Including Family in Your Australia Parent Visa 884 Application in 2026

Updated 2026-10-09 · General information, not migration advice · Run by the Arrivau team

Yes. You can include members of your family in your Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884) application when you apply, and you must give details of all your family members in the application form even if they are not migrating with you. This comes from the Australian Department of Home Affairs official page for the Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 884), as of the August 2026 official page. What follows is general information about how that rule works, not advice about your own circumstances — for a decision on your family's case, rely on the official pages as they stand when you lodge and get professional help if you need it.

Can you include family members in a subclass 884 application?

Yes, and the rule works in two directions at once. You may include members of your family in your application when you apply, and separately you must list every family member in the form whether or not they are migrating.

That second part is the one people miss. Declaring someone is not the same as bringing them. A relative who will stay in their home country still belongs in the form, and the department keeps that information when it assesses the application.

Does "family" here mean only the people travelling with you?

No. The official page does not define "members of your family" on the subclass 884 page itself, so the safe reading is the plain one: the listing duty is wider than the group that actually migrates.

In practice that gives you three buckets to think about, even though the page does not label them:

people you include in the application and who migrate with you
people you list in the form who will not migrate
people who might later be asked to satisfy a requirement despite not migrating

Only the first group gets a visa out of this application. All three matter to how the department reads your file.

Do non-migrating family members have to meet health and character requirements?

They might. The subclass 884 pages are explicit about this: family members who apply for the visa must meet the health and character requirements, and family members who are not coming to Australia might also need to meet them.

The eligibility page puts it as the department asking that other non-migrating family members meet the requirement. So leaving someone off the migration list does not guarantee they are outside the health and character net — assume they are inside it until you know otherwise.

How do the health and character requirements apply person by person?

They attach to individuals, not to the application as a whole. Each person who applies has to satisfy both requirements in their own right, which is why the department's cost guidance refers to per-applicant costs for health checks, police certificates and biometrics rather than one charge for the family.

This also means a single application can move at different speeds. One person's checks finishing early does not carry the others with it, and a problem with one applicant's health or character evidence is a problem for that applicant's place in the application.

Does including family change what the 884 visa costs?

Yes. The official page lists a starting cost of AUD35,430 for a single applicant, with additional charges for each family member who applies with you. Concessions apply in limited circumstances.

The structure of payment matters as much as the amount:

you pay in two instalments, the first when you apply and the second when the department asks for it
other costs per applicant can arise for health checks, police certificates and biometrics
the department can only process the application if the correct visa application charge has been paid, and will tell you if it has not

From 1 July 2026, a lower visa application cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application, and family members are eligible for the lower cost too. That eligibility is based on the passport of the primary applicant, or of the visa holder who satisfies the primary visa criteria, and requires a valid passport from one of: Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

Where must your family be when you apply and when the decision is made?

You and any family members applying with you must be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance, both when you apply and when the department makes its decision.

One condition trips applications up. If you apply in Australia while on a temporary visa carrying a no further stay condition, the application will be invalid unless you apply for a waiver of that condition.

What happens if a baby is born while the application is waiting?

The official page points applicants to the department's guidance for telling it about a new baby, under its change-in-situation material. The same listing principle is the starting point: the child is a family member and belongs in the information the department holds about your application.

Which other criteria reach beyond the main applicant?

Two of them are stated as extending to family members, and two are framed around the individual applicant.

Extending to family members: any debt to the Australian Government owed by you or any family member must be paid back, or there must be an approved arrangement to pay it back. Health and character, as above, are assessed per person.

Framed around the individual: the department considers immigration history, and the Australian Values Statement applies to anyone aged 18 or over, who must have read or had explained the Life in Australia booklet and sign the statement. Where an applicant is under 18, the visa will not be granted if granting it is not in that child's best interests.

The sponsor requirement, the balance of family test and the age requirement — you must be old enough to receive the age pension in Australia — sit on the parent who is applying.

How does the queue affect an application that includes family?

Parent visa demand is greater than the places available each year, so these applications have long processing times and are subject to capping and queueing, processed in the order received.

Assessment runs in two stages: an initial assessment to decide whether to add the application to the queue or refuse it, then final assessment as places become available. The department's advice is not to arrange to stay permanently in Australia until the visa is granted.

An application can also take longer if it is not completed correctly, if documents are missing or more information is needed, or if verification of the information takes time.

What obligations do family members take on after the grant?

You and your family members must meet all visa conditions and obey Australian laws. The subclass 884 visa is temporary and runs for two years from the date of grant, allows multiple entry, and cannot be extended or reapplied for — staying longer means applying for a different visa, which for many applicants means the permanent Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864) lodged before the 884 expires.

The visa is linked digitally to the passport; no label is placed in it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to list family members who are staying behind?

Yes. The official page says you must include details of all your family members in the application form, even if they are not migrating. Listing someone is a disclosure duty, not a decision to bring them to Australia.

Can a non-migrating family member still be asked to meet health and character requirements?

Yes. The subclass 884 pages state that family members who are not coming to Australia might also need to meet the health and character requirements, and the eligibility page describes the department asking non-migrating family members to meet them.

How much does it cost to add family members to a subclass 884 application?

The visa costs from AUD35,430 for a single applicant, with additional charges for each family member who applies with you. There may also be separate costs per applicant for health checks, police certificates and biometrics.

Do my family members need to be in Australia for the application?

Any family members applying with you must be in Australia, and not in immigration clearance, when you apply and when the department decides the application. If you are on a temporary visa with a no further stay condition, the application will be invalid without a waiver of that condition.

What happens to the family application while it sits in the queue?

Applications are subject to capping and queueing and are processed in the order received, in two stages: an initial assessment for the queue or refusal, then final assessment as places become available. The department advises against arranging to stay permanently in Australia until the visa is granted.

Does a family member's debt to the Australian Government affect the application?

Yes. If you or any family members owe the Australian Government money, the debt must be paid back or there must be an approved arrangement to pay it back.

Can I include family in a subclass 884 application if I hold or have applied for a subclass 870 visa?

No. You cannot apply for the subclass 884 visa if you have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870).