Can you work and study on an Aged Parent visa 804 in 2026?

Answers whether Aged Parent visa (subclass 804) holders can work and study in Australia in 2026, and where workplace rights come from.

Published: 8 October 2026

Yes. Once the Aged Parent visa (subclass 804) is granted, you become an Australian permanent resident, and permanent residence carries the right to work and study without a separate permit, together with the protection of Australian workplace law. That is the position stated on the Australian Department of Home Affairs' Aged Parent visa (subclass 804) official page as at July 2026, which directs visa holders to the Fair Work Ombudsman's material on the workplace rights and entitlements of visa holders and migrant workers. The rest of this article explains what the grant actually changes, what it does not change, and how the entitlement is recorded. This is general information about how the rules are framed rather than advice on any individual case, so your own visa record and the official pages remain the reference point.

What does permanent residence change for a subclass 804 holder?

The subclass 804 is a permanent visa. You can stay in Australia indefinitely, and the same grant converts your status to permanent resident. Home Affairs frames work and study as flowing from that status rather than as a separate permission: because you are a permanent resident, you can work and study, and Australian workplace law protections apply to you.

The practical contrast is with the temporary parent options. A temporary parent visa carries its own conditions and its own expiry; the 804 has no work limitation to administer because there is no temporary status left to condition.

Do you need to apply for permission to work?

No separate application is described on the official page. The entitlement is recorded on your visa record: your visa expiry, conditions, and work and study entitlements are shown in VEVO, the Home Affairs online visa entitlement verification system. If an employer or a training provider asks for evidence, that record is what shows the entitlement.

The obligation side still applies. You and any family members who hold the visa must meet all visa conditions and obey all Australian laws.

Which workplace protections apply once you start working?

Australian workplace law applies to you as a permanent resident, and Home Affairs points to the Fair Work Ombudsman for the detail of those rights and entitlements. The Fair Work Ombudsman publishes guidance specifically for visa holders and migrant workers, which is where questions about minimum pay, leave, and unfair treatment should be checked.

One common misunderstanding is worth naming: migration status and workplace entitlement are separate questions. Your visa determines whether you may work; workplace law determines how you must be treated once you do.

Can you study, and does that include English classes?

Study is covered by the same statement — you can work and study. Home Affairs also lists, as a separate possibility, attendance at free English language classes provided by the Adult Migrant English Program for those who are eligible. Eligibility for that program is a separate test from the visa entitlement itself.

What the work right does not override

Permanent residence does not remove every waiting or limiting rule attached to being newly arrived in Australia.

Right or limit	Position after the 804 is granted
Work and study	Permitted; no separate permit described
Workplace law	Australian workplace law protections apply
Medicare	You can enrol in Australia's public healthcare scheme
Government payments	As a newly arrived resident, waiting periods may apply to certain payments and benefits
Travel	Five years of travel to and from Australia from the date of grant
Ongoing obligations	Visa conditions and Australian laws must be met

Services Australia is the agency Home Affairs names for newly arrived residents' waiting periods, so payment questions belong there rather than to the visa entitlement.

Does the five-year travel facility affect work rights?

It is a separate clock. Travel to and from Australia is allowed as many times as you want for five years from the date the visa is granted, as long as the travel facility remains valid. After that, re-entering Australia as a permanent resident requires a Resident Return visa (subclass 155 or 157), or Australian citizenship, which removes the need for a visa to enter. Work and study rights are not described as expiring at the five-year mark; the five-year period attaches to travel.

Does the grant date matter elsewhere?

Yes, for citizenship. Home Affairs states that for citizenship purposes your permanent residency starts on the day the visa is granted. The same page notes that subclass 804 applications are subject to capping and queueing and that Parent visa demand exceeds the places available each year, so the date of grant can be considerably later than the date of application.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a separate work permit after my 804 is granted?

No separate permit is described on the official page. Work and study follow from permanent resident status, and the entitlement is shown on your visa record in VEVO.

Are the work rights permanent?

The visa itself is permanent and lets you stay in Australia indefinitely. The five-year limit described by Home Affairs applies to the travel facility, not to work or study.

Can an employer pay me less because I am on a parent visa?

Australian workplace law protections apply to you as a permanent resident. The Fair Work Ombudsman publishes guidance on the workplace rights and entitlements of visa holders and migrant workers, which is the place to check pay and conditions questions.

Can I study, including free English classes?

Study is covered by the visa. Free English language classes under the Adult Migrant English Program are available to those who are eligible, which is a separate eligibility test.

Do I get Medicare and government payments immediately?

You can enrol in Medicare. Some Australian Government payments and benefits have waiting periods for newly arrived residents, and Services Australia is the agency that sets out those periods.

Can I sponsor family members once I hold the visa?

As an Australian permanent resident, you might be able to sponsor eligible family members to come to Australia. The visa options for them are found through the Home Affairs visa finder.