How Much Does the Resolution of Status Visa (851) Cost in 2026?
The Resolution of Status (851) visa carries no visa application charge — here is what the official page says, and what else may involve cost.
There is no visa application charge for the Resolution of Status (RoS) visa (subclass 851). The Department of Home Affairs says so in two places on its Resolution of Status (Subclass 851) official page: the Cost section reads "There is no cost", and Step 1 of the application steps states that there is no visa application charge for the RoS visa. As at August 2026, that remains the position published on the official page.
This article is general information about how the published rules work rather than advice tailored to any one person's circumstances; where your own situation turns on dates, identity documents or visa expiry, the official page and any practitioner you choose to engage are the reference points that matter.
What does "no cost" actually cover?
It covers the act of applying. Whether your case reaches the Department through an automatic conversion or through an application you lodge yourself in ImmiAccount, the visa application itself attracts no government charge. Nothing in the published steps requires a payment at any point: not to open the form, not to attach documents, not to receive a decision.
The boundary matters because the free element is narrow and specific. It is the visa application charge, and it says nothing about what other parties may charge you, or about costs that arise because the Department asks you for something after you lodge.
| Item | What the official page says |
|---|---|
| RoS visa application charge | No visa application charge; the Cost section states "There is no cost" |
| Faster or priority processing | The Department does not charge a fee to fast-track a visa; an offer of this service is a scam |
| Health examinations | May be required; may be waived if health requirements were already satisfied for the TPV or SHEV |
| Police certificates | Only if the Department asks; do not arrange them until asked |
| Immigration assistance | Only registered migration agents and legal practitioners may charge for immigration assistance |
| Specialist legal help for RoS applicants | Free legal assistance is available through state and territory providers listed by the Department |
Do you have to apply at all, and is there anything to pay either way?
It depends on your history with the Temporary Protection visa (TPV) or Safe Haven Enterprise visa (SHEV). If you applied for an initial TPV or SHEV before 14 February 2023, including a subsequent application, you do not need to apply for a RoS visa; the Department converts your application and notifies you if a RoS visa is granted. Conversion is an internal step, so the no-charge rule covers it without you doing anything.
Current TPV and SHEV holders who had not submitted a subsequent application before 14 February 2023 do need to apply, online via ImmiAccount, and must do so before their current visa ceases to remain lawful. There is no fee attached to that application either, but the timing condition is strict: lodging a valid application is also what extends your TPV or SHEV until a decision is made. If your TPV or SHEV expired before 14 February 2023 and you are currently an unlawful non-citizen, an application for a RoS visa is also an application for a bridging visa.
One further condition applies regardless of which path you are on: you must be in Australia when you apply, and if you are overseas when the visa is ready to be granted, the official page says you will be contacted and asked to return within 28 days.
What can cost money after you lodge?
Two things sit outside the visa application charge and are worth understanding as boundaries rather than as bills the Department issues.
Health examinations. The Department may require you to undergo health examinations, and it may waive the health requirement if you have already satisfied it for the grant of a TPV or SHEV. The official page does not set a fee for these; any charge belongs to the arrangement you make to be examined, not to the visa application. Whether you are asked at all is a decision the Department makes case by case.
Police certificates. If requested, you must be prepared to provide a police certificate from each country you have lived in for 12 months or more during the past 10 years after turning 16 — unless you already provided this with your TPV or SHEV application. The instruction on the official page is explicit: do not arrange for police certificates until you are asked. Paying for documents nobody has requested is a common way RoS applicants spend money unnecessarily.
Identity documents sit in a similar category. Where the Department invites you to provide further information about your identity, you must provide original and translated documents of your identity, nationality and citizenship. No charge for supplying these is set by the Department, and the claims and documents you already gave with a previous TPV or SHEV application do not need to be provided again.
Can an agent or a lawyer charge you for help?
Yes, but only certain people. Under the published rules, if you appoint someone to give you immigration assistance they must be a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person. Only registered migration agents and legal practitioners can charge for immigration assistance, and the Department advises checking that an agent is registered with the Office of Migration Agents Regulatory Authority (OMARA).
That distinction is the whole point: zero visa application charge does not mean zero cost for representation. What it does mean is that you are choosing to pay for a service, not paying the government for a visa. Free alternatives exist — the Department encourages TPV and SHEV holders applying for a RoS visa to use the specialist legal service provider in their state or territory, and says this support is free. Anyone may be appointed to receive documents on your behalf without being one of the three categories above.
Is a "fast-track" fee ever legitimate?
No. The Department of Home Affairs states that it does not charge a fee to fast-track a visa, and that if you are offered this service, it is a scam. Because the visa application itself is free, any offer that pairs a payment with faster processing, priority handling, or "guaranteed" grant is describing something the Department does not sell.
The same logic applies to offers built on a fee for the form itself. There is no charge to lodge, so a request for money framed as a visa fee, a booking fee, or a placement fee is inconsistent with what the official page publishes.
Does free mean a lesser visa?
No. The RoS visa is a permanent visa that lets you stay in Australia indefinitely, and you become an Australian permanent resident on the day it is granted. Holders can live, work and study in Australia permanently, access government services such as Medicare and Centrelink, sponsor eligible family members for permanent residence through the family visa stream, and travel to and from Australia for 5 years from the date of grant — after which a Resident Return visa (RRV) is needed to re-enter. If eligible, holders can become Australian citizens, and for citizenship purposes permanent residence starts on the grant date.
The substantive requirements are unchanged by the absence of a fee: all applicants need to meet health, character and security requirements, and applicants aged 18 or over must sign the Australian Values Statement. Provision is made for a child born after you apply and before a decision — the child is included in the application once you notify the Department using Form 1022 Notification of change of circumstances — and a child born in Australia is automatically granted the same visa their parents hold at the time of birth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Resolution of Status visa (subclass 851) really free in 2026?
Yes. The Department of Home Affairs states on its Resolution of Status (Subclass 851) official page that there is no visa application charge for the RoS visa, with the Cost section reading "There is no cost". As at August 2026, no government charge applies to lodging the application.
Do I pay anything to apply online through ImmiAccount?
No. RoS applications are lodged online through ImmiAccount and there is no charge attached to creating the account, completing the form, attaching documents or submitting. The only costs that may arise come from things the Department asks for later, such as health examinations.
Can a migration agent or lawyer charge me for RoS help?
Yes. Only registered migration agents and legal practitioners may charge for immigration assistance, and you can check an agent's registration with the Office of Migration Agents Regulatory Authority (OMARA). Their fee is a charge for a service you choose, not a government visa fee.
Will I have to pay for a health examination?
The Department may require health examinations, and may waive them if you already satisfied the health requirements for the grant of a TPV or SHEV. The official page does not set a fee for this; any cost is part of arranging the examination, not of the visa application.
Should I get police certificates before I apply?
No. If requested, you must be prepared to provide a police certificate from each country you have lived in for 12 months or more during the past 10 years after turning 16, unless you already provided this with your TPV or SHEV application. The official page says not to arrange police certificates until you are asked.
Someone offered to fast-track my RoS visa for a fee. Is that real?
No. The Department of Home Affairs states it does not charge a fee to fast-track a visa and that being offered this service means it is a scam. Since there is no visa application charge at all, any payment framed as buying faster processing is not a government charge.
If I applied for a TPV or SHEV before 14 February 2023, do I need to pay or apply?
Neither applies. If you lodged an initial TPV or SHEV before 14 February 2023, including a subsequent application, the Department converts your application to a RoS visa application and notifies you if it is granted, and no application or payment is required from you.