How Much Does the Subclass 802 Child Visa Cost in 2026 and When Do You Pay?
How the Subclass 802 child visa charge is worked out in 2026, when you must pay, and which costs the estimator leaves out.
The Department of Home Affairs' official Child visa (Subclass 802) page does not publish a fixed dollar figure for this visa — the cost line for the main applicant is left to be calculated, and the Department directs applicants to the Visa Pricing Estimator to work out what their application will cost. The rule on timing is explicit in the Department's step-by-step guide for this visa: pay for the application before it is submitted using the online portal payment function in ImmiAccount, and include evidence the application is paid for with your application. Health exams, police certificates and biometrics are separate and are not counted by the estimator. This article is general information only and is not personalised advice for your family's circumstances; charges and requirements change, so the Department's current published pages remain the authority.
What does the Subclass 802 child visa cost in 2026, and where does the number come from?
There are three charge layers described on the official page, and none of them carry a printed amount:
| Charge item | How the official page describes it |
|---|---|
| Main applicant | The visa costs a charge for the main applicant; the figure is not printed on the page and is worked out with the Visa Pricing Estimator |
| Each dependent child applying with the child | "There is also a charge for each dependent child who applies for the visa with you" |
| Other costs | Health exams, police certificates and biometrics — these exist on top of the charge and the estimator does not consider them |
The reason no single number appears is that the charge depends on how many people are in the application and on which rules apply to them at the time of lodgement, rather than on a flat published price. The estimator is the mechanism the Department provides for turning those variables into an amount.
How do you actually use the Visa Pricing Estimator for Subclass 802?
The estimator is the Department's own costing tool, and the Subclass 802 page links to a version of it pre-set for this visa. In practice, you enter the details of the people being included in the application and it returns the visa application charge for that configuration.
Two limits matter when you budget from its output:
- It covers the visa application charge only — not health exams, police certificates or biometrics.
- It reflects the details you enter. If you add a dependent child to the application later, or if a sibling's circumstances differ from the main applicant's, the total changes.
Because siblings must lodge separate applications, a parent with two children does not get one combined quote. Assume a parent lodging for two dependent children of their own: that is two separate Subclass 802 applications, each with its own main-applicant charge, plus a further charge for any dependent child who applies within either application. The estimator should be run per application, not once for the family.
When do you pay — before lodgement or after?
Before lodgement. The Subclass 802 application is a paper application (Form 47CH and Form 40CH, completed in English and sent together), and the official step-by-step guide says to pay for the application before it is submitted using the online portal payment function in ImmiAccount, and to include evidence the application is paid for with the application itself.
Three consequences follow from paying at the wrong time or paying the wrong amount:
- Not paying in full at initial lodgement is listed on the official page as a reason the application might take longer to process.
- The Department states it cannot process the application if you do not pay the correct visa application charge; it will let you know and may return the application.
- Applications cannot be submitted in person. The forms go by post or courier to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth, at the address on the form.
Paying early also has an administrative upside: the payment evidence travels with the package, so a complete application is less likely to be treated as invalid. The Department says it does not process invalid applications, will notify you if that happens, and will return the application if requested.
What extra costs sit outside the visa application charge?
The official page names three, and no amounts are published for any of them:
- Health exams. The Department tells you when to arrange the child's health examinations after you apply; you do not book them speculatively at lodgement. Family members who are not coming to Australia may also have to meet the health requirement.
- Police certificates. The document checklist indicates an Australian state or territory police certificate may be requested if the child has lived in an Australian state or territory for at least 12 months, and an overseas police certificate may be requested for any country lived in for at least 12 months. If anyone included in the application has served in the armed forces of any country, they must provide their military service record or discharge papers.
- Biometrics. The Department asks for them only if needed and will tell you if the child has to provide them.
Two further points affect a family budget without being fee items. Under clause 802.222 of the Migration Regulations 1994, if the Minister requires an assurance of support, it must have been accepted by the Department of Social Services — the official visa page does not list this as a charge, and it is not something you supply unless asked. And four recent passport-size photographs (45mm x 35mm, less than six months old) are required for the child and for any dependent child included, which is a document obligation rather than a government fee.
Do Pacific Island and Timor-Leste applicants pay less?
Yes, from 1 July 2026. The official page states that a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid visa application, and that the Department charges the lower visa application cost during the application process and recognises eligible applicants when they apply with a valid passport from one of the specified countries.
The specified 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. Family members also get the lower cost, and eligibility is based on the passport of the primary applicant, or of the visa holder who satisfies the primary visa criteria.
What happens if the payment is wrong, or the visa is refused?
If the correct visa application charge is not paid, the Department cannot process the application, will tell you, and may return it. If the application is refused after being properly paid, the official page is direct: the Department will not refund the application charge. The refusal letter will set out why the visa was refused and any review rights that apply.
That combination is the main financial risk in this visa: the outlay is committed at lodgement, and it is not returned on an adverse outcome. It argues for resolving eligibility questions — dependency, age, study and relationship evidence in particular — before the money is paid, rather than after.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a fixed published price for the Subclass 802 child visa in 2026?
No. The Department of Home Affairs' official Subclass 802 page does not print an amount for the main applicant and directs applicants to the Visa Pricing Estimator to work out the cost. Any figure published elsewhere is a snapshot, not the Department's own listing.
Does the Visa Pricing Estimator include health checks and police certificates?
No. The official page states the estimator does not consider other costs, and separately lists health exams, police certificates and biometrics as possible additional expenses. Treat the estimator's output as the visa application charge only, and budget the rest separately.
Do I pay the Subclass 802 charge before or after lodging?
Before. The application is made on paper using Forms 47CH and 40CH, and the Department says to pay using the online portal payment function in ImmiAccount before the application is submitted, including evidence of payment with the application.
If my two children both apply, do I pay one charge or two?
Two. Siblings must submit separate applications, and each carries its own main-applicant charge. A further charge applies for each dependent child who applies within one of those applications.
Will I get the money back if the visa is refused?
No. The official page states the Department will not refund the application charge if the application is refused. This is also why paying the correct amount matters in the other direction — if it is not paid, the application cannot be processed and may be returned.
Do Pacific Island and Timor-Leste applicants pay a reduced charge?
Yes, from 1 July 2026, for eligible citizens who lodge a valid application and hold a valid passport from one of the listed countries. Family members are covered too, based on the primary applicant's passport rather than their own.