How much is the 858 visa fee?
The 858 visa fee is $6,235 for the main applicant from 1 July 2026 under Migration Regulations 1994, Schedule 1 item 1113. For the 858 visa, the following amounts separate lodgement charges from later payments. All amounts are Australian dollars.
| Applicant type | Charge | When paid | Source | As at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main applicant | $6,235 | At lodgement in ImmiAccount; processing starts only after payment | Migration Regulations, item 1113(2)(a)(ii); Home Affairs price service | 1 July 2026 |
| Each family member aged 18 or over | $3,120 | At lodgement | Migration Regulations, item 1113 | 1 July 2026 |
| Each family member under 18 | $1,560 | At lodgement | Migration Regulations, item 1113 | 1 July 2026 |
| Each applicant aged 18 or over at application without functional English | $4,890 | Before grant, only if Home Affairs is going to grant | Migration Regulations, item 1113(2)(b); Home Affairs 858 listing | 1 July 2026; unchanged from 2025 |
| Main applicant with an eligible Pacific or Timor-Leste passport, and included family | $5,110 / $2,560 / $1,280 | At lodgement | Migration Regulations, item 1113(2)(a)(i) | 1 July 2026 |
| Expression of Interest | $0 | No payment step | Home Affairs EOI form | 3 October 2026 |
| Form 1000 nomination | $0 | No payment | Home Affairs Form 1000 | Version 11/24 |
The Home Affairs National Innovation visa listing, updated 4 September 2026, says the Department’s estimator excludes health checks, police certificates and biometrics.
General information from government figures. Change the quantities to see the listed charges. Nothing is sent or stored.
Ask about your application
The site enquiry form accepts questions addressed to Australian Migration Lawyers. A reference appears only after the email send is accepted and its status recorded.
What do family members add to the 858 visa cost?
Under regulation 1.12(2) of the Migration Regulations 1994, family members include a spouse or de facto partner and unpartnered dependent children: under 18, aged 18–22 and dependent, or older and dependent through incapacity.
| Family composition | Lodgement total from 1 July 2026 |
|---|---|
| Main applicant alone | $6,235 |
| Main applicant and partner | $9,355 |
| Main applicant, partner and one child under 18 | $10,915 |
| Main applicant, partner and two children under 18 | $12,475 |
| Main applicant, partner and dependent child aged 18–22 | $12,475 |
These are arithmetic totals using Schedule 1 item 1113’s standard charges, before second instalments or outside costs. See what 858 visa family members cost.
The 858 second instalment for adults without functional English
The second instalment is a further $4,890 for each main or family applicant aged 18 or over at application who is assessed as not having functional English, under Schedule 1 item 1113(2)(b). It remains unchanged from 1 July 2025.
The Home Affairs 858 listing says you state your intention to pay for each person when applying; the Department requests payment only if it is going to grant the visa.
The charge is nil for family-violence applicants under regulations 858.321(3), (3A) and (4). Part 858 contains no English criterion: on the Regulations, the consequence of lacking functional English is this charge, not a separate English eligibility test.
Other 858 visa costs outside the application charge
- Health examinations: Home Affairs’ “When to have health examinations” page says applicants pay. No examination price is supplied here.
- Police certificates: AFP “National police checks” lists $57, or $114 with fingerprints, GST-exempt, as checked on 3 October 2026. The Home Affairs 858 listing requires an AFP certificate after 12 months or more in Australia in the last 10 years since turning 16. Overseas certificates depend on each country’s charges.
- Translations: the Home Affairs 858 listing requires translations of non-English documents, using NAATI-accredited translators in Australia. Document certification is not required, so there is no required certification cost.
- Biometrics: the Home Affairs 858 listing says the Department tells you if these are needed. No price is supplied here.
- Bridging visa B: for an onshore applicant seeking travel before a decision, Schedule 1 item 1302 sets the standard charge at $575 from 1 July 2026, with no added charge for included family; its Pacific-passport concession is $195.
Is there a fee for the 858 EOI, Form 1000 or state nomination?
No for the EOI and Form 1000. The Department’s EOI form has no payment step. Home Affairs Form 1000, version 11/24, says nomination is free, requires no payment to the nominator and includes its declaration that none was received.
State charges need a state-specific answer:
- South Australia’s National Innovation visa page, modified 9 February 2026: nil fee.
- NSW’s National Innovation visa common questions, modified 23 March 2026: no registration-of-interest or nomination fee.
- Queensland’s nomination fee table has no National Innovation visa row. Its program closed for 2025–26; a reopening date was not supplied in the researched government material. Absence of a fee row does not establish a current nil charge.
- Victoria’s government page mentioned no fee in the 10 April 2026 archive capture. Tasmania’s stated none in the 15 April 2026 archive capture, of a page updated 19 March 2026. Neither establishes the current fee position.
Compare 858 state nomination by state and territory.
858 visa fee concessions for Pacific and Timor-Leste passports
The lower charges apply when the main applicant holds a valid passport issued by a listed Pacific-regional country or Timor-Leste, under Schedule 1 item 1113(2)(a)(i).
| Applicant | Standard charge | Concession charge |
|---|---|---|
| Main applicant | $6,235 | $5,110 |
| Family member aged 18 or over | $3,120 | $2,560 |
| Family member under 18 | $1,560 | $1,280 |
Charges are from 1 July 2026 under the Migration Regulations 1994.
The Home Affairs 858 listing names: Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
Why the 858 visa fee rose on 1 July 2026
The explanatory statement to the Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2026 explains the 2026–27 Budget increase of 25% to most first-instalment visa application charges from 1 July 2026.
| Charge | From 1 July 2025 | From 1 July 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main applicant | $4,985 | $6,235 | About +25% |
| Family member aged 18 or over | $2,495 | $3,120 | About +25% |
| Family member under 18 | $1,250 | $1,560 | About +25% |
| Second instalment | $4,890 | $4,890 | Unchanged |
These figures come from the 2025 and 2026 compilations of the Migration Regulations. Lower main-applicant figures such as $4,985 or $4,110 still appearing on some pages are out of date.
858 visa fee refunds
No refund on refusal: the Home Affairs 858 listing says the application charge is not refunded. Section 49(4) of the Migration Act 1958 also makes withdrawn-application fees non-refundable, subject to the Regulations.
Home Affairs’ “Get a refund” page, updated 24 September 2026, lists mandatory refunds where an application was unnecessary when made, a departmental mistake occurred without your contribution, the applicant died before decision, or nomination was unsuccessful.
For your own mistake about the visa, the discretionary route described with Form 1424 requires this order: withdraw, request the refund, then lodge and pay for the correct visa.
Paying the 858 visa fee in ImmiAccount
- Start Form 47NI in ImmiAccount, the approved internet form under the application-arrangements instrument amended by LIN 24/078.
- Choose payment: Home Affairs’ “How to pay”, updated 1 October 2026, lists MasterCard, VISA, AMEX, JCB or pre-paid card with 3D Secure, PayPal, UnionPay and BPAY. Allow three days for BPAY.
- Pay in one transaction, using one card for a card payment, as required by “How to pay”.
- Attach documents, submit and record the TRN. The Home Affairs 858 listing says processing does not start until payment. Follow the 858 visa application steps.
Frequently asked fee questions
How much does it cost to get an 858 visa?
Schedule 1 item 1113 sets $6,235 for the main applicant, $3,120 per adult family member and $1,560 per child from 1 July 2026, plus $4,890 per adult without functional English.
What does the 858 visa cost for a family of four?
A main applicant, partner and two children under 18 total $12,475 at lodgement on item 1113’s standard charges, before second instalments and outside costs.
Is the 858 EOI free?
Yes: the Department’s EOI form has no payment step.
Do I get the 858 fee back if my visa is refused?
No, according to the Home Affairs 858 listing.
Does an 858 nominator charge a fee?
No: Form 1000 requires no payment and a declaration that none was received.
Can I pay the 858 fee in instalments?
No: “How to pay” requires one transaction. The separate $4,890 second instalment under item 1113 applies to adults without functional English before grant, rather than being a payment plan.
Proving functional English to avoid the 858 second instalment
Home Affairs’ “Functional English”, updated 21 September 2026, lists these routes:
- Citizenship and a valid passport from Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, the UK or the US.
- A degree, higher degree, diploma or trade certificate requiring at least two years’ full-time study, entirely in English.
- All primary schooling plus three secondary years in English; five secondary years in English; or at least one year of full-time Australian study (or its part-time equivalent) at an institution where all instruction was in English, towards a degree, higher degree, diploma or associate diploma.
- A test within 12 months before application. For tests from 7 August 2025: IELTS Academic or General Training average 4.5; PTE Academic 24; TOEFL iBT 26 (select “Taking TOEFL for Australia” at registration or the result may not be accepted); CELPIP General 5; MET 38; LANGUAGECERT Academic 38; OET 1020. Fully online or at-home tests are not accepted.
See the evidence requirements for functional English on an 858.
Before paying, ask an Australian migration lawyer to check eligibility, evidence against the invitation, missing documents and each adult’s functional English proof. That review provides a concrete pre-lodgement check; it does not predict a grant or change Home Affairs’ refusal-refund rule.