Which Passports Get Cheaper 190 Visa Fees From July 2026?
Thirteen passports qualify for the lower Skilled Nominated visa (Subclass 190) cost from 1 July 2026: the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. This comes from the Australian Department of Home Affairs' official "Skilled Nominated visa (Subclass 190)" page, as at the July 2026 version of that page.
Which passports qualify, and from when?
The concession starts on 1 July 2026 and applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid visa application. Eligibility is tied to the passport you actually use in the application, not to your country of birth or residence.
| Qualifying passport | |
|---|---|
| Federated States of Micronesia | Palau |
| Fiji | Papua New Guinea |
| Kiribati | Republic of the Marshall Islands |
| Nauru | Samoa |
| Solomon Islands | Timor-Leste |
| Tonga | Tuvalu |
| Vanuatu |
Whose passport decides the rate — yours or your family's?
The primary applicant must hold a valid passport issued by one of the countries listed above. Family members included in the application also get the lower cost, and their eligibility is determined by the primary applicant's passport (or the passport of the visa holder who satisfies the primary visa criteria), not by their own.
This matters most in mixed-nationality households. Suppose a Samoan primary applicant includes a partner who holds a passport from a country not on the list: under the rule as published, that partner still receives the lower cost, because the assessment follows the primary applicant's passport. Suppose instead the partner is the one holding the Fijian passport while the primary applicant holds a non-listed passport — on the wording of the page, the concession would not apply.
A valid passport is part of the test. An expired passport from a listed country is not described as sufficient, so renewing before you lodge is the safer sequencing.
Do you have to claim the cheaper fee yourself?
No. The Department states it will charge eligible applicants the lower visa application cost during the application process in ImmiAccount, and it recognises eligible applicants by the valid passport from the specified countries used in the application. In practice this means the passport details you enter drive the price, so the practical check before paying is that the passport recorded for the primary applicant is current and issued by one of the listed countries.
What does the 190 visa give you anyway?
It is a permanent visa: you stay in Australia indefinitely, and you become a permanent resident on the day the visa is granted. You can work and study, enrol in Medicare, sponsor relatives, and — if eligible — attend free English classes through the Adult Migrant English Program. Travel to and from Australia runs for five years from the date of grant; after that you need a Resident Return visa (subclass 155 or 157) to re-enter as a permanent resident. Newly arrived residents may need to wait before accessing certain Australian Government payments.
What else will the application cost?
The official page directs applicants to the Visa Pricing Estimator to work out the cost, and notes that the estimator does not include the second instalment or other costs. The second instalment is the extra charge for applicants aged 18 or over who do not have functional English; it is requested only if the visa is going to be granted, and the amount stated for family members is AUD 4,885. You may also face separate costs for health checks, police certificates and biometrics.
Because government charges are re-set over time, treat any figure as current only as long as the official pages say so, and confirm the total in the estimator at the moment you lodge. This article is general information about how the published rules work, not personalised advice about your circumstances; where your situation turns on details such as which passport you will use, check the official pages or get professional advice before you act.
Does the concession change how the application is assessed?
Nothing on the official page suggests the concession alters the criteria, the evidence you must supply, or your place in the queue. Applications are assessed case by case, and processing times vary with whether you lodged a complete application, how quickly you respond to requests for more information, how long required checks take, how long it takes to receive information from external agencies (particularly health, character and national security), and — for permanent migration — how many places are available in the migration programme. For an indication only, the Department points to its visa processing time guide tool, which reflects recently decided applications.
Can you apply from inside Australia?
You can be in or outside Australia when you apply and when the decision is made, but not in immigration clearance. If you apply in Australia you must hold a substantive visa or a Subclass 010 (Bridging A), Subclass 020 (Bridging B) or Subclass 030 (Bridging C) visa; otherwise the application will not be valid.
You can include members of the family unit when you lodge, or add them after lodging but before the decision. Family members must meet health and character requirements, and those not accompanying you to Australia may also need to.
Frequently asked questions
Which countries are on the 190 fee concession list from 1 July 2026?
The list covers the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Eligibility depends on the primary applicant holding a valid passport issued by one of them.
Is Timor-Leste counted among the 13 passports?
Yes. The official list published for the concession contains 13 countries in total, and Timor-Leste is one of them alongside the Pacific Island countries.
Do my partner and children also pay the lower cost?
Yes. Family members included in the application are eligible for the lower visa cost, and the Department bases this on the passport of the primary applicant rather than on each family member's own passport.
Do I need to apply for the concession or enter a special code?
No separate step is described. The lower visa application cost is charged during the application process in ImmiAccount, with eligible applicants recognised by the valid passport from the specified countries used in the application.
What if I hold two passports, one from a listed country and one from elsewhere?
Use the passport issued by a listed country for the application and make sure it is valid, because the Department identifies eligible applicants by the valid passport used when they apply. The published rule does not describe any alternative way to qualify.
Does the lower fee make the visa easier or faster to get?
The official material presents this purely as a cost concession. Assessment remains case by case, and processing times depend on the completeness of your application, how quickly you respond, required checks, information from external agencies, and programme places.