Partner Visa Application Fee: What You Pay at Each Stage and What Is Refunded
The Australian Department of Home Affairs uses two different charging structures for the Partner visa pathways. For subclasses 820/801 and 309/100, the temporary or provisional and permanent visas are covered by one combined application charge. The Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) pathway is different: subclass 300 has its own application charge, and a later application for subclasses 820 and 801 requires a further payment.
Subclass 820 and permanent Partner visa subclass 801
The subclass 820 visa page says its costs depend on the applicant’s circumstances and the visa currently held. It also expressly states that the cost covers both the temporary visa and the permanent Partner visa:
“The costs below cover this Temporary visa and the Permanent Partner visa (subclass 801).”
The 820/801 elements are therefore lodged as one combined Partner visa application for charging purposes. The current published main-applicant charge is:
- from AUD11,710.00 for most applicants
- generally from AUD1,955.00 for the main applicant if you hold a Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300)
These are the two main-applicant figures shown on the subclass 820 visa page. The page says costs differ according to the applicant’s circumstances and which visa is held. It also notes that concessions apply in limited circumstances, but the cost box does not provide further details about those concessions.
The subclass 801 number appearing in the combined application does not represent a second charge to pay when the permanent stage is reached. The two subclass numbers identify the temporary and permanent elements of the Partner visa pathway.
Subclass 309 and permanent Partner visa subclass 100
The offshore pathway follows the same basic combined-charge structure. The subclass 309 visa page states:
“The costs below cover this Temporary visa and the Permanent Partner visa (subclass 100).”
The current subclass 309 listing publishes a main-applicant charge of from AUD11,710.00. As with the onshore listing, the page says concessions apply in limited circumstances.
Accordingly, the subclass 309/100 application is not divided into a separate provisional-stage charge and permanent-stage charge. The published application cost covers both parts of the combined Partner visa application. The separate amount later shown for Prospective Marriage visa holders on the subclass 820 page does not apply to the ordinary subclass 309/100 charge.
Why there is no separate permanent-stage charge
The Department makes the position on the permanent visa pages explicit. The subclass 801 page says:
“You paid for this visa when you applied for the temporary and permanent Partner visas.”
The subclass 100 visa page contains the same statement. This confirms that the permanent stage does not carry another visa application charge after the combined temporary or provisional and permanent application has been lodged.
For the 820/801 pathway, the relevant charge is the applicable figure on the subclass 820 page. For the 309/100 pathway, it is the applicable figure on the subclass 309 page. In each case, the Department says that payment for the permanent visa was made when the applicant applied for both the temporary or provisional and permanent Partner visas.
This means the permanent subclass number should not be read as an instruction to calculate and pay the combined charge a second time.
The separate subclass 300 pathway
The Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) has its own current application charge of from AUD11,710.00 for the main applicant. The subclass 300 page also says concessions apply in limited circumstances.
That payment is separate from the later Partner visa application. The subclass 300 page states:
“You will also have to pay a fee for your Partner visa (subclasses 820 and 801).”
The payment sequence is therefore different from the 820/801 and 309/100 combined pathways:
- A subclass 300 applicant pays the charge for the Prospective Marriage visa application.
- If the applicant later applies for a Partner visa, the applicant must also pay the further subclass 820/801 application fee.
The subclass 300 page also provides an important timing condition:
“You pay less for this visa if you marry your prospective spouse and apply for the Partner visa before your Prospective Marriage visa ends.”
That statement links the lower charge to both marrying the prospective spouse and applying for the Partner visa before the subclass 300 visa ends. It should not be read as allowing the later Partner visa charge to be paid later merely because the subclass 300 application was lodged earlier.
Separately, the subclass 820 page currently lists a charge of generally from AUD1,955.00 for the main applicant for Prospective Marriage visa holders. These are two connected but distinct official statements: the subclass 300 page explains when a person pays less, while the subclass 820 page gives the current generally applicable amount for subclass 300 holders.
Why the amount is not fixed by the lodgement date
The Fees and charges for visas page warns that visa costs change over time. It states:
“The cost of your visa is dependent on the date we receive your application.”
The controlling date is therefore the date the Department receives the application, not simply the date on which the applicant lodges it. The same page explains the consequence if the charge increases between those two dates:
“If there is a price increase between the date you lodge your application and the date we receive your application, you will need to pay the new application charge.”
This means an amount displayed when the application is lodged is not necessarily the amount that remains payable when the Department receives it. If a price increase occurs during that interval, the applicant must pay the new charge. This is why the current Partner visa figures should not be treated as a price locked in at the moment of lodgement.
The same official rule applies when considering the listed subclass 820, 309 and 300 figures. Checking the page at the right time is important, but the Department’s express rule ties the cost to its receipt date.
Credit card and PayPal surcharges
The visa application charge and any payment surcharge are separate concepts. The Fees and charges for visas page states:
“A surcharge may apply when paying for visa application charges, sponsorship or nomination fees by credit card or by PayPal.”
For a Partner visa application, this means a surcharge may apply when the visa application charge is paid by credit card or PayPal. The word may is important: the Department does not state on these pages that a surcharge always applies, nor does it say that it never applies.
The Department also advises applicants to ensure that their daily limit and available funds are sufficient to cover any surcharge. No particular surcharge amount is stated on the cited Partner visa cost pages, so the listed main-applicant visa application charge should not be treated as confirming whether a payment surcharge will apply to a particular transaction.
Common questions
What currency is used?
The Fees and charges for visas page defines the visa application charge as an amount of money in Australian dollars (AUD) that must be paid for a visa application. The Partner visa figures published on the subclass pages are therefore stated in AUD.
Is the main-applicant amount also the family total?
Each family member who applies for the visa with you is charged separately. The subclass 309 and subclass 300 visa pages both expressly state that there is also a fee for each family member applying with you. The published main-applicant amount is therefore not a total for everyone applying together.
What happens if the full visa application charge is not paid?
The subclass 309 visa page says the Department cannot process the application if the correct visa application charge is not paid. The subclass 300 page likewise says it cannot process an application if the full visa application charge has not been paid.
Does the Visa Pricing Estimator include every cost?
No. The subclass 300 page directs applicants to the Visa Pricing Estimator to work out the visa cost, including adding additional family members, but says the estimator does not take into account health checks, police certificates or biometrics. The subclass 801 page separately says you might have to pay other costs for health or police checks.
What happens to the charge if the application is refused or withdrawn?
The refunds page states: “We do not usually refund the visa application charge, even if your visa application is refused or withdrawn.” The word “usually” leaves room for limited exceptions, but the cited wording does not identify them, so no exception should be assumed or described on the basis of these pages.