Australian Aged Parent visa (Permanent) (804, 864 and 884 visa)

An Australian Aged Parent visa (Permanent) (804, 864 and 884 visa) application must be lodged while the applicant is in Australia. An applicant is ordinarily eligible for a bridging visa during the processing of their application, allowing them to remain in Australia. Please see below for information in relation to the age requirements for this visa.

To qualify for the Aged Parent and Contributory Aged Parent visa, an applicant must be old enough to be granted the Australian age pension. To qualify as an ‘aged parent’ at least one applicant must be at least 66 years and 6 months old.  This minimum age limit will increase to 67 years of age on 1 July 2023.

Australian Aged Parent Visa Options

There are two visa categories for parents wishing to migrate to Australia:

  • the Aged Parent category (804 visa)
  • the Contributory Aged Parent category (864 visa or 884 visa)

 The main differences between the two categories are summarised below:

  • the number of places allocated to the Contributory Aged Parent visa are higher and therefore they are processed substantially quicker than Parent Visas
  • Contributory Aged Parent Visa applicants pay a much larger second application charge and a larger Assurance of Support bond

Am I eligible for an Aged Parent or Contributory Aged Parent Visa?

  • I am the parent of an Australian citizen or permanent resident
  • I am currently in Australia
  • I have at least 50% of my children permanently settled in Australia
  • My Australian citizen or permanent child has spent at least 2 years living in Australia
  • I meet the health and character requirements.

The initial outcome of this visa application is that the applicant is placed on a queue.  Once they reach the head of the queue, their permanent resident visa is granted provided they continue to meet the health requirements.  Once granted, this visa allows parents to remain in Australia permanently with their children.

Applicants for the Aged Parent Visa must meet health requirements at time of lodgement and again at time of grant.  Once an applicant has a permanent resident visa, they will have full access to Medicare. The processing time from the date of visa application to being placed on the queue can vary but is currently approximately 24-48 months.  The queue is then approximately at least 20-30 years. 

All Parent Visa applicants must obtain an Assurance of Support before the visa can be granted.  This is a legal commitment by the ‘Assurer’ to provide financial support to the applicant and repay to the government the amount of any welfare payments made to the applicant within the first 2 years after the applicant is granted the visa. The Assurer makes an appointment with Centrelink when instructed to do so by DoHA.  

In addition to the Assurance of Support, the ‘Assurer’ must lodge a security bond with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.  For an Aged Parent Visa this bond is $7,000 for a couple (or $5,000 for a single applicant). It is refundable 2 years after the grant of the permanent resident visa. If any social security is claimed during the 2-year period, it may be deducted from the bond.  

Because of long waiting periods, applicants may choose to apply for a Contributory Aged Parent Visa where applicants (or their sponsor) pay a much larger second visa instalment of $43,600 EACH and a larger Assurance of Support bond. Applicants (or their sponsor) are contributing to Government revenue and helping to offset some costs placed on the community by parent migration. The Government also limits the number of places available for Contributory parents each year, but there are more places available so the waiting period for grant of a Contributory parent visa is much shorter.

Current processing times are a guide only, and for this type of visa an expected processing time would be approximately at least 5 years.  

The ‘Assurer’ must provide financial support to the applicant and repay to the government the amount of any welfare payments made to the applicant within the first 10 years after the applicant enters Australia. The security bond for this visa is $14,000 for a couple and $10,000 for a single applicant. The bond is refundable after 10 years.  If any social security is claimed during the 10-year period, it may be deducted from the bond.  

What does this visa allow me to do?

  • Reside in Australia indefinitely with my family who were included in the application
  • Travel in and out of Australia for the five years from the date the visa is granted. Thereafter I would need to apply for a Resident Return Visa
  • Work and study in Australia – if I choose to
  • Buy property with the same terms and conditions as Australian citizens
  • Enrol in Medicare, Australia’s scheme for health-related care and expenses
  • Apply for Australian citizenship (once I am eligible) by completing the residence requirements in Australia
  • Sponsor eligible relatives who are eligible to meet a family visa (for example, parent, child, partner (after 5 years) etc) or certain skilled regional visas (subclass 491).

How We Work

Free Australian Visa Assessment

Determine if you qualify for an Australian visa, or for employers, see whether you can legally sponsor an overseas worker

Prepare Your Application

Our highly trained and qualified professionals will prepare your application ensuring it meets all legislated requirements for your visa type

Evaluate Your Options

Our specialists will contact you within 24-48 hours to discuss your outcome and possible options

Submit Your Application

We submit your application and deal directly with the Department of Home Affairs until a decision is made on your application

Testimonial

Just some of the people we have helped.

We chose Immigration Downunder for our spouse visa application as Joe had already had a great experience with them before with a work visa. From the beginning to the end of our visa application Ben and Kelly demonstrated their expertise in this area and they made us feel confident in our application. We also felt they went above and beyond our expectations, by helping us to lodge our initial application in a short time frame to assist us in starting the process on-shore before Joe needed to travel again for work. We are pleased to say we were successful with our application and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Immigration Downunder to others.

    Steph and Joe
    Steph and Joe

    Partner Visa

    We can’t thank Ben & Kelly enough for helping our immigration dreams come true, this little Scots family is living our Australian dream, we are now citizens and proud to call Australia home, we have no doubt that we would not have got here so quickly or smoothly without their guidance and expertise. Best investment we made getting the professionals to help us. Saved us a lot of time and money. Forever grateful.

      Martin Family
      Martin Family

      Employer Sponsored Visa – temporary and permanent followed by Citizenship

      I thank God I knew Ben because of their help our Visa has been granted and living now in this beautiful country I am so lucky and thankful for their help. I will still ask for their help in the future. God bless and protect them all always hope and pray they continue helping people for their visas.

        Loida
        Loida

        Partner Visa, Child Visa, Resident Return Visa, Tourist Visa and then Citizenship

        My family and I have been Ben's clients for 10 years now. It started with the extension of Business sponsor visa of my parents and soon Ben was the representative for our entire family. I still remember, from the beginning Ben had been very clear, strategic, and optimistic in his approach while lodging our applications. He was always there for questions and ambiguities. He was always proactive and found alternatives when we were stuck with no solutions. We always made informed decision - thanks to him. We would blindly select Ben as our representative, any day, we have an Immigration issue or have to lodge an application with the Department. He is very competent and thorough in his work. I cannot thank Ben enough for everything he did for me & my family and highly recommend him. Thanks a million Ben for all your support and assistance in our difficult times.”

          Maria Umer & family
          Maria Umer & family

          Employer Sponsored, Parent Visa, Citizenship

          We, at Rajdhani Indian Restaurant on the Central Coast, have been using the immigration services of Immigration Downunder since 2012. The introduction was accidental through an advertisement in the Central Coast Express Advocate. The first meeting with Kelly and Ben was absolutely reassuring, they helped us sponsor one of our first Cooks. Working both with Kelly and Ben is extremely easy and fulfilling as they have always helped us with each step of the Visa Process. Ben is always a call or an email away and is happy to resolve any of our most difficult queries with utmost ease and logic. I have found both Kelly and Ben to be very open minded, easy to deal with and extremely helpful. The major groundwork is done by them and once the basic information is shared with them, they then take over the process right up to the finality of the application. I strongly recommend Immigration Downunder for all Visa related services; I am sure you will not regret using their services.

            Raj Sardana
            Raj Sardana

            Employer Sponsored Visas – Temporary & Permanent

            My partner and I used Immigration Downunder for both our 457 skilled worker visa and our application for permanent residency. There is no doubt in our minds that the process would have been significantly more confusing, scary, difficult, and quite possibly unsuccessful without Ben's help. Ben was thorough, detailed and answered all of our questions. He was patient and took time to relieve our anxieties particularly in confusing times and changing situations. I would not only recommend that anyone attempting to immigrate get a lawyer to assist with the process, but I would specifically recommend Immigration Downunder as a service that is worth every penny.

              Kathryn Kaehler
              Kathryn Kaehler

              Employer Sponsored Visa – Temporary & Permanent