What happens if you don't pay the second instalment for visa 114 in 2026?

Plain-language guide · general information, not immigration advice

If you don't pay the second instalment for the Aged Dependent Relative visa (subclass 114), the visa will not be granted. The Australian Department of Home Affairs states on its official Aged Dependent Relative visa (Subclass 114) page, as of August 2026: "You must pay the instalment or we can't grant the visa." A separate rule covers paying the wrong amount: the department says it cannot process an application if the correct visa application charge has not been paid, and it will notify you and, if necessary, return the application.

When is the second instalment actually due?

Not when you apply. The subclass 114 is priced in two instalments: you pay the first instalment when you lodge, and the second only when the department asks for it.

According to the same official page, the department sends an invoice for the second instalment after you have met all other requirements for the visa — health, character, sponsorship, dependency evidence and any assurance of support. In practice that means the invoice arrives late in the process, often long after lodgement, because Other Family visas are subject to capping and queueing and processing can be lengthy.

The important consequence: the invoice is a signal that the case is otherwise ready. Missing it costs you the grant, not because a new requirement appeared, but because payment is the last remaining step.

What happens if you don't pay the second instalment?

The published consequence is narrow and specific: no grant. The department's wording is about the grant, not about a penalty or a ban — the page does not describe non-payment as a refusal decision, a bar on reapplying, or a negative record.

What it does say is that the grant cannot happen until the instalment is paid. If you never pay it, the application sits at the final step. There is no published provision for waiving the second instalment, and the page does not set out any instalment plan or reduction for hardship. Concessions are mentioned as applying "in limited circumstances" on the first-instalment side of the cost section, but the page does not spell out concession rules for the second instalment, so those details need to be read from the department's current fees and charges material.

Is failing to pay the same as being refused?

Not quite, and the distinction matters.

A refusal is a decision. When the department refuses a visa it tells you in writing why, and whether you have a right to a review of that decision. It also states plainly: "We will not refund the application fee if we refuse your application."

An unpaid second instalment is different in kind — it is an incomplete final step rather than an assessed decision on your eligibility. You should not assume that review rights, or any particular outcome, attach to it; the official page does not say what happens to an application that stays unpaid indefinitely, and no timeline for that situation is published.

What if you pay the wrong amount, or the payment fails?

This is where the consequences are sharper than a late second instalment.

The department states it cannot process your application if you don't pay the correct visa application charge; it will notify you if that is the case and, if necessary, return your application. The same "we do not process it" logic applies at lodgement: if the required steps are incomplete when you submit — including payment of the first instalment and evidence that it was paid — the application may be invalid, the department will notify you, and it will return the application if requested.

Note the mechanics for this visa: you apply on paper using Form 47OF, you cannot pay in person, and you must pay the first instalment through the online payment function in ImmiAccount before the application is submitted, including evidence of payment with the application.

Suppose an applicant posts a paper application with a payment receipt for a different applicant, or the online payment never completed. Under the published rules, that application is exposed to being treated as invalid rather than merely delayed — which is a much worse outcome than waiting for a second-instalment invoice, because an invalid application is not processed at all.

Does the Visa Pricing Estimator show the second instalment?

No. The department's Visa Pricing Estimator for subclass 114 gives you an indicative cost, but the official page states the estimator does not consider the second instalment or other costs.

So the two instalments plus separate expenses are budgeted separately:

Item	When it is paid	Where the official page mentions it
First instalment	With your application, before submission	Cost and "Apply for the visa" steps
Second instalment	After you meet all other requirements, on invoice	"Pay the second instalment" step
Health checks, police certificates, biometrics	As required, after you are asked	Cost section and post-application steps

Treat the estimator figure as the starting point only. The page itself lists the visa cost as a "from" figure and adds that there is an extra charge for each family member who applies with you.

What else has to be settled before the grant?

The second instalment is requested only once everything else is in order, so the surrounding requirements are what usually determine whether you ever reach the invoice:

Health and character for you and any family members included in the application; the department tells you when to arrange health examinations, police certificates and biometrics.
Assurance of support, which you provide when the department asks for it.
Being outside Australia — you and all applicants must be outside Australia both when you apply and when the department decides the application.
First entry date, which you must meet; the grant letter specifies it, generally set at 12 months from the date of grant.

One further timing point worth knowing: 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 a valid passport from a listed country, and family members are covered on the basis of the primary applicant's passport. The two-instalment structure itself is unchanged by that.

How do you avoid missing the invoice?

The published process assumes the department can reach you, so the practical safeguards are all about contactability and record-keeping:

Import the paper application into ImmiAccount once you have your acknowledgement letter. That gives you access to messages, document uploads and status, and it is where the department's correspondence is easiest to track.
Keep your address, phone number and passport details current after lodgement — changes to these are on the department's list of things you must report.
Keep a full copy of your submitted application and supporting documents; the department advises doing this and sending certified copies rather than originals.
If you spot a mistake on the form, notify the department as soon as you can using Form 1023 rather than waiting for a case officer to find it.

This article is general information about how the published rules work, not advice on any individual case, and the amounts and timing that apply to you depend on your own circumstances — for anything that affects a live application, the department's current official wording, or a registered migration agent or legal practitioner, is the authority to rely on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to pay the second instalment when I lodge my application?

No. The first instalment is paid when you apply, and the second instalment is paid only after the department sends you an invoice. That invoice is issued once you have met all the other requirements for the visa.

Will I get a refund if I don't pay the second instalment?

The official page states that the application fee will not be refunded if the application is refused. It does not set out a refund rule for a second instalment that is simply never paid, so no assumption about getting money back should be made from this page alone.

Can I pay the second instalment in person or by cash?

The department's published steps for this visa say you cannot pay in person. The page does not specify a payment method for the second instalment itself; other payment options for paper applications are covered in the department's separate "how to pay" guidance.

How long do I have to pay once the invoice arrives?

The official page does not publish a deadline. It says you must pay the instalment when asked and that the visa cannot be granted without it, so the safest reading is that the application will not move to a grant until payment is received.

What if my circumstances change after I've paid?

You must tell the department about certain changes after you apply, including changes to your phone number, address or passport, the birth of a child, and if you want to withdraw the application. Mistakes on the form are notified using Form 1023.

If I add a family member later, does that change what I owe?

Yes in one respect: the official page notes an extra charge for each family member who applies with you. Adding someone after lodgement is done with Form 1436, and the added family member must be in Australia at the time they are added.