Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
804 Aged Parent vs 864 Contributory Aged Parent
Both are lodged in Australia by a parent of Age Pension age and both give the parent a bridging visa, commonly with work rights, for the wait; the difference is the price and the length of the wait. The 804 charges the non-contributory instalments and sits in a queue described in decades, so the bridging visa is in practice the visa; the 864 charges the contributory second instalment of $43,600 per parent and is decided in years. A family that can pay lodges the 864, or lodges the 804 now and the 864 later with regard to the earlier queue date; a family that cannot pay lodges the 804 and reads what the bridging visa gives and withholds.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Queue
- Decades · Years
- Charge
- The non-contributory first instalment, plus a smaller second; see the fees page · $4,040 first instalment; $43,600 second instalment per parent before grant
- Who
- A parent of Age Pension age in Australia on a visa that allows an onshore application · The same
- Meanwhile
- A Bridging Visa A, commonly with work rights; no Medicare in the ordinary case; travel only on a Bridging Visa B · The same
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About the CPD →Side by side
| 804 Aged Parent | 864 Contributory Aged Parent | |
|---|---|---|
| Queue | Decades | Years |
| Charge | The non-contributory first instalment, plus a smaller second; see the fees page | $4,040 first instalment; $43,600 second instalment per parent before grant |
| Who | A parent of Age Pension age in Australia on a visa that allows an onshore application | The same |
| Meanwhile | A Bridging Visa A, commonly with work rights; no Medicare in the ordinary case; travel only on a Bridging Visa B | The same |
| Balance of family test and assurance of support | Both apply | Both apply, the assurance at a higher amount and longer period |
| Switching | An 804 applicant can lodge the 864 later; the Department reads the earlier queue date in its practice | Not needed |
| Watch out | A visitor visa with 8503 blocks both unless waived; the parent may never see the grant | The second instalment at the end, and health tested then |
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
Both are lodged in Australia by a parent of Age Pension age and both give the parent a bridging visa, commonly with work rights, for the wait; the difference is the price and the length of the wait. The 804 charges the non-contributory instalments and sits in a queue described in decades, so the bridging visa is in practice the visa; the 864 charges the contributory second instalment of $43,600 per parent and is decided in years. A family that can pay lodges the 864, or lodges the 804 now and the 864 later with regard to the earlier queue date; a family that cannot pay lodges the 804 and reads what the bridging visa gives and withholds.
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
804 Aged Parent or 864 Contributory Aged Parent — which is better?
Both are lodged in Australia by a parent of Age Pension age and both give the parent a bridging visa, commonly with work rights, for the wait; the difference is the price and the length of the wait. The 804 charges the non-contributory instalments and sits in a queue described in decades, so the bridging visa is in practice the visa; the 864 charges the contributory second instalment of $43,600 per parent and is decided in years. A family that can pay lodges the 864, or lodges the 804 now and the 864 later with regard to the earlier queue date; a family that cannot pay lodges the 804 and reads what the bridging visa gives and withholds.
What is the main difference between the 804 Aged Parent and the 864 Contributory Aged Parent?
Queue: 804 Aged Parent — Decades; 864 Contributory Aged Parent — Years. Charge: 804 Aged Parent — The non-contributory first instalment, plus a smaller second; see the fees page; 864 Contributory Aged Parent — $4,040 first instalment; $43,600 second instalment per parent before grant. Who: 804 Aged Parent — A parent of Age Pension age in Australia on a visa that allows an onshore application; 864 Contributory Aged Parent — The same.
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