Contributory Aged Parent Visa
Subclass 884
(Temporary)

Overview

  • As a 2-year temporary visa, Contributory Aged Parent visa (Subclass 884) is for senior parents of Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens to reunite with their children in Australia

  • Similar to how Contributory Parent visa (Subclass 173) and Contributory Parent visa (Subclass 143) work, you can apply for the permanent Contributory Aged Parent visa (Subclass 864) through a two-step process by first applying for a Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 884). Applying for the subclass 884 visa and then the permanent Subclass 864 visa allows you to spread the cost of the visas over a number of years.

  • One advantage of Subclass 884 visa is that it is a lot cheaper that the 1-step permanent visa Subclass 864, making it ideal for parents with limited finances at the moment.

  • Alternatively, you may apply for Subclass 864 visa directly which is one-step permanent residency.

  • Compared to Subclass173/143 visas, the greatest advantage of Subclass 884/864 visas is they allow applicants to remain onshore without having to leave Australia at all while waiting on a decision on the visa application which can take a few years.

  • You may include your family in your visa application so your entire family can migrate together.

Eligibility

Not currently hold or have applied for Sponsored Parent visa (Subclass 870)

Be old enough to receive age pension in Australia – refer to Special Notes below

Have no ‘No Further Stay‘ condition on your current visa (unless waived)

Meet health and character requirements

Be sponsored (usually) by your child who must be:

  • an Australian citizen, or
  • an Australian permanent resident usually resident in Australia, or
  • an eligible New Zealand citizen usually resident in Australia

    Special Notes

    Age Requirement

    • If born1 July 1952 – 31 December 1953: at least 65.5 years

    • If born 1 Jan 1954 – 30 June 1955: at least  66 years

    • If born 1 July 1955 – 31 December 1956: at least 66.5 years

    • If born on/after 1 January 1957: at least 67 years

    ‘Usually Resident’ Requirement Explained

    Your child (the sponsor) meets this requirement if he/she has lived in Australia for a total period of at least 2 years which can be accumulated even when he/she was in Australia as a holder of a temporary visa (e.g. student visa) rather than an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.

    Location

    Applicants must be in Australia at the time of application and visa grant.

    After submitting your application for Subclass 884 visa, you will be granted Bridging A visa automatically which allows you to continue to stay in Australia legally while your application is being processing even after your current visa expires.

    Duration of Stay

    This visa is valid for 2 years. You may apply for Contributory Aged Parent visa (Subclass 864) onshore before your Subclass 884 visa expires to remain in Australia.

    Tricks and Common Reasons for Refusal

    1 – Not Being Eligible for Assurance of Support

    Obviously, applicants for Subclass 884 visa will most likely apply for Subclass 864 visa (permanent) at some point to migrate to Australia permanently. The trick, however, is Subclass 884 visa doesn’t require Assurance of Support (AoS) but Subclass 864 visa does. Why is this important? The answer is simple: whether an applicant’s child is able to provide AoS for his/her parent is assessed by Centrelink which makes the decision depending entirely on whether the child can meet the relevant income requirement which, unlike most people think, is rather flexible based on the child’s overall circumstances, including but not limited to:

    • the child’s income level

    • how many people in the child’s household

    • Whether there are kids in the household and, if so, how many

    • The child’s assets (e.g. real estate) and mortgage

    Therefore, many applicants who had been sponsored by their children for Subclass 884 visa eventually found themselves having to leave Australia since they were not eligible for the permanent Subclass 864 visa simply because their children failed to satisfy the income criterion, which some of them were not even aware of. Fortunately, the financial sponsor providing AoS doesn’t have to be the applicant’s child – it can be any individual or even an organisation. But this is when another issue rises: the Immigration usually allows only 28 days to arrange this – applicants will have to compete with time.

    As a result, we can refer you to professional agencies arranging AoS should you be facing the same issue and seeking peace of mind, which is actually quite common nowadays given the huge impact COVID-19 has had on Australian economy.

    2 – Unfamiliarity with How the Australian Immigration Works and Its Mentality

    In many cases, applicants prepare and submit their supporting documentation in a disorderly way, giving the Immigration a hard time digging through tons of paperwork to get things in the right order when picking up a new visa application. This will potentially lead to endless back-and-forth clarification and explanation, wasting both sides lots of time and can even result in a refusal of Subclass 884 visa.

    This is common since applying for a visa, especially a permanent one, is the very first time to most applicants. For this reason, our team have developed our own system for labelling, coding, structuring and, where necessary, cross-referencing documentation so your application can be submitted in the most presentable and logical manner. Making your application stand out among all competitors has been our goal from day one.

    3 – Careless Yet Costly Mistakes

    Applying for migration is seen as a delicate work of art due to the staggering amount of attention, paperwork, and details involved. A seemingly minor/harmless error such as a typo in your résumé, a date entered wrong, or a tick in the wrong box in the lengthy visa application form can prove costly as the Immigration processes all visa applications strictly in accordance with migration law, in particular Migration Act 1958 and Migration Regulations 1994. Even a small error can be regarded as failing to satisfy a visa requirement and therefore lead to a visa refusal. To minimise such incidents, our team pay extra attention while editing and drafting every client’s paperwork and always proofread and also conduct a final review of documentation before submission.

    4 – Applications Not Decision-ready

    Another common reason for refusal, even instant refusal, for Subclass 884 visa is submitting an application without all the required documentation. This happens when the application was prepared carelessly, or when the applicant was trying to rush an application for whatever reason (e.g. meeting a cut-off date of a major migration policy change which happens almost each and every year and often catches people off guard).

    Even with 43 years of team experience, we handle each application cautiously and meticulously like our first to ensure nothing slips through the cracks. Should a sudden change of policy hit and impact you, we are more than capable of advising you how to salvage your application in terms of what documents are mandatory at the time of submission and what can wait so you are never in danger of a straight-up visa refusal upon submission.

    Benefits

    With this visa, you may:

    • migrate to Australia together with your family (excluding non-dependent children)

    • stay in Australia for 2 years

    • potentially bring your extended family members to Australia permanently on parent visa or visa intended for other relatives

    • access Australia’s public health care scheme (Medicare) which essentially provides free medical consultations, operations and hospitalization for a wide range of medical conditions

    • travel overseas and back to Australia for any purposes (e.g. overseas holiday, visiting family and/or attending family matters in home country)

    • work in Australia without any limitations

    • study in Australia without any limitations

    • attend free English language course provided by Australian government

    Application Fees​

    First Instalment

    • Main applicant: $4355

    • Each secondary applicant aged 18 or older: $2175

    • Each secondary applicant aged under 18: $1090

    Second Instalment

    • Each secondary applicant aged under 18 who is a dependant child: $2,095

    • Contributory parent newborn child: Nil

    • Each other applicant: $29,130​

    Please note: you may incur third-party charges, for example, for translation, police certificate and health exam.

    Processing Time​

    5 years – kindly note the processing time constantly varies. Please contact us for update.

    Our Unbeatable Services - How Exactly We Make It Hassle-free

    • 186 Employer Nomination Scheme VisaLet’s face it – visa applications are complex, especially when you are not an expert in Australian immigration law - that is Migration Act 1958 and Migration Regulations 1994.

    • Simply put – our visa and immigration legal services are truly unbeatable.

    • This is because our immigration lawyers and registered migration agents in Melbourne do all of the 40 Things in Our Exclusive 5-step Services for you to:

      • give you a stress-free visa application journey;
      • maximise your chances of a successful application outcome.
    • Can you find such detailed and specific services elsewhere? We guarantee you can’t.

    • This way, you know your money really is well-spent.

    100% Money Back Guarantee

    Niruta Shrestha
    2 days ago
    Danny was very helpful
    Wind
    3 weeks ago
    Great service. My subclass 820 just granted yesterday thanks to Harmandeep and the team.
    danmiller20
    4 weeks ago
    10/10 with dealing with Danny and harmandeep, harmandeep was so helpful and went out of her way to help with any problems that occurred during my application. Would definitely recommend
    roydon douyere
    4 weeks ago
    Thanks to team Danny for his outstanding work in getting our Prospective Marriage visa subclass 300 a job well done. A special big thank you to Harmandeep Kaur who was professional , very polite and knowledgeable throughout the whole process.Will definately recommend anyone
    Sana Khan
    1 month ago
    I had a truly eye-opening and insightful session with Gold Medal. Danny provided a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the visa application process, explaining each step with clarity and professionalism. His in-depth knowledge and ability to break down complex requirements made the entire process much easier to understand.
    The information he shared was extremely valuable and has given me the confidence to move forward with my visa application.
    I genuinely appreciate the guidance and support provided, and I highly recommend their services to anyone seeking clear, reliable, and professional assistance with the visa process.
    Geeta Magar
    1 month ago
    Emigrate Lawyers has the best legal team and the best legal services. They value the clients.
    Sergio A Diaz
    2 months ago
    Gold medal visas were very helpful in explaining the visa process thoroughly and laying out a path to a successful visa grant. Would highly recommend.
    Carmela Mccormick
    2 months ago
    Highly professional and reliable service. They successfully helped me secure another citizenship for my children with clear communication and excellent support throughout the process. We truly appreciate their dedication and would confidently recommend them to others.
    Sbukhari
    2 months ago
    Very nice experience easy going staff
    Rain Neufeld
    2 months ago
    had our first consultation with danny last week. customer service is phenomenal and our consultation was very informative.
    Zane Whiting
    2 months ago
    Made an appointment with Danny for my partners visa application (820). Initial phone call and in person consult was incredibly informative, Danny seems to really know his stuff and went into details I wouldn’t have even thought of if we had tried to start the application ourselves. We left feeling quite confident for the outcome of the application.
    Lucho Rivero
    3 months ago
    Really professional, they don't just tell what you want to hear, they offer real paths to get your visa and they get it done!
    They always keep in contact with you and answer any question.
    Thanks to Danny for getting my visa!! I would recommend to anyone
    Arif Ahsan
    3 months ago
    I had a very positive experience with the Gold Medal Visa Immigration Consultancy. From the first consultation, I met Danny who was very professional, knowledgeable, and patient in answering all my questions. He explained the visa process clearly and kept me informed at every stage.

    My documents were checked thoroughly, and I was guided on what was needed to avoid delays or mistakes. Communication was prompt, and I always felt confident that my application was being handled with care. Danny is very knowledgeable about any kinds of visa situation.

    Thanks to his support, my visa application was successful. I highly recommend the Gold Medal Visa Immigration consultancy to anyone looking for reliable and trustworthy immigration assistance.
    Jahangir Alam
    3 months ago
    Andrea Rivera
    4 months ago
    Easy and smooth way to get your visa done
    Michael Opare
    4 months ago
    Great service, very friendly and very helpful!
    Yash
    4 months ago
    T Hall
    4 months ago
    I had an amazing experience with Danny today. Thank you so much for your patience and answering my questions regarding my Mum's visa. Greatly appreciated.
    Wow.. outstanding service. Highly recommended 👌
    Danny was incredibly helpful. I came in with only a vague idea of how the immigration process worked, but he took the time to break down each step clearly and explain what everything meant. It really helped me understand the process better and gave me the confidence to make an informed decision.
    Veronica Montes
    5 months ago
    They really help me with my visa papers, always in touch giving me the best options. totally recomended
    jimmy phung
    6 months ago
    Thank you to Harmandeep and the team at Gold Medal Visa for their professionalism and clear explanations throughout the process. Our Visa granted on 06/10/25. highly recommend using Gold Medal Visa for your visa application, their expertise makes the process easy and smooth! Thank you.
    Sean Woo
    6 months ago
    Thank you to Danny and the team at Gold Medal Visa for their professionalism and clear explanations throughout the process. Everything was handled smoothly and with great care. Highly recommend their services
    Melissa Tsui
    7 months ago
    Anica B
    7 months ago
    Highly recommend, really happy with the service we received. Helped us step by step and was very responsive and knowledgeable
    Josip Meštrović
    7 months ago
    Very professional, knowlegable when it comes to the migration law. Just made sure to get all the documentation that Danny said we would need, and got the partner visa in a record time. Truly remarkable! I highly recommend using Gold Medal Visa for your visa application, their expertise makes the process easy and smooth!
    Julio Caceres
    8 months ago
    Thanks to Danny, he helped me and my sponsor company to do our process visa application 482. I'm extremely happy with the results.
    nayareth salama
    8 months ago
    Thank you so much Gold Medal Visa, I’m very happy with the service and the results of my visa 482. They help us with everything, easy and smooth process. I highly recommend them.
    Clara Hernández
    9 months ago
    A very professional agency. They are very direct, honest, and transparent.
    Aly Danilo
    9 months ago
    A professional and helpful agency, strongly recommended for visa enquiries.
    Rico Acio
    9 months ago
    Exceptional service without costing as much compared to other agencies. Highly recommend Danny and Gold Medal Visa’s services.
    MHAle7212
    9 months ago
    Thanks for the hard work and professionalism, our partner visa got approved a lot sooner than expected.
    Dhruvin Desai
    9 months ago
    I recently inquired with Gold Medal Visa about migration, and I’m truly impressed with their service. The team was extremely knowledgeable, responsive, and patient in answering all my questions. They explained the migration process clearly and made me feel confident about my options moving forward. Their professionalism and genuine willingness to help stood out. Highly recommended for anyone seeking trustworthy migration advice!
    z frank
    9 months ago
    Thanks to Harmandeep and her team's hard work and professionalism, our visa got approved a lot early than expected