The Aged Parent Visa (804): Lower Cost, Onshore, but a Long Wait.
The 804 is the budget-friendly permanent visa for aged parents already in Australia. The wait is very long - but there's an important difference from the offshore visas. Your parents can usually stay here on a bridging visa the whole time, so the long wait doesn't mean being apart.
The bridging visa is what makes the 804 different from all the other parent options.
The 804 is the non-contributory aged parent visa, for parents who are old enough for the age pension and already in Australia. It leads to permanent residence at a fraction of the cost of the contributory visa. As with the other low-cost parent visas, the queue is very long.
Because your parents apply onshore, they're generally granted a bridging visa that lets them stay in Australia while the application is processed. So even though the wait is long, your parents can spend that time here with you, rather than overseas. For many families, being together is what matters most - and the 804 allows it without the large contribution.
The trade-off, honestly. You're swapping a big upfront cost for a long wait - with the comfort that your parents can stay here throughout. That suits families where the priority is having parents in Australia now, on a lawful basis, without the expense of the contributory visa. It asks you to be comfortable with the permanent visa itself taking many years, which for aged parents is a real consideration worth talking through.
The main requirements for the 804.
- Your parents to be aged - meaning old enough to receive the Australian age pension
- Your parents to be in Australia when they apply - usually on a substantive visa
- A sponsor in Australia - usually you, their child - who is settled here as a citizen or permanent resident
- To pass the balance of family test - broadly, that more of your parents' children live in Australia than elsewhere
- An assurance of support, plus health and character requirements
The test that decides whether the 804 is even open to your parents.
Before cost or wait times matter, the balance of family test is the gate your parents have to pass. Broadly, it asks where your parents' children live. As a guide, at least about half of their children generally need to be settled in Australia, or more children here than in any single other country - but the exact way it is counted depends on your family, so this is a guide rather than a rule to apply yourself.
It looks at where children live now, not citizenship. The test generally turns on where your parents' children are usually resident at the time of application, not on what passports anyone holds. Step-children and children who have passed away can change the count. Because the maths is easy to get wrong - and getting it wrong can mean a refusal after a long wait - it is worth having it checked against your specific family before lodging. We map out exactly how the count works for your parents.
How the 804 compares on cost and wait.
The 804 sits at the lower-cost, longer-wait end of the parent visa range. The contributory aged parent option sits at the opposite end - far more expensive, but with the permanent grant arriving much sooner. The figures below are rough guides only, not quotes, and they change.
| Aged parent 804 | Contributory aged parent | |
|---|---|---|
| Government cost | Much lower - no large second-stage contribution | Substantially higher - a large contribution applies |
| Wait for permanent grant | Very long - typically measured in decades, and subject to change | Generally far shorter - measured in years, depending on your case |
| Stay while waiting | Onshore - bridging visa usually allows your parents to remain | Onshore version also allows your parents to remain on a bridging visa |
| Balance of family test | Applies | Applies |
We don't publish a fixed price. Government charges depend on the visa and stage, and change over time, while our professional fee depends on your parents' circumstances. We keep the two separate and quote our fee in writing before any work begins. See how we quote, and we'll confirm the current Department charges with you.
Compare before you commit.
Contributory aged parent pathway
The same onshore bridging benefit applies, but with a contribution paid the permanent grant can come in years rather than decades. We explain it on the parent visas overview.
No PR queueSponsored temporary parent option
A long-term temporary visa with no balance of family test and no decades-long PR queue. See where it sits on the parent visas overview.
Not sure yetAll parent visa options
Compare every way to bring your parents over and find the option suited to your family.
804 questions answered.
Written and reviewed by Brian Chan, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 2217857)
Visa Store Australia, Perth · Last reviewed June 2026 · Verify on the MARA register · General information only, not personal migration advice.
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