Can my elderly parent get Australian PR through Subclass 114 in 2026?
Yes — but only if your parent is single, financially dependent on you for basic needs, old enough to qualify for the Australian Age Pension, and applies from outside Australia with an approved sponsor behind them. Those are the criteria published on the Department of Home Affairs official page for the Aged Dependent Relative visa (Subclass 114), which reflects the page as of August 2026, with the visa criteria also set out in the Migration Regulations 1994. This article is general information only, not personalised advice for your family's situation, so confirm anything that affects your parent against the official pages or a registered professional before you commit to a plan.
The hard part is rarely the paperwork. It is that Subclass 114 sits in the "Other Family" stream, where demand exceeds the places available each year, so applications are capped and queued.
What does Subclass 114 actually give your parent?
It is a permanent visa. On the Department's official page, holders can stay in Australia indefinitely, work and study, enrol in Medicare, sponsor relatives to come to Australia, attend free English classes through the Adult Migrant English Program if eligible, and later apply for Australian citizenship if eligible.
Travel works differently from residence. The visa carries five years of travel validity from the date it is granted. After that, your parent needs a Resident Return visa (subclasses 155/157) to re-enter as a permanent resident, or Australian citizenship, which removes the visa requirement entirely. VEVO shows when travel validity ends.
One timing detail worth planning around: the grant letter specifies a first entry date, generally set at 12 months from the date of grant, and your parent must enter Australia before that date.
Is your parent old enough? The test is not a fixed birthday
The official criterion is not "65". It is that your parent must be old enough to receive the Age Pension in Australia, a qualifying age set by the Department of Social Services and tied to date of birth. The operative figure is whatever the Age Pension age is at the time, so check the current published age rather than assuming 65 or 67.
This matters because the test is applied at application and again at decision. A parent who is close to the threshold but under it does not become eligible by the time the file is opened.
What does "dependent" mean here, and how long does it have to last?
Your parent must have been dependent on the Australian relative for basic needs — food, shelter and clothing — for at least three years before applying. Dependence can also arise from a disability that prevents your parent from working.
Departmental guidance describes decision makers looking at the pattern rather than a single document: financial records, remittance history, living arrangements, and your parent's own income sources across the three-year window. The practical reading is that regular, identifiable support for essentials carries more weight than occasional transfers, and a parent with income sufficient to support themselves does not meet the test.
Assume an applicant who owns a rental property and draws a pension that covers their living costs. Even if an Australian child sends money every month, the dependence test is unlikely to be met, because the published test is dependence for basic needs rather than a supplementary top-up.
Does your parent have to be single?
Yes. The published eligibility criteria state that you must have no partner. This is one of the most common hard stops: a widowed, divorced or never-married parent can fit, while a parent in a married or de facto relationship does not, because the requirement attaches to having a partner at all.
Where the line falls in cases of separation or estrangement depends on the definitions of spouse and de facto partner in the Migration Act and Migration Regulations 1994, not on how the family describes the relationship.
Can you be the sponsor?
Your parent must be sponsored by an eligible relative or that relative's partner, and the Department must approve the sponsorship. Under clause 114.212, the sponsor is an Australian relative who is at least 18 and a settled Australian citizen, settled permanent resident, or settled eligible New Zealand citizen — or the spouse or de facto partner of that relative, provided they live with the relative, are themselves settled and 18 or over.
"Settled" has its own definition in the regulations; guidance generally treats it as around two years of lawful residence in Australia, so a sponsor who has only just received permanent residency may not yet qualify. Departmental guidance also flags sponsorship limitations in specific circumstances, including where a sponsor previously held certain visas backed by a state or territory welfare agency. Treat these guidance-level points as indicative and verify against current published rules.
What is an assurance of support, and who carries it?
An assurance of support is a commitment that your parent will not need to rely on government assistance after arriving. It covers your parent and any family members who come to Australia on the visa. The Department tells you when to provide it during processing.
Guidance commonly refers to a bond set by Centrelink — often cited as around AUD 5,000 for the main applicant and around AUD 2,000 per additional adult family member, running for roughly two years — but bond amounts and assessment rules change, so rely on the current published figure. There is no fixed income threshold in the guidance; the sponsor needs to show a credible capacity to support the applicant's basic needs.
Which other gates can stop an otherwise eligible application?
Several apply to your parent and to family members who apply with them:
- Health. Everyone applying must meet the health requirement. The relevant public interest criterion (PIC 4005) concerns whether someone's condition would impose a significant cost on Australian health or community services.
- Character. Police certificates and character checks apply to migrating family members, and the Department can also ask non-migrating family members to meet the requirement.
- Debts to the Australian Government. Any money owed must be repaid, or be subject to an approved repayment arrangement.
- Immigration history. A cancelled visa or a previously refused application can make your parent ineligible, subject to the limits set out in the official material on limitations on applications.
- Best interests of the child. The visa will not be granted where doing so would not be in the best interests of an applicant under 18.
Where does the application have to be lodged, and how long does it take?
Your parent — and every applicant — must be outside Australia both when applying and when the Department decides the application. Applying from inside Australia is not an option for this visa.
On timing, the official page is direct: demand for Other Family visas exceeds the places available each year, processing can be lengthy, and applications are subject to capping and queueing. The Department publishes a processing time guide tool showing recently decided applications; it is a guide only. Applications also run longer when forms are incomplete, documents are missing, or information takes longer to verify.
What does it cost?
The visa is paid in two instalments: the first when you apply, the second when the Department asks for it. There is also an additional charge for each family member who applies with you, and separate costs for health checks, police certificates and biometrics. The Department's Visa Pricing Estimator shows the cost for your circumstances, but it does not include the second instalment or those other costs.
No base amount should be assumed; the charge is published on the official page and in the estimator, and it changes. From 1 July 2026, a lower visa application charge applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application, based on the passport of the primary applicant.
Can other family members be included?
Yes, but the definition is narrow. For this visa, family members are your parent's dependent child and stepchild. You can include them when you apply, and add them any time before a decision is made — but you must list all family members in the application form whether they are migrating or not.
Family members migrating with your parent must meet the health and character requirements, and non-migrating family members may also have to meet the health requirement.
When is Subclass 114 the wrong path?
If your parent has a partner, supports themselves financially, is under the Age Pension age, or you cannot yet sponsor them, this visa's published criteria will not be met — no amount of documentation changes that. Other family-stream options exist with their own criteria, costs and queues, and the "Other Family" cap applies broadly, so any route through this stream should be planned around long timeframes rather than a move next year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my parent apply if they are separated but not divorced?
The published criterion is that the applicant must have no partner. Whether a separated relationship still counts depends on the definitions of spouse and de facto partner in the Migration Act and Migration Regulations 1994, so check the current definitions and the official criteria before assuming either way.
Does my parent have to live with me in Australia to count as dependent?
No. The test is dependence on the Australian relative for basic needs — food, shelter and clothing — for at least three years before applying. Guidance looks at financial records, living arrangements and income sources across that period, so documented regular support can exist without shared residence.
Who can sponsor a Subclass 114 application?
The sponsor must be an eligible Australian relative who is at least 18 and a settled Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, or that relative's spouse or de facto partner who lives with them, is settled and is 18 or over. The Department must approve the sponsorship.
Can my parent work and use Medicare after the visa is granted?
Yes. The visa allows the holder to stay in Australia indefinitely, work and study, and enrol in Medicare, among other things. It is a permanent visa, and the holder can apply for Australian citizenship later if eligible.
How long can my parent travel in and out of Australia?
Travel is unlimited for five years from the date the visa is granted. After that travel validity expires, re-entering as a permanent resident requires a Resident Return visa (subclasses 155/157), unless your parent becomes an Australian citizen and travels on an Australian passport.
Can my parent's other adult children be included in the application?
Family members for this visa are limited to dependent children and stepchildren. All family members must be listed in the application whether they migrate or not, migrating family members must meet health and character requirements, and an additional charge applies to each family member who applies.