884 Visa Australia
Cost, Processing Time, and Requirements (2026)

884 Visa Requirements

You must meet every one of these criteria.

• Have a sponsor. Usually your eligible child, who must be a settled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen. The Department must approve the sponsorship. If your child is under 18, an eligible relative or community organisation can sponsor you instead.

• Meet the Balance of Family Test. Covered in its own section below.

• Be old enough to receive the age pension in Australia.

• Meet the health requirement. Applies to you and any family members applying with you.

• Meet the character requirement. Applies to you and any family members applying with you.

• Have paid back any debt to the Australian Government. Or have an approved repayment arrangement in place.

• Not have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused. Your immigration history is considered. Some exceptions apply.

• Sign the Australian Values Statement. Required if you're 18 or older.

• Best interests of the child. The Department won't grant this visa if doing so isn't in the best interests of an applicant under 18.

An Assurance of Support is not among the 884's own eligibility criteria. It becomes a requirement at the second-stage 864 application.

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The Balance of Family Test

You must pass this test to be eligible for the 884.

You pass if:

• At least half of your children and stepchildren are "eligible children" — Australian citizens, or Australian permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens who usually live in Australia, or

• More of your eligible children live in Australia than in any other single country

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The Department will not waive this test for compelling or exceptional circumstances.

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A child living in Australia on a temporary visa does not count as "usually resident" for this test. Only citizens, permanent residents, and eligible New Zealand citizens count.

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If the applicant later applies for the permanent 864 visa within the qualifying window (holding the 884, or within 28 days of it ending, or with demonstrated compelling and compassionate circumstances after that), the Balance of Family Test does not need to be met again.

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Example calculation

Four children, two living permanently in Australia and the other two living in two different countries (one each): passes the test, since two eligible children is more than the one child living in any single other country.

Four children, one living permanently in Australia and the other three split across three different countries: fails the test.

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How to apply 884 Visa: the 5-step process

Step 1 — Before you apply. Confirm you, and anyone applying with you, hold a valid passport. You can arrange someone to act on your behalf.

Step 2 — Gather your documents. This includes:

• Identity documents

• Sponsor documents

• Balance of Family Test evidence

• Character documents

• Partner and dependant documents, if applicable

• Photographs

Step 3 — Apply on paper. Online lodgement is not available for the temporary Contributory Aged Parent visa. You must be in Australia (not in immigration clearance) both when you apply and when the Department decides. If applying while in Australia on a temporary visa carrying a "no further stay" condition, the application is invalid unless a waiver of that condition is obtained first. You cannot apply if you already hold or have applied for the 870 visa.

Step 4 — After you apply. The Department confirms receipt of your application and documents. Health examinations are requested when the Department is ready for them. The second instalment must be paid when invoiced, or the application is refused.

Step 5 — Visa outcome. You must be in Australia (not in immigration clearance) when the Department decides. If granted, the Department provides your visa grant number, start date, and conditions in writing. If refused, the Department states the reason and whether a review right applies. The application fee is not refunded on refusal.

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Costs 884 Visa 

The AUD 35,430 figure is the visa application charge only. Additional costs:

• Health examinations for each applicant

• Police certificates — required from each country where an applicant lived for 12 months or more (cumulative) in the past 10 years

• Certified translations of non-English documents

• Migration agent fees, if engaged

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Applying for the 884 first, then the permanent 864, spreads the total visa cost across two payments over a longer period. According to the Department, the combined two-step total is higher than applying directly for the 864 — the benefit is timing, not a lower overall cost.

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884 Visa Processing Time and Queue

The 884 is grouped with the Contributory Aged Parent (864) visa under the Department's queue release data. As at 31 May 2026, the Department had released Contributory Aged Parent applications with a queue date up to November 2018 for final processing, with lodgements from around April 2023 being assessed against core criteria. The Department's current processing time estimate for new Contributory Parent-category applications is 15 years.

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Applications are processed in lodgement-date order under the Department's capping and queueing arrangements.

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What the visa allows while held

An 884 visa allows the holder to:

• Live in Australia for up to 2 years

• Work and study in Australia, without government income support

• Apply for the permanent Contributory Aged Parent (864) visa

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Moving from the 884 to the permanent 864 visa

An 884 holder must apply for the 864 before the 884 expires. The Department recommends applying for the 864 immediately after the 884 is granted, to help meet all applicable lodgement criteria.

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An applicant qualifies for the streamlined second-stage 864 pathway if any of the following applies:

• They hold the 884 at the time of applying for the 864

• They held the 884 at any point in the 28 days before applying

• More than 28 days have passed since the 884 ended, and they can demonstrate compelling and compassionate circumstances to regain their previous visa status, with evidence, to the Minister's satisfaction

If a sponsor dies while the applicant holds the 884, the applicant might still be eligible for the 864.

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Frequently asked questions

Do I need an Assurance of Support for the 884?

No. An Assurance of Support is not among the 884's eligibility criteria. It is required at the second-stage 864 application.

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Can I apply for the 884 online?

No. Online lodgement is not available for the temporary Contributory Aged Parent visa. Applications must be submitted on paper.

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Is the 884-then-864 pathway cheaper than applying directly for the 864?

No. According to the Department, the combined two-step total cost is higher than applying directly for the 864. The advantage is spreading payment over a longer period, not reducing the total amount.

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What's the difference between the 884 and the 864?

The 884 is temporary, granting a 2-year stay for AUD 35,430, and does not require an Assurance of Support. The 864 is permanent, costs from AUD 49,900, requires an Assurance of Support bond of AUD 10,000/AUD 14,000, and has an estimated 15-year processing time.

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Can I apply for the 884 if my current visa has a "no further stay" condition?

Not without a waiver first. The Department states that applying while in Australia on a temporary visa with a no further stay condition makes the application invalid, unless a waiver of that condition is obtained.

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What happens if I don't apply for the 864 before my 884 expires?

The Department states an 884 holder must apply for the 864 before the 884 visa expires; applicants who fall outside the standard 28-day window may still qualify for the streamlined pathway if they can demonstrate compelling and compassionate circumstances.

Need help with a Parent Visa?

RACC's registered migration agents can assess your eligibility under the relevant parent visa categories, explain the differences between contributory and non-contributory pathways, and assist with preparing an application that meets Australian Government requirements. This includes preparing your paper-based 884 application correctly the first time, and timing your move to the permanent 864 visa.

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RACC Australia is a MARA-registered migration agency (MARN1572961, MARN1172003). Book a free consultation to discuss your parent visa options.