Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
143 Contributory Parent vs 804 Aged Parent (onshore)
The 143 is the parent visa that is actually granted: expensive, with a queue of years, but with a decision in the parent’s lifetime. The 804 is lodged onshore by a parent of pension age and, because its queue is described in decades, is in practice a way of living in Australia on a bridging visa for as long as the parent lives, with no Medicare in the ordinary case and no travel without a Bridging Visa B. A family that can pay and wants permanent residence lodges the 143; a family that cannot, and wants the parent here, lodges the 804 knowing what the bridging visa gives and withholds, and can lodge the 864 later.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Where lodged
- Onshore or offshore · Onshore only, by a parent of Age Pension age
- Queue
- Years · Decades; the visa is rarely granted in the parent’s lifetime
- Meanwhile
- Offshore applicants wait abroad; onshore applicants hold a bridging visa · A Bridging Visa A for the whole wait, commonly with work rights
- Medicare
- From grant · Not in the ordinary case; reciprocal cover or private insurance
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About the CPD →Side by side
| 143 Contributory Parent | 804 Aged Parent (onshore) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where lodged | Onshore or offshore | Onshore only, by a parent of Age Pension age |
| Queue | Years | Decades; the visa is rarely granted in the parent’s lifetime |
| Meanwhile | Offshore applicants wait abroad; onshore applicants hold a bridging visa | A Bridging Visa A for the whole wait, commonly with work rights |
| Medicare | From grant | Not in the ordinary case; reciprocal cover or private insurance |
| Travel while waiting | Depends on the visa held | Only on a Bridging Visa B, each trip |
| Government charge | $4,040 first instalment; $43,600 second instalment per parent | The non-contributory first instalment; see the fees page |
| Later switch | Not needed | The contributory 864 can be lodged later, with regard to the 804 queue date |
| Watch out | The second instalment at the end | A visitor visa with 8503 blocks the 804 unless waived |
Charges are the current government application charges (from 1 July 2026, main applicant) — see the fee calculator for your family's total. Checked 30 October 2026.
The honest verdict
The 143 is the parent visa that is actually granted: expensive, with a queue of years, but with a decision in the parent’s lifetime. The 804 is lodged onshore by a parent of pension age and, because its queue is described in decades, is in practice a way of living in Australia on a bridging visa for as long as the parent lives, with no Medicare in the ordinary case and no travel without a Bridging Visa B. A family that can pay and wants permanent residence lodges the 143; a family that cannot, and wants the parent here, lodges the 804 knowing what the bridging visa gives and withholds, and can lodge the 864 later.
Which side of that line you fall on depends on facts a table cannot hold — your age, score, occupation's lists, and what evidence you can actually assemble. That is consultation territory, not guesswork territory.
More head-to-heads: 482 vs 494 · 190 vs 491 · 189 vs 190 · 482 vs 186
General information only, not migration advice. Settings shown are the general rules; exemptions and stream variations exist. Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) after a paid consultation under the Migration Agents Code of Conduct.
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Questions we get asked first
143 Contributory Parent or 804 Aged Parent (onshore) — which is better?
The 143 is the parent visa that is actually granted: expensive, with a queue of years, but with a decision in the parent’s lifetime. The 804 is lodged onshore by a parent of pension age and, because its queue is described in decades, is in practice a way of living in Australia on a bridging visa for as long as the parent lives, with no Medicare in the ordinary case and no travel without a Bridging Visa B. A family that can pay and wants permanent residence lodges the 143; a family that cannot, and wants the parent here, lodges the 804 knowing what the bridging visa gives and withholds, and can lodge the 864 later.
What is the main difference between the 143 Contributory Parent and the 804 Aged Parent (onshore)?
Where lodged: 143 Contributory Parent — Onshore or offshore; 804 Aged Parent (onshore) — Onshore only, by a parent of Age Pension age. Queue: 143 Contributory Parent — Years; 804 Aged Parent (onshore) — Decades; the visa is rarely granted in the parent’s lifetime. Meanwhile: 143 Contributory Parent — Offshore applicants wait abroad; onshore applicants hold a bridging visa; 804 Aged Parent (onshore) — A Bridging Visa A for the whole wait, commonly with work rights.
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