Subclass 445 visa charges in 2026: estimator, dependants and no-refund rule
As of the July 2026 official page for the Dependent Child visa (Subclass 445), the Australian Department of Home Affairs does not publish a single fixed dollar amount for the main applicant's charge. Instead, the page directs families to the Department's Visa Pricing Estimator to work out what the visa will cost, and it confirms two things that shape a Partner visa household's budget: a separate charge applies to each dependent child who applies with the main applicant, and the application fee is not refunded if the visa is refused. This article is general reference only and is not personalised professional or legal advice, nor does it promise any outcome; because government charges and concession settings can change, your own amounts and eligibility should be confirmed against the Department's latest published information or a professional's opinion.
How much does the Subclass 445 visa cost for the main applicant in 2026?
The official Dependent Child visa (Subclass 445) page leaves the main applicant's cost as a blank space and tells applicants to use the Department's Visa Pricing Estimator to work out the charge. Because the published page carries no flat figure, the estimator is the tool the Department itself points to, and it is the only source the page gives for calculating what the main applicant will owe.
Families should not treat any remembered or third-party amount as the official figure for their case. The estimator is reached through the Department's website and is separate from the processing-time guide, which the same official page describes as a guide only and not specific to any individual application.
Is there a separate charge for each dependent child?
Yes. The official page states there is a charge for each dependent child who applies for the visa with the main applicant. This matters for Partner visa families because the Subclass 445 is for a dependent child of a person connected to a Partner visa application, and the child's own dependent children can be included in the application when they apply or at any time before the Department decides it.
If the child has siblings, the rule is stricter: each of the child's siblings must apply for this visa separately. That means a separate application and a separate charge for each sibling, rather than one combined family payment covering all the children.
Who qualifies for the reduced Pacific Island and Timor-Leste cost from 1 July 2026?
From 1 July 2026, a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid visa application. The Department recognises eligible applicants when they apply with a valid passport from one of the specified countries, and it charges the lower cost during the application process.
The primary applicant must hold a valid passport issued by one of these 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
Family members are also eligible for the lower cost, but the Department bases this on the passport of the primary applicant — the visa holder who satisfies the primary visa criteria — not on the family member's own passport. For example, assume the primary applicant holds a valid passport issued by Fiji: the lower cost then extends to the dependants included in the application, because eligibility follows the primary applicant's passport.
Are health checks, police certificates and biometrics included in the estimator?
No. The official page warns that there might also be other costs for health checks, police certificates and biometrics, and it states plainly that the estimator does not consider those other costs. For a Partner visa household, this means the estimator output covers the government visa application charge only, while health examinations, police certificates and any requested biometrics sit outside that figure.
Children over 16 must provide a police certificate from every country they have spent 12 months or more in over the last 10 years since turning 16, and those certificates are valid for 12 months from the issue date. The Department tells applicants when to arrange health examinations and whether biometrics are needed after the application has been lodged.
When must the charge be paid, and what happens if the wrong amount is paid?
The Subclass 445 must be applied for on paper using Form 918, sent by post or courier to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth. The Department requires the application charge to be paid before the application is posted, and the application must include proof that the charge has been paid along with the supporting documents.
If the correct visa application charge is not paid, the Department cannot process the application; it will let the applicant know and may return the application. Payment is therefore a validity and processing step, not an afterthought — an underpaid or unpaid paper application is not simply held until funds arrive, because the Department may send it back.
Is the Subclass 445 application fee refunded if the visa is refused?
No. The official page states that the Department will not refund the application fee if it refuses the application. If the visa is refused, the decision letter explains why the visa was refused and whether there is a right to a review of the decision, but the money paid for the charge is not returned.
For families budgeting around a Partner visa, the practical point is that the charge is a lodgement cost: it is spent whether or not the Subclass 445 is granted, and the same is true for the separate charges paid for each dependent child on the application.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the Subclass 445 visa charge in 2026?
The dependent child visa official page does not publish a fixed dollar amount for the main applicant and instead directs applicants to the Department of Home Affairs' Visa Pricing Estimator. Because no flat figure appears on the official page, the estimator is the only source the page itself gives for working out the charge.
Does the Visa Pricing Estimator include health checks and police certificates?
No, the estimator does not consider other costs such as health checks, police certificates and biometrics. Those are separate costs that the applicant may have to meet in addition to the visa application charge.
Is there an extra charge for each dependent child on a Subclass 445 application?
Yes, there is a charge for each dependent child who applies for the visa with the main applicant. If the child has siblings, each sibling must apply separately, so each sibling's application carries its own charge.
Who gets the lower Pacific Island and Timor-Leste cost from 1 July 2026?
The lower cost applies to eligible citizens who lodge a valid application and hold a valid passport from one of the 13 specified countries, such as Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu. Family members also qualify for the lower cost, but the Department bases eligibility on the primary applicant's passport.
Is the fee refunded if the Subclass 445 visa is refused?
No, the Department of Home Affairs will not refund the application fee if the application is refused. The refusal letter will state why the visa was refused and whether there is a right to a review of the decision.
Do I need to pay the charge before lodging the paper application?
Yes, the charge must be paid before the paper application is posted, and proof of payment must be included with the application. If the correct charge is not paid, the Department cannot process the application and may return it.
References
Australian Department of Home Affairs — Dependent Child visa (Subclass 445)
Australian Department of Home Affairs — Visa Pricing Estimator (subclass 445)