How to Pay Australian Visa Fees: Cards, PayPal, BPAY, and Bank Transfer
Updated: 18 May 2026
How to pay Australian visa fees: cards, PayPal, BPAY, and bank transfer — every option runs through ImmiAccount, and every option carries a different surcharge. In 2026 the Department of Home Affairs accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, UnionPay, PayPal, and BPAY for Australian bank account holders. Bank transfer is restricted to specific second-instalment arrangements rather than the standard application charge. For the full charge schedule by subclass, see the parent guide on Australian visa fees in 2026.
Accepted Payment Methods at a Glance
| Method | Accepted | Typical surcharge (2026) | Speed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visa credit/debit | Yes | ~1.32% | Instant | Most applicants |
| Mastercard credit/debit | Yes | ~1.32% | Instant | Most applicants |
| American Express | Yes | ~1.40% | Instant | If your bank reward card is Amex |
| JCB | Yes | ~1.40% | Instant | JCB cardholders |
| UnionPay | Yes | ~1.40% | Instant | Mainland China applicants |
| PayPal | Yes | ~1.01% | Instant | Slightly lower surcharge than cards |
| BPAY | Yes (AU bank only) | Typically nil | 1-3 business days | Large VACs (e.g., Contributory Parent second instalment) |
| Bank transfer | Limited / by arrangement | Typically nil | 2-5 business days | Specific second instalments |
Surcharges are indicative as of May 2026 and change. Confirm current figures via the Department of Home Affairs Surcharge Schedule before paying.
Step-By-Step: Paying the First Instalment at Lodgement
The first Visa Application Charge (VAC) must clear before your application is treated as lodged. If you abandon the payment step, nothing has been submitted.
- Complete the visa application in ImmiAccount up to the payment step. All applicant details and dependants must be entered first — the system calculates the total based on what you've declared.
- Review the total fees on screen, including all additional applicant charges for dependants. The breakdown shows base fee, additional applicant charge (18+), additional applicant charge (under 18), and any subsequent temporary application charge if it applies.
- Choose your payment method from the accepted list.
- Enter card details OR proceed to PayPal OR generate a BPAY reference (Biller Code and Customer Reference Number).
- Confirm. For card and PayPal, the application is lodged immediately on success. For BPAY, lodgement is HELD until the payment clears (1-3 business days) — your Transaction Reference Number (TRN) is reserved against the unpaid application.
- Save the receipt PDF. This contains your TRN and Receipt Number — keep both. The TRN is how you and the Department reference the application forever; the Receipt Number is how Finance traces the payment if anything goes wrong.
If you close the browser between selecting a method and confirming, the application sits in ImmiAccount as "Incomplete." You can resume it — the fees are not charged until you confirm.
Step-By-Step: Paying the Second Instalment
The second instalment is a separate charge invoiced after the Department assesses your application. It applies mainly to Contributory Parent visas, some skilled visas where the applicant lacks functional English at grant, and a handful of other subclasses. See Second Installment Visa Application Charge for which visas attract it and how the amount is calculated.
- Log in to ImmiAccount when notified by the Department. The notification arrives by email and as a message in your ImmiAccount inbox.
- Open the application from your dashboard.
- Find "Pay Outstanding Charges" or the equivalent payment link inside the application record.
- Choose your method. Cards, PayPal, and BPAY are all available. BPAY is strongly recommended for amounts over ~AUD $20,000 to avoid the percentage surcharge — on large second instalments the surcharge difference is real money.
- Pay within the Department's stated window (typically 28 days from the invoice). Missing the deadline can void the grant.
- Save the receipt. Forward the PDF to your migration agent if you have one, and keep your own copy with the rest of the application file.
Surcharges — How Much They Actually Cost on Real Fees
Surcharges look small as a percentage but add up on the high-value visas. Approximate cost on Visa/Mastercard credit, indicative as of May 2026:
- Working Holiday 417/462 (AUD $670): ~$8.84 surcharge.
- Student visa 500 (AUD $2,000 for primary plus one subsequent applicant): ~$26.40 surcharge.
- Skilled Independent 189 (AUD $4,640 primary, ~$4,765 with rounding/dependants): ~$62.90 surcharge.
- Partner 820/801 (AUD $9,095): ~$120.05 surcharge.
- Contributory Parent 143 second instalment (≈ AUD $43,600): ~$575 surcharge on Visa/Mastercard credit vs $0 on BPAY.
PayPal is roughly 1.01% — about 23% cheaper than Visa/Mastercard credit at current rates. For BPAY the surcharge is typically nil, so on Contributory Parent the BPAY route saves several hundred dollars in surcharge alone. If you have an Australian bank account, BPAY is the rational default for any charge above a few thousand dollars.
Why Your Visa Payment Might Fail
Most failed visa payments come down to the same handful of causes:
- Bank blocked the transaction as "suspicious international." This is the single most common cause for overseas applicants. Phone your bank before paying and ask them to allowlist transactions to "Australian Government Department of Home Affairs." Some banks need you to disable international blocks just for the window of the transaction.
- 3D Secure failure. Your card isn't enrolled in 3D Secure (Verified by Visa, Mastercard SecureCode, Amex SafeKey), so the bank rejects the authentication step. Contact your bank to enrol the card.
- Insufficient funds. Visa charges can sit on a debit card for several seconds before posting. If the available balance is anywhere close to the fee, the transaction fails.
- PayPal account flagged. PayPal sometimes blocks large cross-border payments to government billers. Try a card instead, or contact PayPal support to clear the hold.
- "Session expired" before payment completed. Don't reload the page mid-payment. Start the payment flow fresh from your application dashboard.
- "Payment in progress" persistent state. ImmiAccount shows the application as paying but doesn't release. Before retrying, check with your bank to confirm whether funds were actually deducted. Retrying blindly can cause a double charge.
For ImmiAccount-specific error codes, see ImmiAccount Error Codes Explained.
International Payment Realities
All Home Affairs charges are in Australian Dollars. If your card is denominated in another currency, your card issuer converts at their FX rate — usually 1-3% above interbank — and may add a foreign-transaction fee on top of the Department's surcharge.
A few practical points:
- A multi-currency account such as Wise or Revolut, loaded with AUD before paying and used via the linked AUD card, can reduce the FX markup component of the cost. It does not waive the Home Affairs surcharge.
- PayPal sometimes offers worse FX than the underlying card network, particularly on smaller amounts. Check the conversion shown at the PayPal review step before confirming.
- For Contributory Parent and other very large fees, an AUD-denominated payment from an Australian bank account (via BPAY, or by arrangement for bank transfer on certain second instalments) avoids both the Department's surcharge and the issuer's FX markup. For applicants with family in Australia, having a relative fund the BPAY from an Australian account is a common pattern.
Refunds and Double Charges
Refunds are not automatic. They must be requested via the Department's Refund Request Form, with the TRN and Receipt Number on hand.
- First instalment. Generally non-refundable, including when the visa is refused. The narrow exceptions are Department error, where the application was processed in violation of policy, or where the wrong application was lodged due to a system fault. Surcharges on a refused application are not refunded.
- Second instalment. Generally refundable in full if the visa is withdrawn before grant. Once granted, the second instalment is treated as final.
- Double charges from "Payment in progress" loops. Keep both receipts (or proof of two bank charges), open a written request through ImmiAccount, and contact the Department's Finance area. The duplicate is usually refunded once Finance confirms only one application exists against the receipts.
FAQ
Can I pay an Australian visa fee with PayPal?
Yes. PayPal is accepted through ImmiAccount for most visa subclasses. The surcharge in May 2026 is approximately 1.01%, which is lower than the Visa/Mastercard credit surcharge. PayPal's own FX rate may be worse than your card issuer's, so check the converted amount before confirming if you're funding from a non-AUD balance.
Can I pay an Australian visa fee with BPAY if I'm overseas?
Not directly. BPAY requires an account with an Australian financial institution. Overseas applicants typically pay by card or PayPal, or arrange for a relative or migration agent in Australia to pay the BPAY on their behalf using funds transferred to an Australian account.
How long does BPAY take to clear for a visa application?
BPAY payments to Home Affairs typically clear in 1-3 business days. Until the payment clears, ImmiAccount holds the application as unsubmitted but reserves your TRN. Submit by BPAY only if you have time before any deadline — for time-critical lodgements, card or PayPal is safer.
Are visa surcharges refundable if my visa is refused?
No. Payment surcharges are treated as part of the cost of the transaction and are not refunded when a visa is refused or withdrawn. They are also not refunded in the rare cases where the underlying VAC is refunded — only the base charge itself is returned.
Can I pay the visa fee in instalments other than the legislated first and second?
No. The Department does not offer payment plans. The only legislated instalments are the first VAC at lodgement and, where applicable, the second VAC invoiced before grant. Any instalment arrangement you've heard of for a visa fee is either a migration-agent payment plan for their service fee, or a third-party loan — not a Home Affairs facility.
