Partner visa fee concession for Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens: who qualifies from 1 July 2026

Updated 2026-10-14 · General information, not migration advice · Run by the Arrivau team

From 1 July 2026, a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid visa application. Eligibility turns on the primary applicant's valid passport, and family members who apply with the primary applicant are covered on the basis of that passport. This wording appears in the same form in the Cost section of the subclass 820 page, the subclass 309 page and the Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) page.

Which countries count

Each of the three visa pages lists the same countries. The primary applicant must hold a valid passport issued by one of the following:

  • Federated States of Micronesia
  • Fiji
  • Kiribati
  • Nauru
  • Palau
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Republic of the Marshall Islands
  • Samoa
  • Solomon Islands
  • Timor-Leste
  • Tonga
  • Tuvalu
  • Vanuatu

What each page says about the concession

The three Cost sections use identical wording for this concession. Here is the comparison, point by point.

Point Subclass 820 page Subclass 309 page Subclass 300 page
Start date From 1 July 2026 From 1 July 2026 From 1 July 2026
Who it covers eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens
Requirement who lodge a valid visa application who lodge a valid visa application who lodge a valid visa application
How it is applied charged during the application process in ImmiAccount charged during the application process in ImmiAccount charged during the application process in ImmiAccount
How eligibility is recognised when they apply with a valid passport from one of the specified countries same same
Family members eligible, based on the passport of the primary applicant (or visa holder who satisfies the primary visa criteria) same same
Country list same thirteen countries same thirteen countries same thirteen countries

On the subclass 820 and subclass 309 pages, the concession is introduced in the Cost section under the heading 'Cost concession for eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste Partner visa applicants'. The subclass 300 page carries that same heading and the same text.

Where the three pages differ

The pages differ around the concession, not in it. Each page lists its own fee rows and its own other costs before the concession heading.

The subclass 820 page states that the costs below cover the Temporary visa and the Permanent Partner visa (subclass 801), and it sets out separate lines for most applicants, for Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) holders, and for former subclass 300 holders who meet stated conditions. The subclass 309 page states that the costs below cover the Temporary visa and the Permanent Partner visa (subclass 100). The subclass 300 page states that you will also have to pay a fee for your Partner visa (subclasses 820 and 801).

The Cost section of each page also points to the Visa pricing estimator to work out what a visa will cost, including adding additional family members, and each page states that the estimator does not take into account the costs for health checks, police certificates and biometrics. Each page states that the correct visa application charge must be paid, and that you might also have to pay other costs for health checks, police certificates and biometrics.

The Cost section of the subclass 820 page says eligible applicants will be charged the lower visa application cost during the application process in ImmiAccount.

What you do in practice

Read the concession heading on the page for the visa you are applying for. Check that the primary applicant holds a valid passport from one of the listed countries. Lodge a valid visa application. The lower visa application cost is charged during the application process in ImmiAccount.

Questions people ask

Do family members need their own passports from these countries?

No such requirement is stated. Each of the three pages says family members are also eligible for the lower visa cost, and that this is based on the passport of the primary applicant (or visa holder who satisfies the primary visa criteria).

Is the concession automatic once I hold one of these passports?

Each of the three pages says eligible applicants will be recognised when they apply with a valid passport from one of the specified countries. The pages also state that the concession applies to those who lodge a valid visa application.

How is the lower cost applied?

All three pages say the department will charge eligible applicants the lower visa application cost during the application process in ImmiAccount.

How long will processing take?

Each of these pages directs you to the visa processing time guide tool, which shows processing times for recently decided applications. The pages state that this is a guide only and not specific to your application.

Sources

Checked 11 October 2026

This page is an unofficial summary and is not published by the Department of Home Affairs; the department's current pages prevail if they differ.