Subclass 884 Contributory Aged Parent Visa

Subclass 884 Contributory Aged Parent visa or Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) Class UU Subclass 884 visa: Best visa for your parents?

The Subclass 884 Contributory Aged Parent Visa is the first stage of a 2 stages permanent Parent visa designed for retired or pensioned parents to live with their children and/or grandchildren in Australia.

Your parent must be at least over 65 and is in Australia to apply for the 2 years Subclass 884 Contributory Aged Parent visa.

You must be over 18 and is an Australian citizen or permanent resident or an eligible NZ citizen to be able to sponsor your parent. If you are under 18 and you have a cohabiting partner who is over 18 and is an Australian citizen or permanent resident or an eligible NZ citizen, can also sponsor your parent. In addition, either of you must have been living in Australia for at least 2 years (“settled”). Similarly, a community organisation can also sponsor your parent.

To be eligible for the Subclass 884 Contributory Aged Parent visa your parent must be “aged”. Aged is a reference to their age and to the fact that they are able to receive a pension or retirement benefits.

Whether your parent is considered as “aged” will depend on their date of birth (click here to learn more):

1. born from 1 July 1952 to 31 December 1953 – must be at least 65 years and 6 months; or
2. born from 1 January 1952 to 30 June 1955 – must be at least 66 years; or
3. born from 1 July 1955 to 31 December 1956 – 6 must be at least 6 years and 6 months; or
4. born from 1 January 1957 onward – must be at least 67 years.

Your parent must be in Australia to be able to apply for the Subclass 884 Contributory Aged Parent visa. Your parent must hold a substantive visa which is not a Transit Subclass 771 visa (click here to learn more) and is not prevented from applying (eg, “no further stay” visa condition).

If they are outside of Australia, they could apply for other Parent visas (click here to learn about Contributory Parent Subclass 173 visa).

1 of the requirements is that your parent must pass the Balance of Family test or the BoF test.

At least half of your siblings (including step equivalent) must be Australian citizens or permanent residents or eligible NZ citizens who are usually residents in Australia.

You should be aware that the Subclass 884 Contributory Aged Parent visa is only valid for 2 years and cannot be renewed or extended or re-applied. However, your parent can apply for the permanent Contributory Aged Parent Subclass 864 (click here to learn more).

If your parent is granted the Subclass 884 Contributory Aged Parent visa, while they are in Australia, they can only apply for the permanent Contributory Aged Parent visa or a Medical Treatment visa (click here to learn more about Subclass 602 visa) or a Protection visa (click here to learn more about Subclass 866 visa). This restriction also applies to temporary Contributory Parent Subclass 173 visa.

In the Contributory Aged Parent visa category, your parent can choose to apply for a Temporary visa (valid for 2 years) or a Permanent visa. The obvious benefits are:

1. if your parent applied for the temporary visa which is this visa (Subclass 884 Contributory Aged Parent visa) they can spread the contribution or costs over 2 visas. What this mean is, pay a smaller fee when applying for the temporary visa and a slightly higher fee after 2 years when applying for the permanent visa (Subclass 864 Contributory Aged Parent visa). Your parent can also choose to apply for the permanent visa without having to apply for the temporary visa first, but will be required to pay the entire contribution before the visa is granted;
2. if your parent applied for the temporary Subclass 884 Contributory Aged Parent visa, you do not need to provide an Assurance of Support until they apply for the permanent Subclass 864 Contributory Aged Parent visa;
3. if your parent applied for the temporary Subclass 864 Contributory Aged Parent visa, they can only apply for the permanent Subclass 864 Contributory Aged Parent visa (beside the Medical Treatment visa or Protection visa).

After your parent has lodged a valid application for the Subclass 884 Contributory Aged Parent visa, the Department of Immigration may grant a bridging visa allowing them to stay in Australia until a decision is made on their application.

Australian migration law is complex and difficult to understand, contact our immigration lawyer for a consultation (fee applies) to help you apply for this visa (click here to find out how an immigration lawyer or registered migration agent can help you) or to decide if this is the best visa for you. You may also refer to our FAQs for answers regarding visa application or visa cancellation by clicking here.

This article is not intended to be or taken as migration legal advice. The author of this article disclaims any liability for any action or omission on the information provided or not provided in this article. You should always consult an immigration lawyer or a registered migration agent to form an informed opinion on your immigration matter.