Do I Have to Pay the 190 Second Instalment in 2026?
For most people, the answer is no. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) official page (as of the version captured in July 2026), the second instalment is an extra charge that may apply to any applicant aged 18 or older who does not have functional English, and the Department asks for it only if it is going to grant the visa. If every applicant on your case has functional English, or is under 18, there is no second instalment to pay.
Who actually gets asked to pay it?
The trigger is a combination of two things, assessed person by person rather than per application:
- Age — the applicant is 18 years old or older at the relevant point in processing.
- English level — the applicant has less than functional English.
This matters because a 190 application is usually a family unit. A main applicant with strong English can still face the charge if an adult partner or an adult dependent child on the same application does not meet functional English. Conversely, an applicant below functional English does not create a charge for relatives who do meet it.
Dependants under 18 are outside the rule entirely: the official page states that you do not have to prove a dependant under 18 has functional English.
How much is it?
The only figure published on the subclass 190 page is for family members: AUD 4,885. The page does not print a figure for the main applicant's second instalment or for the base visa application charge — those are shown through the Department's Visa Pricing Estimator.
Two practical consequences follow from that:
| Item | What the official page says |
|---|---|
| Second instalment, family member | AUD 4,885 |
| Second instalment, main applicant | Not stated on the page; check the official page for the current published amount |
| Visa Pricing Estimator | Does not include the second instalment |
| Other possible costs | Health checks, police certificates, biometrics |
Because the estimator excludes it, a total you calculate before applying will be lower than what you may end up paying if the charge is triggered. Budget for the possibility rather than the certainty.
When do you pay — at lodgement or later?
Later, and only on request. The official page is explicit on both points: pay it only when the Department asks you to, and the Department asks only if it is going to grant the visa. In the step-by-step guidance, the instruction is to pay when the invoice is sent.
So the second instalment is not a lodgement fee, and an invoice is a signal that a decision is close. It is also not something you can prepay to speed things up.
What does "less than functional English" mean here?
Functional English is a defined standard in Australia's migration system, and it sits below the level a subclass 190 applicant is normally expected to show: the official page requires you to provide proof of at least competent English at the time of invitation. That gap is why the second instalment is an edge case rather than a routine cost — most invited applicants already hold a test result or passport evidence above the functional threshold.
Where a charge arises, it is typically because an adult family member on the application has never sat an English test and is not relying on a passport from a country that evidences functional English.
Does the 1 July 2026 Pacific and Timor-Leste concession change anything?
From 1 July 2026, a lower visa application cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application, recognised by the valid passport used in the application and based on the primary applicant's passport. Family members also get the lower cost on that basis.
That concession is described on the page as applying to the visa application cost. The page does not say it removes or reduces the second instalment, so treat the English-related charge as a separate line item.
How to read this page
Costs, English thresholds and concession rules are set by the Department and can change, and this article is general information only — it is not personalised migration or legal advice, and it does not predict how any individual application will be assessed. For your own circumstances, rely on the current official Home Affairs page and on advice from a qualified professional.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 190 second instalment compulsory for every applicant?
No. It is an extra charge that applies only to applicants aged 18 or older who have less than functional English. Anyone who meets functional English, and any dependant under 18, does not owe it.
How much will I have to pay?
The subclass 190 page publishes AUD 4,885 as the second instalment charge for family members. It does not publish a figure for the main applicant or the base application charge, so check the official page for those amounts at the time you apply.
Do I pay it when I lodge my application?
No. The Department asks for the second instalment only when it is going to grant the visa, and you pay it when the invoice arrives. Paying it is not a step in lodging.
Will the Visa Pricing Estimator show me the right total?
Not for this charge. The official page states the estimator does not include the second instalment, and it also does not cover other costs such as health checks, police certificates and biometrics.
Can a family member added later trigger the charge?
Yes, in principle. You can add members of the family unit after you apply but before a decision is made, using Form 1436, and an added adult with less than functional English falls under the same rule as anyone else on the application.
What happens to the money if the visa is refused?
The official page states that the application charge is not refunded if an application is refused. It does not set out separate refund rules for the second instalment, so the current published position on the official page is the only reliable guide.