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 — currently 67 years; (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 Australian PR/citizens settled in Australia, OR more children in Australia than any other country; (5) Have an Assurance of Support from a financial sponsor (typically a family member, AUD 10,000-14,000 cash bond); (6) Meet health, character, and other public interest criteria. The 804 is onshore — the applicant must be in Australia at lodgement and typically remains in Australia on a bridging visa during processing.

The Decade-Long Queue

The 804 visa is currently estimated to have a processing time of 30+ years from lodgement to decision. The annual allocation for non-contributory parent visas (combined 103 + 804) is small relative to the queue size, meaning even existing applications take decades to be processed. New 804 applicants face a queue with applications already lodged 5, 10, 15+ years ago. The reality: many 804 applicants will not live to see their visa granted given the queue length and the age of applicants (already aged-pension age at lodgement). The 804 nevertheless serves a specific function — see the bridging visa strategy below. The Department processes 804 applications in order with some priority for compelling circumstances, but the bottleneck is the annual cap on grants.

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) The applicant gets a BVA on lodgement (if they hold a substantive visa); (2) The BVA continues until the underlying 804 is decided — meaning decades; (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 indefinitely while the impossible 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 50,000+ 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. They will likely never reach the front of the queue 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 — Australian age pension requires permanent residence (and typically 10 years residence); the BVA does not provide it; (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) — pay AUD 50,000+ for direct permanent residence within ~6 years. Best for those who can afford it; (2) Contributory Parent (173 then 143) — staggered payment over time, similar timeline; (3) Onshore 804 + BVA — maintain lawful status indefinitely without PR, no Medicare, no age pension. For parents who can't afford 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 with similar massive queues. 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. The 143 progresses through its own queue (much faster than 804). On 143 grant, the 804 application becomes moot. Some applicants lodge 804 for the BVA initially then add 143 when funds become available.