Subclass 884 Visa Fees 2026: First and Second Instalment Explained

Updated 2026-10-09 · General information, not migration advice · Run by the Arrivau team

The Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884) costs from AUD 35,430 for a single applicant, and that starting price is only the beginning of a family's bill: the Department adds a separate charge for every family member who applies with you, splits the government charge into two instalments, and then bills health checks, police certificates and biometrics per applicant on top. This guide reflects the Australian Department of Home Affairs' Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 884) official pages and its current visa pricing page as of the August 2026 version. It is general information rather than advice about your own circumstances, so if your family's situation is unusual, check it against those official pages and any professional guidance you rely on before you lodge.

How much does a subclass 884 application cost from?

The official figure is "from AUD 35,430 for a single applicant". Treat it as a floor, not a quote. That headline amount covers one person, before family members are added and before the Department or its service providers bill anything else.

The practical question for a family-reunion case is not "what is the visa worth" but "what will this specific group of applicants be charged". The visa page deliberately points readers to the Department's current visa pricing page to establish the actual amount, because the charge depends on who is on the form.

What does each family member add to the bill?

Every family member who applies with you carries an additional charge. The visa page states that clearly but does not publish per-person amounts there, so you need the pricing page to convert "plus each family member" into a number for your household.

Two details matter before you even get to numbers:

You must declare all family members in the application form, including those who are not migrating.
Non-migrating family members can still be required to meet health and character requirements, which means costs can attach to people who never travel.

Family members who do apply can include a partner and dependent children. The documentation rules describe dependent children as under 18 years of age, or over 18 years of age but not yet turned 23 and dependent on you or your partner, or over 23 years of age and unable to earn a living to support themselves due to physical or cognitive limitations and dependent on you or your partner. Each of those people joins the application, and each is charged and assessed separately.

If you add someone after you lodge — done with Form 1436 Adding an additional applicant after lodgement — expect the same treatment: evidence of the relationship, a copy of their passport, and the health and character checks that come with being an applicant. Any such person must be in Australia at the time you add them.

How do the two instalments actually work?

The government charge is divided into two instalments, which is the main reason this visa exists alongside its permanent counterpart.

First instalment: payable when you apply. The Department says you must pay it at lodgement.
Second instalment: payable only when the Department asks for it, and it must be paid before the visa can be granted.

This structure is what allows families to spread the cost. The official pages explain that applying for subclass 884 before the permanent Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864) lets you spread the cost of the visas over several years. The trade-off is honest and stated by the Department: the two-stage route costs more overall than applying directly for subclass 864, and more than the Aged Parent visa (subclass 804), precisely because you are paying two applications instead of one.

What do you do, and pay, at lodgement?

Subclass 884 cannot be lodged online. You apply on paper, and you must be in Australia but not in immigration clearance when you submit.

Complete Form 47PA Application for a parent to migrate to Australia.
Have your eligible sponsor complete Form 40 Sponsorship for migration to Australia.
Have each family member aged 18 or over complete Form 47A, even if they are not migrating.
Pay the first instalment.
Send everything by post or courier to the address on the form, with evidence of payment.

Two cautions from the Department sit behind those steps. It can only process your application if you have paid the correct visa application charge; if you have not, it will notify you and may return the application. And incomplete steps can make the application invalid, which the Department does not process at all.

When does the second instalment fall due, and what happens if you miss it?

Timing is tied to the decision, not to a fixed date on your calendar. The Department sends an invoice when the second instalment is due, and the Migration Regulations framework for subclass 884 requires that payment before the visa is granted. If the invoice is not paid, the application will be refused.

For parent visa applicants this gap can be long. Parent visas are subject to capping and queueing because demand exceeds the places available each year, applications are processed in the order received, and the Department assesses them in two stages: an initial assessment to decide whether to add you to the queue or refuse, then a final assessment once a place becomes available. In practice, that means the first instalment may be paid years before the second one is ever invoiced.

Do Pacific Island and Timor-Leste applicants pay less in 2026?

Yes, from 1 July 2026. A lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application, and the discount extends to family members.

The rules are passport-based, not residence-based:

The Department recognises eligible applicants through a valid passport from one of the specified countries.
Eligibility for family members follows the passport of the primary applicant.
The lower cost is charged during the application process, so eligible applicants do not need to claim it separately.

The listed countries are the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. The reduced amount itself is not set out on the visa description page, so confirm what will actually be charged on the current visa pricing page.

What else should a family budget for?

Beyond the government charge, each applicant may need to pay for health checks, police certificates and biometrics. These are per person, so they scale with family size just as the additional applicant charges do. The Department publishes these separately under fees and charges for other services.

Do not prepay them on speculation. The Department tells you when health examinations are required, asks for police certificates if it needs them, and will notify you if biometrics are required. Budget for them as likely costs, pay them when asked, and hold some contingency for repeat checks if circumstances change.

Will any of the money come back if the application fails?

No refund follows a refusal. The Department states plainly that it will not refund the application fee if it refuses your application, and non-payment of the second instalment is itself a refusal ground. That combination is why paying the second instalment on time matters more than most other things in this process.

One related consequence of the two-year term: subclass 884 is temporary and allows multiple entry for two years from grant. If your goal is permanent residence, you must apply for the permanent Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864) before the 884 visa expires, or you can lose the lodgement criteria you were relying on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is AUD 35,430 the full amount I pay upfront?

No. It is the "from" price for a single applicant, and even that is split across two instalments rather than paid at once. You pay the first instalment when you lodge, and the second only after the Department invoices you.

How much extra does each family member cost?

The Department charges an additional amount for each family member who applies with you, but does not publish those per-person figures on the visa page. Use the current visa pricing page to calculate the total for everyone actually applying, including any partner or dependent children.

When is the second instalment due?

It is due when the Department sends you an invoice, which happens before it can grant the visa. Because parent visa applications are capped and queued, that invoice can arrive long after you lodged and paid the first instalment.

What happens if I do not pay the second instalment?

The Department will refuse your application. There is no partial refund pathway described in these rules; it also states it will not refund the application fee after a refusal, so paying late is not the same as paying eventually.

Do Pacific Island and Timor-Leste applicants get the lower fee automatically?

Yes, in the sense that no separate claim is described. From 1 July 2026, the Department charges the lower cost during the application process when the primary applicant holds a valid passport from a listed country, and family members qualify on that same basis.

Are health checks, police certificates and biometrics included in the visa fee?

No. These are separate costs that may apply to each applicant, published under fees and charges for other services. Wait until the Department tells you which ones you need rather than arranging them in advance.

Where do I confirm the exact price before lodging?

Use the Department's current visa pricing page, which is the source the visa page itself directs readers to. Check it immediately before you send your paper application, since the charge depends on everyone listed on Form 47PA.