Health and Character Checks for Australia Parent Visa 884 (2026)

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

Yes. For the Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 884), you and every family member who applies with you must meet the health requirement and the character requirement, and the Department of Home Affairs may also ask non-migrating family members to meet them. That is what the Department of Home Affairs states on its official Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 884) page, as of the August 2026 official page. The criteria behind those requirements sit in the Migration Regulations 1994, and this article stays within what those two sources say.

Who has to meet the health and character requirements?

Three groups are in scope, and the official page separates them clearly:

You, as the main applicant.
Any family member who applies for the visa with you.
Other non-migrating family members, if the Department asks them to.

The obligation on the first two groups is unconditional. The obligation on the third group is conditional: the official wording is that the Department "might also ask" other non-migrating family members to meet the health requirement and the character requirement. Nothing in the published requirements lets an applicant decide in advance that a non-migrating relative is out of scope.

One related rule explains why: your application form must include details of all your family members, even those who are not migrating. Listing everyone is what allows the Department to decide who else it needs to assess.

Who counts as a family member here?

The official page groups accompanying family into a partner and dependants, with different evidence for each.

A partner is a married or de facto partner. Character documents are required.

A dependant under 18 needs identity documents, evidence of your relationship (for example a birth or marriage certificate), and character documents where they apply.

A dependant aged 18 or over needs identity documents, relationship evidence, documents about their other relationships where relevant, character documents, and proof of dependency.

For dependency at 18 or over, the official page sets these gates: the child is under 18; or is over 18 but has not yet turned 23 and is dependent on you or your partner; or is over 23 and unable to earn a living to support themselves because of physical or cognitive limitations, and is dependent on you or your partner. If a child is likely to turn 23 while the application is processed, the page says you will need evidence of dependency due to disability.

What evidence does each person actually provide?

For a partner, you provide identity documents, character documents, and evidence of the relationship — a current marriage certificate, or documents showing a de facto relationship of at least 12 months before you apply. Joint bank account statements, billing accounts in joint names, joint leases or mortgages, and documents showing a shared address are given as examples.

For a dependant aged 18 or over, proof of dependency means a completed Form 47A plus proof of the relationship, and proof that the person has been financially dependent on you for at least 12 months before you apply. The page offers proof they live with you, their tax records, and proof they are currently studying as examples.

Everyone included in the application also needs four recent passport-size photographs (45mm x 35mm), less than six months old, in good quality colour against a plain light-coloured background.

Do non-migrating family members need checks too?

They may. The health and character sections of the official page carry the same sentence: the Department might also ask other non-migrating family members to meet the requirement.

The paperwork side is not conditional, though. Each member of your family aged 18 years or over must complete Form 47A, and the official page adds that this applies even if they are not migrating.

Take a hypothetical case: an applicant has a 30-year-old son who will stay in the home country and never live in Australia. The son still has to be named in the application. He still completes Form 47A. If the Department decides to ask him, he then has to meet the health and character requirements as well.

Which forms carry these declarations?

Each form has a distinct job in a Subclass 884 application, and all of them must be completed in English.

Form 47PA Application for a parent to migrate to Australia is your application.
Form 40 Sponsorship for migration to Australia is completed by your sponsor.
Form 47A Details of a child or other dependent family member aged 18 years or over is completed by each family member aged 18 or over, including those who are not migrating.
Form 1436 Adding an additional applicant after lodgement is used if you want to add a family member before a decision is made. Any family member added this way must be in Australia when you add them, and you also give evidence of the relationship and a copy of their passport.
Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers is used if you made a mistake on your application.

Subclass 884 is a paper application. You must be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when you submit it and when the decision is made, and you send it by post or courier. Send certified copies rather than originals, with one exception stated on the official page: police certificates.

When do you actually book the health exams and police checks?

Do them only when asked. The sequence is short:

Lodge the paper application with the first instalment.
Wait for the Department to contact you.
Complete health examinations when the Department tells you to.
Arrange police certificates only after the Department asks for them.
Provide biometrics if you are asked for them.

The official page is blunt about the police check: "Do not arrange a police check until we ask you to." Character documents, including police certificates, are listed as something the Department might ask you for. Health examinations follow the same pattern — the Department will let you know when you need to complete them. Biometrics (fingerprints and photos) are also request-based.

What does this cost a family?

The published cost starts from AUD 35,430 for a single applicant, with additional charges for each family member who applies with you and concessions in limited circumstances. The visa is paid in two instalments: the first when you apply, and the second after the Department sends an invoice. If the second instalment is not paid, the application will be refused.

Health checks, police certificates and biometrics sit outside the visa application charge. The official page notes that you might also need to pay other costs for each applicant for these items, and points to Fees and charges for other services and the current visa pricing page. Because each person in the family may be asked, these costs scale with the number of people in the application.

From 1 July 2026, a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application. Family members are also eligible for the lower cost, based on the passport of the primary applicant, where that passport is issued by one of the listed countries.

What if someone in the family does not meet a requirement?

The requirements apply per person, not to the application as a single unit. The Migration Regulations 1994 set out the public interest criteria for this subclass: for the main applicant the cited criteria are 4001 to 4005, 4009, 4010, 4019 (where the applicant is 18 or over), 4020 and 4021. Where the applicant holds a substituted Subclass 600 visa, the cited criteria are 4001 to 4003, 4007, 4009, 4010, 4019 (where the applicant is 18 or over), 4020 and 4021. Secondary applicants are assessed against their own set, with 4017 and 4018 added where they are under 18, and 4020 and 4021 applying to all of them.

Clause numbering and wording change over time, so the latest official compilation and the Department's current page are what govern a live application. This article is general information about published requirements and is not personalised legal or migration advice; an assessment of any individual's health or character history depends on the Department's own process, so check the current official pages or get advice from a registered migration agent or legal practitioner about your situation. If a visa is refused, the Department tells you why and whether you have a right to review the decision, and the application fee is not refunded.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a family member who is not moving to Australia still need to meet the character requirement?

Possibly. You must include details of all your family members in the application form even if they are not migrating, and the Department might ask other non-migrating family members to meet both the health and the character requirement. Each family member aged 18 or over also completes Form 47A even if they are not migrating.

When should we arrange police certificates for a Subclass 884 application?

Only after the Department asks you to. The official page states directly that you should not arrange a police check until asked, while listing character documents as something the Department might request. Police certificates are the one document type you send as originals rather than certified copies.

Who books the health examinations, and when?

You do, but only when the Department tells you to. The official page says the Department will let you know when you need to complete health examinations. The same applies to biometrics, which the Department may ask for separately.

Do children included in the application need police certificates too?

The evidence lists differ by age. Dependants under 18 need identity documents, relationship evidence, and character documents if applicable. Dependants aged 18 or over need character documents as a standard item, along with proof of dependency.

Can we add a family member after lodging, and do they need checks?

You might be able to add family members before a decision is made, using Form 1436. The added person must be in Australia at the time you add them, and you must also give evidence of the relationship plus a copy of their passport. Family members who apply for the visa must meet the health and character requirements.

How much does Subclass 884 cost for one applicant?

The published figure is from AUD 35,430 for a single applicant, with additional charges for each family member who applies with you. It is paid in two instalments, and separate costs may apply per applicant for health checks, police certificates and biometrics. Check the current visa pricing page for the amount that applies at the time you lodge.