Pacific Island and Timor-Leste Concession for Subclass 884 from 1 July 2026
What the Pacific Island and Timor-Leste concession means for Subclass 884 costs from 1 July 2026, and how the passport rule works.
Yes. From 1 July 2026, eligible citizens of the 13 listed countries — Pacific island countries and Timor-Leste — are charged a lower cost for the Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 884), and eligibility is recognised through the passport they apply with. Family members included in the same application get the reduced charge as well, decided by the passport of the primary applicant rather than each person's own travel document. This is set out by the Australian Department of Home Affairs on its Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 884) page, as at October 2026.
What changes on 1 July 2026?
The change concerns price, not entitlement criteria. Eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application attract a lower visa application cost from that date. The reduced amount is charged during the application process itself, so it shows up at lodgement rather than being adjusted afterwards.
There is no separate claim to make. The department recognises eligible applicants through the valid passport presented with the application, which is why the passport rule carries more practical weight than any form-filling step. If the passport is right and the application is otherwise valid, the lower charge follows.
Which countries qualify, and does the passport have to be current?
The primary applicant must hold a valid passport issued by one of the following countries:
- Federated States of Micronesia
- Fiji
- Kiribati
- Nauru
- Palau
- Papua New Guinea
- Republic of the Marshall Islands
- Samoa
- Solomon Islands
- Timor-Leste
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
Validity matters. The published test is a passport that is current at the point the application is made and that was issued by one of those countries. Suppose a passport is approaching expiry at the time of lodging — the safer course is to sort the travel document before applying, rather than to lodge and hope the assessment reads the document differently.
How is the lower cost decided for family members?
Family members included in the application are eligible for the lower cost too, and the department bases that on the passport of the primary applicant, or of the visa holder who satisfies the primary visa criteria. Their own nationality is not the deciding factor.
Assume a primary applicant holds a current Tongan passport, and their partner holds a passport issued by a country outside the list. On the published rule, the partner's charge is still reduced, because the decision tracks the primary applicant's passport. Reverse the passports and the outcome changes: a qualifying family member joining an application led by a primary applicant from outside the list would not bring the reduced charge with them.
Two further points follow from this. The details of every family member must appear in the application form even for those who are not migrating, and those family members can still be required to meet health and character requirements.
Where does the reduced cost sit in the two-stage path to permanent residence?
The Subclass 884 visa is the first half of a two-stage route to permanent residence. A person holding it can live in Australia for up to two years, work and study, travel in and out as often as they like within that period, and then apply for the permanent Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864). Spreading the two visas over several years is one reason applicants use this pathway rather than applying for the permanent visa in one step.
That sequencing is also what gives the concession its practical value. The lower charge reduces the upfront stage of what is otherwise a long-tail cost, but it does not change the timetable: the permanent subclass 864 application must be lodged before the subclass 884 visa expires in order to meet the applicable lodgement criteria. The temporary visa cannot be extended or reapplied for, so anyone wanting to stay longer needs a different visa.
The two-year clock starts on the date of grant, not on the date of application, which matters given how long parent visas take to be released from the queue.
What does the visa cost, and how is payment structured?
The published starting cost is AUD35,430 for a single applicant, with additional charges for each family member who applies. Concessions apply in limited circumstances, and the Pacific Island and Timor-Leste arrangement is one of them. Because the publicly quoted figure is the general starting point, the reduced amount for an eligible applicant is best checked against the department's current visa pricing before funds are transferred.
Payment is split into two instalments. The first is due when you apply, and the second when the department asks for it. Paying the correct visa application charge is not optional: applications cannot be processed without it, and the department may notify you and return the application if the amount paid is wrong.
Health checks, police certificates and biometrics sit outside the visa application charge and are additional costs per applicant. The concession relates to the charge payable for the visa itself, so those ancillary costs remain payable in the usual way.
What could put the concession out of reach?
The reduced cost attaches to a valid application. An application made by someone who is outside Australia, or who is in immigration clearance at the time of lodgement or decision, does not meet the location requirements for this visa, and an application made in Australia while on a temporary visa with a no further stay condition is invalid unless you apply for a waiver of that condition. In each case the application fails before the price question is reached.
Long waits do not affect eligibility, but they do sharpen the cost of a mistake. Parent visa demand exceeds the places available each year, applications are subject to capping and queueing, and they are processed in the order received. Incomplete forms, missing documents and slow verifications all add time to an already long queue. Because applications are released from the queue for final assessment only as places become available, getting documents right at lodgement is worth more than any later correction.
Steps to work through before you lodge
Confirm that your passport was issued by one of the 13 listed countries. Check that the passport will still be valid on the day you apply. List every family member in the form, including those who are not migrating. Check the department's current visa pricing figures for the charge that applies to you. Pay the first instalment with your application. Keep a record of the passport you lodged with. Wait for the department's request before paying the second instalment.
These steps are general information only, not advice tailored to your circumstances; confirm your own position against the department's current published requirements or take advice from a qualified professional before acting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the reduced cost applied automatically, or do I have to ask for it?
There is nothing to request. The department recognises eligible applicants through the valid passport they lodge with, and charges the lower amount during the application process. Eligibility still requires a valid application in every other respect.
My partner's passport is from a country outside the list — do they still qualify?
Yes, if the primary applicant's passport is from one of the listed countries. The lower family charge is based on the passport of the primary applicant, or of the visa holder who satisfies the primary visa criteria, not on each family member's own passport.
Does the lower charge shorten the wait for a Parent visa place?
No. Parent visa applications remain subject to capping and queueing and are released for final assessment as places become available. The concession changes what is charged, not where an application sits in the queue or how it is prioritised.
Does the reduced cost cover health checks, police certificates and biometrics?
No. Those are separate costs payable for each applicant, on top of the visa application charge. The concession concerns the charge for the visa itself.
Does the passport have to be valid, or is citizenship enough?
The passport does. Both parts of the test — that it is valid, and that it was issued by one of the listed countries — come from the same rule, so relying on citizenship without a current qualifying passport would leave the applicant outside the concession.
Can I still move to permanent residence afterwards?
Yes, provided you meet the permanent visa criteria and lodge the subclass 864 application before your subclass 884 visa expires. The two-year temporary visa starts on the grant date and cannot be extended, so the timing of the second stage is tied to that date.