Aged Dependent Relative visa (subclass 114 and 838): dependency, age and sponsor rules

The Aged Dependent Relative visa pairs offshore subclass 114 with onshore subclass 838; subclass 114 requires age-pension age, no partner and at least 3 years’ dependency on a relative in Australia for basic needs. See the Home Affairs subclass 114 requirements.

For the broader category, see relatives who can be sponsored. Check the dependency history, sponsor relationship and application location before lodging.

Subclass 114 — offshore	Subclass 838 — onshore
All applicants must be outside Australia when applying.	The applicant must be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when applying.
All applicants must be outside Australia when Home Affairs decides the application.	The applicant must be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when Home Affairs decides the application.

The subclass 838 location rules appear in the Home Affairs subclass 838 requirements.

Queue estimate: Home Affairs estimates 26 years for a new Aged Dependent Relative application. The queue figures are as at 31 August 2026, on the Other Family processing page updated 6 October 2026; this is not an individual decision date.

Who can apply

Subclass 114 eligibility includes these three applicant requirements:

Pension-age eligibility: the applicant must be old enough to receive the age pension in Australia.
No partner: the applicant must have no partner.
Dependency: the applicant must have depended on the relative in Australia for basic needs for at least 3 years before applying.

These applicant requirements are separate from the sponsor’s eligibility. Being older does not replace the dependency requirement.

What dependency means

Dependency for subclass 114 means depending on the relative in Australia for basic needs, such as food, shelter and clothing, for at least 3 years before applying.

Dependency element	What the subclass 114 rule covers
Support period	At least 3 years before the application
Basic needs	Food, shelter and clothing
Disability	Dependency can arise from a disability that prevents the applicant from working

The test concerns support for basic needs over the required period, rather than age alone. Disability can explain dependency, but the published rule still requires the dependency history.

An eligible relative or that relative’s partner can sponsor a subclass 114 applicant. The sponsor rules and applicant rules address different people and should be checked separately.

Role	Subclass 114 requirement or responsibility
Applicant	Meets the pension-age, no-partner and dependency requirements
Sponsor or sponsor’s partner	Must be settled in Australia, aged 18 or older, and an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen
Sponsor	Can sponsor more than one relative
Sponsor’s obligations	Last for 2 years from the applicant’s first entry to Australia on the visa

The guide to sponsorship of family members to Australia explains the broader sponsorship topic.

Assurance of Support

An Assurance of Support is a legal commitment to repay the Australian Government welfare payments made to the visa holder or accompanying family members. It is a repayment commitment, distinct from sponsorship.

After a visa application, Home Affairs decides whether the visa category needs an Assurance of Support and issues a request letter if required. An individual assurer must be at least 18, an Australian resident, and able to provide proof of income for the current and previous financial year.

Read about assurance of support for a family visa for the separate commitment. Once Home Affairs grants the visa, the Assurance of Support cannot be cancelled.

114 or 838

Subclass 114 is the offshore route; subclass 838 is the onshore route. Location matters both when applying and when Home Affairs decides the application.

Location or condition	Subclass 114	Subclass 838
At application	All applicants outside Australia	Applicant in Australia, not in immigration clearance
At decision	All applicants outside Australia	Applicant in Australia, not in immigration clearance
No further stay condition	Not a listed bar	Applicant must not have this condition

Queue: released up to 30 June 2013

Aged Dependent Relative applications with queue dates up to 30 June 2013 had been released for final processing as at 31 August 2026.

Published measure	Dated position
Queue release cut-off	Queue dates up to 30 June 2013
Release position date	31 August 2026
Source page update	6 October 2026
Estimated processing time for a new application	26 years

Home Affairs assesses Other Family applications in lodgement-date order. Release for final processing is not a grant, and neither the cut-off nor the estimate identifies an individual decision date.

Aged Dependent Relative or Aged Parent?

Age alone does not select the visa: subclass 114 also has dependency and no-partner requirements.

Requirement	Aged Dependent Relative subclass 114	Aged Parent subclass 804
Pension-age eligibility	Required	Required
Additional subclass 114 tests	No partner and at least 3 years’ dependency for basic needs	These are subclass 114 requirements, not a statement of subclass 804 eligibility

Home Affairs confirms the pension-age requirement on its Aged Parent subclass 804 page.

For related terminology and routes, see the family unit definition and Remaining Relative visa (subclass 835). The Remaining Relative route is also included in the Other Family queue.

Before you lodge

Compare family visa types before choosing a route.

An application prepared by an Australian migration lawyer is more likely to succeed because the dependency period, sponsor eligibility and application-location requirements can be addressed together before lodgement. Enquiries from this site go to Australian Migration Lawyers.

Questions about a family visa application go to an Australian migration lawyer.

Ask an Australian migration lawyer