What Does Subclass 151 Cost in 2026 — and Is the Fee Refunded If Refused?
How the subclass 151 charge is built per person, which costs sit outside it, and whether money comes back if refused.
According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' official Former Resident visa (subclass 151) page (as at August 2026), a subclass 151 application is priced per person: there is a charge for the main applicant, a separate fee for each family member who applies with them, concessions in limited circumstances, and anything spent on health checks or police certificates sits outside the charge altogether. On the second half of the question the page is blunt — if the application is refused, the visa application charge is not refunded.
The published dollar figures for government charges are revised from time to time, so the amount to budget against is whatever the Department has published at the moment you lodge. What follows sets out how that bill is assembled, which is the part that stays stable even when the numbers move.
How is the subclass 151 charge built up?
The charge is per person, not per application. You pay one amount for the main applicant and a further fee for each family member included in the same application, and everyone applies together on the one Form 47SV (Application for special migration to Australia).
That per-person structure also follows you after lodgement. You can add members of the family unit at any time before a decision is made, using Form 1436 (Adding an additional applicant after lodgement), and the Department's instructions for that step require you to pay the additional application charge.
The official page notes that concessions apply in limited circumstances, without setting out the full range of them in the cost section. If you think a concession may apply to you, the eligibility test matters as much as the discount, and the current published charge is the one the Department applies during processing.
Which costs sit outside the application charge?
Health checks and police certificates, where they are required, are costs you pay separately. The Department advises you if they are needed rather than expecting you to arrange them up front — the step-by-step guidance is explicit that you should not arrange police certificates until you are asked to.
This is also the reason a visa charge total is not the same thing as a budget total. The Visa Pricing Estimator, which the Department points you to for working out what the visa will cost, does not take these other costs into account. Anything it shows you is the government charge only.
Is the fee refunded if the visa is refused?
No. The Department states plainly: "We will not refund the application charge if we refuse your application." A refusal letter will also tell you why the visa was refused and whether you have a right to a review of the decision.
The statement is specific to the application charge. It says nothing about money you have already spent elsewhere in the process. Suppose an applicant pays the charge, is later asked to complete health examinations, pays the examination provider directly, and is then refused — the no-refund rule covers the charge paid to the Department, while the examination spending is not addressed by that statement at all.
What happens if the wrong amount is paid?
The Department cannot process the application if the correct visa application charge has not been paid. It will notify you if that is the case and, if necessary, return your application. An application with incomplete steps may be treated as invalid, and invalid applications are not processed.
Payment comes before lodgement. On this visa you must apply on paper — you cannot lodge in person or online — and the Department's instruction is to pay the application charge online through ImmiAccount before you send the form and supporting documents.
Do any concessions reduce the cost?
The official page carries a reduced-cost arrangement taking effect on 1 July 2026 for eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste Partner visa applicants who lodge a valid visa application. Eligibility is recognised through the passport: the primary applicant must hold a valid passport issued by one of the listed countries, and the lower charge is applied during the application process.
The listed countries are:
- Federated States of Micronesia
- Fiji
- Kiribati
- Nauru
- Palau
- Papua New Guinea
- Republic of the Marshall Islands
- Samoa
- Solomon Islands
- Timor-Leste
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
How do you confirm the total before you lodge?
Use the Visa Pricing Estimator for the government charge, then budget separately for health examinations and police certificates, which the estimator excludes. Because charges are updated, the figure worth relying on is the one the Department publishes at the time you lodge rather than a number quoted months earlier.
This article is general information only and is not personalised advice about your circumstances; the amounts that apply to you should be checked against the Department's current published charges, and if your situation is unusual it is worth getting professional advice before you pay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the subclass 151 fee refunded if my application is refused?
No. The Australian Department of Home Affairs states that it will not refund the application charge if it refuses your application. Your refusal letter will also explain the reason for the refusal and whether you have a right to seek a review.
Does the visa application charge cover health checks and police certificates?
No. Health checks and police certificates are separate costs that you pay if and when the Department tells you they are required. The Visa Pricing Estimator shows the government charge only and does not include them.
Do I pay extra for each family member on the application?
Yes. There is a fee for each family member who applies for the visa with you, in addition to the charge for the main applicant. The same applies if you add someone later: adding a member of the family unit before a decision is made requires payment of the additional application charge.
Can I add a family member after I have lodged?
Yes, at any time before the Department decides your application. You complete Form 1436 (Adding an additional applicant after lodgement), send it with evidence of the relationship and the supporting identity documents, and pay the additional application charge.
What happens if I pay the wrong visa application charge?
The Department cannot process your application until the correct charge is paid. It will let you know if you have paid an incorrect amount, and if necessary it will return your application.
Is there a cheaper rate for Pacific Island or Timor-Leste citizens?
From 1 July 2026, a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste Partner visa applicants who lodge a valid visa application. Eligibility is recognised when the primary applicant holds a valid passport issued by one of the countries listed on the official page, including Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Timor-Leste.