What Documents Do You Need for the 864 Visa in 2026?

Prepare current passport and identity evidence for the main applicant and every family member applying together, four recent photos for each person included, the sponsor’s Form 40, family relationship records and evidence for the balance-of-family test. Only an adult child applying as a dependant must provide evidence of dependency; partners and children under 18 do not have to provide it. The Australian Government Department of Home Affairs page Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864) is the authoritative source for the document requirements.

The final document set is not static. Home Affairs may request further information, while a previous subclass 884 visa, the Retirement visa pathway or a change in family circumstances can alter what must be provided. This article gives general information, not personalised legal advice; the current official requirements and, where appropriate, advice from an appropriately authorised professional should govern the individual case.

What should the main applicant prepare?

Start with documents that establish identity and the validity of the passport:

• Pages from the current passport showing the applicant’s photograph, personal details, issue date and expiry date.
• A national identity card, if the applicant has one.
• Evidence of any change of name, if applicable. This can include a marriage or divorce certificate, change-of-name records from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages or the relevant overseas authority, and documents showing other names previously used.
• The Australian Values Statement. Every applicant aged 18 or older must have read or had explained to them the Life in Australia booklet and sign the Australian Values Statement.

The applicant and everyone applying together must have valid passports before the visa can be granted.

Identity is a mandatory evidentiary requirement. Home Affairs states that an application will be refused if identity cannot be proved. It also states that another visa might not be granted to the applicant, or to family members listed in the application, for 10 years.

What does the sponsor need to provide?

An eligible sponsor must sponsor a subclass 864 application and Home Affairs must approve the sponsorship, but an applicant who holds a subclass 884 visa might still be eligible if their sponsor dies. Usually, an eligible child sponsors the parent; if that child is under 18, an eligible relative or community organisation may sponsor the applicant.

The sponsor must complete Form 40 — Sponsorship for migration to Australia. A sponsor who is also included in the visa application must separately meet the identity, passport and photograph requirements applying to every included person.

How do you prove the family relationship and balance of family?

The family file must allow Home Affairs to assess the relationship with each relevant child and the child’s status. The published evidence includes:

• Records showing how the applicant is related to each child.
• Evidence of each child’s Australian citizenship or country of permanent residence.
• Evidence that a child should not be included in the balance-of-family test, such as a death certificate.

Home Affairs states that the balance-of-family test is met where at least half of the applicant’s children and step-children are eligible children, or where more eligible children live in Australia than in any other single country.

The evidence should therefore address both the family relationship and the relevant child’s status. A birth certificate alone may not answer every part of this test.

What does a partner need to provide?

The following documents must be provided for an applying partner.

• Identity documents and current passport pages.
• Four recent photographs meeting the stated passport-photo specifications.
• Character documents if requested.
• Evidence of the relationship, such as a current marriage certificate.
• If the relationship is a de facto relationship, evidence that it had lasted for at least 12 months before the application.
• Documents concerning other relationships, if applicable.

Examples of de facto relationship evidence listed by Home Affairs include joint bank account statements, billing accounts in joint names, joint leases or mortgages, and documents showing that the couple lived at the same address.

What do child applicants need?

What does a child under 18 need?

For each dependant under 18 applying with the parent, provide:

• Identity documents and current passport pages.
• Four recent photographs.
• Evidence of the relationship with the parent, such as a birth or marriage certificate.
• Character documents, if applicable.

Home Affairs also states that it will not grant the visa if it is not in the best interests of an applicant under 18.

What does a child aged 18 or older need?

An adult child is not included automatically. The child must fall within one of these categories:

• Be over 18 but not yet have turned 23 and be dependent on the parent or the parent’s partner.
• Be over 23, be unable to earn a living to support themselves because of physical or cognitive limitations, and be dependent on the parent or the parent’s partner.

For each adult dependant included in the application, prepare:

• Identity documents and current passport pages.
• Four recent photographs.
• Evidence of the relationship, such as a birth or marriage certificate.
• Documents about other relationships, if applicable.
• Character documents.
• Evidence of dependency.

If the child is likely to turn 23 while the application is being processed, evidence must show that the child remains dependent because of a disability.

A retiree applying under the Retirement visa pathway cannot include their children or their partner’s children.

What photo specifications must every applicant meet?

Provide four recent photos of every person included in the application. Each photograph must be:

• Passport size: 45 mm × 35 mm.
• Less than six months old.
• Good-quality colour; laser copies are not accepted.
• A clear view of the full face.
• Taken against a plain, light-coloured background.

Untinted prescription glasses may be worn. A person wearing a head covering for religious reasons may show only their face.

Which documents may be requested later?

What about character and health documents?

Home Affairs may request character documents, including police certificates. Its published instruction is not to arrange a police check until asked.

The main applicant and family members applying together must meet the health requirement, but Home Affairs will notify applicants when health examinations are required. An in-demand medical file should therefore not replace the identity and relationship evidence that must accompany the visa application.

What about an Assurance of Support?

Unless the applicant is applying as a retiree under the Retirement visa pathway, an Assurance of Support must be available. Provide it when Home Affairs requests it.

The sponsor or a family member does not have to provide the assurance. It may be provided by an individual, more than one person or an organisation.

What forms apply if someone else helps?

If another person will receive correspondence on the applicant’s behalf, complete Form 956A — Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient.

The applicant must complete Form 956 — Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person to appoint a person to provide immigration assistance. Only a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person may provide immigration assistance.

What changes if the applicant holds or recently held subclass 884?

Some documents ordinarily requested may be omitted if the applicant:

• Holds a Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884); or
• Held that visa until it ended in the 28 days immediately before applying for subclass 864.

This is a partial document exemption, not a waiver of the entire evidence requirement. Documents are still required to identify anyone helping with the application and to evidence changes since the subclass 884 visa was granted.

Relevant changes include:

• A family member no longer being a dependant.
• A change in a partner relationship.
• The birth of a child.
• A change in contact details.
• A new passport.
• A proposed new sponsor.
• The death of a sponsor.

Home Affairs also states that an applicant who holds a subclass 884 visa has already met the balance-of-family test.

What must be handled before the 2026 application?

For applications lodged on or after 22 April 2026, Home Affairs requires online lodgement through ImmiAccount with supporting documents attached online, but will consider allowing a paper application if a technical issue prevents online lodgement and technical support does not resolve it.

Before lodging, check the following:

• All applicants have valid passports and their current identity pages are available.
• Names and other personal details are consistent across the documents.
• A different Parent visa application that remains undecided is withdrawn when the subclass 864 application is lodged.
• The applicant has not already applied for or holds a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870).
• Every answer and document is accurate and complete.

Home Affairs may ask for additional information after lodgement, so the initial online attachment should not be treated as the final possible evidence request.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many passport photos are required?

Provide four recent photos for every person included in the application. Each photo must be 45 mm × 35 mm, less than six months old, good-quality colour, show the full face and use a plain, light-coloured background.

Should police certificates and health exams be prepared before lodgement?

Home Affairs says it might request character documents, including police certificates, and applicants should not arrange a police check until asked. It will notify applicants when health examinations are required.

Can an adult child be included in a subclass 864 application?

Yes, but not simply because the person is the applicant’s child. An adult who has not turned 23 must be dependent on the parent or the parent’s partner; a child over 23 must be dependent and unable to earn a living because of physical or cognitive limitations.

Does the sponsor have to provide the Assurance of Support?

No. When an Assurance is requested, the sponsor or a family member is not required to provide it; an individual, more than one person or an organisation can. A retiree applying under the Retirement visa pathway does not need an Assurance of Support.

What happens if identity documents are missing?

Home Affairs states that failure to prove identity will lead to refusal of the application. It also says another visa might not be granted for 10 years to the applicant or to family members listed in the application.

Does holding a subclass 884 visa remove the entire document list?

No. Some usual documents may be omitted if the applicant holds a subclass 884 visa or held it until the 28 days immediately before applying. Evidence about authorised help and changes since the visa was granted is still required.

What if another Parent visa application is still pending?

A different Parent visa application that has not yet been decided must be withdrawn when applying for subclass 864. An applicant cannot apply for subclass 864 if they have already applied for or hold a subclass 870 visa.

Can a family member help with the application?

Form 956A can be used to appoint someone to receive correspondence. Form 956 applies when someone provides immigration assistance, and that person must be a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person.

References

• Australian Government Department of Home Affairs — Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864)
• Services Australia — Assurance of Support