What Happens If I Don't Pay the Second Instalment of My Parent Visa 103 in 2026?
If you get the second instalment invoice for a Parent visa (subclass 103) and don't pay it, the application is refused — and the money already paid is not given back. The Department of Home Affairs states this on its official Parent visa (Subclass 103) page: "You must pay the second instalment before we will grant the visa. We will send you an invoice when it is due. If you do not pay the invoice, we will refuse your application." The same page adds that the application fee is not refunded where an application is refused.
Visa costs and processing arrangements can change, so read the figures published on the Department's Parent visa (Subclass 103) page before relying on them.
What is the second instalment, and when does the invoice arrive?
The subclass 103 visa costs from AUD 8,665 for a single applicant, with additional charges for each family member who applies with you. That charge is not paid in one hit: you pay it in two parts called instalments — the first when you apply, the second when the Department asks you to.
The invoice is issued when the second instalment falls due, and the visa cannot be granted until it is paid. Worth knowing where that sits in the process: the Department assesses these applications in two stages. The first assessment decides whether your application is added to the queue or refused; later, as places become available, applications are released from the queue for final assessment. The subclass 103 is capped and queued, and applications are processed in the order they are received.
The practical point is the sequencing: years in the queue move you toward final assessment, but the second instalment is a precondition of the grant itself. Missing it stops the application at the last step.
What exactly happens if the invoice goes unpaid?
Three things follow, and they are all on the official page:
- Refusal, not delay. Non-payment produces a decision to refuse. It does not put the application on hold.
- The decision comes in writing. You are told why the visa was refused, and whether you have a right to a review of that decision.
- No refund. "We will not refund the application fee if we refuse your application." The first instalment is not returned.
That combination is what makes this rule easy to miss. Because places are released from the queue only as they become available, time spent in the queue does not convert into a grant once the application is refused, and the fee paid at lodgement is retained.
Is there a grace period, or can I just pay late?
The published steps give one consequence for non-payment and do not set out an extension or a late-payment process. A related rule appears elsewhere on the same page: the Department can only process your application if you pay the correct visa application charge, and it will notify you if the amount paid was not correct and return the application if necessary.
Since the invoice is the trigger, the risk is usually practical rather than financial — did the invoice actually reach you? The Department says it may need to contact you directly even if you nominated your sponsor's email address for correspondence, appointed an authorised recipient, or appointed someone to give you immigration assistance. Keeping your phone number, email, address and passport details current is therefore part of protecting the application, and so is keeping your ImmiAccount secure. If you lodged on paper (applications lodged after November 2018 can be imported into ImmiAccount), importing gives you access to messages, document upload and status views. Note too that the Department does not provide progress updates within normal processing times.
What if I genuinely cannot fund the second instalment in time?
Two facts from the official page help frame this before the invoice lands.
First, other parent visas exist and may be processed more quickly. The Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143) is permanent and may be processed faster than the subclass 103 but costs more; the Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 173) followed by the subclass 143 is a two-step route that is also faster and costs more overall, although the cost is spread across the two visas. If you withdraw a subclass 103 application and switch to a contributory parent visa, the Department takes your original subclass 103 application date into account and switching will not disadvantage you. One restriction to keep in mind in the other direction: you cannot apply for a subclass 103 if you have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870).
Second, the total you owe is not fixed at lodgement if your family changes. You may be able to add family members before a decision is made, using Form 1436 together with evidence of the relationship and a copy of the family member's passport — and each additional family member carries additional charges.
Does paying the second instalment guarantee the visa?
No. Paying it removes one barrier to a grant; it does not make the decision. Applications still pass through the two-stage assessment described above, and other requirements stay live: health examinations and biometrics are requested when the Department wants them, police certificates are requested rather than arranged up front, and an Assurance of Support is provided when asked for it. One is not required if you apply as a retiree under the Retirement visa pathway.
There is also a location rule at decision time: you must be outside Australia when the decision is made, unless you applied as a retiree, in which case you may be in or outside Australia. If the visa is granted, you must enter Australia before the date specified in your grant letter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I be reminded before the second instalment is due?
The official steps say the Department sends the invoice when the instalment is due; they do not describe a separate reminder schedule. That makes your contact details the weak link — the Department says it may contact you directly even if a sponsor's email or an authorised recipient is nominated for correspondence.
Do I get the first instalment back if the application is refused for non-payment?
No. The official page states plainly that the application fee is not refunded if the application is refused. The refusal reason does not create an exception to that rule.
How much will the second instalment actually be?
The headline figure is from AUD 8,665 for a single applicant, with additional charges for each family member applying with you, and the charge is split into two instalments. For the amount that applies to your own application, the Department directs applicants to its current visa pricing information, since the total depends on who is included.
Can I add a family member after I have paid, and does that change what I owe?
Family members can be added before a decision is made, using Form 1436 with evidence of the relationship and a copy of their passport. Because additional charges apply to each family member who applies with you, adding someone changes the total cost of the application.
If my subclass 103 is refused, is parent migration closed to me?
Not necessarily. Other parent visas include the Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143), the subclass 173 followed by subclass 143 two-step route, and the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870). The contributory routes may be processed faster but cost more than the subclass 103.
Will I be told whether I can challenge the refusal?
Yes. When a visa is refused, the Department tells you in writing why it was refused and whether you have a right to a review of the decision.