Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864)

Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864)

What this Contributory Aged Parent visa lets you do

This is a permanent residence visa. It lets you and any member of your family unit who has also been granted this Contributory Aged Parent visa:

• stay in Australia indefinitely
• work and study in Australia
• enrol in Medicare, Australia’s scheme for health-related care and expenses
• apply for Australian citizenship(if you are eligible)
• sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence
• travel to and from Australia for five years from the date the visa is granted (after that time, you will need a resident return visa or another visa to return to Australia).

 

Before you apply

You have to pay more for Contributory Parent visas than for most other visas. This is because many families wanted a faster visa process and were prepared to pay more towards their family members’ health and welfare costs in Australia. Visa charges cannot be waived or reduced.

You also have the option of applying for a Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884), which provides a two-stage pathway allowing the costs of Contributory Aged Parent migration to be staggered.

Tourist or Visitor visa

If you have been granted a Tourist visa (subclass 676) or Visitor visa (subclass 600) visa through ministerial intervention, contact the Parent Visa Centre by email to discuss your circumstances.
Email: parents@border.gov.au

 

No further stay

This is a permanent residence visa. It lets you and any family members who have also been granted this Contributory Aged Parent visa:

• stay in Australia indefinitely
• work and study in Australia
• enrol in Medicare, Australia’s scheme for health-related care and expenses
• apply for Australian citizenship (if you are eligible)
• sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence
• travel to and from Australia for five years from the date the visa is granted (after that time, you will need a resident return visa or another visa to return to Australia).

 

Cost

You cannot apply for this Contributory Aged Parent visa if you already hold another visa that has a ‘No further stay’ condition.

Contact the department of immigration and border protection if you are not sure whether your current visa conditions prevent you from applying for a further visa while you are in Australia.

The visa application charge is paid in two instalments.

• Pay the first instalment when you lodge the application.
• Pay the second instalment when the department of immigration and border protection will tell you to. You must pay it for the department of immigration and border protection to grant the visa.

 

Other costs

You might have to pay other costs, such as the costs of health assessments and police certificates, or any other certificates or tests. You are responsible for making the necessary arrangements.

You will also be asked to organise an assurance of support, which includes a bond, before your visa can be decided.

If you have a Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884)

The information in this section applies to you if you or your family members already have a Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884).

 

Your documents

If you or your family members already have a Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884), you do not need to provide documents to show:

• you meet the balance-of-family test
• evidence of your family members’ financial dependency on you. You must tell the department of immigration and border protection if any of your family members are no longer dependent on you.

You need to provide documents only if your circumstances have changed.

 

Your sponsor

If the child who sponsored you for your Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884) has died, you could be eligible for a sponsorship concession. In this case, contact the Perth office in Western Australia – attention Parent Visa Centre.

Your visa application charge

To receive a concession on your visa application charge, you must show that one of the following applies:

• you hold a Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884)
• you held a Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884) in the 28 days immediately before applying for a Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864)
• you have previously held a Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884) and can provide evidence that there are compassionate and compelling circumstances for you to be considered a holder of the temporary visa for the purposes of your permanent visa application.

 

Who could get this Contributory Aged Parent visa

You might be able to get a Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864) if you either:

• hold a temporaryContributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884)
• have a child who is:
  • an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or aneligible New Zealand citizen
  • lawfully resident in Australia for at least two years (a shorter period can be considered for Australian citizens if there are compelling and compassionate circumstances)
• meet the balance-of-family test
• meet health and character requirements
• have a sponsor.

 

Age requirements

You must be at the age where you are eligible for an Age Pension in Australia. More information is available on Department of Social Services website.

 

Your sponsor

You must be sponsored by a settled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. For most applicants, your child or your child’s spouse or de facto partner will need to sponsor you.

 

If your child is younger than 18 years of age you can be sponsored by:

• your child’s spouse, if the spouse has turned 18 and is a settledAustralian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen
• a relative or guardian of your child
• a relative or guardian of your child’s spouse, if the spouse has not turned 18 and is asettled Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen
• a community organisation.

 

You will need to provide:

• If your sponsor is your child: evidence of your relationship to your child, such as certified copies of:
  • birth certificates
  • a family book showing family relationships
  • other acceptable evidence of your relationship.
• If your sponsor is a relative, partner or guardian of your child, evidence of this relationship, such as certified copies of:
  • birth certificates
  • a family book showing family relationships
  • marriage certificates
  • evidence of guardianship
  • other acceptable evidence of the relationship between your child and the sponsor.
• If your sponsor is a community organisation:
  • their certificate of registration
  • evidence that the organisation’s representative has authority to act on behalf of the organisation (for example, the board or management committee’s authority)
  • evidence of their financial capacity to support you after you arrive in Australia.

More information about sponsoring is available in the ‘Sponsors’ tab.

Health requirements

You must meet certain health requirements. The results are usually valid for 12 months. Do not arrange a health examination until the department of immigration and border protection ask you to.

This also applies to all the members of your family unit included in your application, whether they are migrating or not.

Character requirements

You must meet certain character requirements. You must be prepared to provide a police certificate from each country you have lived in for 12 months or more during the past 10 years after you turned 16 years of age. Do not arrange for police certificates until the department of immigration and border protection ask you to.

This applies to you and all members of your family unit listed in your application, whether they are migrating or not. ​​

Sign the Australian Values Statement

If you are older than 18 years of age, you must sign an Australian Values Statement to confirm that you will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws. The statement is included in the visa application form. You must have read, or had explained to you, the Life in Australia book before you sign the statement.

Debts to the Australian Government

You must have no outstanding debts to the Australian Government or have arranged to repay any outstanding debts to the Australian Government before this Contributory Aged Parent visa can be granted.

Provide biometrics

You might be asked to provide biometrics (a scientific form of identification) as part of the application. Countries and visa subclasses included in the biometrics program has more information.

Balance-of-family test

The balance-of-family test measures your ties to Australia. You meet this requirement if either:

• at least half of your children live permanently in Australia
• more of your children live permanently in Australia than in any other country.

You must meet this requirement to be granted this Contributory Aged Parent visa. It cannot be waived, even in compelling or exceptional circumstances.

The table below gives some examples of families with different numbers of children and whether they would pass the balance-of-family test.

 

Total number of children	Number of children usually living in Australia	Number of children usually living in countries other than Australia				Meets balance of family test
		Country A	Country B	Country C	Country D
1	1	–	–	–	–	Yes
2	1	1	–	–	–	Yes
3	1	2	–	–	–	No
3	1	1	1	–	–	No
4	2	2	–	–	–	Yes
4	1	1	1	1	–	No
4	1	2	1	–	–	No
5	1	1	1	1	1	No
5	2	1	1	1	–	Yes
5	3	2	–	–	–	Yes
6	2	2	2	–	–	No

The department of immigration and border protection do not assess the nature of your relationship with your children.

If you do not know where your children are, the department of immigration and border protection consider that they are in the country in which they were last known to live.

To be counted as usually living in Australia, your children must be one of the following:

• Australian citizens
• Australian permanent residents who usually live in Australia
• eligible New Zealand citizenswho usually live in Australia.

If your children are in Australia on a temporary visa (such as a Student visa), they are counted as usually living outside Australia.

Your and your partner’s children, including stepchildren and adopted children, are counted in the balance-of-family test, unless they:

• are deceased
• are removed from their parents’ legal custody by adoption or court order
• are registered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as refugees and live in a camp operated by the UNHCR
• live in a country where they suffer persecution or human rights abuse and cannot be reunited with their parents in another country.

A stepchild is either:

• your current partner’s child, or
• younger than 18 years of age and the legal responsibility of you or your partner and:
  • the child of your former partner, or
  • the child of a former partner of your current partner.

Stepchildren born from polygamous or concurrent relationships are not recognised in Australia and so they cannot be counted in the balance-of-family test.

Including family in your application

You can include the following people in your visa application at the time of lodgement:

• your partner
• your child/step-child or your partner’s child/step-child.

For detailed information regarding who you can include in your application see including family members in your application.

The application must include documentary evidence of their relationship to you. ​​

Members of your family unit must be able to show that they meet health and character requirements.​

You should include your partner in your Contributory Parent visa application unless there are compelling reasons (other than financial reasons). There might be limits on any subsequent Partner visa application if:

• you were granted a permanent Contributory Parent visa on or after 1 July 2009
• you were in a partner relationship on or before the Contributory Parent visa grant date
• your partner did not apply for the Contributory Parent visa at the same time as you, or they withdrew that application (before it was finalised).

How to apply

This information explains what you need to do to apply for a Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864).

 

Prepare your documents

You need to provide documents to prove the claims you make in the application. The documents are listed in the Document checklist.

Some documents could take some time to obtain. You should have them ready when you lodge the application to reduce any delays in processing.

Your family members must be able to show that they meet health and character requirements.​

 

Lodge your application

For most applicants, you must complete the application form:

• Form 47PA Application for a Parent to migrate to Australia (525 kB PDF).

Applicants who hold or have held a Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884) must instead complete:

• Form 47PTApplication for migration to Australia by a Contributory Parent (Temporary) or Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa holder (390 kB PDF).

Your sponsor must also complete:

• Form 40Sponsorship for migration to Australia (251 kB PDF).

For each dependent relative aged 18 year or older, (whether they are migrating or not) you must also complete:

• Form 47ADetails of child or other dependent family member aged 18 years or over (238 kB PDF).

The forms must be completed in English. You must provide all relevant documents and pay the visa application charge when you apply.

Your application can be lodged at any of the department of immigration and border protection offices in Australia or alternatively posted or couriered to the Perth office in Western Australia – attention Parent Visa Centre.

You can pay by credit card, bank cheque or money order made payable to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.

Have you already applied for another type of Parent visa?

If you have an unfinalized application for any other type of parent visa – for example, an Aged Parent visa (subclass 804) – and want to switch to this Contributory Aged Parent visa, you must withdraw the other visa application at the same time or before you apply for the Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864). Further information is available on the application forms:

• Form 47PAApplication for a parent to migrate to Australia (525 kB PDF)
• Form 47PTApplication for migration to Australia by a Contributory Parent (Temporary) or Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa holder (390 kB PDF).

More information

Please refer to preparing your application, for information on:

• certifying and translating documents into English
• communicating with the department of immigration and border protection
• using a migration agent
• authorising another person to receive information from the department of immigration and border protection
• receiving assistance with your application. ​​​​

After you have applied

After you have lodged your application and documents, the department of immigration and border protection will acknowledge that they have received your information.

Wait for a decision

The department of immigration and border protection process applications for this Contributory Aged Parent visa in date of lodgement order and according to the planning levels set in the Migration Programme each year.  Given the ongoing strong demand for this Contributory Aged Parent visa processing times can vary between programme years.

When a case officer has been assigned, the department of immigration and border protection assess your application to check whether you qualify for this Contributory Aged Parent visa (including health and character requirements).

If you qualify for the visa, the department of immigration and border protection ask for the second instalment of the visa application charge. Then they make a final decision about your visa application.

You will be eligible for a Bridging visa that lets you to stay in the country lawfully while your application is processed. You should apply for Bridging visa B (BVB) if you want to travel outside Australia while you wait for a decision.

After you have lodged your application and documents, the department of immigration and border protection will acknowledge that they have received your information.

Provide more information

You can provide more information to the department of immigration and border protection, at any time until a decision is made on the application. If you want to correct information you provided, use:

• Form 1023 – Notification of incorrect answer(s) (99KB PDF)

The department of immigration and border protection could also ask you for more information. You will have to respond by a set date. After that date, they can make a decision about your application using the information that they have.

If another person gives the department of immigration and border protection information that could result in you being refused a visa, the department of immigration and border protection will usually give you the opportunity to comment on the information.

You might also be interviewed. If you are asked to attend an interview in person, bring your passport or other identification and any requested documents to the interview.

If you apply for this Contributory Aged Parent visa in Australia, you would be able to get a Bridging visa that allows you to stay in the country lawfully while your application is processed. If you are given a Bridging visa A, you can apply for Bridging visa B to travel outside Australia while you wait for a decision.

Report changes in your circumstances

You must tell the department of immigration and border protection if your circumstances change. This includes a new residential address, a new passport, or a pregnancy, birth, divorce, separation, marriage, de facto relationship or death in your family.

Please report changes in your circumstances via ImmiAccount. If you are not able to use ImmiAccount, you can use the following forms:

• Form 929 – Change of address and/or passport details (86KB PDF)— if you move to a new address or change your passport
• Form 1022 – Notification of changes in circumstances (77KB PDF)— if there are other changes in your circumstances.

If you do not provide the department of immigration and border protection with the details of any new passport issued to you, you could experience significant delays at the airport and may be denied permission to board your plane. ​​

You can send these forms electronically to your case officer via parents@border.gov.au.

Withdrawing your application

You can withdraw the application at any time before the department of immigration and border protection make a decision. To do this, send the department of immigration and border protection a letter or email to ask for the withdrawal. Your request must include your full name and date of birth. If you know it, you should also include the number the department of immigration and border protection gave you when you applied – this could be a file reference number, client ID, or a Transaction Reference Number.

Applicants who are 18 years of age or older must sign the letter of withdrawal or send a separate email or letter.

You can send your signed letter of withdrawal to your case officer via parents@border.gov.au.

Note: Charges are usually not refundable if you make a decision to withdraw your application.

Assurance of support

A person or organisation must also give you an assurance of support. They can be your sponsor or another person. Up to three people can agree to give you a joint assurance of support.

An assurance of support is a legal commitment to give you financial support so that you do not have to rely on social security payments. The assurance covers you and any family members included in your application.

An assurer must:

• give you financial assistance for ten years
• repay any recoverable social security payments you receive in the first ten years of living in Australia
• lodge a bond for each applicant aged 18 years or older:
  • AUD10 000 — for the main applicant
  • AUD4000 — for each adult family member included in your application.

If the assurer is an organisation, a higher bond is required for each application.

The bond is refunded ten years after you are granted this Contributory Aged Parent visa. Any debts to the government are deducted from the bond and only the balance is refunded. Becoming an Australian citizen does not release the bond earlier.

The department of immigration and border protection will tell you how and when to lodge an assurance of support after they receive your visa application.

More information about the assurance of support and how much you need to pay is located on the Department of Human Services website.

Visa decision

If the visa is granted, the department of immigration and border protection will let you know:

• when you can use the visa
• the visa grant number
• any conditions attached to the visa. ​

If the visa is not granted, the department of immigration and border protection will let you know:

• why the visa was refused
• your review rights (if any). Where applicable, your sponsor can apply for the decision to be reviewed
• the time limit for lodging an appeal.

Document checklist

You need to provide documents to support your application for this Contributory Aged Parent visa. The department of immigration and border protection can make a decision using the information you provide when you lodge your application. It is in your interest to provide as much information as possible with your application.

Provide certified copies of original documents. Do not include original documents unless the department of immigration and border protection specifically ask for them. Police certificates should be original documents. Documents not in English must be accompanied by accredited English translations.

Use this checklist to make sure your application is complete.

If the visa is not granted, the department of immigration and border protection will let you know:

• why the visa was refused
• your review rights (if any). Where applicable, your sponsor can apply for the decision to be reviewed
• the time limit for lodging an appeal.

If you already hold a Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884), and your circumstances have not changed since you were granted that visa, pay the visa application charge and provide only the following documents:

• documents listed under ‘Forms’
• all documents listed under ‘Receiving assistance’.

Forms

• For most applicants:
  • Form 47PAApplication for a parent to migrate to Australia (525 kB PDF).
• For applicants who are temporaryContributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 884) holders:
  • Form 47PTApplication for migration to Australia by a Contributory Parent (Temporary) or Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa holder (390 kB PDF).
• Your sponsor must also complete:
  • Form 40Sponsorship for migration to Australia (285 kB PDF).
• For anyone included in the application who is 18 years of age or older and is not your partner:
  • Form 47ADetails of child or other dependent family member aged 18 years or over (240 kB PDF).

Receiving assistance

• If someone gives you advice or lodges your application for you:
  • Form 956 Advice by a migration agent/exempt person of providing immigration assistance (133KB PDF)(the agent or exempt person completes the form and you must sign it).
• If you would like someone else to receive correspondence from the department of immigration and border protection on your behalf:
  • Form 956a Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient (116KB PDF)(the recipient completes the form and you must sign it).

​

Charges

• Pay the first instalment of the visa application charge.

Your identity

• Certified copies of the biographical pages of the current passports or travel documents of all people included in the application (these are the pages with the holder’s photo and personal details and the issue/expiry dates).
• If your name has changed or the name of anyone included in your application has changed: a certified copy of evidence of the name change.

Your relationships

• Certified copies of marriage certificates or relationship registrations for you and anyone else included in your application, even if they are not joining you in Australia.
• Evidence of financial dependency for all children aged 18 to 22:
  • a certified copy of their birth certificate and proof of their relationship to you
  • proof that the relative lives in your household
  • proof that they have been financially dependent on you for at least the 12 months immediately before you lodge your application.

Your children

• Certified copies of birth certificates or the family book showing the names of both parents for all your children and stepchildren, even if they are not joining you in Australia.
• If any child is adopted: certified copies of the adoption papers.
• If you are living in a de facto relationship: independent evidence that your relationship is genuine and continuing (for example, joint bank account statements, billing accounts in joint names or joint ownership of major assets).

What this Contributory Aged Parent visa lets you do

This is a permanent residence visa. It lets you and any member of your family unit who has also been granted this Contributory Aged Parent visa:

• stay in Australia indefinitely
• work and study in Australia
• enrol in Medicare, Australia’s scheme for health-related care and expenses
• apply for Australian citizenship(if you are eligible)
• sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence
• travel to and from Australia for five years from the date the visa is granted (after that time, you will need a resident return visa or another visa to return to Australia).

You will not automatically receive the age pension or social security payments in Australia. You will have to wait:

• two years for most social security payments
• ten years for age and disability pension payments.

You could qualify for a Special Benefit payment from the Department of Human Services if you suffer a major change of circumstances that is beyond your control. Any payments you receive might be recoverable through your assurance of support for up to ten years after the grant of your visa.

Your obligations

You and your family must comply with all visa conditions and Australian laws.

Who can be a sponsor

You can sponsor your parent for this Contributory Aged Parent visa if you are:

• 18 years of age or older
• asettled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.

If you are younger than 18 years of age:

• your spouse who is 18 years of age or older, your relative or guardian, or a relative or guardian of your spouse, can sponsor your parent(s). The sponsor must be asettled Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen.
• a community organisation can sponsor your parent(s) if:
  • they show there is a relationship between their organisation and you
  • a senior representative agrees for their organisation to support your parent(s) after their arrival in Australia.

Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864): Sponsor obligations

As a sponsor you must give a written undertaking to provide support for the applicant for their first ten years of residency in Australia. This also applies to any accompanying members of their family unit.

During this period, you must provide:

• support
• accommodation
• financial assistance.

Assurance of support

If you have also provided an accepted assurance of support for your parent, you are responsible for repaying to the Australian Government any social security payments your parent accesses during the ten-year period after they have been granted this Contributory Aged Parent visa in Australia. This ten-year period is not waived if you become an Australian citizen. This also applies to any family members who are part of the application of your parent. ​

 

Source: The Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection. Please visit www.border.gov.au to get updated information.

 

 

 

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