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Pathway

Australia Aged Dependent Relative Visa

Australia Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

Australia's Aged Dependent Relative visa is a permanent route for a single older person who depends financially on an eligible relative in Australia.

Type
Permanent family residence
Sponsor
Eligible Australian relative
Core requirements
Age, dependency, no partner, sponsor, support, health, and character
What to know
Very narrow and often slow
What it gives
If granted, the visa gives permanent residence.
Main limit
This is not a retirement visa, a general visa for an elderly relative, or a route based only on emotional dependence.

Summary

The Aged Dependent Relative visas are permanent family visas for a single older person who has relied on an eligible relative in Australia for basic financial support for at least 3 years. Subclass 114 is for an applicant outside Australia; Subclass 838 is for an applicant in Australia.

This is a very narrow category. It requires much more than being an older parent, sibling or relative who would prefer to live near family. The applicant must be old enough for the Australian Age Pension rules, have no spouse or de facto partner, and prove sustained dependency for basic needs.

These visas are capped and queued. As of Home Affairs' 31 May 2026 update, it estimated about 22 years for a newly lodged Aged Dependent Relative application. That is an estimate, not a promised decision date, and it can change.

Pathway fit check

Eligibility

The applicant generally must:

The sponsor must be at least 18, settled in Australia, and an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. "Settled" and the exact qualifying relationship are immigration-law tests, so documents must prove both the family connection and the sponsor's status.

Dependency evidence should show who paid for the applicant's basic living needs and for how long. Bank transfers, bank statements, rent receipts, household bills, tax records and an explanation of the applicant's own income and assets are more useful than a general statement that family members help each other.

Subclass 114 requires the applicant to be outside Australia at application and decision. Subclass 838 is the onshore route, but an applicant must be eligible to lodge in Australia; a current visa's "No Further Stay" condition or another bar can prevent a valid application.

What This Route Allows

If granted, the visa gives permanent residence. The holder can live, work and study in Australia indefinitely, access Medicare subject to enrollment rules, and later apply for citizenship if eligible.

The visa normally includes a 5-year travel facility. After that facility expires, a permanent resident who travels needs an appropriate Resident Return visa to re-enter unless they have become an Australian citizen.

What This Route Is Not

This is not a retirement visa, a general visa for an elderly relative, or a route based only on emotional dependence. The person must meet the formal age, no-partner and at-least-3-years financial-dependency tests.

It is not a fast route. Other Family places are limited each program year. Home Affairs' published queue information is essential to realistic planning, especially for healthcare, temporary status and whether an onshore applicant can lawfully remain for the whole wait.

An Assurance of Support is not the same as sponsorship. It is a separate legally enforceable commitment intended to repay certain recoverable government payments. Home Affairs will say when it is needed.

Next Steps

  1. Check the applicant's age against the current Australian Age Pension age rules.
  2. Confirm the applicant genuinely has no spouse or de facto partner.
  3. Build a month-by-month record of at least 3 years of support for food, housing and clothing.
  4. Confirm the sponsor's qualifying relationship, settled status and willingness to complete Form 40.
  5. Compare Subclass 114 and 838 application-location rules, including any No Further Stay condition.
  6. Review the current Other Family queue before making plans based on a grant.
  7. Do not arrange an Assurance of Support or police checks prematurely; follow Home Affairs' request and current instructions.
Compare your options

Other routes in Australia.

Sources