Subclass 884 Health Exams and Police Certificates: Evidence Guide 2026

For a Subclass 884 Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) application, the rule on both pieces of evidence is the same: wait until you are asked. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' official Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 884) page, as of the August 2026 version of that page, the Department tells you when you need to complete health examinations, and it separately instructs applicants not to arrange a police check until asked. Booking either item early costs money, produces a document that may expire before anyone assesses it, and does not move your place in the queue.

When does the Department ask for health examinations?

Health examinations sit in the "after you apply" stage, not in the document-gathering stage. The official step-by-step page lists health exams only after lodgement: "We will let you know when you need to complete health examinations." Biometrics work the same way — the Department says it may ask for fingerprints and photos, and will tell you if it needs them.

The page does not attach a fixed deadline or a fixed number of days to that request. That matters here, because Subclass 884 applications are subject to capping and queueing and are processed in the order received. The page describes assessment in two stages: an initial assessment to decide whether to add the application to the queue or refuse it, and a final assessment released as places become available. The interval between lodging and being asked for exams is therefore not something you control, and it is not something you can shorten by front-loading evidence.

Why should you not arrange a police check before you are asked?

The document checklist is explicit. Under character documents, the official page states that the Department might ask for character documents, including police certificates, and that you should not arrange a police check until asked.

This instruction sits next to a list that otherwise looks like a normal document pack: partner documents include character documents, dependants aged 18 or over require character documents, and dependants under 18 require character documents if applicable. Knowing which category you fall into is not the same as ordering the certificate. The trigger is the request, not the lodgement date.

One narrow exception runs the other way: on a paper application, the Department tells you not to send original documents except police certificates, and to send certified copies of everything else. So the certificate you eventually receive is the one item you post in original form.

Who has to be examined and cleared?

Three groups are in scope, and the third one surprises most applicants.

You, as the primary applicant, must meet the health requirement and the character requirement.
Family members who apply with you must meet both requirements.
Non-migrating family members may also be asked to meet them. The official page says the Department "might also ask" that other non-migrating family members meet the health and character requirements.

The application form must include details of all family members even if they are not migrating, and each family member aged 18 or over must complete Form 47A (Details of a child or other dependent family member aged 18 years or over) even if they are not migrating. For dependants aged 18 or over who are applying with you, the checklist adds proof of dependency: a completed Form 47A plus evidence of financial dependency for at least the 12 months before you apply.

Which public interest criteria sit behind "health" and "character"?

The Department's visa page uses the plain labels "health requirement" and "character requirement" and links them to its general health and character guidance. The criteria themselves are set by the Migration Regulations 1994.

Part 884 of Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994 sets out that at the time of decision, a primary applicant who is not the holder of a substituted Subclass 600 visa must satisfy public interest criteria 4001 to 4005, 4009, 4010, 4020 and 4021, plus 4019 if aged 18 or over. Character maps to PIC 4001; health maps to PIC 4005, with PIC 4007 applied instead where the applicant holds a substituted Subclass 600 visa. Secondary applicants under 18 are also covered by criteria 4017 and 4018. Whether a health waiver is available in a given case depends on which criterion is applied, and that should be confirmed against current official guidance rather than assumed.

What does this evidence cost, and when is it paid?

The cost splits into the visa application charge and separate per-applicant costs.

The official page states the visa costs from AUD 35,430 for a single applicant, with additional charges for each family member who applies with you and concessions in limited circumstances. It is paid in two instalments: the first when you apply, the second when the Department sends an invoice. If you do not pay that second invoice, the application will be refused.

On top of that, the page notes you might need to pay other costs for each applicant for health checks, police certificates and biometrics, and refers to Fees and charges for other services. That is a separate schedule from the visa application charge, so the exam and certificate bills arrive on their own timing, generally when the exams and certificates are actually arranged.

What evidence mistakes lead to refusal?

The failure modes here are procedural more often than medical or criminal.

Identity. If you cannot prove your identity, the Department will refuse the application, may not grant you another visa for 10 years, and may not grant visas to family members listed on your application for 10 years. The checklist asks for the passport pages showing photo, personal details and issue and expiry dates, plus a national identity card if you have one and proof of any change of name.

Inaccurate or false information. PIC 4020 — false or misleading information or bogus documents — is one of the public interest criteria set out for this visa, and failing it is a ground for refusal. The Department's own page links to separate guidance on providing accurate information.

An incomplete application. If any lodgement step is incomplete, the application may be invalid, and the Department does not process invalid applications; it will notify you and, if requested, return the application.

Slow or missing verification. The Department states processing can take longer if the application is not completed correctly, if documents are missing or more information is needed, or if information takes a long time to verify.

If the application is refused, the fee is not refunded. The written decision tells you why the visa was refused and whether you have a right to a review of the decision. This article describes published requirements in general terms and is not advice about any individual application — the current official wording, and any professional advice you choose to rely on, should govern your own circumstances.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a health exam before lodging a Subclass 884 application?

No. The Department's official page places health examinations after you apply and states it will let you know when you need to complete them. There is no pre-lodgement health examination step in the published checklist.

Can I obtain a police certificate early just to have it ready?

The official instruction is not to arrange a police check until the Department asks you to. A certificate obtained early may no longer be current when a decision-maker assesses the application, and you would likely have to obtain another one.

Do family members who are not migrating need health exams or police certificates?

They may. The Department's page says you and family members applying with you must meet the health and character requirements, and that it might also ask non-migrating family members to meet them. Their details still belong on the application form, and each family member aged 18 or over completes Form 47A even if not migrating.

Should I send original documents with my paper application?

Only police certificates. The Department tells applicants not to send original documents with a paper application, with police certificates as the stated exception; everything else should be a certified copy.

How much do health checks and police certificates cost for Subclass 884?

The Department does not fold them into the visa charge. It states the visa costs from AUD 35,430 for a single applicant and that you may also need to pay other costs for each applicant for health checks, police certificates and biometrics, with amounts set out in the fees and charges for other services.

What happens if my health or character evidence fails?

A failure to meet the health or character requirement is a refusal ground for this visa. The Department's decision will state why the visa was refused and whether you have a right to review the decision, and the application fee is not refunded on refusal.