Subclass 410 in 2026: who can still apply, and the path to 103 or 143 parent PR

In 2026, the Subclass 410 retirement visa is closed to new applicants, and the only people who can still apply for a further 410 visa are those who currently hold a 410, or whose last substantive visa since last entering Australia was a 410. According to the Migration Regulations 1994 (Subclass 410) as published on the Federal Register of Legislation, together with the Department of Home Affairs' PAM3 guidance for the Retirement (Temporary) (Class TQ) visa (Subclass 410), the visa closed to all new applicants — including spouse and de facto partners — from 17 November 2018. For permanent residence, the same PAM3 guidance notes that eligible 410 holders have been able to apply through the Parent (subclass 103) or Contributory Parent (subclass 143) visa since November 2018, and that requirements such as having a child in Australia can be waived; the criteria for those parent visas are separate from the Subclass 410 criteria. This article is general information only and is not personalised advice; please confirm your situation against the latest official published information or, if needed, a qualified professional's opinion.

Can you still apply for a Subclass 410 visa in 2026?

A further 410 application can only be made under Schedule 1 item 1217(3)(d). That provision limits eligibility to a person who holds a Subclass 410 at the time of application, or whose last substantive visa held since last entering Australia was a Subclass 410. Because the visa closed to new applicants on 17 November 2018, no other person can apply, and this includes spouse and de facto partners as new applicants.

If you are inside Australia and are an unlawful non-citizen, or you hold certain bridging visas, you must also meet the Schedule 3 criteria in cl.410.211, unless compassionate and compelling circumstances justify a waiver.

Assume, for example, that an applicant held a 410, then departed and returned to Australia on a Visitor visa. The last substantive visa since that entry would be the Visitor visa, not the 410, so the Schedule 1 requirement would not be met. The same logic applies if any other substantive visa became the last one held since entry.

What are the main rules for a further 410 visa?

• Age: you must have turned 55 (cl.410.221(2)).
• Family composition: your family unit must not include any person dependent on you or your spouse or de facto partner, apart from that partner. This applies whether or not the dependent person applies, so a dependent child or other dependent relative will cause a refusal (cl.410.221(3)–(4)).
• Return criteria: if you have previously entered Australia, you must meet special return criteria 5001 and 5002 (cl.410.221(5)).
• Visa compliance: if you apply in Australia, you must have substantially complied with your last substantive visa and any later bridging visa. Non-compliance can be waived for compassionate and compelling reasons, but not for condition 8303 (cl.410.221(6)).
• Health: you must meet public interest criteria 4001, 4002, 4003, 4004, 4013, 4014, 4019 and 4020, have no tuberculosis, and have no disease that threatens public health or community safety. The standard cost-related criteria (4005 and 4007) do not apply, but tuberculosis and public-health screening still do. If a health officer asks, you must sign an undertaking for further health assessment. For a couple, both partners must meet the health requirement; if either fails, both fail.
• Health insurance: if your previous visa was subject to condition 8501, you must show that you maintained adequate health insurance for your whole time in Australia. Medicare under a reciprocal health agreement is treated as adequate. Compassionate circumstances can excuse non-substantial gaps.
• Passport: you must satisfy PIC 4021, which requires you to hold a passport unless it would be unreasonable to require one (cl.410.222).
• Character: you must provide police certificates for any country where you lived continuously for two months or more in the past ten years. If there is a character concern, certificates are needed for countries of cumulative residence of two months or more.
• Secondary applicants: only your spouse or de facto partner can be a secondary applicant (cl.410.311). The relationship must still exist at the time of decision (cl.410.321(2)). No other family member can be included.

What conditions can be attached, and why does 8503 matter?

The visa has no mandatory conditions, but the Minister may impose conditions under reg 410.612. These can include 8301 (no work), 8303, 8501 (maintain health insurance), 8502, 8503 (no further stay), 8516, 8522, 8525 and 8526. Condition 8501 is generally imposed if the holder does not have Medicare.

Condition 8503 is the one that most affects long-term planning. Where it is attached, the holder cannot apply for most other visas while in Australia, unless exceptional circumstances exist. The Subclass 410 guidance flags this as a critical point for holders who may later want to apply for another visa onshore. Where condition 8503 is attached, the holder cannot apply for most other visas while in Australia unless exceptional circumstances exist, so any later move to a parent visa has to be planned around that limitation.

On validity, the legislation provides that the visa permits travel to, entry and stay in Australia until a date specified by the Minister (cl.410.511). The visa period is a date specified by the Minister in each case, and the period granted should be confirmed against the Department's current published guidance for Subclass 410.

How does the path to 103 or 143 parent PR work?

The PAM3 guidance for Subclass 410 states that, from November 2018, eligible 410 holders can apply for permanent residence through the Parent (subclass 103) or Contributory Parent (subclass 143) visa. For these applicants, the usual requirement to have a child in Australia can be waived.

Subclass 410 does not itself convert into permanent residence. It remains a temporary visa, and if condition 8503 is attached, the holder generally cannot apply for another visa onshore unless exceptional circumstances exist. The move to PR is therefore a separate application under the parent visa categories, made according to the rules for subclass 103 or 143.

The eligibility criteria and the waiver of the child-in-Australia requirement for subclasses 103 and 143 sit in the parent visa categories themselves, separate from the Subclass 410 criteria, and need to be assessed on their own terms before relying on this pathway.

Because the ability to obtain further 410 visas is limited to current or recent 410 holders, assess the parent visa pathway early rather than waiting until the current visa is close to expiry.

What should a long-term 410 holder do next?

Check your current visa. Confirm whether you hold a Subclass 410 now. If you do not, check what your last substantive visa was since you last entered Australia. If the last substantive visa was not a 410, you generally cannot make a further 410 application. Check whether condition 8503 is printed on your current 410 visa. If it is, note that it limits further onshore visa applications unless exceptional circumstances apply. Gather health insurance records if your previous visa had condition 8501. Keep policies and payment receipts for your whole time in Australia. Update police certificates for any country where you lived two months or more in the past ten years. Review the subclass 103 and 143 parent visa pages on the Department's official website. Confirm whether the waiver of the child-in-Australia requirement applies to you. Prepare evidence if you need to rely on compassionate and compelling circumstances.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Subclass 410 visa open to new applicants in 2026?

No. The visa closed to all new applicants, including spouse and de facto partners, from 17 November 2018. Only a person who currently holds a 410, or whose last substantive visa since last entering Australia was a 410, can make a further 410 application under Schedule 1 item 1217(3)(d).

Can I apply for another 410 if I previously changed to a Visitor visa?

Generally no. The Schedule 1 requirement looks at the last substantive visa you held since last entry; if that was a Visitor visa and not a 410, you do not meet the validity rule. Assume, for example, that a former 410 holder later returned on a Visitor visa — that person would not satisfy item 1217(3)(d). Check the current official page to confirm your own visa history outcome.

Can I include my children or other dependent relatives in a 410 application?

No. The only secondary applicant is your spouse or de facto partner (cl.410.311). The family unit must not include any other dependent person, and even a dependent relative who does not apply can cause a refusal (cl.410.221(3)–(4)).

Does the Subclass 410 visa itself lead to permanent residence?

No. It is a temporary visa that permits stay until a date specified by the Minister (cl.410.511). The path to permanent residence identified in the PAM3 guidance is a separate application for a Parent (subclass 103) or Contributory Parent (subclass 143) visa, with requirements such as having a child in Australia able to be waived for eligible 410 holders.

What is condition 8503, and how does it affect parent visa plans?

Condition 8503 is a "no further stay" condition that may be attached to a 410 visa. It prevents the holder from applying for most other visas while in Australia, unless exceptional circumstances exist. Condition 8503 limits what can be lodged while the holder stays in Australia, so its effect on any later subclass 103 or 143 plan needs to be considered in advance.

Will I need to show health insurance and police certificates?

If your previous visa was subject to condition 8501, you must show that you kept adequate health insurance throughout your time in Australia; Medicare under a reciprocal agreement counts as adequate. For character, you must provide police certificates for any country where you lived continuously for two months or more in the past ten years.

References

• Federal Register of Legislation — Migration Regulations 1994 (Subclass 410)