Subclass 804 Aged Parent Visa
The Subclass 804 Aged Parent Visa is a non-contributory permanent visa for parents who are in Australia, have reached Aged Pension qualifying age, and are sponsored by an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen child or other eligible sponsor. The Subclass 804 is significantly cheaper than its contributory counterpart, the Subclass 864, but processing queues are very long. The Bridging Visa A granted on lodgement keeps the applicant lawful in Australia for the duration of the wait.
Key facts
Visa Type
Permanent (onshore non-contributory)
Aged Pension Qualifying Age
67 (Social Security Act 1991)
Bridging Visa
Bridging Visa A on lodgement
Queue Release
Up to January 2013 (as at 31 Jul 2025)
Eligibility
The applicant must have reached Aged Pension qualifying age at the time of application, which is currently 67 under the Social Security Act 1991. The applicant must be in Australia at application and at grant. The applicant must satisfy the Balance of Family Test in regulation 1.05 of the Migration Regulations 1994. The sponsor must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen, generally a child of the applicant.
Health and character requirements apply. An Assurance of Support is required, with a 2-year assurance period and a current bond of AUD 10,000 for a single applicant and AUD 4,000 for any secondary adult applicant.
Bridging visa during processing
A valid Subclass 804 application onshore generates a Bridging Visa A on lodgement. The Bridging Visa A keeps the applicant lawful throughout processing. After 2 years on the Bridging Visa A, eligibility for Medicare enrolment is generally available through Services Australia under the relevant policy provisions. Work rights generally follow the substantive visa held at lodgement.
Travel from Australia during processing requires a separate Bridging Visa B. Departure on a Bridging Visa A without a Bridging Visa B in effect ceases the bridging visa and may prevent re-entry until the substantive visa is decided.
Strategic considerations
The current queue means many Subclass 804 applicants will not see grant within their lifetime, even where the application is properly prepared. The Bridging Visa A is itself a useful interim status, not an empty waiting room: it confers lawful residence, work rights subject to underlying conditions, and after 2 years generally Medicare access.
Some applicants begin on the Subclass 804 and later switch to the Subclass 864 by paying the contributory charge. This sequencing can be valuable where the parent's age makes the Subclass 864 wait shorter than the Subclass 804 wait, but where finances do not yet permit the contributory Visa Application Charge at lodgement.
Health and character requirements are assessed at decision, not at lodgement. Material changes during the wait can affect the outcome. Strategic medical preparation, including proactive evidence on chronic conditions, addresses this risk.
Substituted Subclass 600 visa exception
Under the Migration Amendment (Substituted Subclass 600 Visa Exemptions) Regulations 2025, applying retrospectively from 17 December 2024, holders of a substituted Subclass 600 (Visitor) visa granted via ministerial intervention under sections 351, 501J, or former section 417 of the Migration Act 1958 may apply for the Subclass 804 even where they do not meet the standard age requirement. Cases involving ministerial intervention pathways should be reviewed against this exemption.
Strategic preparation of the Subclass 804
The Subclass 804 is a long-horizon visa where lodgement quality, Bridging Visa A management, and the optionality to switch to the Subclass 864 are all decisive. Visa Plan Lawyers prepares Subclass 804 applications with attention to the realistic timeline and to the interim status the Bridging Visa A confers.