Non-contributory Parent visa 103/804: the 30-year queue reality
Subclass 103 (offshore) and 804 (onshore aged) non-contributory parent visas carry a low VAC of AUD 6,990 — but the queue extends beyond 30 years at current processing rates. This article explains why the queue is what it is, who might still apply, and what alternatives exist.
The Subclass 103 (offshore) and Subclass 804 (onshore aged) non-contributory parent visas are the lowest-cost routes to Australian permanent residency for parents — but they are also, by a wide margin, the slowest. The Visa Application Charge is AUD 6,990 for the primary applicant (2025–2026), a fraction of the contributory parent visa charge. The trade-off is a queue that extends beyond 30 years at the current annual planning level of 1,500 non-contributory parent visa grants per year.
For context: a parent who lodges a 103 application in 2026, and whose queue date is assigned in 2027, will not receive a grant until approximately 2057 or later — and that assumes the planning level does not decrease. If the parent is 55 at the time of application, they will be 85 or older when the visa is granted. For many parents, the non-contributory queue is functionally equivalent to not having a parent visa pathway at all.
This article explains the mechanics of the queue, the subclass 804 onshore aged variant, the circumstances in which a non-contributory application might still be rational, and the alternatives families should consider.
Queue mechanics: why it takes 30+ years
The non-contributory parent visa queue operates on a capped-and-queued model. The annual planning level — the maximum number of non-contributory parent visas that can be granted in a program year — has been set at 1,500 since the 2017–2018 program year. In contrast, the contributory parent visa planning level is 6,800.
As of May 2026, the Department is processing 103 applications with a queue date in 2012 — meaning applications lodged in 2012–2013 are now receiving grants. New applications lodged today join the back of the queue, behind all applications that already have earlier queue dates. The queue currently has approximately 50,000 applications, and new applications are being added at a rate of 5,000–7,000 per year. At a processing rate of 1,500 grants per year, the queue advances by roughly one year of queue date for every three calendar years that pass.
A newly lodged application will be assigned a queue date approximately 12–24 months after lodgement (the time it takes the Department to complete the initial assessment and confirm the balance-of-family test). Once in the queue, the wait time is a function of the processing rate and the number of applications ahead in the queue.
Subclass 103 vs 804: offshore and aged onshore
The 103 is the offshore variant. The applicant must be outside Australia at lodgement and at grant. The 804 is the onshore variant for applicants who are old enough to meet the age-pension age threshold (67 as of 2026) and who are in Australia at lodgement and at grant.
The 804 has a critical advantage: the applicant can lodge onshore and, upon lodgement, receive a Bridging Visa A that allows them to remain in Australia indefinitely — for decades — while the queue advances. For an aged parent who is already in Australia on a visitor visa, the 804 provides a mechanism to stay lawfully with their child for the remainder of their life, even if the visa itself is never granted, because the Bridging Visa A remains valid until the 804 application is finally determined.
This is not an abuse of the system — it is the system working as designed. The Bridging Visa A is a lawful status, and the parent is entitled to Medicare under the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (if eligible) or through private health insurance. The parent does not, however, have work rights on the BVA unless they apply for permission to work on the basis of financial hardship.
Who should still apply for a 103 or 804?
For most parents, the 103/804 is not a realistic route to PR. However, it remains a rational choice in specific circumstances:
As a placeholder while saving for the 143. A parent who cannot afford the contributory charge can lodge a 103 application to secure a queue date, and later switch to a 143 application. The queue date from the 103 application is preserved when switching to the 143, and the 103 VAC (AUD 6,990) is offset against the 143 first VAC (AUD 4,765), though the excess is not refunded. This strategy effectively allows a family to join the queue earlier without committing to the full contributory charge immediately.
For parents who are genuinely indifferent to timing. A parent who is 45 and has a child in Australia, and who has no immediate desire to move, can lodge a 103 as a “safety net” application. If the queue shortens — for example, because the planning level is substantially increased — the application will be processed faster.
For the 804 bridging visa strategy. An aged parent already in Australia who lodges an 804 receives a Bridging Visa A that allows them to remain lawfully for as long as the application is pending, which may be the remainder of their life. Combined with the 143 contributory pathway or the 173/884 split-payment structure, the 804 can serve as a bridge while the family arranges finances for a contributory application.
Eligibility: the balance-of-family test
The balance-of-family test applies to the 103 and 804 in the same way it applies to the contributory parent visas. The test is met if at least half of the parent’s children are Australian citizens, permanent residents, or eligible New Zealand citizens usually resident in Australia, or if the number of children in Australia is greater than in any single other country.
Cost and timeline
| Item | 103/804 |
|---|---|
| First VAC | AUD 4,765 |
| Second VAC | AUD 2,225 |
| Total VAC | AUD 6,990 |
| AoS bond | AUD 10,000 (primary) + AUD 4,000 (secondary 18+) |
| AoS period | 2 years (shorter than contributory’s 10 years) |
| Queue wait from 2026 lodgement | 30+ years (projected) |
| 804 Bridging Visa A | Available after lodgement, lasts until decision |
The AoS difference: 2 years vs 10 years
An often-overlooked feature of the 103/804 is that the Assurance of Support period is only two years, compared with 10 years for the contributory visas. For a family that expects the parent to require income support in Australia, the shorter AoS period reduces the financial exposure of the assurer.
The bond amounts are the same — AUD 10,000 for the primary applicant, AUD 4,000 for secondary applicants aged 18+ — but the reduced period means the bond is released sooner after grant.
Alternatives for parents who cannot wait
- 143 Contributory Parent: AUD 52,720 total, 8–12 year queue. The fastest permanent pathway.
- 173 → 143 split-pay: Higher total cost (AUD 60,940) but spread over two stages.
- 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary): Allows stays of up to five years at a time (cumulative 10-year maximum), no balance-of-family test, no PR pathway.
Recent policy signals
The 2024–2025 Migration Program planning level of 1,500 non-contributory parent places was maintained, as it has been for eight consecutive years. The government’s Parent Visa Review, announced in 2024, has raised the prospect of either increasing the non-contributory intake or formally closing the subclass to new applications and redirecting demand to the contributory stream or the 870 temporary visa. No legislative changes have been introduced as of May 2026.