Aged Dependent Relative Visa

The Aged Dependent Relative Visa is a permanent visa for an older, single relative who is substantially financially dependent on an Australian relative. The Subclass 114 is the offshore application; the Subclass 838 is the onshore application. Eligibility requires Aged Pension qualifying age, single status, and a continuous period of at least 3 years of substantial financial dependency on the sponsoring Australian relative for food, shelter, and clothing.

Key facts

Visa Type

Permanent

Subclasses

114 offshore / 838 onshore

Aged Pension Qualifying Age

67 (Social Security Act 1991)

Queue Release

Up to 30 June 2013 (as at 28 Feb 2026)

Eligibility

The applicant must be single (never married, divorced, or widowed) and not in a de facto relationship. The applicant must have reached Aged Pension qualifying age at the time of application. The applicant must have been wholly or substantially financially dependent on the sponsoring Australian relative for the basic needs of food, shelter, and clothing for a continuous period of at least 3 years immediately before the application.

The sponsoring Australian relative must be a sibling, niece, nephew, parent, or grandparent of the applicant, and must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen. An Assurance of Support is required.

Evidence of dependency

Aged Dependent Relative cases turn on dependency evidence covering at least 3 years immediately before the application. Documentary evidence is essential.

Financial transfers

Bank statements showing regular remittances from the Australian relative to the applicant across the qualifying period, money transfer service records, and supporting affidavit evidence.

Cost of living

Evidence of housing costs, utilities, and other living expenses paid by the Australian relative, and evidence demonstrating that the applicant's own resources were insufficient to meet basic needs without that support.

Status

Documentary evidence of single status (death certificate of any former spouse, divorce decree, or evidence of having never married), and statutory declarations addressing the absence of any de facto relationship.

Capping and queueing

The Aged Dependent Relative Visa sits within the Other Family category, which is subject to numerical capping and queueing. As at 28 February 2026, the Department is releasing applications with a queue date up to 30 June 2013 for final processing.

The onshore Subclass 838 confers a Bridging Visa A on lodgement, which keeps the applicant lawful during processing. The offshore Subclass 114 provides no equivalent interim status.

Strategic preparation of the Subclass 114 / 838

Aged Dependent Relative cases turn on dependency evidence built systematically across the qualifying period. Visa Plan Lawyers prepares applications with the documentary discipline required for both primary decision and the long queue.

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