Contributory Aged Parent Visa
The contributory pathway for parents who have already reached Australian Age Pension age. Like the standard Contributory Parent visa, it trades a higher government fee for a substantially shorter queue than the non-contributory Aged Parent visa. Subclass 884 offers a staged, temporary-then-permanent route for parents already onshore.
Who can apply
- Your parent has reached Australian Age Pension age (currently 67)
- Your parent is the parent of an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen aged 18 or over
- Your parent is sponsored by their child, or in some cases another eligible relative
- Your parent is in Australia when they apply (these visas can only be lodged onshore), and their current visa doesn’t carry a “No Further Stay” condition (such as Condition 8503) — we confirm both before proceeding
- Your parent meets health and character requirements
- An Assurance of Support is arranged, including the associated bond
- Your parent passes the Balance of Family Test (the temporary Sponsored Parent visa, subclass 870, is the only parent visa that doesn’t require it)
Why ‘aged’ changes the pathway
Being of Age Pension age opens the 864/884 pathway specifically — and unlike the standard 143, these aged contributory visas are lodged onshore: your parent needs to already be in Australia when they apply, which matters if they’re here on a visitor or bridging visa. If your parent is overseas, the Contributory Parent visa (143/173) is the contributory option, since it has no age requirement. We check this timing carefully, since it affects which visa they can hold while waiting.
What’s involved
- An Assurance of Support (AoS) application lodged with Services Australia — the sponsor must meet an income threshold, indexed annually
- A substantial second-instalment government fee, payable when the visa is about to be granted
- Health examinations and police checks for your parent
- Confirmation your parent’s current visa allows a valid onshore application to be made
Onshore timing needs checking first
If your parent is already in Australia on a visitor visa, we check whether that visa carries a ‘No Further Stay’ condition (8503) before anything else — this can block an onshore application entirely, and it’s a detail worth confirming before your parent’s current visa runs out, not after.