What happens if you don't pay the second instalment on a subclass 173 application in 2026?

If you don't pay the second instalment on a Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 173) application, the Australian Department of Home Affairs will refuse the application, and the fee you have already paid will not be refunded. Both statements come from the Department's Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 173) page: the visa is paid in two parts, an invoice is sent when the second part falls due, the second instalment must be paid before the visa can be granted, and if the invoice is not paid the application is refused. The same page states that no refund of the application fee follows a refusal. This article sets out those published rules for general reference only; it is not personalised advice, and the position in any individual case should be confirmed against the current official pages or with a qualified professional.

Why is there a second instalment at all?

The two-instalment structure is the point of the subclass 173 visa rather than a billing quirk. The Department describes subclass 173 as the first step of a two-step route to the permanent Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143): you apply for the temporary visa first, then apply for the permanent visa before the temporary one expires.

Applying this way costs more in total than applying directly for a subclass 143 visa, but the cost is spread across the two visas over a longer period. The trade-off is deliberate — you accept a higher overall charge in exchange for not having to fund the whole permanent visa contribution at once.

When does the second instalment actually fall due?

You pay the first instalment when you lodge; you pay the second when the Department asks for it. The official page does not set a fixed date or a fixed interval. What it does say is that an invoice is issued when the payment is due, and that the visa cannot be granted until that instalment is paid.

The gap between the two payments is shaped by the parent visa queue. Demand for parent visas exceeds the places available each year, so applications are subject to capping and queueing and are processed in the order received. Assessment happens in two stages: an initial assessment that either queues the application or refuses it, and a final assessment once places become available. Because of that structure, years can pass between lodgement and the point at which a grant — and therefore the second instalment — becomes relevant.

Two consequences follow. First, the invoice may arrive long after you have forgotten the exact amount you budgeted for. Second, the Department requires you to be outside Australia when it makes a decision on the application, so payment and decision are handled while you are offshore.

What happens in processing if the invoice goes unpaid?

The stated outcome is refusal, not a hold or a deferral. The Department's step-by-step guidance says that if you do not pay the invoice, it will refuse your application.

A refusal is communicated in writing, and that notice will tell you why the visa was refused and whether you have a right to a review of the decision. Review rights and their deadlines are a matter of migration law and can change, so the refusal notice itself, plus current official guidance, is what you should rely on rather than any general summary.

Separately, the Department notes that it can only process an application if the correct visa application charge has been paid; if the wrong amount was paid, it will notify you and may return the application. Underpayment is therefore its own risk, distinct from ignoring an invoice.

Do you get the first instalment back?

No. The official page states plainly that the application fee is not refunded if the application is refused. A refusal triggered by non-payment is a refusal, so money already paid toward the visa application charge does not come back.

That is the reason the budgeting question matters more than it may appear. Paying the first instalment does not buy a partial outcome — it starts a process that only produces a visa if the second instalment is also paid.

Health checks, police certificates and biometrics are listed by the Department as separate costs for each applicant, on top of the visa application charge. The no-refund statement on the page concerns the application fee.

How much should you set aside?

The visa costs from AUD 33,375 for a single applicant, with additional charges for each family member who applies with you, and concessions in limited circumstances. The total is split into the two instalments rather than charged twice.

Beyond the headline amount, the following affect what a household actually needs available:

Factor	What the official page says
Family members	Additional charges apply for each family member who applies with you
Related costs	Health checks, police certificates and biometrics may be payable per applicant
Concessions	Available in limited circumstances only
Pacific Island and Timor-Leste applicants	From 1 July 2026, a lower visa cost applies to eligible citizens of the listed countries who lodge a valid application, based on the primary applicant's passport; family members are also eligible
Pricing changes	The Department directs applicants to current visa pricing to find out what the visa will cost

Because visa pricing is set and revised by the government, treat any figure you recorded at lodgement as a starting estimate rather than a committed final number, and check current visa pricing before relying on it.

Does a refusal for non-payment end the plan to move to subclass 143?

It removes the pathway you were on. The two-step route depends on holding a subclass 173 visa and then applying for subclass 143 before that visa expires. If the subclass 173 application is refused, there is no subclass 173 visa to convert, and the fee paid is not refunded.

Lodging again would mean paying the first instalment again and re-entering the queue in the order the new application is received. That is a different proposition from simply being late with one invoice.

The Department lists other parent visa options for comparison:

Option	How the official page characterises it
Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143), applied directly	Permanent; may be processed faster, but costs more
Subclass 173 followed by subclass 143	Two-stage process; costs more than applying directly for subclass 143, but the cost is spread over a longer period
Parent visa (subclass 103)	Cheaper than the contributory route
Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870)	Temporary; allows visits of up to 3 or 5 years at a time, to a maximum total of 10 years

What should you do while waiting for the invoice?

The wait is long and largely silent: the Department says it cannot provide progress updates within normal processing times, and it will contact you if anything more is needed. That makes your own record-keeping the thing you control.

The details the Department requires you to keep current are your phone number, email, address, passport, relationship status and family composition, including the birth of a child. An invoice you never receive is a practical risk worth taking seriously.

Other rules that apply during the wait:

Mistakes on the application should be corrected as soon as possible using the Department's notification form.
Family members may be added before a decision is made, using the relevant form plus evidence of relationship and a passport copy — which can change what is payable, since charges apply per family member.
You are not entitled to a bridging visa associated with a subclass 173 application, so you must hold another valid visa to remain in Australia, or be outside Australia while the application is processed.

Assume the invoice deadline is firm. The published material sets out no mechanism for paying late or splitting the second instalment further, and the stated consequence of non-payment is refusal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my subclass 173 application be refused automatically if I miss the second instalment?

Yes, on the published rule: the Department states it will refuse the application if you do not pay the invoice. The second instalment must be paid before the visa can be granted, so there is no grant without it. The refusal is notified in writing, with the reasons and any review rights.

Is the first instalment refunded if the visa is refused?

No. The official page states that the application fee is not refunded if the application is refused. That applies regardless of the reason for refusal, including non-payment of the second instalment.

When will I be asked to pay the second instalment?

There is no fixed date in the official guidance. The Department sends an invoice when the payment is due, and the instalment must be paid before the visa is granted. Because parent visa applications are capped and queued, the interval between the two payments can be long.

Can I pay late or arrange a payment plan?

The published material provides no late-payment or further-instalment option. The stated consequence of not paying the invoice is refusal, so the practical approach is to have the funds available before the invoice arrives rather than negotiating after it does.

Does a refusal for non-payment stop me from applying for subclass 143 later?

Nothing on the official page bars a later subclass 143 application, but the two-step route depends on holding a subclass 173 visa first. A refusal means starting again, paying the first instalment again, and joining the queue at the back; the fees already paid are not refunded.

Does the amount change if I add a family member before the decision?

It can. Additional charges apply for each family member who applies with you, and the Department allows family members to be added before a decision is made. Expect the payable amount to reflect the final composition of the application.

Is there a concession that lowers the cost?

Concessions apply in limited circumstances. From 1 July 2026, a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application, recognised by a valid passport from one of the specified countries, with eligibility based on the primary applicant's passport and extending to family members.

Will I be told if I have a right to review the refusal?

Yes. The Department says a refusal notice will tell you why the visa was refused and whether you have a right to a review of the decision. Review eligibility and time limits depend on migration law as it stands at the time, so read the notice and current official guidance together.