Can the Second Instalment of a Subclass 836 Be Waived in 2026?

Yes—but a waiver is discretionary, not automatic. As of July 2026, the Australian Department of Home Affairs’ Carer visa (Subclass 836) page says it may consider waiving the second instalment if paying it would be likely to cause severe financial hardship to the main applicant or the person they care for. The step-by-step guidance describes the outcome as reducing the second instalment to nil, requires the request to be in writing, and excludes anyone applying for the visa with the main applicant.

This is general information about the published Home Affairs rules, not personalised legal advice. A specific application should be assessed against current official requirements and, where appropriate, advice from an authorised professional.

When is the Subclass 836 second instalment due?

The first instalment must be paid before the visa application is submitted. The second instalment is not requested at that stage: Home Affairs says it will send an invoice after the applicant has met all other requirements for the visa.

The second instalment must be paid unless Home Affairs decides to reduce it. If the required instalment remains unpaid, the Department says it cannot grant the visa.

The hardship provision published on this page concerns the second instalment only. It should not be assumed to cover the first instalment paid with the application.

Who can request that the second instalment be waived?

The request must concern the main applicant’s second instalment. The financial hardship may be caused to either:

• the main applicant; or
• the person the main applicant is caring for.

Home Affairs expressly states that it will not waive or reduce the second instalment for anyone applying for the visa with the main applicant. Being included in the same family unit does not give a partner, child or other family applicant access to the main applicant’s hardship request.

This is also different from a general visa concession. A concession or country-based lower application cost does not automatically amount to a waiver of the main applicant’s second instalment.

What does “severe financial hardship” mean here?

The published test focuses on whether paying the second instalment is likely to cause severe financial hardship to the main applicant or the person being cared for. The request must connect the second payment to that hardship rather than merely describing an ordinary expense or difficulty.

Home Affairs uses the words “might consider”, so meeting the hardship test does not guarantee a waiver. The page does not provide a fixed income, savings, debt or expenditure threshold that automatically establishes eligibility.

A written request should therefore explain the relevant financial circumstances and provide evidence capable of substantiating the claimed hardship. The Department does not publish a fixed evidence checklist or a guaranteed set of documents for this request on the page.

What should the written request contain?

Home Affairs gives one express instruction: send the request in writing. The following structure is practical drafting guidance rather than an official Home Affairs form or an exhaustive document checklist:

• Identify the main applicant and the relevant Subclass 836 application.
• Refer to the second-instalment invoice.
• State clearly that the applicant asks Home Affairs to consider reducing that instalment to nil.
• Identify whether the likely severe financial hardship would affect the main applicant or the person they care for.
• Explain the financial circumstances connecting payment of the second instalment to the claimed hardship.
• Attach evidence supporting those circumstances.

Form 47OF is the application form for the visa. It should not be assumed that including a hardship statement in that form alone replaces Home Affairs’ separate instruction to send a written second-instalment request.

A non-official drafting example is:

I am the main applicant for Subclass 836 application [application reference]. I ask Home Affairs to consider reducing my second instalment under invoice [reference] to nil. Paying it is likely to cause severe financial hardship to [me/the person I care for]. The relevant circumstances and supporting evidence are set out below and in the attached documents.

This wording reflects the published test but does not guarantee eligibility or approval.

Who can help with the immigration assistance?

If another person is appointed to provide immigration assistance for the application, Home Affairs says that person must be one of the following:

• a registered migration agent;
• a legal practitioner; or
• an exempt person.

A different person may be appointed to receive documents or correspondence as an authorised recipient. That role should not be confused with authority to provide immigration assistance. Home Affairs identifies Form 956 for appointing a person to assist with the application and Form 956A for appointing an authorised recipient.

Does a written request guarantee a waiver or suspend payment?

No. The request gives Home Affairs a basis for considering a reduction to nil, but the Department’s wording does not create an automatic approval. It also does not describe the request as an automatic payment holiday or deferment.

The published payment rule remains that the second instalment must be paid or the visa cannot be granted. A reduction should therefore be treated as something Home Affairs must decide, not as an outcome already secured by submitting the request.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the second instalment of a Subclass 836 be waived in 2026?

Yes, in the sense that Home Affairs may consider reducing the main applicant’s second instalment to nil. As of July 2026, this is a discretionary response to likely severe financial hardship. It is not an automatic waiver.

Does the waiver cover family members applying with the main applicant?

No. Home Affairs expressly excludes anyone applying for the visa with the main applicant. The hardship may concern the main applicant or the person they care for, but it does not extend the reduction to a co-applying family member’s instalment.

When is the second instalment payable?

The first instalment must be paid before the visa application is submitted. Home Affairs says it will issue the second-instalment invoice after the applicant has met all other visa requirements, and the second instalment must be paid or the visa cannot be granted.

What counts as severe financial hardship?

The published test is whether paying the second instalment is likely to cause severe financial hardship to the main applicant or the person they care for. Home Affairs does not state a fixed income, savings or debt threshold, so the request must substantiate its particular circumstances.

Can the first instalment also be waived?

The hardship provision described on the Home Affairs page applies to the second instalment. It does not state that the first instalment paid with the application is covered, so the two charges should not be treated as interchangeable.

Is there a separate Subclass 836 second-instalment waiver form?

The Department’s page does not identify a dedicated hardship-waiver form. Its specific instruction is to send a request in writing, while Form 47OF is the form used for the visa application itself.

Who can provide immigration assistance with the request?

A registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person may provide immigration assistance. Anyone may be appointed to receive documents or correspondence as an authorised recipient, but receiving documents is not the same as being authorised to provide immigration advice or assistance.

Will Home Affairs stop the visa process while considering the request?

The page does not state that a request automatically suspends the payment requirement or processing. A written request asks the Department to consider reducing the instalment to nil, but only Home Affairs can make that decision.

References

Australian Department of Home Affairs — Carer visa (Subclass 836)