The 804:lodge here at 67,stay on a bridging visa,for a 33 years queue.
A parent who is already in Australia, aged 67 or over, on a visa without condition 8503, can lodge the 804 for $8,665 and remain here on a bridging visa while it waits. The wait is about 33 years. The bridging visa usually allows work. It does not give Medicare, so private cover is part of the budget.
Subclass 804, the numbers
- First instalment, main applicantat lodgement$6,600
- Second instalment, each applicantat release$2,065
- Bridging Visa B, each tripneeded before leaving Australia$575
- Assurance of Support bondtwo years, refundable$5,000
- Wait, new applicationDepartment estimate at 31 May 202633 years
As at 1 July 2026. Private health cover for the waiting years is extra and, for most parents, unavoidable.
The visa may never be granted in the parent's lifetime. The bridging visa is what the family is really buying.
The Aged Parent visa (subclass 804) is the permanent, non contributory parent visa for a parent who is in Australia and old enough for the age pension, 67. It costs $8,665 per parent and is granted after about 33 years on the Department's estimate. Its value is the Bridging Visa A that comes with a valid application: the parent stays in Australia with family for the whole wait, usually with work rights, but without Medicare unless they are from a reciprocal health care country.
Verified as at 1 July 2026 against the Department of Home Affairs visa pages and the Parent visas queue release dates page (as at 31 May 2026).
Can your parent lodge the 804? A 30 second check
Answer the questions to see where you stand.
A guide only, not legal advice. The consultation is where the real answer comes from.
Who it is for, and who should look elsewhere.
Most wrong choices happen here, before any form is filled.
- 01
Suits: a parent already here and over 67
The lowest government charge for an onshore stay.
- 02
Suits: parents from a reciprocal health care country
Limited Medicare while waiting: UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Italy, Malta, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Finland, Slovenia.
- 03
Suits: families who cannot fund $43,600 and accept the bridging visa as the outcome
Honest framing matters here.
- 04
Not for: a parent whose visa carries condition 8503
The application would be invalid.
- 05
Not for: families who want certainty of residence
The 864 is the same stay with a 15 years horizon.
- 06
Not for: parents who travel often
Each trip out needs a Bridging Visa B first, or the bridging visa ends.
What the 804 requires.
The permanent parent gates, plus age, plus the right visa to lodge from.
How bridging visas work- 01
Age pension age
67 or over on the day of lodgement.
- 02
A visa that allows the application
A substantive visa without condition 8503, or a waiver, which is granted only for compelling and compassionate circumstances that arose after grant and were outside the parent's control.
- 03
A settled sponsor and the balance of family test
As for every permanent parent visa.
- 04
Health and character
Checked at queuing and again before grant.
- 05
An Assurance of Support
$5,000 plus $2,000 per adult dependant, two years, refundable, before grant.
- 06
No 870 on the record
Home Affairs: not already applied for or holding a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa.
What it costs, in the order the money leaves.
Main applicant, from 1 July 2026. The Department adds a surcharge for card payments. Health, police and translation costs are extra.
| Item | When | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| First instalment, main applicant | Lodgement | $6,600 |
| First instalment, second parent | Lodgement | $3,300 |
| Second instalment, each applicant | Release, about 33 years later | $2,065 |
| Assurance of Support bond | Before grant, refundable after two years | $5,000 |
| Private health cover, per parent per year | Every year on the bridging visa | $2,000 to $4,000 |
| Bridging Visa B, each trip | Before any travel | $575 |
| Our professional fee | Fixed, quoted in writing | On request |
Over 33 years, private health cover is usually the largest line in the budget. The cost stack on the parent visas page models it.
Life on the bridging visa.
For an 804 lodged in 2026.
Before lodgement: the current visa
We confirm no condition 8503, enough validity, age 67 and the family count. An invalid application is not refused, it simply never existed.
Weeks 1 to 8: lodgement and Bridging Visa A
Lodged in ImmiAccount with $6,600. The bridging visa is granted and takes effect when the current visa ends.
Months 1 to 6: queue date
Core criteria checked, queue date in the non contributory queue.
Years 1 to 32: waiting here
Work usually allowed. Bridging Visa B before any trip. Health cover, address and sponsor changes managed throughout.
Release and grant
Fresh checks, the bond and $2,065. Granted while the parent is in Australia.
Government charges for one or two parents.
Set the second parent line to 1 for a couple. Use the cost stack on the parent visas page for bonds, checks and health cover.
As at 1 July 2026. Bond, health, police and our fixed fee are extra.
The 804, answered plainly.
Can my parent stay in Australia on an 804 application?
Yes. A Bridging Visa A is granted with a valid onshore application and keeps the parent lawful until the decision, about 33 years on current estimates. It usually carries work rights.
Does the bridging visa include Medicare?
No. Applicants for the 804 are not eligible for Medicare while waiting unless they are from a reciprocal health care country. Private cover is strongly advised.
Why does condition 8503 matter so much?
It makes an onshore 804 application invalid. A waiver is possible only for compelling and compassionate circumstances that arose after the visitor visa was granted.
What does the 804 cost?
$6,600 at lodgement and $2,065 at release, $8,665 for the main applicant, plus a refundable $5,000 bond and private health cover for the waiting years.
Is the onshore aged parent route closing?
There has been public reporting in 2026 of a proposal to stop family visa applications being lodged from a visitor visa. As at September 2026 nothing has been legislated. If a parent is here and eligible, lodge properly rather than wait.
Where this visa connects.
- 864Open
Contributory Aged Parent 864
Onshore, pension age, permanent in about 15 years.
- 884Open
Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) 884
Two years with Medicare, then a cheaper 864.
- 103Open
Parent 103
Cheapest permanent route, 33 years on the Department's estimate.
- BridgingOpen
Bridging visas
How an onshore parent stays lawful while waiting.
804, 864 or 884? Same stay, three different budgets.
One consultation puts the three onshore options side by side for your family and ends with a fixed fee in writing.