Subclass 870 Pacific VAC concession in 2026: eligibility and proof

You pay the lower visa application charge (VAC) on a Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa if you are a citizen of one of the 13 listed countries (12 Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste) and you lodge your application with a valid passport issued by one of them. The Australian Department of Home Affairs sets this out on its official Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 870) page, as of October 2026, and describes the reduction as applying from 1 July 2026. The passport itself carries the proof: the Department recognises eligible applicants from the travel document they apply with, and applies the lower charge inside ImmiAccount.

This article summarises published policy for general reference. It is not advice on your own circumstances, and eligibility and amounts depend on facts specific to you, so confirm them against the Department's current page or a registered migration professional before you rely on them.

Which passports qualify for the lower VAC?

The primary applicant must hold a valid passport issued by one of these countries:

Federated States of Micronesia
Fiji
Kiribati
Nauru
Palau
Papua New Guinea
Republic of the Marshall Islands
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Timor-Leste
Tonga
Tuvalu
Vanuatu

Timor-Leste sits on the list alongside the Pacific Island states, even though the concession is described as a Pacific Island and Timor-Leste measure. There is no partial list here: a passport from a country outside these 13 does not meet the wording the Department uses.

How does your passport prove eligibility?

The document, not a separate claim, triggers the discount. The Department says it will charge eligible applicants the lower VAC during the application process in ImmiAccount, and that it will recognise those applicants when they apply with a valid passport from a specified country. Nothing on the page describes a separate concession form or a request you have to make first.

That puts practical weight on validity. An expired passport from Fiji, Samoa or Tonga is not the valid passport the policy refers to, so a holder planning to lodge should check expiry well before the filing date and renew first if the document runs out soon.

The page also ties eligibility to a passport issued by one of the listed countries. Someone who is a citizen of Kiribati or Vanuatu but holds a passport issued elsewhere falls outside the wording published so far, and the Department's current guidance should be checked before counting on the reduced charge.

Do family members get the lower charge too?

Yes. Family members are eligible for the lower VAC, and the Department bases that on the passport of the primary applicant or visa holder who satisfies the primary visa criteria. Family members therefore do not each need to hold one of the listed passports themselves; what matters is the primary applicant's document.

One wrinkle is worth knowing before you plan around this. A Subclass 870 application cannot include family members. Sponsorship rules run alongside this: one sponsorship can cover up to two parents per household at a time.

What else has to be true for the concession to apply?

Two conditions come from the same sentence of the policy: the applicant must lodge a valid visa application, and the lower cost is tied to applications made from 1 July 2026. An application the Department does not accept as valid, or one outside the arrangement described, does not attract the reduced charge.

Standard 870 requirements remain in force whatever the fee. You must have an approved Parent Sponsor, you generally must be outside Australia when you apply unless you hold Permission to Apply in Australia, and you cannot work in Australia while you hold the visa.

When does the 1 July 2026 date matter?

The measure is expressed as applying from 1 July 2026, and the October 2026 version of the Department's page still states it. Government visa charges are set and amended over time, so treat the official page as the controlling statement at the time you are ready to lodge rather than any restatement of it.

How much will you actually pay?

ImmiAccount applies the lower charge during the application process, so run the Department's Visa Pricing Estimator for subclass 870 to see the amount before lodging. Its result excludes the second instalment and other costs.

Three things sit outside the headline figure:

The VAC is paid in two parts. You pay the first instalment when you apply and the second when the Department asks for it.
The estimator does not include the second instalment.
You may separately pay for health checks, police certificates and biometrics if they are required in your case.

Concessions apply in limited circumstances on this visa, and the published eligibility turn on the passport rules above rather than on income or relationship tests.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to apply for the concession separately?

No separate application step is described. The Department says it charges eligible applicants the lower VAC during the application process in ImmiAccount, using the valid passport you lodge with to recognise your eligibility.

Can my spouse or partner pay the lower charge if their passport is not from a listed country?

Yes, potentially. Eligibility for family members is based on the passport of the primary applicant or visa holder who satisfies the primary visa criteria, not on each family member holding a listed passport themselves.

What if my passport expires between lodging my application and the decision?

The page does not address that sequence directly. It frames eligibility around applying with a valid passport issued by a listed country, so validity at the time you lodge is the safest position to be in.

Does the lower VAC change how long I can stay in Australia?

No. The stay period depends on the visa granted — up to three or five years at a time, with a cumulative maximum of ten years — and the visa grant letter specifies the date or period. The concession affects the application charge only.

Can I pay the lower VAC for my parents if I am the child sponsoring them?

The concession follows the applicant's passport, not the sponsor's circumstances. Your parents need to hold valid passports issued by one of the listed countries, and you still need to be an approved Parent Sponsor for their application to proceed.

Where can I check the current amount?

Use the Visa Pricing Estimator for subclass 870 on the Department's website. Remember it excludes the second instalment and additional costs such as health checks, police certificates and biometrics, so budget above the figure it returns.