Subclass 884 Refusal Review: Procedure, Deadlines and Agent Help 2026

A refused Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 884) can be taken to review, the window is short, and only three categories of people may lawfully give you immigration assistance for money. On its official page for the Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 884), as at the August 2026 version, the Australian Department of Home Affairs states that if it refuses your application it will tell you why it refused the visa and whether you have a right to a review of the decision. The Subclass 884 provisions of the Migration Regulations 1994 record the review route as the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT), give the usual timeframe as 21 days from receiving the refusal notice, and note that a bridging visa may be applied for while the review is on foot. Review bodies and statutory time limits are matters of law that change over time, so confirm the current tribunal and the exact deadline against the official pages and against your own refusal letter before you rely on any figure.

What does a Subclass 884 refusal letter actually tell you?

The letter does two jobs. It sets out the department's reasons, and it tells you whether the decision carries a right to review.

That second point is conditional in the department's own wording — it tells you if you have a right to a review — so the letter, rather than any general rule, determines whether your case can go to a tribunal at all. Read it on the day it arrives.

The same official page adds that the department will not refund the application fee if it refuses your application. A review is a separate process from the original application and does not undo that.

Who reviews a Subclass 884 refusal, and how long do you have?

Under the Subclass 884 provisions, a refusal decision may be reviewed by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, and the timeframe given is 21 days from when you receive the refusal notice. The count runs from receipt, not from the date printed on the decision.

Because review bodies and time limits are legislative matters that can be amended, treat the 21 days as the figure to verify, not to assume. The official Home Affairs pages and your refusal notice are the controlling references.

What is the review procedure, step by step?

Read the refusal letter the day it arrives. Note the date you received it. Count the review deadline from that date. Check whether the letter says you have a right to review. Lodge the review application with the tribunal named in the letter. Keep your immigration status lawful while the review runs. Record who is acting for you on the department's appointment form. Keep a copy of everything you send and receive.

Can you stay in Australia while the review is on foot?

The Subclass 884 provisions state that a bridging visa may be applied for during the review period. Separately, the official Home Affairs page says that applying for the 884 visa in Australia will likely result in a bridging visa being granted, and that this visa starts if your current visa expires before a decision is made.

Two cautions come from the same page. Do not cancel your current visa, because doing so may leave you unlawful and may remove eligibility for a bridging visa. And you must be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when the department makes its decision — so if you travel, you need a valid visa to return.

Who can charge you for help with a review?

The official Home Affairs page is explicit: only some people can help with your application. If you appoint someone to give you immigration assistance, they must be a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person.

Anyone at all can be appointed to receive documents on your behalf. Receiving correspondence is not the same as giving immigration assistance, and the two are recorded on different forms.

Role	May give immigration assistance for a fee	How the appointment is recorded
Registered migration agent	Yes	Form 956
Legal practitioner	Yes	Form 956
Exempt person	Yes	Form 956
Friend or relative	No — may receive documents only	Form 956A

The same form is used to end the arrangement: Form 956 withdraws an appointment for immigration assistance, and Form 956A withdraws an authorised recipient.

What should you check before you pay anyone?

Ask which of the three categories the person relies on, and check that registration or practising status against the current official record. If the answer is none of the three, they cannot lawfully give you immigration assistance, whatever they call themselves.

Get the scope of the work and the cost in writing before money changes hands, and make sure the appointment is recorded on Form 956 so the department knows who is acting. This article is general information about how the process works and is not advice about your circumstances; someone in one of the three categories above is the type of person who can lawfully look at your own papers and advise you on them.

What usually sits behind a Subclass 884 refusal?

The reasons listed in the Subclass 884 provisions and on the official page are narrow and documentary. They include failing the balance of family test (884.213), failing the sponsor requirement (884.212), public interest criterion 4020 on false or misleading information, and an earlier Parent visa application that was not withdrawn.

The official page adds two mechanical refusal triggers. If you cannot prove your identity, the department will refuse the application and may not grant you or listed family members another visa for 10 years. If you do not pay the second instalment invoice, the department will refuse the application.

A merits review tests the decision the department actually made. It is not a second chance to lodge a better 884 application.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have to apply for a review of a Subclass 884 refusal?

The Subclass 884 provisions give the usual timeframe as 21 days from the date you receive the refusal notice, not from the date on the letter. Confirm the current figure on the official Home Affairs pages and in your refusal notice, because statutory deadlines can change.

Will I get my visa application fee back if the review succeeds?

The official Home Affairs page states that the department will not refund the application fee if it refuses your application. A review deals with the decision, and any fee treatment for the review itself is set out by the tribunal and the official pages.

Can I stay in Australia while the review is pending?

A bridging visa may be applied for during the review period under the Subclass 884 provisions, and the official page says a bridging visa will likely be granted when you apply for the 884 in Australia. Do not cancel your current visa, and remember you must be in Australia when the decision is made.

Can my son or daughter handle the review for me?

They can be appointed to receive documents on your behalf using Form 956A. They cannot give immigration assistance for a fee unless they are a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person, and that appointment goes on Form 956.

What if the 21 days have already passed?

Statutory review deadlines are strict, and this article cannot tell you what remains available once one has passed. Check the official pages and the tribunal's own materials for what, if anything, can still be done in your situation.

Why was my 884 application refused in the first place?

Common grounds drawn from the Subclass 884 provisions and the official page include the balance of family test, the sponsor requirement, public interest criterion 4020, and unproven identity. Two purely mechanical triggers are non-payment of the second instalment and a failure to withdraw an earlier Parent visa application.