When Is the Second Instalment of the 115 Visa Fee Due in 2026?
The second instalment of the Remaining Relative visa (subclass 115) fee is not due on a fixed date — it becomes due when the Australian Department of Home Affairs sends you an invoice, and it sends that invoice only after you have met all the other requirements for the visa. The Department's Remaining Relative visa (subclass 115) page, current as of July 2026, states it plainly: applicants pay the first instalment when they apply and the second instalment when asked, and the invoice for that instalment follows once every other requirement is satisfied. Until the invoice arrives there is nothing to pay; once it arrives, the visa cannot be granted until the payment is made.
What exactly triggers the second instalment?
The trigger is your own application reaching the point where everything else is done. Health checks, character checks, identity and relationship evidence, sponsor documents and any assurance of support all sit ahead of the invoice. The Department's step-by-step guidance for this visa puts the instruction under "After you apply": pay the second instalment when told to, and the invoice is issued after you have met all other requirements.
That is why the timing feels unpredictable from the applicant's side. It is not tied to your lodgement date, a birthday, or a fixed number of months — it is tied to the case officer being satisfied that the file is otherwise complete.
Why isn't it just charged when you lodge?
Because this visa is priced in two parts by design. The Department charges the first instalment at lodgement and holds the second instalment back until the application is close to a decision. Two practical consequences follow: the Visa Pricing Estimator on the Department's website does not factor the second instalment in, and it also does not cover the separate costs you may incur for health checks, police certificates and biometrics — so an estimate produced before you apply is not a full budget for the whole journey.
For the first instalment, the rules are different and stricter: you must pay when you apply, using the online portal payment function in ImmiAccount before the paper application is submitted, and you include evidence of payment with the application. Payment cannot be made in person.
What happens if you don't pay it?
The visa will not be granted. The Department's wording is unconditional: "You must pay the instalment or we can't grant the visa." There is no partial-grant or pay-later route described on the official page.
Refusal on other grounds is a separate matter, and the first instalment is not returned in that case — the Department states it will not refund the application fee if the application is refused. So paying the second instalment is a necessary step, not a guarantee.
Where does the second instalment sit in the overall timeline?
A subclass 115 application is lodged on paper (Form 47OF), with the sponsor completing Form 40, and sent to the Parent, Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth. You must be outside Australia both when you apply and when the Department decides the application. After lodgement, the sequence typically runs: acknowledgement, requests for health examinations if required, biometrics if required, police certificates if requested (the Department asks you not to arrange these until asked), any assurance of support when requested, and only then the second instalment invoice.
Demand for Other Family visas exceeds the places available each year, so processing can be lengthy and these applications are subject to capping and queueing. The gap between lodgement and the second instalment invoice can therefore be long — which is worth planning for, because the amount itself is not shown in the estimator.
Does the invoice mean approval is coming?
It is a strong signal that the file has cleared its other requirements, but it is not a decision. You receive the visa outcome separately and in writing, along with your grant number, start date and conditions if successful. Only after that should you arrange travel — the Department advises not to book travel to Australia until it confirms in writing that the visa is granted.
One more constraint to keep in mind: you must enter Australia before the date in your grant letter, generally set at 12 months from the date of grant.
This article is general information about how the published process works, not personalised advice on your circumstances; subclass 115 rules, charges and processing arrangements change over time, so treat the Department's current official pages as the authority and check them before you act or pay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the second instalment due at a set time after I apply?
No. It is due when the Department of Home Affairs invoices you, and it issues that invoice only after you have met all other requirements for the visa. The date therefore depends on how your individual application progresses, not on a fixed schedule.
Can I pay the second instalment early to speed things up?
The official guidance is to pay it when the Department tells you to, after it sends the invoice. There is no early-payment mechanism described on the visa page, and the second instalment is not included in the Visa Pricing Estimator.
What happens if I ignore the invoice?
The Department states it cannot grant the visa unless the instalment is paid. An unpaid second instalment effectively stops the application at the final step, regardless of how strong the rest of the evidence is.
Does the second instalment cover health checks, police certificates and biometrics?
No. Those are listed as separate costs you may need to pay. The estimator also excludes them, so any figure it produces covers only part of what a subclass 115 application can cost.
Will I get the money back if the visa is refused?
The Department states it will not refund the application fee if an application is refused. Treat both instalments as committed funds once paid.
Do family members included in my application have their own charges?
Yes. The visa page notes there is an extra charge for each family member who applies with you, and family members must also meet health and character requirements.