Can I apply for Subclass 114 online in 2026 or is it paper only?

Plain-language guide · general information, not immigration advice

Subclass 114 is paper only. There is no online lodgement form for the Aged Dependent Relative visa (Subclass 114), and you cannot hand the application in at an office: the Department of Home Affairs' official page for the Aged Dependent Relative visa (Subclass 114) asks you to complete Form 47OF, pay the first instalment through the online payment function in ImmiAccount, and then post or courier the whole package to the Parent, Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth. This reflects the department's published step-by-step guide as of August 2026; it is general information rather than advice on your own circumstances, so check the current official page or a registered migration professional before you act.

So is it paper, online, or both?

Both — but not in the way most people expect. The application is paper; the payment and the post-lodgement management happen online.

The paper part covers Form 47OF (Application for migration to Australia by other family members), the sponsor's Form 40 (Sponsorship for migration to Australia), and every supporting document. The form must be completed in English, and you must be outside Australia both when you apply and when the department decides the application.

The online part sits at either end of that paper step: you pay before you post, and once the department has received your package and sent an acknowledgement letter, you can import the application into ImmiAccount to manage it.

What do I actually fill in and send?

Two forms sit at the core of the package:

Form 47OF — completed by you, the applicant.
Form 40 — completed by your sponsor, who must be aged 18 or over, settled in Australia, and an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen.

Alongside them you send identity documents (including the pages of your current passport showing your photo, personal details, and issue and expiry dates), evidence of your relationship to the sponsor, and evidence that you depend on that relative for basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing, plus how long that support has been provided. Police certificates should not be arranged until the department asks.

Send certified copies only, never originals, and keep a full copy of the completed application and supporting documents for your own records.

How do I pay if I can't lodge online?

You pay through ImmiAccount even though you don't lodge there. The department's instructions are specific:

You cannot pay in person.
You pay the first instalment before the application is submitted, using the online portal payment function in ImmiAccount.
You include evidence that the application has been paid for inside the paper package.

The visa is paid in two instalments. The second instalment is not paid at lodgement: the department sends an invoice after you have met all other requirements, and the visa cannot be granted until it is paid. The Visa Pricing Estimator on the department's site shows the first instalment only — it does not factor in the second instalment or other costs such as health checks, police certificates or biometrics. No specific amount is listed on the official page, so treat any figure you see elsewhere as something to confirm against current official charges.

Where does the package go, and what makes it invalid?

You cannot submit in person. Post or courier the application, with all required documents and forms, to the Parent, Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth, using the address printed on the form.

An incomplete package carries a hard consequence: if any of the lodgement steps are not completed, the application may be treated as invalid. The department does not process invalid applications; it notifies you, and if requested, returns the application. That is why the payment evidence and the certified-copy rule matter as much as the forms themselves.

After posting: how do I get the paper application into ImmiAccount?

Once you or someone else has submitted the paper application, you can import it into ImmiAccount after you receive your acknowledgement letter. Log in or create an account, then import using three pieces of information:

your application ID,
your date of birth,
your identity document number (passport, ImmiCard or Titre de Voyage number).

Importing is what turns a posted envelope into something you can follow. You can import new and existing applications for this visa made in Australia, and existing applications made outside Australia on or after 25 June 2020.

What can I do in ImmiAccount once it's imported?

Importing gives you access to online services for that application:

attach supporting documents,
view messages from the department,
update your details,
view your application status,
apply for a Bridging Visa,
withdraw the application.

This matters more than it sounds, because the department states it cannot give progress updates within normal processing times — it contacts you only if something further is needed. ImmiAccount is therefore your main window into the file. Other Family visa applications are also subject to capping and queueing, and demand exceeds the places available each year, so the processing time guide tool should be read as a guide for recently decided applications, not a promise about yours.

What if I can't use ImmiAccount, or I lodged before 25 June 2020?

There is a fallback. If you cannot use ImmiAccount, or the application was lodged outside Australia before 25 June 2020, additional documents are sent by attaching them to a completed Other Family Visa Processing Centre online form. The same route applies to later paperwork such as Form 1023 (Notification of incorrect answers) or changes to who may receive correspondence or give immigration assistance — upload them in ImmiAccount where possible, and use the centre's online form where you can't.

Two things still arrive outside ImmiAccount: the invoice for the second instalment, and the written decision. You must be outside Australia when the decision is made, and you should not arrange travel to Australia until the department tells you in writing that the visa has been granted. The department may also ask for health examinations, biometrics, or an assurance of support as the case progresses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Subclass 114 application online or on paper in 2026?

It is on paper. You complete Form 47OF and have your sponsor complete Form 40, then post or courier the package to the Parent, Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth; you cannot submit it in person.

Do I still need an ImmiAccount if the application is paper?

Yes, for two separate jobs. You use ImmiAccount's online payment function to pay the first instalment before you post the application, and after the acknowledgement letter arrives you import the application to manage documents, messages and status online.

Can I pay the visa application charge in person?

No. The department states you cannot pay in person and must pay the first instalment using the online portal payment function in ImmiAccount, then include evidence of payment with your paper application.

When can I import my paper application into ImmiAccount?

After you receive your acknowledgement letter. You import it using your application ID, date of birth, and identity document number — a passport, ImmiCard or Titre de Voyage number.

Can applications lodged outside Australia before 25 June 2020 be imported?

No — the department limits import to applications made outside Australia on or after 25 June 2020. Older offshore applications use the Other Family Visa Processing Centre online form to send further documents instead.

What happens if my paper application is incomplete?

It may be treated as invalid, and the department does not process invalid applications. You will be notified, and if you request it, your application will be returned to you.

Should I send original documents with my application?

No. Send certified copies only and keep a copy of the completed application and all supporting documents for your own records.