Processing Time for Aged Parent Visa Subclass 804: Important Information for 2025

May 30, 2025

Table of Content

For many Australian families, the ability to bring elderly parents into the country is a deep personal goal to live permanently. Older parents Visa Subclass 804 provides a route to reunite with parents in its later years -but it is no secret that this visa comes with an important waiting time. In fact, it is one of the longest processing time in the Australian migration system.

In this article, we take a wide look at the aged parent visa 804 processing time for the subclass 804 visa in 2025, what contributes to the delay, what happens when you are waiting, and how to plan further.

What is old parents visa subclass 804?
Subclass 804 Visa is a permanent residence visa for elderly parents, permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens of Australian citizens. The unique that makes this visa unique is that it is already designed for applicants in Australia, usually on a tourist visa or other temporary visa.

Once recorded, applicants usually receive a bridging visa A, which allows them to be valid in Australia waiting for the visa to be processed.

How much time does it take to process the old parent visa 804?
By 2025, the projected processing time for the subclass 804 visa is about 25 to 30 years. Yes, you read that correctly – decades.

This long deadline is mainly due to the range of a strict cap and queue on the number of parents’ visas given each year. The department of home affairs allocates only limited locations for non-fraudulent parents visas (eg 804) under the family section of the migration program.

Latest Department Guidance (2025):
Processing Time: 25-30 years

Location available in 2024–25: About 1,500 for all non-fraudulent guardian visas

Queue Status: Applications are processed in order based on their queue date

What happens after your application?
Here is the breakdown of major stages in the process of old parent visa subclass 804 process:

1. Lodge visa application
You should be in Australia while applying. The Home Affairs Department will accept your application and issue a bridging visa A (BVA), which legally keeps you in Australia when processing your application.

2. Preliminary assessment
The department checks that your application is valid and complete. When successful, you are entrusted with a queue date – when your visa can eventually be processed, a significant reference point.

3. Queue waiting period
This is the place where a long wait begins. Your application is placed in a queue, and it will not be reviewed until it reaches the front. It can take decades, it depends on how many places are allocated each year.

4. Final processing
Once your application goes in front of the queue (after several years), the department will request the update document, conduct the last check, and – if all is in order – give the visa grant.

Why is the processing time so long?
Older parents Visa Upclass 804 has many reasons:

1. Annual caps
The Australian government limits the number of non-composite parents’ visas every year. These caps are usually very rare, especially compared to the contributing parents visa.

2. high demand
Many families select subclass 804 due to its low cost. However, high demand combined with limited locations has a large backlog of applications as a result of high demand.

3. Queue system
The queue is operated on the basis of first-out. Even for health or family reasons, even no application is accelerated (unless there is any major policy change).

Can you live in Australia while waiting?
Yes – This subclass is one of the main benefits of 804 visa. After entering your application, you will probably be provided with a bridging visa A, which allows you:

Stay legitimately in Australia

If you need to travel temporarily, apply for a bridging visa B

Access Medicare, once the application is accepted (in most cases)

However, you cannot work until your bizing visa includes the rights of work – which are generally not automated and a separate application may be required with justification.

Why do people still choose 804 visas?
Despite the processing time, many families choose the option of subclass 804 because:

This allows the elderly parents to stay in Australia legally while waiting

Cost contribution contributes much lower than old parents visas (subcontinent 864)

It provides a route for permanent residence, eventually

Applicants can use Medicare while waiting, reduce the cost of health care

For those families who can manage long wait-e-804 visas can be a strategic long-term solution if parents are already in Australia and do not plan to leave.

What are the fast options?
If it is not possible to wait for 25-30 years, consider these options:

Contributor Older Parents Visa (subclass 864)
Processing Time: 4-6 years

Very high cost: almost. AUD 47,825 per applicant

The same permanent residence provides results, very fast

Sponsored parents (temporary) Visa (subclass 870)
Stay up to 10 years (3- or 5 years options)

No permanent residence

No balance of family testing is necessary

These options are fast, but come with trade-off-especially cost and long-term security.

Planning tips while waiting
Keep your documents updated – especially passports and health insurance.

Maintain your bridging visa position to avoid illegal conditions.

If an international travel is necessary, apply for Visa B (BVB) Bizing.

Consider regular migration check-in with a registered agent to track your queue position and detect updates.

final view
Older parents Visa subclass 804 provides a route for permanent residence and family reunion – but the journey is long. With the processing time reaching 25–30 years, it is a visa that is already best suited for families who are well-planned or who are already looking for low-cost, long-term options for parents in Australia.

Meta Title: Aged Parent Visa 804 Processing Time: What to Expect in 2025
Meta Description: The Aged Parent Visa (Subclass 804) offers a pathway for elderly parents to live permanently in Australia with their children. However, it comes with one of the longest processing times in the visa system. In this guide, we break down current wait times, queue system details, and what applicants can do while waiting.
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