The second instalment for subclass 143 in 2026: when it is invoiced and what happens if you miss it

The second instalment on a Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143) is not something you schedule yourself. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143) page, as at the July 2026 official page, you pay the first instalment when you apply, you pay the second instalment when the Department asks you to, the Department sends you an invoice when it is due, and you must pay it before the visa can be granted. If you do not pay the invoice, the Department will refuse your application.

That is the whole risk in one line: the second instalment is a precondition of the grant, and non-payment ends the application rather than pausing it.

When does the Department invoice the second instalment?

The official page links the second instalment to a request, not to a fixed date on the calendar. You pay the first instalment at lodgement; the second is invoiced when it is due, and payment is required before the grant.

In practice this means the invoice arrives at the end of the process, not the beginning. The same page states that the Department assesses subclass 143 applications in two stages: an initial assessment to decide whether to add the application to the queue or refuse it, and then a final assessment once places become available and the application is released from the queue. The second instalment sits on the far side of that second stage — it is the step that stands between a completed assessment and an actual grant.

Why the wait before the invoice is so long

Demand for Parent visas exceeds the number of places available each year, so subclass 143 applications are subject to capping and queueing and are processed in the order they are received. The Department publishes Parent visa queue release dates separately and reports Migration Program outcomes against planning levels in its Reports on Migration Programs.

Nothing in the queue stage changes the payment rule, but it does change the practical exposure: the longer the interval between lodgement and the invoice, the more likely it is that contact details, passports, health circumstances or family composition have changed by the time the request arrives.

What happens if you miss the invoice

The stated consequence is refusal. The Department sends the invoice when the second instalment is due; if it is not paid, the application is refused. There is no intermediate outcome described on the page — the application does not stay on hold pending payment.

Two related points are worth reading together:

• Wrong amount, not just no payment. The Department can only process an application if the correct visa application charge is paid. If the amount is incorrect, it will notify you and may return the application.
• No refund on refusal. The application fee is not refunded if the application is refused. The money already paid for the first instalment, and any related costs, are not recovered through the visa process.

Being refused at this point also means you should not have arranged to stay permanently in Australia. The Department's instruction is explicit: do not arrange to stay permanently until the visa is granted, and it will tell you in writing if it grants the visa.

Does paying the second instalment guarantee the grant?

No. It removes one barrier; it does not decide the outcome. Health and character requirements still apply to you and to family members included in the application, an Assurance of Support must be provided when asked, and the information you supplied must be accurate and complete. Payment is a gate the application must pass, not a decision in your favour.

	First instalment	Second instalment
When it is due	When you lodge the application	When the Department sends the invoice
Who triggers it	You, by applying	The Department, as the application nears a decision
If the correct amount is not paid	The Department may notify you and return the application	The application is refused

What else is requested around the same point

The second instalment is not the only thing that can land late in the process. The same page lists several items the Department asks for when it is ready for them, rather than at lodgement:

• Assurance of Support, to be provided when asked. It does not have to come from the sponsor or a family member; an individual, more than one person, or an organisation can provide it. Retiree applicants under the Retirement visa pathway do not need one.
• Health examinations. The Department tells you when these are needed; you should not arrange them earlier on the assumption that they will be required.
• Police certificates. These fall under character documents, and the instruction is not to arrange a police check until asked.
• Biometrics (fingerprints and photos), if requested.
• Related costs for health checks, police certificates and biometrics, which are charged per applicant on top of the visa application charge.

How much is involved, and who pays less

The page states the visa costs from AUD49,900 for a single applicant, with additional charges for each family member who applies with you and concessions in limited circumstances. Costs may be lower for Contributory Parent (Temporary) (subclass 173) holders and for holders of a substituted Visitor (subclass 600) visa. From 1 July 2026, a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application, recognised through a valid passport from a specified country; family members are eligible on the basis of the primary applicant's passport.

The page does not split the AUD49,900 figure into the two instalments, and government charges are reviewed between program years. Treat any amount as general information rather than advice about your own case, and confirm the current figure and the current instalment arrangement against the Department's published visa pricing before you commit funds.

If you came through subclass 173

Holders of a Contributory Parent (Temporary) (subclass 173) visa can reach subclass 143 as a two-step process, which spreads the cost over several years. You must apply for the subclass 143 visa before the subclass 173 visa expires, and the Department encourages applying for the permanent stage immediately after the 173 grant so that all applicable lodgement criteria are met. Having held the 173 visa also means the balance of family test does not need to be met again.

The second instalment rule is unchanged by this route. What changes is the surrounding paperwork: subclass 173 holders do not need to provide some of the documents usually requested, although documents are still needed if someone is assisting with the application or if circumstances have changed since the 173 grant.

Keeping the invoice from being missed

The failure mode here is rarely a deliberate refusal to pay; it is usually an invoice that never reached the person who needed to act on it. The official page puts the responsibility on current contact details: give the Department your contact details when you apply and tell it if they change, because it may need to contact you directly even if you have nominated your sponsor's email address, appointed an authorised recipient, or appointed someone to give immigration assistance.

For applications lodged on or after 22 April 2026, lodgement is online through ImmiAccount, and applications lodged online — or imported into ImmiAccount after a paper lodgement — can be managed there: attaching supporting documents, reading messages from the Department, updating details and checking status.

One more constraint matters for planning around a decision. Unless you applied under the Retirement visa pathway, held a subclass 173 visa when you applied, or are a family member of a subclass 173 holder, you are not entitled to a bridging visa associated with a subclass 143 application, and you must be outside Australia while the application is processed unless you hold another valid visa. All other Contributory Parent applicants must be outside Australia when the decision is made.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I receive the invoice for the second instalment?

The Department sends the invoice when the second instalment is due, which the official page places before the grant rather than at a fixed point after lodgement. Because subclass 143 applications are capped and queued, the wait between lodgement and the invoice can be long. Check the Department's Parent visa queue release dates for context on how applications are released for final assessment.

Can I pay the second instalment early, before I am asked?

The official page ties the second instalment to an invoice the Department issues when it is due, and payment is required before the visa is granted. It does not set out a mechanism for paying the second instalment on your own schedule before that request arrives.

What happens if I miss or ignore the second instalment invoice?

The stated consequence is refusal: if you do not pay the invoice, the Department will refuse your application. The outcome is a decision on the application, not an extension of time, and you will be told why it was refused and whether you have a right to review the decision.

If my application is refused for non-payment, do I get the first instalment back?

No. The Department states that it will not refund the application fee if it refuses the application. Related costs such as health checks, police certificates and biometrics are separate per-applicant charges and are not recovered through the visa process.

Does paying the second instalment mean the visa will be granted?

No. Payment is a precondition of the grant, not a decision. Health and character requirements must still be met by you and any family members in the application, an Assurance of Support must be provided if asked, and the information in the application must be accurate and complete.

Is the second instalment the last cost in the process?

It is the last visa application charge, but other costs can arise separately, including health checks, police certificates and biometrics for each applicant. An Assurance of Support may also be requested before the decision. The official page lists these as related costs rather than as part of the two instalments.

I hold a subclass 173 visa — does the second instalment rule change?

No. The rule that the second instalment must be paid before the grant, and that non-payment leads to refusal, applies regardless of route. What differs is timing pressure elsewhere: you must apply for subclass 143 before your subclass 173 visa expires, and the Department encourages applying immediately after the 173 grant.

References

• Australian Department of Home Affairs — Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143)