclass 864, which has substantially higher contributory visa charges but is subject to a different processing queue.

Who Can Apply for Subclass 804?

You may be able to apply for the Aged Parent visa if you are an aged parent of a person who is:

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

Your child generally needs to be settled in Australia.

You must also meet the other requirements for the visa, including:

• Aged parent requirements
• Balance of family test
• Sponsorship requirements
• Health requirements
• Character requirements
• Assurance of Support requirements
• Other applicable visa criteria

The Department confirms that subclass 804 is a permanent visa for an aged parent of a settled Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.

Aged Parent Requirement

Subclass 804 is specifically for aged parents.

The applicable age requirement is linked to Australia's age pension age and can change over time. Applicants should therefore have their age eligibility assessed against the current requirements rather than relying on an old age threshold published on another website.

If you do not satisfy the aged parent requirement, another parent visa may be more appropriate depending on your circumstances.

Balance of Family Test

The balance of family test is a key requirement for subclass 804.

You generally satisfy the test if:

• At least half of your children and stepchildren are eligible children; or
• You have more eligible children living in Australia than children living in any other single country.

The Department specifically confirms that the balance of family test applies to subclass 804 and that the test cannot be waived, even in compelling or exceptional circumstances.

Your and your partner's children are considered for the test, including relevant:

• Biological children
• Adopted children
• Stepchildren

The family situation should be assessed carefully before lodging an application.

Subclass 804 Eligibility Requirements

1. Parent-Child Relationship

You must have an eligible child who is a settled:

• Australian citizen
• Australian permanent resident
• Eligible New Zealand citizen

You will generally need evidence proving the relationship.

This may include:

• Birth certificates
• Adoption documents
• Family records
• Other relationship evidence

2. Aged Parent Requirement

You must satisfy the applicable age requirement for an aged parent visa.

Your age should be assessed at the relevant stage of the application under the current legislative requirements.

3. Balance of Family Test

You must pass the balance of family test.

This requirement applies to subclass 804 and cannot generally be waived.

4. Sponsorship

An eligible parent generally needs a sponsor for the Parent visa pathway.

The sponsor may generally be the applicant's eligible child or another person who meets the applicable sponsorship requirements.

The sponsor must provide the required evidence and satisfy the relevant criteria.

5. Health Requirements

Applicants and relevant family members must satisfy Australia's health requirements.

The Department may request health examinations as part of the visa process.

Health requirements are assessed according to the applicable migration health rules and the circumstances of the applicant and accompanying family members.

6. Character Requirements

Applicants must satisfy the applicable character requirements.

Depending on the applicant's circumstances, police certificates and other character documentation may be required.

7. Assurance of Support

An Assurance of Support (AoS) is an important requirement for the Aged Parent visa pathway.

The Assurance of Support is intended to help ensure that the Australian community is not required to support the visa holder through certain recoverable social security payments.

An AoS may involve an Assurance of Support bond and financial obligations for the assurer.

Applicants should obtain current advice about the AoS requirements before lodging the application.

Subclass 804 Visa Benefits

If the subclass 804 visa is granted, the parent can generally:

Live Permanently in Australia

The visa allows an eligible parent to remain permanently in Australia.

Work in Australia

As a permanent resident, the visa holder generally has the right to work in Australia.

Study in Australia

The visa holder can generally study in Australia.

Medicare

The visa may provide access to Medicare where the visa holder satisfies the applicable Medicare eligibility rules.

Travel

The visa includes a travel facility allowing international travel for a specified period after grant.

If the travel facility expires while the person remains a permanent resident, they may need a Resident Return visa or another appropriate travel facility to return to Australia after travelling overseas.

Potential Citizenship Pathway

Permanent residence may provide a pathway to Australian citizenship if the person later satisfies the applicable citizenship requirements.

Subclass 804 vs Subclass 864

Both subclass 804 and subclass 864 are permanent visas for eligible aged parents, but they have significant differences.

The decision between subclass 804 and subclass 864 should consider your eligibility, financial circumstances, family situation and preferred migration strategy.

Subclass 804 vs Subclass 884

Subclass 804 and subclass 884 are both aged parent pathways, but they work differently.

The subclass 884 → 864 pathway may be considered by families who want a contributory pathway, while subclass 804 is the non-contributory permanent option.

Processing Time for Subclass 804

The Aged Parent visa subclass 804 is subject to capping and queueing.

The Department processes Parent visa applications in two broad stages:

1. Initial assessment – the application is assessed against the core criteria.
2. Final processing – when a visa place becomes available, applications are released from the queue for final assessment.

Applications that meet the relevant core criteria receive a queue date, and applications are generally released for final processing according to queue date order.

Current Queue Position

As at 31 May 2026, the Department reported that Aged Parent visa subclass 804 applications with queue dates up to April 2014 had been released for final processing.

Estimated Processing Time

The Department currently estimates approximately 33 years for new Parent and Aged Parent visa applications.

This is an estimate based on current program settings and is not a guarantee that an individual subclass 804 application will take exactly 33 years.

Processing can change because of:

• Migration Program planning levels
• Number of applications received
• Number of applications withdrawn or refused
• Available visa places
• Administrative Review Tribunal outcomes
• Ministerial intervention
• Changes to processing directions
• Completeness of the application
• Health and character checks
• Individual circumstances

For this reason, applicants should carefully consider the long processing period before choosing subclass 804.

Why Is Subclass 804 Processing So Long?

Demand for Parent visas is substantially higher than the number of available places.

The Australian Government limits the number of permanent Parent visas that can be granted during each Migration Program year. Once the available places have been used, remaining applications stay in the queue until places become available in future program years.

This means that satisfying the eligibility requirements does not mean the visa will be granted immediately.

Subclass 804 Application Process

Step 1 – Check Your Eligibility

Assess:

• Your age
• Your relationship with your Australian child
• Your child's immigration status
• Whether your child is settled in Australia
• Your family circumstances
• Balance of family test

Step 2 – Assess Sponsorship

Confirm that the proposed sponsor meets the applicable sponsorship requirements.

Step 3 – Prepare Documents

Collect evidence supporting:

• Identity
• Parent-child relationship
• Australian sponsor's status
• Family composition
• Children and stepchildren
• Balance of family test
• Health
• Character
• Assurance of Support

Step 4 – Lodge the Application

Submit the subclass 804 application through the applicable Department of Home Affairs process with the required supporting documentation.

Step 5 – Initial Assessment

The Department assesses the application against the relevant core visa criteria.

Step 6 – Queue Date

If the application satisfies the requirements to enter the queue, the Department assigns a queue date and confirms this in writing.

Step 7 – Wait for Queue Release

The application remains in the queue until it is released for final processing when a place becomes available.

Step 8 – Final Assessment

The Department completes the remaining visa assessment, including any outstanding health, character, Assurance of Support or other requirements.

Step 9 – Visa Decision

If all requirements are satisfied and a place is available, the subclass 804 visa may be granted.

Documents You May Need

Depending on your circumstances, you may need:

• Passport and identity documents
• Birth certificate
• Evidence of the parent-child relationship
• Evidence of the child's Australian citizenship or permanent residence
• Evidence that the child is settled in Australia
• Marriage or relationship documents
• Details and evidence concerning all children and stepchildren
• Evidence for the balance of family test
• Police certificates
• Health examination documents
• Sponsorship documents
• Assurance of Support documents
• Financial evidence
• Other documents requested by the Department

Providing complete and accurate documents at the time of application can help avoid unnecessary delays.

Important Things to Consider Before Applying

Subclass 804 can provide permanent residence for eligible aged parents, but the very long processing queue is one of the most important factors to consider.

Before choosing subclass 804, you should consider:

✔ Your age eligibility
✔ Your family composition
✔ Balance of family test
✔ Sponsor eligibility
✔ Assurance of Support requirements
✔ Financial circumstances
✔ Expected processing period
✔ Alternative parent visa options
✔ Whether a contributory pathway may be more suitable

A different parent visa may be more appropriate depending on your circumstances.

Other Parent Visa Options

Depending on your circumstances, you may also wish to consider:

• Contributory Aged Parent visa subclass 864
• Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa subclass 884
• Parent visa subclass 103
• Contributory Parent visa subclass 143
• Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa subclass 173
• Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa subclass 870

Each visa has different eligibility criteria, costs, processing arrangements and visa conditions.

How We Can Help With Subclass 804

Parent visa applications can be complex because eligibility is only the first part of the process. Applicants also need to consider family composition, the balance of family test, sponsorship, health and character requirements, Assurance of Support and the Parent visa queue.

At The Visa and Education Services Pty Ltd, we can assist with:

✔ Subclass 804 eligibility assessment
✔ Aged parent eligibility assessment
✔ Balance of family test assessment
✔ Sponsor assessment
✔ Parent-child relationship documentation
✔ Assurance of Support guidance
✔ Comparison of parent visa options
✔ Document preparation guidance
✔ Parent visa application assistance
✔ Review of potential eligibility issues

Speak With a Registered Migration Agent

Navneet Kaur – Registered Migration Agent
MARN: 2318181

If you are considering bringing an aged parent to Australia, professional advice can help you understand whether subclass 804 is suitable or whether another parent visa pathway may be more appropriate.

Get Personalised Parent Visa Advice

Understand your eligibility, available options and the long-term pathway before lodging your application.