Australia 887 visa fees in 2026: instalments and the Pacific and Timor-Leste concession
From 1 July 2026, eligible citizens of a specified group of Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste pay a lower Skilled Regional visa (subclass 887) application charge, and their accompanying family members pay the lower charge too — assessed by the passport of the primary applicant rather than by each family member's own passport. This comes from the Australian Department of Home Affairs official page for the Skilled Regional visa (Subclass 887), as of the July 2026 version of that page.
What does the subclass 887 charge actually consist of?
The charge is built from more than one component, and only one of them has a fixed published figure.
| Component | Who it applies to | What the official page says |
|---|---|---|
| Main applicant charge | The primary applicant | A charge applies, with concessions available in limited circumstances; the page directs applicants to the Visa Pricing Estimator rather than publishing a flat amount |
| Additional family member charge | Each family member who applies with you | A separate charge applies per family member; no figure is published on the page |
| Second instalment | Any member of the family unit aged 18 or over with less than functional English | AUD 4,890, requested only if the visa is going to be granted |
That structure matters for anyone budgeting, because the estimator used to work out the visa cost explicitly does not include the second instalment or other costs.
Who qualifies for the lower charge from 1 July 2026?
The concession applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid visa application. Under the rule as published, 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
Nationality alone is not the operative test on its own — the passport has to be valid and has to be the one used in the application.
How is the concession recognised when you apply?
The lower application cost is charged during the application process in ImmiAccount. Eligible applicants are recognised by the valid passport from the specified countries used in the application, so no separate claim or request is described on the official page.
Do family members get the lower charge as well?
Yes. Family members are also eligible for the lower visa cost, and the assessment is based on the passport of the primary applicant — or of the visa holder who satisfies the primary visa criteria — rather than on each family member's own travel document.
Assume an applicant holds a valid Fijian passport and lodges together with a spouse and a child who each hold passports from a country outside the listed group. Under the rule as published, the lower cost follows the primary applicant's passport and extends to those family members in the same application. This is an illustration of how the rule reads, not a description of any individual case.
What is the second instalment, and when is it payable?
The second instalment is the extra charge for any member of the family unit aged 18 or over who has less than functional English. It is AUD 4,890, and it is charged per such applicant.
Two timing points are easy to miss. It should be paid only when requested, and it is requested only if the visa is going to be granted. It also sits outside the Visa Pricing Estimator's output, so an estimate produced there is not the final figure for a household where it applies.
What other costs fall outside the application charge?
Health checks, police certificates and biometrics are listed on the official page as separate costs that may apply. Because they are not part of the visa application charge, they are not covered by either the estimator or the Pacific and Timor-Leste concession as described.
Who has to be included in the application?
Family members who are eligible to apply must be included at the time the application is lodged, and family members cannot be added after submission. Family members included must meet health and character requirements, and those not accompanying the main applicant to Australia may also need to meet them.
There is scope for including some family members who no longer meet the standard definition of a member of the family unit, provided they hold an eligible visa granted on the basis that they were a member of the family unit — the example given on the official page is a child who has turned 23 since being granted that eligible visa. A child born in or outside Australia after the current visa was granted must be declared before lodging, and if that child's current visa has not been linked to their passport, their application cannot be lodged online.
This article is general information about how the published rules are framed, not personalised advice on any individual's circumstances, and the eligibility and cost position should be confirmed against the Department's current published guidance or with a qualified adviser before lodging.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Pacific and Timor-Leste concession available before 1 July 2026?
The official page states that the lower visa cost applies from 1 July 2026 to eligible citizens who lodge a valid visa application. The date is tied to lodging a valid application, so it is the lodgement date that matters under the rule as published.
Does each family member need their own qualifying passport?
No. Family members are eligible for the lower visa cost based on the passport of the primary applicant, or of the visa holder who satisfies the primary visa criteria. Their own passport country does not decide the charge.
How much is the main applicant's 887 visa charge?
The official page does not publish a flat figure; it states that the visa costs an amount for the main applicant, with concessions in limited circumstances, and directs applicants to the Visa Pricing Estimator. Only the second instalment, at AUD 4,890, is given as a fixed amount.
When do I have to pay the second instalment?
Only when asked to, and only where the visa is going to be granted. It applies to any member of the family unit aged 18 or over with less than functional English, and it is not included in the Visa Pricing Estimator's result.
Can I add a family member to my 887 application later?
No. Each family member who is eligible to apply must be included at the time you lodge, and the official page states that family members cannot be added after the application has been submitted.
Does the lower charge change what the visa allows?
The concession described on the official page is a cost measure only. The subclass 887 remains a permanent visa with a travel component that expires five years from the date of grant.