Step-by-step: lodging an Aged Dependent Relative (114) application from outside Australia in 2026

How to lodge a Subclass 114 Aged Dependent Relative application from outside Australia: forms, payment, postage and decision steps.

Published: 10 July 2026 Reading time 12 min

If you are outside Australia and want to apply for the Aged Dependent Relative visa (Subclass 114), the whole process runs on paper: you complete Form 47OF, your sponsor completes Form 40, you pay the first instalment online before anything is submitted, and you send the package by post or courier to the Parent, Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth. You must also be outside Australia when you apply and again when the decision is made. The steps below follow the Department of Home Affairs official page for the Aged Dependent Relative visa (Subclass 114), as at the August 2026 version of that page. This is general information rather than advice tailored to one person's circumstances, so the current official page should be treated as the authority on anything that affects your own case.

Where do you have to be at each stage?

The offshore requirement is the spine of this visa, and it applies at more points than most applicants expect.

Stage	Where you must be	What the official page says
Lodging the application	Outside Australia	You and every applicant must be outside Australia when you apply
Paying the first instalment	Online	You cannot pay in person; payment is made through the ImmiAccount online payment function before submission
Submitting the forms	Post or courier	You cannot submit in person; the package goes to the Perth processing centre at the address on the form
Decision	Outside Australia	You must be outside Australia when the department decides your application
Adding a family member after lodgement	In Australia, according to the after-you-apply section	Form 1436, plus evidence of relationship and the family member's passport
First entry after grant	Enter before the date in your grant letter	The first entry date is generally set at 12 months from the date of visa grant
Travel after the initial travel validity	Apply for a Resident Return visa (155/157)	Travel to and from Australia runs for 5 years from the date of grant

One caution on the fifth row. The same official page states that family members added after lodgement must be in Australia at the time they are added, which sits awkwardly beside the rule that everyone must be offshore at lodgement and decision. Given that inconsistency, verify the current wording on the official page before acting on it.

Before you apply: passports, sponsorship and who may help

Do I need a valid passport to lodge?

You do not have to hold a valid passport to apply, but you must provide the details of your most recent passport. The visa itself will only be granted if you hold a valid passport, so an expiring or expired passport is a problem for the decision, not for lodgement.

Who can sponsor me, and what do they have to show?

Your migration must be sponsored by your relative or your relative's partner. The sponsor must be aged 18 or over, settled in Australia, and be an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen. They complete Form 40 Sponsorship for migration to Australia.

To prove their status, provide one or more of: a citizenship certificate, a passport, or — for eligible New Zealand citizens — a valid visa. To prove the relationship, provide birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, adoption certificates, or family status certificates or family books where they are officially issued and maintained.

Who is allowed to help with the application?

Only certain people may give you immigration assistance: a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person. You can appoint anyone at all to receive documents on your behalf. To nominate someone to receive correspondence, use Form 956A; to nominate someone to provide immigration assistance, use Form 956. Send the written notification or the completed forms with your paper application.

Which documents do you need to gather?

Proof of identity

Provide the pages of your current passport showing your photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates. Also provide a national identity card if you have one, and proof of any change of name — a marriage or divorce certificate, change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages or the relevant overseas authority, or documents showing other names you have been known by.

The stakes here are high. If you cannot prove your identity, the department will refuse the application, might not grant you another visa for 10 years, and might not grant a visa to family members listed on your application for 10 years.

Proof that you are dependent on your relative

You need to show you rely on your relative for basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing, and for how long that support has been provided. Evidence could include bank statements, money transfers and rent receipts.

Documents for dependent children

For each dependent under 18 applying with you, provide identity documents, proof of your relationship with them such as a birth or marriage certificate, and character documents if applicable.

If someone who has a legal right to decide where the child lives is not coming to Australia with the child, they must give consent, either on Form 1229 or by statutory declaration. Alternatively you can show an Australian court order allowing the child to migrate, or that the laws of your home country allow it. Include an identity document showing the signature and photo of the person who completed the form or declaration, plus adoption papers or other court documents if relevant. If the child will not be staying with a relative or legal guardian, the person they are staying with must sign Form 1257.

For dependants aged 18 or over, a child can be included if they are under 18, or over 18 but not yet 23 and dependent on you or your partner, or over 23 and unable to earn a living because of physical or cognitive limitations and dependent on you or your partner. Provide identity documents, documents about their other relationships if applicable, character documents and proof of dependency — including a completed Form 47a, proof of the relationship, and evidence of financial dependency for at least the 12 months before you apply, such as proof they live with you, their tax records, or proof they are currently studying.

Character documents

Do not arrange police certificates until the department asks you for them.

How do you actually lodge the application?

Which forms go in the package?

You complete Form 47OF Application for migration to Australia by other family members, in English. Your sponsor completes Form 40. If you have already arranged help, Form 956 and Form 956A go in as well.

How is the first instalment paid?

You cannot pay in person. Pay the first instalment when you apply — that is, before the application is submitted — using the online portal payment function in ImmiAccount, and include evidence that the application has been paid for with your paper package. Other payment options are described on the department's "how to pay" page.

Where does it go, and how do you avoid an invalid application?

Send the application by post or courier to the Parent, Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth, at the address shown on the form, with all required documents and forms included. If any of the required steps are incomplete, the application may be invalid; the department does not process invalid applications, and will notify you and return the application if you request it.

Send certified copies only, never originals, and keep a copy of the completed application and supporting documents for your own records. That copy matters if a package goes astray or you need to reconstruct what you sent.

What does it cost, and when is each instalment due?

This visa is paid in two instalments. The first is due when you apply; the second is paid only when the department tells you to, after you have met all other requirements for the visa and received an invoice. If you do not pay the second instalment, the visa cannot be granted. There is also an extra charge for each family member who applies with you, and you may face separate costs for health checks, police certificates and biometrics. The official page does not publish a figure for the base charge; use the Visa Pricing Estimator for an indication, keeping in mind it does not include the second instalment or other costs.

Is there a lower cost for Pacific Island or Timor-Leste applicants?

From 1 July 2026, a lower visa application cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application. Eligibility is recognised through a valid passport issued by one of the listed countries — including Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Timor-Leste, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Tuvalu, the Solomon Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands — and family members are covered based on the primary applicant's passport.

After lodgement: importing the application into ImmiAccount

Once the paper application has been submitted and you have your acknowledgement letter, import it into ImmiAccount. Create an account or log in to an existing one, then enter your application ID, date of birth, and identity document number (passport, ImmiCard or Titre de Voyage number).

Imported applications can be managed online: you can attach supporting documents, view messages, update your details, check your application status, apply for a Bridging Visa and withdraw the application. Applications made outside Australia can be imported if they were lodged on or after 25 June 2020. If you cannot use ImmiAccount, or you lodged outside Australia before that date, additional documents go through the Other Family Visa Processing Centre online form.

What happens between lodgement and the decision?

Will you get progress updates?

No. The department does not provide updates on progress within normal processing times; it will contact you if anything further is needed. Do not arrange travel to Australia until you are told in writing that the visa has been granted.

Health exams, biometrics and police certificates

The department will tell you if health examinations are required, and may ask for biometrics — fingerprints and a photo. Police certificates should only be arranged once you are asked. If you omitted documents at lodgement, provide them as soon as you can, either by uploading to ImmiAccount or through the processing centre's online form.

Assurance of support and the second instalment

You need to provide an assurance of support when the department asks for it. The second instalment invoice follows once all other requirements for the visa have been met.

Mistakes, new family members and changed circumstances

If you make a mistake on the application, notify the department as soon as possible using Form 1023. Family members may be added before a decision using Form 1436, with evidence of the relationship and the family member's passport; added members must meet the health and character requirements. You also need to report changes such as a new phone number, address or passport, the birth of a child, or a decision to withdraw.

How long will a Subclass 114 application take?

Demand for Other Family visas exceeds the number of places available each year, so processing can be lengthy, and applications for this visa are subject to capping and queueing. The department publishes a processing time guide tool showing times for recently decided applications, but it is a guide only and not specific to any one application. Your application may take longer if it is not filled in correctly, documents are missing or further information is needed, or your information takes longer than usual to verify. Note also that the department cannot process an application if the correct visa application charge has not been paid.

The decision: what grant or refusal sets in motion

You must be outside Australia when the decision is made, and you will be told the outcome in writing. Keep a copy of the decision. If the visa is refused, the letter will explain why and whether you have a right to seek review of the decision; the application fee is not refunded.

A granted Subclass 114 is a permanent visa. You can stay in Australia indefinitely, work and study, enrol in Medicare, sponsor relatives, attend free English classes through the Adult Migrant English Program if eligible, and apply for Australian citizenship if eligible. You must enter Australia before the date in your grant letter — generally 12 months from the date of grant — and you can travel to and from Australia as often as you like for 5 years from the grant date. After that travel validity expires, re-entry as a permanent resident requires a Resident Return visa (155/157) unless you have become a citizen. The visa is digitally linked to your passport; no visa label is issued, and you can check travel validity using VEVO.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I lodge a Subclass 114 application online?

No. You must apply on paper using Form 47OF, and you must be outside Australia when you apply. The online element is limited to paying the first instalment through the ImmiAccount payment function before submission, and to managing the application in ImmiAccount after the paper package has been sent.

Can I travel to Australia while my 114 application is being processed?

Do not arrange travel until the department tells you in writing that the visa has been granted. Because you must be outside Australia both when you apply and when the decision is made, entering Australia during processing can put the application at risk.

Do I need a valid passport to apply?

A valid passport is not required to lodge, but you must provide details of your most recent passport, and the visa will only be granted if you hold a valid passport. Renewing early avoids a delay at the decision stage.

When do I pay the second instalment?

Only when the department asks. An invoice is sent after you have met all other requirements for the visa, and the visa cannot be granted if the instalment is not paid. The Visa Pricing Estimator does not include the second instalment.

Can I add a family member after lodging?

You may be able to add family members before a decision, using Form 1436 together with evidence of the relationship and the family member's passport. The official page states that members added after lodgement must be in Australia when they are added and must meet the health and character requirements.

What if I made a mistake on my Form 47OF?

Tell the department as soon as you can by completing Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers. If your application is imported into ImmiAccount you can upload the form there; otherwise attach it to a completed Other Family Visa Processing Centre online form.

Will I be told how my application is progressing?

Not within normal processing times. The department contacts you only if something further is needed, such as health examinations, biometrics, police certificates, an assurance of support or the second instalment invoice.