Can You Apply for Subclass 884 If You Hold a Subclass 870 Visa in 2026?

No — holding or having applied for a subclass 870 visa rules out a subclass 884 application. Here is the rule and its planning impact.

Published: 10 October 2026

No. Under the Australian Department of Home Affairs official page for the Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884), you cannot apply for this visa if you have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870). As at October 2026, that exclusion sits inside the eligibility criteria on the same page, alongside the sponsor, balance of family, age, health and character requirements. This article is general information only and is not personalised advice; the wording that applies to your situation is the wording published by the department, and anything time-sensitive should be checked against the official page.

Does the exclusion cover a pending 870 application, not just a granted visa?

It covers both. The criterion is written as "have already applied for or hold", so lodging an 870 application is enough to engage it — you do not need to have been granted the visa. That is the part families most often miss when they treat 870 as a short-term bridging option while a longer pathway is being considered.

The practical consequence is that 870 and 884 cannot be run in parallel. If a parent has an 870 application on foot, an 884 application is not simply a second option sitting alongside it; it is an application that fails the published eligibility test.

What else does subclass 884 require before the 870 rule even matters?

The 870 exclusion is one of several criteria that must all be met. The same official page sets out the rest:

Best interests of the child. We will not grant this visa if it is not in the best interests of an applicant under 18.
A sponsor. Usually an eligible child sponsors you; if that child is under 18, an eligible relative or community organisation can sponsor instead. The department must approve the sponsorship.
The balance of family test. You meet it if at least half of your children and step-children are eligible children, or if there are more eligible children living in Australia than in any other single country.
Age. You must be old enough to receive the age pension in Australia, as set by the Department of Social Services.
Health and character. You and any family members applying with you must meet both requirements, and non-migrating family members may also be asked to meet them.
Debt to the Australian Government. Any debt must be repaid, or there must be an approved arrangement to repay it.
Immigration history. A cancelled visa or refused application may affect eligibility.
Australian values. Applicants aged 18 or over must have read, or had explained to them, the Life in Australia booklet and sign an Australian Values Statement.

An eligible child, for the purposes of the visa, is a settled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.

How do 884 and 870 differ as pathways, not just as visas?

They are built for different ends. Subclass 884 is a two-year temporary visa that exists as the first stage of a staged route to the permanent Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864). Subclass 870 is a sponsored temporary visa for parents to visit their children, and the department describes it as allowing stays of up to 3 or 5 years at a time for a maximum total of 10 years.

Feature	Subclass 884	Subclass 870
Purpose	First stage toward permanent residency	Temporary visit with children
Length of stay	Up to 2 years per grant	Up to 3 or 5 years at a time, maximum total 10 years
Multiple entry	Yes, within the 2-year period	Not addressed on the 884 official page
Work and study	Permitted (no government support)	Not addressed on the 884 official page
Next step	Must apply for subclass 864 before the 884 visa expires	Not addressed on the 884 official page
Can it be extended	No — you cannot stay longer by extending or reapplying	Not addressed on the 884 official page

The asymmetry matters: 884 is a staged payment and staging route into permanence, while 870 is described on the official page in visit terms. Choosing one shapes what remains available afterwards, because the 884 door is closed by an 870 application rather than left open.

Why does the 870 rule change how you plan for subclass 864?

Because 884 is the staging mechanism for 864. The official page describes applying for 884 before 864 as a way to spread the cost of the two visas over several years, and states that you must apply for the permanent subclass 864 visa before your 884 visa expires so that you meet the applicable lodgement criteria.

That creates a hard sequencing point. Assume a parent is granted 884 and lets the two years run without lodging 864. The 884 visa cannot be extended or reapplied for; the published instruction is that you can apply for a different visa instead. The staged route to permanence is then broken, and the family has paid for two years of temporary status rather than progress.

What should you check before choosing between them?

Work through the decision in this order.

Confirm whether any 870 application has already been lodged for either parent.
Confirm whether either parent currently holds a subclass 870 visa.
Check the balance of family test against your actual family composition.
Check whether the sponsoring child is a settled Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.
Confirm you can be in Australia — and not in immigration clearance — when you apply and when the decision is made.
Compare the cost of the staged 884-to-864 route against applying directly for 864.
Re-read the current 884 eligibility page before lodging, since criteria and charges can change.

Step 5 has a trap. If you apply in Australia while on a temporary visa carrying a no further stay condition, the application will be invalid unless you apply for a waiver of that condition.

What does subclass 884 cost?

The official page states the visa costs from AUD 35,430 for a single applicant, with additional charges for each family member who applies with you and concessions in limited circumstances. It is paid in two instalments: the first when you apply, the second when the department asks for it. Health checks, police certificates and biometrics may add further costs per applicant.

From 1 July 2026, a lower visa application cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application, based on the primary applicant holding a valid passport from one of the listed countries. Family members are also eligible, based on the primary applicant's passport.

How long will a decision take?

The department states that demand for Parent visas is greater than the number of places available each year, which produces long processing times. Applications for this visa are subject to capping and queueing and are processed in the order received. Assessment runs in two stages: an initial assessment that either queues or refuses the application, then final assessment as places become available.

An application can also take longer if it is not completed correctly, if documents are missing or more information is needed, or if your information takes a long time to verify. The department will only process an application once the correct visa application charge has been paid.

Can you switch from 870 to 884 later?

The published criterion is about whether you have already applied for or hold an 870 visa; the official page does not describe a mechanism for withdrawing an 870 application to clear the criterion, and it does not address a previously held 870 visa that has ceased. Treat both as unsettled by the published wording rather than assuming an answer either way, and check the current eligibility page before acting on it.

What is clear is the direction of travel: 884 leads to 864, and 870 does not sit on that path. If permanence is the objective, the planning question is which single door to enter, not how to keep two open.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold subclass 870 and subclass 884 at the same time?

No. The subclass 884 eligibility criteria state that you cannot apply for the visa if you have already applied for or hold a subclass 870 visa. The exclusion is framed broadly enough to cover both a granted visa and a pending application.

Does the rule only apply once my 870 visa is granted?

No. The criterion refers to having "already applied for or hold" a subclass 870 visa, so lodging the application is itself enough. Many families discover the conflict only after an 870 application has already gone in.

Does withdrawing an 870 application make me eligible for 884?

The official eligibility page does not describe any withdrawal mechanism or exception to this criterion. Do not assume a withdrawal clears the prohibition; confirm the current wording on the department's subclass 884 page before relying on it.

Can I apply for subclass 884 from outside Australia?

No. You, and any family members applying with you, must be in Australia and not in immigration clearance both when you apply and when the department makes its decision. If you apply while on a temporary visa with a no further stay condition, the application will be invalid unless you apply for a waiver of that condition.

How long can I stay on subclass 884, and can I extend it?

The visa allows a stay of two years from the date of grant, with multiple entry during that period. It cannot be extended or reapplied for; the department's stated position is that you may apply for a different visa instead, which in practice means lodging subclass 864 before expiry.

What is the point of subclass 884 if subclass 864 is the permanent visa?

Subclass 884 lets you spread the cost across two visas over a longer period rather than paying for subclass 864 in one step. The trade-off is that the staged route costs more in total than applying directly for subclass 864, and it adds a deadline you must meet.

Is subclass 870 a step toward Australian permanent residency?

The official page describes subclass 870 as a temporary visa for parents to visit their children in Australia, for up to 3 or 5 years at a time and a maximum total of 10 years. It is not described as a pathway to permanence, unlike the 884-to-864 sequence.