Separately, the Department states that from 1 July 2026 a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid visa application. This page explains what those figures mean, what the charge buys, and why you still have to get your own number from the Department.
The position as at 23 September 2026
Both figures are "from" amounts. They are the base application charge for a single applicant, and they go up where children or other dependants are included in the application, because Schedule 1 to the Migration Regulations 1994 sets an additional applicant charge on top for each of them. There is no single price for a partner visa, which is why the Department publishes an estimator rather than a price list.
Key facts
As at 23 September 2026 the Department shows from A$11,710 for most applicants and from A$1,955 for subclass 300 holders, with concessions in limited circumstances, and a lower cost from 1 July 2026 for eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens. Charges are usually revised on 1 July. Get your own figure from the Department's current visa pricing (Visa Pricing Estimator) before you lodge.
Where the charge actually sits in the law
The onshore partner visa is lodged as two applications at once: a Partner (Temporary) (Class UK) visa, which contains the subclass 820, and a Partner (Residence) (Class BS) visa, which contains the subclass 801. In the Migration Regulations 1994, Schedule 1 item 1214C sets the visa application charge for the temporary class at nil, and Schedule 1 item 1124B carries the whole charge for the pair. In the compilation of the Regulations in force on 1 July 2026, item 1124B sets the base application charge at A$11,710 for applicants to whom no other category applies, matching the figure the Department shows. The second instalment — the amount some visa classes require before grant — is nil for this class.
That structure is the reason for the plainest fact on this page: one charge covers both stages. You are not billed again two years later when the permanent subclass 801 is assessed. The Department's own subclass 801 page puts it directly: you paid for that visa when you made your applications for the temporary and permanent Partner visas.
The concession from 1 July 2026
The Department's statement is that from 1 July 2026 a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid visa application. In the Regulations, the mechanism is a separate, lower set of amounts in item 1124B that apply where the applicant holds a valid passport issued by a Pacific-regional country. The Regulations define that term, and the countries listed are the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
Two cautions follow. First, the Department speaks of eligible citizens and the Regulations turn on a passport, so the two are not automatically the same thing in every case. Second, eligibility is assessed by the Department, not claimed by the applicant. If you think this applies to you, confirm the amount through the Visa Pricing Estimator before you rely on it, and do not assume a concession you have read about elsewhere.
What the charge does and does not buy
It buys consideration of the application. That is all. It is not a deposit, a bond, a service fee or a payment towards a visa.
What it covers:
- assessment of the subclass 820 and, later, the subclass 801, as two stages of one application;
- the Department's requests for further information, and its decision on each stage.
What it does not cover:
- health examinations, paid directly to the panel clinic at that clinic's own price;
- police certificates from every country you have lived in, each at the issuing authority's own fee;
- translations, certified copies and document courier costs;
- fees charged by a migration lawyer, which are separate from everything above;
- review of a refusal, which carries its own prescribed fee at the Administrative Review Tribunal.
A fuller breakdown is on the other costs of applying and migration lawyer fees.
It is not refunded if the application is refused
The Department states that it will not refund the application fee if it refuses your application. This is the single most expensive sentence in the process. A refusal means the money is gone, and both routes forward — a fresh application with a new charge, or an application for review within a short deadline — cost more again. Refunds in other circumstances, such as withdrawal, are governed by separate rules; see paying and refunding the charge.
When the charge changes
Visa application charges are usually revised on 1 July each year. The charge that applies is the one in force on the day a valid application is lodged. That last word does the work: an application that is missing something Schedule 1 requires is not a valid application, so lodging in a hurry on 30 June to beat a change can end with no application at all and no charge locked in either. Where children are included, the additional applicant charges move as well, so a family application can shift by more than the headline figure suggests.
Because of exactly this, an application prepared by an Australian migration lawyer is more likely to succeed: validity is a technical question decided at lodgement, and the charge is the thing you cannot get back when it goes wrong. No one can promise an outcome, but nobody should be paying five figures for an application whose validity is a guess.
What to do next
Get your own figure from the Visa Pricing Estimator, including every person who will be on the application, and budget the health, police and translation costs separately. Then read 820 visa cost for the full picture, additional applicant charges if children are included, and moving from a subclass 300 visa if you hold a Prospective Marriage visa. For everything else that has changed recently, see partner visa updates.
Common questions
How much is the partner visa application charge in 2026?
As at 23 September 2026 the Department of Home Affairs shows the subclass 820 as costing from A$11,710 for most applicants and from A$1,955 for Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) holders, and says concessions apply in limited circumstances. Both are base amounts for one applicant. Use the Department's Visa Pricing Estimator to get the figure for your own application, because additional applicant charges and concessions change it.
What is the concession from 1 July 2026?
The Department states that from 1 July 2026 a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid visa application. In the Migration Regulations 1994 the lower amounts are keyed to the applicant holding a valid passport issued by a country the Regulations define as a Pacific-regional country. Eligibility is determined by the Department, so confirm it through the Visa Pricing Estimator before you budget on it.
Do I pay again for the permanent 801 visa?
No. One visa application charge covers both stages. The temporary subclass 820 and the permanent subclass 801 are lodged together as one application, and the Department's subclass 801 page says you paid for that visa when you made your applications for the temporary and permanent Partner visas. There are usually fresh documents to obtain at the permanent stage, and those cost money, but there is no second application charge.
Is the fee refunded if my partner visa is refused?
No. The Department states that it will not refund the application fee if it refuses your application. The charge pays for the application to be considered, not for a visa. Refunds in other situations, such as withdrawal, are governed by separate rules in the Migration Regulations 1994 and should never be assumed.
When do partner visa charges change?
Visa application charges are usually revised on 1 July each year. The charge that applies to you is the one in force on the day you lodge a valid application, not the one in force when you started gathering documents. An application that turns out to be invalid does not lock in an earlier charge.
Sources
Keep reading
Proposed Visitor Visa Restrictions on Onshore Partner Visas (2026)
A change stopping visitor visa holders applying for family visas onshore was reported in August 2026. As at 23 September 2026 it is a proposal, not law.
Read the guide →
Partner Visa Processing Time Updates (Monthly)
No partner visa processing time is quoted here. What the Department publishes, how to read its figures, and a method for tracking your own application instead.
Read the guide →