Subclass 864 in 2026: Withdrawing Earlier Applications and Accurate Information Duties

Yes — if you have applied for a different Parent visa and the Department of Home Affairs has not yet made a decision on it, you must withdraw that application when you apply for the Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864), and the official page states you can do this as part of your new application. This is taken from the Department of Home Affairs Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864) official page, checked as at 13 July 2026. The article below is general reference material rather than advice on your own circumstances, so anything that turns on your particular history should be checked against that page or with a registered migration agent or legal practitioner.

Do I have to withdraw an earlier Parent visa application?

The withdrawal requirement is written as a step you complete before you apply, not as an option. Under the "if you have an existing Parent visa application" heading, the Department says that if you have applied for a different Parent visa and no decision has been made, you must withdraw it when you apply for subclass 864, and that this can be done as part of the new application.

The consequence therefore attaches at lodgement time, not at some later review. Assume an applicant lodged a subclass 143 application some years ago and it is still queued: on the wording of the page, that applicant carries an undecided application for a different Parent visa, and stepping into a subclass 864 application triggers the withdrawal step. The page sets out no exceptions to this requirement, apart from the separate rules that apply to the subclass 884 two-stage pathway and the subclass 870 bar discussed below.

Is a subclass 870 application the same problem?

No, and the distinction matters because the two rules lead to different outcomes. Holding or having applied for a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) is listed as a bar: you cannot apply for subclass 864 at all in that situation. That is different from the withdrawal requirement, which applies to an undecided application for another Parent visa and which you clear by withdrawing.

A third situation sits alongside both. If you hold, or very recently held, a Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884), you may be eligible for the permanent subclass 864 stage, and you will not need to provide some documents that are otherwise required.

What you already have	How the subclass 864 page treats it
Undecided application for a different Parent visa	Withdraw it when you apply for 864; can be done as part of the new application
Applied for or hold Subclass 870	You cannot apply for subclass 864
Hold or recently held Subclass 884	May use the second-stage permanent pathway; some documents are not required, but changes since the 884 grant must be evidenced

What else has to be accurate besides the old application?

The same page places a general "provide accurate information" duty on applicants and states there are consequences if you do not give accurate or complete information, pointing to the Department's providing accurate information material. The clearest example given on the page is identity. If you cannot prove your identity, the Department says it will refuse the application, it might not grant you another visa for 10 years, and it might not grant any family members listed on the application a visa for 10 years.

Identity evidence covers the photo, personal details and issue and expiry pages of your current passport, plus a national identity card if you have one and proof of a change of name if applicable. Change-of-name evidence can include a marriage or divorce certificate, registry change-of-name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages or the relevant overseas authority, and documents showing other names you have been known by.

Payment accuracy matters on the same logic. The page states that it can only process an application if you pay the correct visa application charge, that it will notify you if you have not paid the correct amount, and that it will return the application if necessary. The visa is paid in two instalments: the first when you apply and the second when the Department asks; if the second instalment invoice is not paid, the application will be refused.

Who is allowed to help me, and how do I appoint them?

Only some people may lawfully give immigration assistance. The page limits this to a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person, and it is worth checking that status yourself rather than relying on a title someone uses in advertising. Anyone at all may be appointed to receive documents on your behalf; that is a separate, narrower role.

Role	Who can do it	Form used
Give immigration assistance	Registered migration agent, legal practitioner, or exempt person	Form 956
Receive correspondence	Anyone you appoint	Form 956A
End either appointment	Same form as used to appoint	Form 956 or Form 956A

The page also treats ImmiAccount security as part of your own responsibility: it asks you to give your own contact details when you apply so it can contact you even if you have nominated your sponsor's email, appointed an authorised recipient, or appointed someone to give immigration assistance, and it warns you not to share your email account, passwords or ImmiAccount with anyone.

What happens if I make a mistake after lodging?

Tell the Department as soon as you can. The page directs applicants to Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers, which can be uploaded in ImmiAccount if you lodged online or imported the application, or sent using the Parent visa processing centre form. It is better to correct a wrong answer proactively than to leave it in the record.

Separately, you must keep certain ongoing details current: changes to your phone number, email, address, passport, relationship status and family composition, including the birth of a child. The page also says you should tell the Department if you want to withdraw your application. Post-lodgement changes to family membership are handled differently again — adding a person uses Form 1436.

What do I need to hold steady while the application is queued?

Parent visa places are capped and queued, and the page warns that arranging to stay permanently before the visa is granted is premature. Three operational points follow directly from the page:

Stay lawful by holding a valid visa while the application is processed.
Do not cancel your current visa, because cancelling may leave you unlawful and may remove eligibility for a bridging visa.
Be in Australia, and not in immigration clearance, when you lodge and when the decision is made; if you apply as a retiree you must still be in Australia when you lodge, although you can be in or outside Australia when the decision is made.

If your current visa expires before a decision, the bridging visa that the Department says it is likely to grant when you apply in Australia will start, allowing you to remain lawfully while the subclass 864 application is processed. Tell the Department if you intend to travel outside Australia during processing, since you must be in Australia for the decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to withdraw my old parent visa application for 864?

Yes, if it is an application for a different Parent visa and the Department has not made a decision on it. The official page states that you must withdraw it when you apply for subclass 864, and that you can do so as part of the new application.

Can I withdraw the old application after I have lodged subclass 864?

The page presents withdrawal as something you do when you apply, rather than later. It also states that applicants should tell the Department if they want to withdraw an application, so any withdrawal outside the lodgement step is covered by the general change-of-circumstances duty.

What difference does a subclass 870 application make?

A subclass 870 application or visa is not a withdrawal case — it is a bar. The eligibility material states you cannot apply for subclass 864 if you have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870).

Which form corrects a wrong answer on my application?

Use Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers. Upload it through ImmiAccount if you lodged online or imported the application, or send it using the Parent visa processing centre form.

Can anyone charge me for help with my application?

Only certain people may give immigration assistance: a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person, appointed on Form 956. Anyone may be appointed purely to receive documents, using Form 956A.

Do I get the application fee back if the visa is refused?

No. The page states plainly that the application fee will not be refunded if the application is refused, and refusal also follows if the second instalment invoice is not paid.