Budgeting for an Australian parent visa: subclass 143 costs in 2026-27
A single applicant should budget from AUD 49,900 for the Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143), paid in two instalments, plus an additional charge for every family member who applies on the same form and separate out-of-pocket costs for health checks, police certificates and biometrics for each person. That starting figure comes from the Australian Department of Home Affairs official page for the Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143), as of the July 2026 version of that page. Because the second instalment is only invoiced late in the process, most families are not paying one bill — they are funding a commitment that can stay open for years, which is why the budgeting question matters more than the headline number.
What does the headline charge of AUD 49,900 actually cover?
The AUD 49,900 figure is the starting cost for one applicant. It is the visa application charge for the permanent Contributory Parent visa itself, not a total settlement budget, and the Department describes it as a "from" amount rather than a fixed price. Family members are charged on top of it, so two parents applying together cost more than one, and the gap between a single applicant and a couple is not small enough to ignore when planning.
The page also flags that the charge may be lower for applicants who already hold a Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 173) or a substituted Visitor visa (subclass 600), and that concessions apply in limited circumstances. Neither the reduced amounts nor the full concession criteria are set out on that page, so they have to be read off the Department's current visa pricing material rather than estimated.
How does the two-instalment structure work?
The charge is split into two parts. You pay the first instalment when you lodge the application, and the second instalment only when the Department asks you to. If you do not pay the second instalment, the application will be refused.
This split is the single most important thing to understand about the visa's cash flow. The first instalment is due upfront, at a moment when the application is entering a queue rather than being decided. The second instalment arrives as an invoice much later, when the case is being finalised, and the grant follows only after it is paid.
When does the second instalment arrive, and why does the queue matter?
Parent visas are subject to capping and queueing, and demand exceeds the number of places available each year, which the Department states results in long processing times. Applications are processed in the order they are received. Assessment happens in two stages: an initial check to decide whether the application joins the queue or is refused, then a final assessment once a place becomes available.
The practical budgeting consequence is a long gap between the two payments. The first instalment leaves your account close to lodgement; the second can be invoiced years later, and the family has to be able to meet it at that point with no guarantee of how far out that date sits. The Department does not publish a reliable per-case estimate on this page, so treat the timing as open-ended rather than scheduling around it.
Do not arrange to stay permanently in Australia until the visa is granted, and do not build a family budget that assumes a specific grant date.
How much does each additional family member add?
Every family member who applies with you carries an additional charge. The subclass 143 page states this but does not publish the per-person amounts, so the exact figure for a partner, a dependent child or any other included relative has to be checked against the Department's current visa pricing page at the time you plan to lodge.
Who can be included also shapes the bill:
- Partner — included with identity, character and relationship evidence (a current marriage certificate, or proof of a de facto relationship of at least 12 months before applying).
- Dependent children — under 18; or over 18 but not yet turned 23 and dependent on you or your partner; or over 23 and unable to earn a living to support themselves due to physical or cognitive limitations, and dependent on you or your partner.
- Family members not migrating — their details still go on the form, and they may still need to meet health and character requirements.
Members may also be able to be added after lodgement using Form 1436, Adding an additional applicant after lodgement, before a decision is made — another route by which the total charge for one application may grow over time.
For retirees applying under the Retirement visa pathway the picture is narrower: a partner can be included if they also hold a Retirement or Investor Retirement visa, but children cannot be included at all.
Which costs sit outside the visa application charge?
Beyond the instalments, the Department lists related costs for each applicant: health checks, police certificates and biometrics. Individually these are small next to a five-figure visa charge, but they multiply by the number of people on the application and arrive at unpredictable moments — health examinations and biometrics are requested when the Department needs them, and police certificates should not be arranged until asked for.
There is one more item that affects family cash planning even though it is not a Department fee. An Assurance of Support must be provided when the Department asks for it. Notably, the sponsor does not have to be the assurer: it can be given by an individual, more than one person, or an organisation. Retiree applicants are exempt. The subclass 143 page sets out no amounts or bond terms, so any figure quoted elsewhere should be treated as unverified until it appears in the Department's published visa pricing material.
Is any cost relief available in 2026-27?
Yes, in two distinct situations.
From 1 July 2026, a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application. Eligibility is recognised through the passport: the primary applicant must hold a valid passport issued by one of the listed countries — Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu or Vanuatu. Family members qualify too, based on the primary applicant's passport, and the lower cost is applied during the application process.
Separately, the 173-then-143 route is worth understanding as a financing decision rather than a discount. Applying for the temporary Contributory Parent visa (subclass 173) first and then the subclass 143 costs more in total than applying directly for the subclass 143 — the Department notes the two-stage process is faster and costs more than the Parent visa (subclass 103), with the cost spread across the two visas over a longer period. Whether that premium is worth paying depends entirely on how your family prefers to fund the same destination: one larger outlay, or several smaller ones spread out.
How much money is genuinely at risk?
Two rules on the official page decide this.
First, the application fee is not refunded if the visa is refused. This includes refusal for non-payment of the second instalment, which means money already paid for the first instalment is lost.
Second, the Department can only process an application if the correct visa application charge has been paid. If the amount is wrong, you will be notified and the application may be returned — so an underpayment is not a rounding issue but a processing stopper.
Assume, therefore, that everything paid before a decision is committed capital, not a deposit.
How should a family actually build this budget?
Suppose an applicant is a single parent joining one adult child in Australia, with a partner who will apply later rather than now. The committed items visible from the official page are: the AUD 49,900 starting charge for the main applicant, the applicable second instalment at final assessment, related health/police/biometrics costs for that applicant, and — if the partner joins after lodgement — their additional per-person charge and their own related costs. Nothing in that list can be pinned to a date except the first instalment.
Two structural points make this manageable. Keep funds for the second instalment liquid and separate, because it is invoiced on the Department's timetable, not yours. And re-check the per-person and concession amounts against the current visa pricing page shortly before any payment, since a charge quoted a year earlier may no longer be the operative one.
This article is general information drawn from published government material and is not advice tailored to any individual's circumstances, nor a substitute for professional advice on your own case — verify every figure against the Department's current pricing page before you rely on it, and note that these rules are ones in force as published and can change.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the subclass 143 parent visa cost in 2026-27?
It starts from AUD 49,900 for a single applicant, plus an additional charge for each family member who applies with you, according to the Department of Home Affairs visa page as published in July 2026. Exact per-person amounts are not listed there and must be checked on the Department's current visa pricing page.
Do I pay the full amount upfront?
No. The cost is split into two instalments: the first is paid when you apply, the second only when the Department invoices you, which happens late in the assessment process. The grant follows only after the second instalment is paid.
What happens if the second instalment is not paid?
The application will be refused, and the application fee already paid is not refunded. Non-payment is therefore not a delay — it ends the application and forfeits the money committed so far.
Are health checks, police certificates and biometrics included in the visa charge?
No. The Department lists health checks, police certificates and biometrics as related costs payable for each applicant, on top of the visa application charge. Do not arrange a police certificate until the Department asks for one.
Can the total cost be reduced?
In some cases. Holders of a Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 173) or a substituted Visitor visa (subclass 600) may pay lower costs, concessions apply in limited circumstances, and from 1 July 2026 eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste passport holders pay a lower cost. Eligibility depends on your circumstances and passport, so the operative amount should be confirmed before lodging.
Is spreading the cost over two visas cheaper?
No — applying for the subclass 173 first and then subclass 143 costs more in total than applying directly for subclass 143. The advantage is timing: the payments are spread over the two stages, and the Department notes the two-stage process is faster than the Parent visa (subclass 103).
Do I get my money back if the visa is refused?
No. The Department states clearly that the application fee is not refunded if the application is refused, regardless of the reason for refusal.