Contributory Aged Parent Visa (Subclass 864)

Visa Eligibility

• You must be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when you apply and when DOHA decides on your application. Any family members who apply for the visa with you must also be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when you apply.
• You must not have a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (subclass 870) visa.
• You must be sponsored by an eligible sponsor. Usually, you would be sponsored by an eligible child. If your child is under 18, you can be sponsored by an eligible relative or community organization. DOHA must approve the sponsorship.
• You must be old enough to receive the age pension in Australia.
• You must meet the balance-of-family test. You meet the balance of family test if: at least half of your children and stepchildren are eligible children, OR there are more eligible children living in Australia than in any other single country.
• You must be able to obtain an assurance of support. An assurance of support assures us that you will not have to rely on government assistance after you enter Australia on this visa. The assurance is for you and any family members who come to Australia with you on this visa.
• You must meet all the health and character requirements.
• ​If you are 18 years of age or older, you must: have read, or had explained to you, the Life in Australia book AND sign an Australian Values Statement that confirms you will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws.
• You must not have any debt to pay to the Australian government.
• With under-18 applicants, it must be in the best interest of them.

Note:  If you have had a visa cancelled or your previous application refused, you may not be granted a visa.

864 Visa Benefits

• stay in Australia indefinitely
• work and study in Australia
• enroll in Australia’s public health care scheme, Medicare
• sponsor your relatives to come to Australia
• apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible

Notes for Sponsors

• Your sponsorship covers the main visa applicant and any family members who apply for the visa with them. You can sponsor more than one parent.
• To sponsor your parent for this visa, you or your partner must be settled in Australia, 18 years of age or older, and either: an Australian citizen OR an Australian permanent resident, OR an eligible New Zealand citizen.
• There is no cost to apply to sponsor a visa applicant, but you must agree to financially support the main visa applicant and their dependents for their first two years in Australia.
• Sponsorship obligations last for two years from the date when the applicant first enters Australia on the visa.
• You might be asked to provide an assurance of support for the visa applicant.

General Notes

• You can include members of the family unit in your application when you apply.
• You can apply for the permanent subclass 864 visas as a two-step process by first applying for a Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) subclass 884 visa. Applying for the subclass 884 visa and then the subclass 864 visa allows you to spread the cost of the visas over a number of years.
• DOHA assesses applications for this visa in 2 stages:
  • Check eligibility and either add the application to the queue or refuse it.
  • Continue assessing the application when a place becomes available and make a decision.

864 Visa Processing Time

The processing time for the contributory parent visa (subclass 864) can be lengthy, taking at least 12 years.

To avoid any unwanted delays in your application, make sure to complete your application form thoroughly and accurately. You must submit all required documentation, as well as any information that DOHA asks from you, promptly.