Budgeting AUD49,900+ for Australian Parent Migration in 2026
According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs page “Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864),” as of July 2026, bringing a parent to Australia permanently under this visa costs from AUD 49,900 for a single applicant. The charge is divided into two instalments, while health checks, police certificates and biometrics may add costs for each applicant; eligible subclass 884 and certain subclass 600 visa holders may pay less. This is general planning information, not personalised legal or financial advice; an actual application should be assessed against the latest official rules and, where appropriate, advice from qualified professionals.
What does “from AUD 49,900” actually cover?
The AUD 49,900 figure is the starting visa cost for one applicant. It is not a fixed family quotation or an all-in relocation budget.
Home Affairs confirms that subclass 864 is paid in two parts, but the visa overview does not state a fixed amount for each part. A household should therefore avoid assuming a 50/50 split and should use the department’s current visa pricing to establish the amount actually payable.
A practical budget can be separated into three layers:
| Budget layer | What the official guidance confirms | Family-planning approach |
|---|---|---|
| Subclass 864 visa charge | From AUD 49,900 for a single applicant | Treat this as a starting liability, not a universal rate |
| Applicant-specific costs | Health checks, police certificates and biometrics may be required | Maintain a separate contingency for applicable charges |
| Settlement and living costs | No complete household budget is provided in the visa-cost section | Plan independently from the government visa charge |
This structure prevents the starting visa fee from being confused with the full amount a family may need when bringing an older parent to Australia.
Is AUD 49,900 enough for both parents?
Family members can be included in a subclass 864 application. All family members must be identified in the application, including those who are not migrating. Family members who apply for the visa must meet health and character requirements, and family members who are not coming to Australia might also need to meet those requirements.
The official page does not provide a universal combined fee for two parents or another family unit. In a hypothetical budget for two parents, AUD 49,900 should remain a single-applicant reference point rather than being treated automatically as either the final family total or a figure that can simply be doubled.
Possible health-check, police-certificate and biometric costs also operate at the applicant level. They should be considered for each person only where the relevant requirements or charges apply.
When do the two instalments fall due?
The first payment is linked to lodging the application, while the second is linked to an official invoice. Parent visa applications are subject to capping and queueing, and Home Affairs states that processing times can be long because demand exceeds the available places.
| Stage | Confirmed payment rule | Budget implication |
|---|---|---|
| Application | The first instalment is paid when the application is submitted | The first amount must be available before lodging |
| Assessment or queue | No fixed date for the second instalment is stated | Do not assume it becomes due on a standard processing date |
| Invoice issued | Home Affairs sends an invoice when the second instalment is due | Maintain a separate reserve until the invoice arrives |
| Visa grant | The second instalment must be paid before the visa is granted | Payment is a condition of granting the visa |
| Unpaid invoice | Home Affairs says the application will be refused | The amount cannot safely be left until after a hoped-for grant |
| Refused application | The application fee is not refunded | The family budget should account for possible loss of the fee |
The first instalment therefore does not remove the second-payment obligation. Even after lodging and paying, the visa remains subject to assessment, and Home Affairs will notify the applicant in writing if it grants the visa.
How should a family stage cross-border funds?
The official subclass 864 page specifies when instalments must be paid, but it does not prescribe a particular source of funds, currency, overseas account, remittance provider or transfer route. Cross-border arrangements should therefore be treated as household liquidity planning, not represented as a Home Affairs requirement.
For a family holding substantial assets outside Australia, the following framework can help:
-
Express the liability in Australian dollars.
Model the visa charge in AUD rather than assuming that an equivalent amount in another currency will remain sufficient. The interval between instalments is not fixed, so currency exposure may continue while the application is queued. -
Test access, not just net worth.
An overseas bank balance, investment or planned asset sale may have different conversion and transfer lead times. A family should test whether funds can become available in AUD by the first payment date and remain accessible when the second invoice falls due. -
Ring-fence both government instalments.
Keeping the first payment separate from the second helps prevent the entire visa budget from being committed to a single transaction. It also avoids assuming that the same liquidated asset could fund both payments. -
Keep migration and settlement reserves separate.
The visa charge and possible applicant-specific costs should not consume funds reserved for housing, daily expenses or the parent’s longer-term support needs. -
Review cross-border consequences separately.
Any tax, foreign-exchange, regulatory or estate implications depend on the jurisdictions and assets involved. They should be reviewed with appropriately qualified professionals rather than inferred from the visa fee page.
Most importantly, no conversion rate, transfer lead time or overseas funding method should be presented as an official Home Affairs rule. The department’s published guidance establishes the payment triggers; the family remains responsible for ensuring that its own assets are liquid enough to meet them.
Can concessions reduce the starting amount?
Yes, but only for eligible applicants. Home Affairs states that costs may be lower for holders of a Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884) or a substituted Visitor visa (subclass 600).
A subclass 884 holder may therefore have a different subclass 864 pricing position from a direct applicant. However, the broader financial comparison matters: Home Affairs says the two-stage subclass 884-to-864 route spreads costs over several years but costs more than applying directly for subclass 864.
From 1 July 2026, a lower application cost also applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid visa application. The primary applicant must hold a valid passport issued by one of the following countries: Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, or Vanuatu. Family members’ eligibility is linked to the primary applicant’s passport, so this is not a general regional discount.
These concessions explain why AUD 49,900 should always be described as a starting amount. The current pricing and the applicant’s visa status must be considered before setting the final family budget.
Is the visa fee the whole migration budget?
No. The official visa-cost section does not provide a complete household settlement budget, and potential health checks, police certificates and biometrics are separate from the starting visa charge.
Home Affairs also advises applicants not to arrange a permanent stay in Australia until the visa is granted. Families can consequently maintain a separate settlement reserve while protecting the funds needed for both instalments and any applicable applicant-specific charges.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is AUD 49,900 the total cost of bringing a parent to Australia permanently?
No. It is the starting subclass 864 visa cost for one applicant, not a guaranteed all-in family total. Each applicant may also need health checks, police certificates or biometrics, while eligible concessions may reduce the visa charge.
When are the two subclass 864 instalments paid?
The first instalment is due when the application is lodged. Home Affairs sends the invoice for the second instalment when it falls due, and that instalment must be paid before the visa can be granted.
Can the second instalment be paid after the visa is granted?
No. The second instalment must be paid before Home Affairs grants the visa. If the invoice remains unpaid, the department says it will refuse the application.
Is the application fee refunded if the visa is refused?
No. Home Affairs states that it will not refund the application fee when a subclass 864 application is refused. This makes it important to distinguish committed visa fees from a separate settlement reserve.
Do subclass 884 and subclass 600 holders pay less?
Costs may be lower for eligible subclass 884 and substituted subclass 600 visa holders. The subclass 884-to-864 route spreads expenditure over a longer period, but Home Affairs says it costs more overall than applying directly for subclass 864.
Does Home Affairs require funds to come from a particular overseas account?
The cited page does not identify a mandatory overseas account, source of funds, currency or transfer method. A family may plan its own cross-border liquidity arrangements, but those choices should not be described as departmental requirements.
Are health checks, police certificates and biometrics included in AUD 49,900?
They may be required, but the official page presents them as possible additional costs for each applicant. They should therefore be budgeted separately from the starting visa charge and assessed according to the current published fees and individual circumstances.
Does paying both instalments guarantee a subclass 864 visa?
No. Applications undergo assessment in two stages and remain subject to capping and queueing. Payment meets a financial requirement but does not replace eligibility, health, character or other assessment requirements.