Subclass 190 Second Instalment 2026: What Is the AUD 4,885 Charge?
What the subclass 190 second instalment is, who can be asked for it, how much it costs, and when it actually has to be paid.
No — you do not pay the second instalment when you lodge your Subclass 190 application. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' official Skilled Nominated visa (Subclass 190) page (as at July 2026), you pay this charge only when the Department sends you an invoice, and it asks for it only if it is going to grant the visa. The AUD 4,885 figure published on that page is the second instalment charge for family members.
Who can be asked to pay the second instalment?
The charge applies to an applicant who is 18 years old or older and has less than functional English. It is charged per person, not per application, so each qualifying family member included in the application is a separate consideration.
Functional English is a defined standard on the Department's English language requirements, and it is a lower bar than the competent English standard a Subclass 190 main applicant is expected to meet at the time of invitation. A dependant under 18 does not have to prove functional English, so the charge does not arise for younger children.
When is it actually payable?
Timing is the part most applicants get wrong. Two separate conditions apply before any money is due:
- The request comes from the Department. The official instruction is to pay only when asked, and only when the invoice is sent.
- The request signals a grant is coming. The Department states it asks for the charge only if it is going to grant the visa.
In practical terms, a request for the second instalment arrives late in processing, not at lodgement. The first instalment of the visa application charge is different: the Department will not process the application until that first instalment is paid.
How much is it, and what does the estimator miss?
| Item | What the official page says |
|---|---|
| Second instalment, family members | AUD 4,885 |
| Second instalment, main applicant | Not stated as a figure on the visa page; check official pricing tools and any Department invoice |
| Main applicant visa cost | Not published as a single fixed figure on the page — use the Visa Pricing Estimator (concessions apply in limited circumstances) |
| Other costs | Health checks, police certificates and biometrics may also be payable |
The Visa Pricing Estimator does not include the second instalment or those other costs, so a figure produced by the estimator is not the total cost of the application.
Does the amount change for Pacific Island or Timor-Leste applicants?
From 1 July 2026, a lower visa application cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application. The Department charges the lower cost during the application process in ImmiAccount and identifies eligible applicants by the valid passport from the specified countries used in the application.
Family members are also eligible for the lower visa cost, and eligibility is based on the passport of the primary applicant (or the visa holder who satisfies the primary visa criteria). The listed countries are 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 and Vanuatu. Whether this concession affects the second instalment specifically is not stated on the page, so treat the published second instalment figure as the reference point and confirm the current position against official information before paying.
What if the visa is refused instead?
The Department states that the application charge is not refunded if the application is refused. That risk is largely why the second instalment sits where it does in the process: it is requested at the point where a grant is intended, rather than collected up front from every applicant who might never reach a decision.
A worked example
Assume an applicant includes a partner and a 19-year-old dependent child. If both the partner and the child are 18 or over and do not meet functional English, the second instalment can be requested for each of them, at AUD 4,885 each. If the child is under 18, no functional English evidence is required for that child and no second instalment arises in respect of them. Nothing is payable by anyone until the Department issues the invoice.
Does paying it change the outcome?
No. The second instalment is a charge attached to a decision that has already been reached in principle. Paying it does not improve an application, and not being asked for it does not indicate a problem — it generally means no applicant in the case met the age-and-English combination that triggers the charge.
Eligibility for the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) is separate again: holders of this visa can attend free English classes through the AMEP if eligible, which is worth noting for anyone whose English level is what brought the charge into play.
This article describes published rules only and is general information, not personalised advice about your circumstances — confirm amounts against current official information or a registered migration agent or legal practitioner before making any payment.
Frequently asked questions
Do I pay the Subclass 190 second instalment when I lodge my application?
No. The Department of Home Affairs instructs applicants to pay the second instalment only when it sends an invoice, and it requests it only when it is going to grant the visa. The first instalment is the payment required at lodgement, and processing does not start until that is paid.
Who has to pay the AUD 4,885 second instalment?
The charge applies to any applicant aged 18 or over who has less than functional English, and AUD 4,885 is the figure published for family members. It is considered per person, so it can arise for more than one family member in the same application.
Does my child need to meet functional English?
A dependant under 18 does not have to prove functional English, so no second instalment arises for them on that basis. If a child turns 18 while the application is being processed, you must provide evidence that they are dependent on you; the Department's page does not state how the second instalment applies in that situation.
Is the second instalment included in the Visa Pricing Estimator?
No. The Department states the Visa Pricing Estimator does not include the second instalment or other costs such as health checks, police certificates and biometrics. Any estimate from that tool is therefore below the total amount an applicant may end up paying.
What happens to the money if the visa is refused?
The Department states the application charge is not refunded if the application is refused. Because the second instalment is only requested when a grant is intended, applicants who are refused generally would not have been invoiced for it.
Does the Pacific Island and Timor-Leste concession change the second instalment?
From 1 July 2026, a lower visa application cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application, with family members eligible based on the primary applicant's passport. The page does not state a separate second instalment rule for these applicants, so the current official position should be checked before paying.