How much does the subclass 143 parent visa cost in 2026?
What the Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143) costs from, how the two instalments are timed, and what else to budget for.
From AUD49,900 for a single applicant — that is the starting figure published for the Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143) on the Australian Department of Home Affairs' Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143) page, as at July 2026. That amount is not paid in one lump sum: it is split into two instalments, the first due when you lodge and the second only when the department invoices you, before it can grant the visa. The practical consequence is that this is a two-date cash commitment, not a single bill, and the gap between the two dates is what makes the cost hard to plan.
What does the AUD49,900 starting figure actually cover?
It is a "from" price for one applicant, published before any family members, concessions or individual circumstances are applied. The department states that additional charges apply for each family member who applies with you, and that concessions apply in limited circumstances. The exact amount that attaches to your application is the one set out in the department's current visa pricing at the time you are charged.
The figure also buys permanent residence, not a temporary stay. Holders can stay in Australia indefinitely, work and study, enrol in Medicare, sponsor family members, travel to and from Australia for the five years from the date of grant, and later apply for citizenship if eligible. Travel after that initial five-year facility requires a Resident Return visa (subclass 155/157) or Australian citizenship.
When is each instalment due?
The first instalment is paid at lodgement. Applications lodged on or after 22 April 2026 must be submitted online through ImmiAccount, and the application fee is paid as part of that online process.
The second instalment is different in kind: the department sends an invoice when it is due, and the visa cannot be granted until it is paid. If the invoice is not paid, the department will refuse the application. Payment of the second instalment is a condition of grant, not an optional step.
How far apart can the two payments be?
Potentially years apart, and that is the central budgeting risk. Parent visa applications are subject to capping and queueing; demand for places exceeds the number available each year, and the department processes applications in the order it receives them. Assessment happens in two stages: an initial assessment that decides whether the application joins the queue or is refused, and a final assessment that happens only once a place becomes available.
The department sends the invoice when the second instalment is due, and because Parent visa applications are capped and queued, that can be long after the first instalment has been paid. Assume an applicant whose place in the queue is released several years after lodgement: their household has already absorbed the first instalment, the health checks, the police certificates and any Assurance of Support arrangements, and must still be able to meet a government invoice on the due date stated on it. Planning for the second instalment as a separate, ring-fenced obligation is more realistic than treating AUD49,900 as a one-off expense.
What happens if the second instalment is missed?
The application is refused. The department's stated position is that the visa cannot be granted before the second instalment is paid, and that non-payment of the invoice results in refusal. The application fee is also not refunded if the application is refused, so the first instalment is not recoverable simply because the second one was not met.
There is a related trap on the first instalment as well: the department can only process an application if the correct visa application charge has been paid. If the wrong amount is paid, the department will notify you and may return the application. Paying an amount that matches the published pricing for your exact household composition matters as much as paying on time.
What else will you pay, apart from the visa application charge?
The visa application charge is not the whole cheque. The department lists related costs for each applicant for health checks, police certificates and biometrics, and it will tell you when health examinations or biometrics are required.
Beyond that:
- Assurance of Support — most applicants must provide one when asked, arranged through Services Australia. It does not have to come from the sponsor or a family member; an individual, several people, or an organisation can provide it. Retiree applicants under the Retirement visa pathway do not need one.
- Sponsorship — an eligible sponsor must complete Form 40, unless you are applying as a retiree.
- Balance of family evidence — documents showing your relationship to each child and each child's citizenship or country of permanent residence, unless you already met the test as a subclass 173 holder or are applying as a retiree.
The department does not publish these as part of the visa application charge, so they should be budgeted as a separate line rather than assumed to be included. Nothing here is personalised advice about your circumstances: what you actually owe depends on your household, your payment history and the official pricing in force when you are invoiced, and the amounts should be confirmed against the department's own published figures.
Can you pay less, or spread the cost further?
Three routes matter for cost planning.
The subclass 173 two-step. A Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 173) followed by the subclass 143 lets you spread the cost over several years. The department describes this route as faster than the Parent visa (subclass 103) but more expensive overall than applying directly for the subclass 143 — the trade-off is timing, not a discount. You must apply for the subclass 143 before your subclass 173 visa expires, and the department encourages applying for the permanent stage immediately after the 173 is granted. Holders have already met the balance of family test and do not need to meet it again.
Lower cost for some visa holders. The department states that costs may be lower for Contributory Parent (Temporary) (subclass 173) and substituted Visitor (subclass 600) visa holders, reflecting what has already been paid on the earlier visa.
Pacific Island and Timor-Leste concession. From 1 July 2026, a lower visa cost applies to eligible citizens who lodge a valid application. Eligibility is recognised from a valid passport issued by the primary applicant's country — the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu or Vanuatu. Family members are also eligible, based on the primary applicant's passport, and the lower cost is charged during the application process.
Does adding a family member later change the budget?
Yes. Additional charges apply for each family member who applies with you, and members can sometimes be added before a decision is made using Form 1436, together with evidence of the relationship and a copy of the family member's passport. A spouse or de facto partner can generally be inside or outside Australia when added, unless you applied as a retiree, in which case they must be in Australia. Dependent children can be inside or outside Australia.
For a household planning its cash, this argues for deciding the full composition of the application at lodgement where possible: an addition later in the queue changes both the visa application charge and the range of related costs you will owe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is AUD49,900 the total cost, or just the first instalment?
It is the published "from" price for a single applicant, and it is paid across two instalments rather than settled at once. The first instalment is paid when you apply and the second when the department invoices you. The split between the two is set by the department's current visa pricing.
When will the department ask for the second instalment?
The department sends an invoice when the second instalment is due. Because Parent visa applications are capped and queued, this can be years after lodgement. The invoice will state when payment is due.
Do I get my money back if the application is refused?
No. The department states that the application fee is not refunded if the application is refused. That includes refusals that follow non-payment of the second instalment, so the first instalment is not recoverable in that situation.
Does the cost increase if I add my partner or child later?
Additional charges apply for each family member who applies with you, so each addition raises the total. Family members can sometimes be added before a decision is made using Form 1436, with relationship evidence and a copy of their passport. Budgeting for the full household at lodgement avoids a later change to the amount owed.
Is there a way to spread the payments over a longer period?
The subclass 173 followed by the subclass 143 is the department's two-step route, designed to spread cost over several years across the two visas. It costs more in total than applying directly for the subclass 143, and you must apply for the permanent visa before the temporary visa expires.
Are health checks and police certificates included in the visa fee?
No. The department lists health checks, police certificates and biometrics as related costs payable for each applicant, separate from the visa application charge. It will tell you when health examinations or biometrics are required, and police certificates should not be arranged until asked.
Who qualifies for the lower cost from 1 July 2026?
Eligible citizens of specified Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste who lodge a valid application, identified by a valid passport issued by one of the listed countries. Family members are also eligible, based on the primary applicant's passport, and the lower cost is charged during the application process.