Aged Parent Visa Subclass 804: The Onshore Pathway

Subclass 804 Eligibility

To qualify for the 804 visa, the applicant must: (1) Be in Australia at the time of application; (2) Be old enough to qualify for the Australian Age Pension (the qualifying age is set by Services Australia, not Home Affairs); (3) Have an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen child who is settled in Australia and willing to sponsor; (4) Meet the balance of family test — at least half of the applicant's children are eligible children settled in Australia, or more eligible children in Australia than in any other single country; (5) Have an Assurance of Support, arranged by a family member or another approved assurer (Services Australia sets the amount and the conditions); (6) Meet health, character, and other public interest criteria. The 804 is onshore — the applicant must be in Australia at lodgement, and Home Affairs says they are likely to be granted a bridging visa that starts once their current substantive visa expires. The visa application charge is the same as the offshore Subclass 103 — from AUD 8,665 over two instalments for a single applicant (a first instalment of AUD 6,600 and a second instalment of AUD 2,065 on the published Parent-visa fee schedule), current as at 1 July 2026.

The Decade-Long Queue

Home Affairs estimates a processing time of 33 years for new Parent and Aged Parent visa applications, as at 31 May 2026 — it updates this figure roughly once a year. Subclass 103 (offshore) and 804 (onshore) are capped and queued together: only a set number of places is available each migration program year, and applications are processed in lodgement-date order once they clear the core eligibility criteria. As at 31 May 2026, Home Affairs had released Aged Parent applications with a queue date up to February 2014 for final processing — so a new application today sits well over a decade behind the ones currently being finalised. The reality: many 804 applicants will not live to see their visa granted, given the queue length and the age of applicants (already Age Pension age at lodgement). The 804 nevertheless serves a specific function — see the bridging visa strategy below.

The BVA Strategy: Why 804 Is Lodged Anyway

Despite the impractical processing time, many parents lodge the 804 specifically for the Bridging Visa A that follows. When the 804 is lodged: (1) Home Affairs says an applicant is likely to be granted a bridging visa, which starts once their current substantive visa expires; (2) The bridging visa continues for as long as the 804 application remains undecided — potentially decades, on the 33-year estimate above; (3) The BVA includes full work rights for the parent (or work rights inherited from the previous substantive visa); (4) The BVA allows the parent to remain in Australia lawfully while the queue processes. The 804 is, in practice, often a bridging visa strategy more than a substantive visa pathway. Aged parents who want to stay in Australia long-term with their families — but cannot afford the AUD 49,900 contributory parent visa — use the 804 to maintain lawful status. The bridging visa allows them to live with family, access limited public services, and potentially work. On the current estimate, most will not reach the front of the queue in their lifetime, but they remain lawful.

Limitations of the Bridging Visa Strategy

The 804 + BVA strategy has significant downsides: (1) No Medicare access — bridging visa holders cannot access Medicare. Private healthcare must be arranged, and aged parents have significant healthcare needs; (2) No age pension access — the Australian Age Pension requires permanent residence and meeting Services Australia's separate residence-length test; the BVA provides neither; (3) No travel — leaving Australia on a BVA cancels it. Aged parents on 804 BVA who want to visit other family overseas need to apply for BVB each time; (4) Limited certainty — the situation depends on the BVA continuing, which depends on the underlying 804 not being decided (always favourable for the bridging visa); (5) No path to citizenship — without permanent residence grant, citizenship is not available; (6) Significant costs — private health insurance for aged parents is expensive. Some families calculate that the cumulative private healthcare cost over decades approaches the contributory parent visa fee anyway.

Strategic Options for Aged Parents

The realistic options for an aged parent wanting to live in Australia: (1) Contributory Parent (143) — costs AUD 49,900 over two instalments (Home Affairs, 2026) for direct permanent residence; Home Affairs estimates 15 years for new contributory parent applications, as at 31 May 2026. Best for those who can afford it; (2) Contributory Parent via the temporary 173 then permanent 143 — splits the cost across two visa grants but sits in the same contributory queue, so the overall wait is similar; (3) Onshore 804 + BVA — maintain lawful status indefinitely without PR, no Medicare, no age pension. For parents who can't afford the contributory pathway but want to be with family; (4) Long-stay visitor visas (Subclass 600 Sponsored Family Stream) — up to 12-18 months at a time, but parent must return overseas between visits; (5) Live partially in Australia partially overseas — practical compromise for many families. Each option has trade-offs. The right choice depends on family financial situation, parent's health and Australian-care needs, and the parent's ties overseas. Migratio is Australia's marketplace for finding and comparing MARA-registered migration agents. Migratio matches applicants with MARA-registered agents who specialise in parent visa strategy. Submit your brief describing the parent's situation, the sponsoring child's circumstances, and budget.

Can my parent get Medicare while waiting on the 804?

No — BVA holders for parent visa applications generally cannot access Medicare. Some reciprocal healthcare agreements with specific countries allow limited Medicare access; otherwise, private health insurance is required.

What's the difference between 804 and 103?

804 is onshore (parent in Australia at lodgement); 103 is offshore. Both are non-contributory and are capped and queued together, with Home Affairs estimating 33 years for new applications (as at 31 May 2026). 804's main practical value is the bridging visa enabling long-term presence in Australia.

Can my parent work on the 804 BVA?

If the parent was on a substantive visa with work rights at the time of 804 lodgement, BVA inherits those work rights. Many aged parent BVA holders have limited work intent due to age, but the rights typically apply.

Will the queue ever get shorter?

Not under current policy. The annual allocation for non-contributory parent visas would need to increase substantially to clear the queue meaningfully. The government has consistently maintained the contributory parent stream as the realistic pathway.

Can I switch from 804 to 143 (Contributory Parent) during processing?

Yes — applicants on 804 can lodge a Contributory Parent application separately. Home Affairs estimates 15 years for new contributory parent applications versus 33 years for Parent and Aged Parent visas (as at 31 May 2026), so the 143 moves through a faster queue. On 143 grant, the 804 application becomes moot. Some applicants lodge 804 for the BVA initially then add 143 when funds become available.