Australia Permanent Residence for Parents: Subclass 884 to 864 in 2026
If you already hold a Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 884) and want permanent residence, the route is the permanent Contributory Aged Parent visa (Subclass 864) — and you must lodge the 864 before your 884 expires. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' official page for the Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 884), as at August 2026, the 884 is built as the first stage of a two-stage process, and applying for the 864 after it allows the cost of the two visas to be spread over several years.
The 884 page sets out the mechanics of that transition — timing, place of lodgement, cost structure, family inclusion and queueing. The 864's own eligibility criteria sit on its separate official page and should be read alongside this. What follows is general information only, not personalised advice for any individual case; treat official pages and a qualified professional as the final reference.
What does the 884 stage actually give you?
The 884 is a temporary visa that lets you live in Australia for up to two years. The visa period starts on the date the visa is granted, and it allows multiple entry, so you can leave Australia and return as many times as you like within those two years.
You can work and study on this visa, but you will not receive government support. The visa is digitally linked to your passport rather than issued as a label.
The point of the stage is sequencing: it puts you in Australia while you prepare and lodge the permanent 864 application.
When does the 864 application have to be lodged?
You must apply for the permanent Subclass 864 before your Subclass 884 visa expires, to ensure you meet all applicable lodgement criteria. The department notes that in exceptional circumstances it might allow an 864 application after that point.
Two consequences follow from the two-year ceiling. First, the 884 cannot be extended, and you cannot reapply for it — staying longer means applying for a different visa. Second, the department advises not to make arrangements to stay permanently in Australia until the visa is actually granted.
Where do you have to be when you apply and when the decision is made?
For the Subclass 884 application, you, and any family members applying with you, must be in Australia — but not in immigration clearance — both at the time you apply and at the time the department makes its decision.
One trap is worth flagging. If you apply while on a temporary visa carrying a "no further stay" condition, the application will be invalid unless you apply for a waiver of that condition.
What does the two-stage route cost, and how is it paid?
The 884 costs from AUD 35,430 for a single applicant, with additional charges for each family member who applies with you. Concessions apply in limited circumstances.
Payment is split into two instalments: the first when you apply, and the second when the department asks for it. On top of the visa application charge, each applicant may need to pay for health checks, police certificates and biometrics.
From 1 July 2026, a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application, identified by a valid passport from a specified country. The list covers the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Eligibility is based on the passport of the primary applicant (or the visa holder who satisfies the primary visa criteria), and family members are covered on that basis.
How does that compare with the other parent options?
| Option | Type | What the official page notes |
|---|---|---|
| Subclass 864 applied directly | Permanent | May be processed faster than other parent options, but costs more |
| Subclass 884 then Subclass 864 | Temporary → permanent | Costs more than applying directly for the 864, but the cost is spread across two visas over a longer period |
| Aged Parent visa (Subclass 804) | Permanent | The two-stage contributory process costs more than this visa |
| Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 870) | Temporary | Allows parents to visit children in Australia for up to 3 or 5 years at a time, to a maximum total of 10 years |
The trade-off is straightforward: the two-stage route is the more expensive way to reach the same permanent outcome, and what it buys is cash-flow timing rather than a lower total.
Why does the parent visa queue shape your planning?
Demand for parent visas is greater than the number of places available each year, so processing times are long. Applications are subject to capping and queueing, and are processed in the order they are received.
Assessment happens in two stages. An initial assessment checks eligibility and either adds the application to the queue or refuses it; then, as places become available, applications are released from the queue for final assessment.
An application can take longer if it is not completed correctly, if documents are missing or further information is needed, or if information takes a long time to verify. The department will also only process an application if the correct visa application charge has been paid, and will return it if the amount is wrong.
Who can be included in the application?
You can include members of your family when you apply. You must include details of all your family members in the application form, even those who are not migrating.
Family members who apply must meet health and character requirements, and family members who are not coming to Australia might also need to meet them. If a child is born after you apply, the department has separate guidance on what to do.
What can and can't you do while you hold the 884?
You can work in Australia and have Australian workplace law protections. You can travel in and out as often as you like while the visa is valid, and visa expiry, conditions and work and study entitlements are shown in VEVO, which is also how you prove your visa and conditions to others.
You and your family members must meet all visa conditions and obey Australian laws, and you are expected to tell the department if your situation changes. You cannot extend the visa to stay longer.
How should this fit a longer-term residence plan?
For families planning across borders, the decision is usually about timing rather than eligibility. The two-year 884 window is the hard constraint: the 864 must be lodged inside it, and the queue means the wait can run well past the point at which the temporary visa would otherwise end.
That makes cash flow and sequencing the practical questions. Spreading cost across two visas suits households that value staging payments over paying a larger single charge, while a household optimising for a shorter total outlay would look at the direct 864 instead. Families who mainly need parents present in Australia without a permanent outcome can weigh the 870, which allows stays of up to 3 or 5 years at a time to a maximum total of 10 years.
Assume a hypothetical applicant granted an 884 in early 2026 with a spouse included in the application. Their 864 needs to be lodged before that two-year period ends, and any family member added at that point brings both an additional charge and health and character requirements.
None of this is a prediction of outcome, and parent visa settings, charges and concession rules can change — check the current official pricing and queue release information before committing to a sequence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to hold the 884 before I can apply for the 864?
No. The 884 exists as an optional first stage, not a prerequisite. Applying for the 884 first allows you to spread the cost of the two visas over several years, but you can also apply directly for the permanent 864.
What happens if my 884 expires before I lodge the 864?
The department requires you to apply for the 864 before your 884 expires to ensure you meet all applicable lodgement criteria. It notes that in exceptional circumstances it might allow an application after that point, and the 864 page carries further information.
Is the two-stage route cheaper than applying directly for the 864?
No. The official page states the two-stage process costs more than applying directly for the 864, and more than the Aged Parent visa (Subclass 804). The advantage is that the cost is spread across two visas over a longer period.
Can I apply for the 884 from outside Australia?
No. You and any family members applying with you must be in Australia, and not in immigration clearance, both when you apply and when the department decides the application. Applying onshore while subject to a no further stay condition makes the application invalid unless that condition is waived.
Can family members who are not moving to Australia be left out of the form?
No. You must include details of all your family members in the application form even if they are not migrating. Those who do apply must meet health and character requirements, and non-migrating family members might also need to meet them.
How long will the parent visa application take?
The department does not publish a standard timeframe for these applications on this page. It states that demand exceeds the places available each year, that applications are subject to capping and queueing, and that they are processed in the order received, with queue release dates published separately.
Does the 884 lead to Australian citizenship?
The 884 is a temporary visa and is not itself a route to citizenship; the permanent Subclass 864 is the permanent stage in this sequence. Citizenship has its own separate requirements, which are not covered on the 884 page.