Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884)
The 884 is a two year temporary visa for a parent who is in Australia and has reached 67, and the first stage of a two stage route to the permanent 864. It comes with a bridging visa for the wait, is released from the contributory queue after about 15 years, and costs $35,430 per parent, with the later 864 at roughly $19,920. It splits the contributory charge and brings Medicare forward by two years.
Verified against the Department of Home Affairs on 8 September 2026.
Who the 884 suits, and who it does not.
Most wrong choices are made here, before any form is filled.
Usually the right visa for
- A parent here and over 67 whose family wants to spread the chargeTwo payments, two years apart.
- A family that values Medicare and work rights two years earlierBoth come with the 884.
- A parent who wants to stay in Australia throughoutBridging visa, then the 884, then the 864.
Usually the wrong visa for
- Anyone expecting the 884 to be quickerSame queue as the 864.
- A parent with condition 8503 on their visaInvalid unless waived.
- A parent under 67 or outside AustraliaThe 173 is the equivalent.
What the 884 asks of the family.
Each requirement has detail and exceptions. These decide most applications.
- 01
Age pension age
67 or over at lodgement.
- 02
A visa that allows the application
No condition 8503, or a waiver.
- 03
A settled sponsor and the balance of family test
As for every permanent parent visa.
- 04
Health and character
Checked at queuing and again before each grant.
- 05
No 870 on the record
The Department's position for every permanent and contributory parent visa.
- 06
The 864 lodged in time
While the 884 is in effect, or within the short window allowed after it ceases, at reduced charges.
Every charge, and when it falls due.
Main applicant, from 1 July 2026. The Department adds a surcharge for card payments. Health, police and translation costs are extra. The cost stack models one or two parents and the waiting years.
| Item | When | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| First instalment, main applicant | Lodgement, on paper | $6,300 |
| First instalment, second parent | Lodgement, approximate | $3,150 |
| Second instalment, each applicant | Release, about 15 years later | $29,130 |
| 864 stage, each applicant | About two years after the 884 grant, approximate | $19,920 |
| Assurance of Support | At the 864 stage, refundable after ten years | $10,000 |
| Private health cover, per parent per year | While on the bridging visa | $2,000 to $4,000 |
| Our professional fee | Fixed, staged across both applications | On request |
- Before lodgementNo condition 8503, age 67, family count met, and the direct 864 compared on cash flow.
- Weeks 1 to 8Paper application with $6,300. A Bridging Visa A takes effect when the current visa ends.
- Years 1 to 14Life on the bridging visa, without Medicare unless from a reciprocal country. Changes and the second instalment forecast managed.
- Final 12 months884 granted after fresh checks and $29,130, while the parent is in Australia.
- Years 15 to 17Medicare and work rights on the 884. The 864 lodged before it expires at about $19,920, granted onshore.
One application; slightly cheaper overall, but the whole second instalment at once.
Read the 864 guideSubclass 804Aged Parent visaA fifth of the charge, a 33 years horizon, the same bridging visa.
Read the 804 guideSubclass 173Contributory Parent (Temporary) visaThe offshore equivalent for a parent overseas or under 67.
Read the 173 guideWhat families ask us about the 884.
When does Medicare start on the 884 route?
When the 884 itself is granted, about 15 years after lodgement on current estimates. The bridging visa before it gives no Medicare unless the parent is from a reciprocal health care country.
How much is saved by splitting the charge?
Nothing is saved; the two stages cost a little more than a direct 864. The benefit is timing: $29,130 at release and about $19,920 two years later, instead of $43,600 at once.
Why is the 884 still lodged on paper?
The Department has moved the 103, 143, 804 and 864 online but the temporary contributory visas remain paper applications. It changes nothing about the queue.
Can the parent travel during the wait?
Only after a Bridging Visa B is granted. Leaving on the Bridging Visa A ends it.
What happens if the 864 is lodged late?
Missing the window after the 884 ceases means starting again at the full 864 charge. We diarise the 864 from the day the 884 is granted.
Sources: Department of Home Affairs, Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884) and the Parent visas queue release dates page (as at 31 May 2026); Services Australia for Assurance of Support amounts. Checked 8 September 2026. Charges change every 1 July. General information as at 8 September 2026, not advice on your circumstances.
How we help with the 884.
- StrategyA written letter that tests all seven parent visas against your family before anything is lodged, with the costs by year and a fixed fee.
- LodgementBalance of family and sponsor evidence prepared so the application is queued on the first assessment.
- The queueAn annual review: addresses, passports, sponsor, health, and the second instalment forecast.
- ReleaseHealth, police, the Assurance of Support and the payment lined up before the Department's letter.
- Both practicesWhere the sponsor runs a business, our commercial team prepares the income and structure evidence alongside the visa file.
Talk to us about the subclass 884.
One consultation, in person on St Kilda Road or by video. You leave with the visa confirmed, the costs by year and a fixed fee in writing.