Aged Parent Visa Australia: Subclass 804 and 864 Explained

If your parent is already in Australia and has turned 67, the visa options available to them are different from those for younger parents — and the most important difference is that they can stay in Australia while waiting for the permanent visa to be granted.

This ability to remain onshore is the defining feature of the "Aged Parent" subclasses. Understanding how it works, what it costs, and how these visas compare to the regular parent visa pathway is the starting point for families in this situation.

What Makes a Visa an "Aged Parent" Visa

The term "aged parent" in Australian migration law refers specifically to applicants who meet the Australian Age Pension eligibility age, which as of 2026 is standardized at 67 years for all genders. Applicants below this age must use the standard offshore parent visa pathways (Subclass 143 or 103), regardless of where they currently are.

This is a common source of confusion. A parent who is 65 and already living in Australia on a visitor visa cannot apply for the 804 or 864 — they must either depart and apply for an offshore visa, or wait until they reach 67.

Subclass 804 — Aged Parent (Non-Contributory, Onshore)

The Subclass 804 is the non-contributory aged parent visa. It mirrors the Subclass 103 in cost and processing timeline, but it is lodged onshore and comes with a critical benefit: the parent receives a Bridging Visa A (BVA) and can remain in Australia while the application is processed.

Key features:

The 30-year wait makes the 804 impractical as a sole strategy for most families. A parent who is 68 in 2026 would not receive a grant until they are approximately 98 under current processing rates. The 804 is generally used in combination with a simultaneous 864 application or as a "parking" mechanism for parents who are already in Australia and cannot afford the contributory fees.

Subclass 864 — Contributory Aged Parent (Onshore)

The 864 is the onshore contributory aged parent visa — the equivalent of the 143 but for parents aged 67+ who are already in Australia. It is the most appropriate pathway for parents who:

• Are 67 or older
• Are already in Australia (on a visitor visa or any other valid temporary visa)
• Do not have a "No Further Stay" (8503) condition on their current visa

Like the 143, it carries a two-instalment fee structure and processes in the contributory queue.

The processing time for the 864 is the same as the 143: 12 to 15 years from lodgment for new applications in 2026. However, the parent receives a Bridging Visa A immediately upon lodging the application, allowing them to remain in Australia throughout the entire waiting period.

The Bridging Visa A: What It Means in Practice

The BVA is the practical reason most families with older parents in Australia prefer the 864 over the 143. Rather than requiring the parent to wait overseas for 12 to 15 years and then migrate, the parent stays in Australia continuously from the day of application.

This has real implications for daily life:

• The parent is physically present to help with grandchildren, family support, and aged care.
• The family avoids the uncertainty of the parent's health declining in another country without local support.
• The parent does not need to navigate obtaining and renewing visitor visas repeatedly over a multi-year period.

The BVA on a 864 application typically comes with work rights — unlike the BVA issued on some other visa applications. This allows the parent to work if they choose to, though most aged parents do not exercise this right extensively.

Medicare Eligibility on a Bridging Visa

This is one of the most misunderstood aspects of onshore aged parent visa applications, and the confusion causes real financial harm to families.

Medicare access on a Bridging Visa A depends on your home country, not on the visa subclass you hold. Parents from countries with a Reciprocal Healthcare Agreement (RHCA) with Australia — including the UK, Ireland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Belgium — can access Medicare while on a BVA. Parents from all other countries cannot.

For parents from India, China, the Philippines, Vietnam, and most other major source countries, there is no Medicare access on the Bridging Visa A. The parent must either maintain private health insurance or self-fund medical expenses until the permanent visa is granted and they become Medicare-eligible.

This changes the cost calculation considerably. A parent from India in their late 60s may need $5,000 to $10,000 per year in private health insurance premiums while on the BVA — an additional $60,000 to $120,000 over a 12-year wait on top of the visa fees.

The "No Further Stay" (Condition 8503) Problem

A parent who entered Australia on a visitor visa with a No Further Stay condition (Condition 8503) cannot apply for the 864 onshore. The 8503 condition prohibits the holder from applying for any further Australian visa while in Australia.

This condition is increasingly common on visitor visas granted to parents from certain countries, particularly where the Department is concerned about overstay intentions. Families where the parent's visitor visa carries an 8503 condition have two options:

1. Depart and apply offshore for the 143 (if under 67) or make the 864 application after departing — noting that the 864 is an onshore visa, so the parent would need to re-enter Australia without an 8503 condition to use it.
2. Apply for a waiver of the 8503 condition, demonstrating compelling and compassionate circumstances that justify allowing the parent to apply onshore.

Waivers of the 8503 condition are possible but not routine. They require evidence that the family's situation has changed materially since the visitor visa was granted — for example, the sponsor becoming a primary caregiver due to a spouse's death, or a medical emergency requiring the parent's ongoing presence.

Choosing Between the 804 and 864

For families with a parent aged 67+ already in Australia:

• If the family can fund the contributory fees (~$50,000 per parent), the 864 is the clear choice. The same 12-to-15-year wait, but the parent stays in Australia throughout.
• If the family cannot fund the contributory fees, the 804 allows the parent to remain on a BVA but faces the 30-year queue. In this scenario, many families simultaneously apply for an 870 as a fallback and lodge a 804 for the long-term queue position.
• In some cases, families lodge both a 804 and a 864 simultaneously — preserving both queue positions while they decide whether to fund the contributory pathway.

The Australia Parent Visa Guide includes an aged parent decision framework with scenario modeling for different financial positions and family structures.

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