Subclass 186 visa fees in 2026: the full cost, itemised
The subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) is a permanent visa, and it is priced like one. The headline application charge is only part of the picture: there are employer-side fees the worker must not pay, a second instalment that depends on English ability, and the usual ring of costs around any permanent application. Here is the complete breakdown for applications lodged on or after 1 July 2026.
The costs at a glance
| Item | Who pays | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Visa application charge (primary applicant) | Applicant | $6,140 |
| Additional applicant 18+ | Applicant | $3,070 each |
| Additional applicant under 18 | Applicant | $1,535 each |
| Second instalment (adult without functional English) | Applicant | ~$5,090 each |
| Nomination fee | Employer | $540 |
| SAF levy, turnover under $10M | Employer | $3,000 one-off |
| SAF levy, turnover $10M or more | Employer | $5,000 one-off |
The second instalment is the fee people discover late. If any applicant aged 18 or over cannot demonstrate functional English by the time of decision, a second instalment of around $5,090 applies for that person before the visa can be granted. Functional English can be shown through an English test at a modest level, or through evidence such as study in English. If a partner's English is borderline, a cheap English test taken early is far better value than the instalment.
What the employer pays, and cannot recover
Two charges sit on the employer side:
- Nomination fee: $540, paid when the employer lodges the nomination through ImmiAccount
- Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy: a one-off payment of $3,000 for businesses with annual turnover under $10 million, or $5,000 for larger businesses
The law here is worth knowing on both sides of the arrangement: employers cannot pass sponsorship costs on to the worker. The nomination fee, the SAF levy and any migration agent fees for the nomination must be paid by the business, cannot be deducted from wages, and cannot be reimbursed by the employee even voluntarily. Recovering these costs is a breach of sponsor obligations that Home Affairs acts on. If a prospective employer asks you to cover the SAF levy, that is a red flag about the sponsorship itself.
The costs around the application
Beyond the government charges, a realistic 186 budget includes:
- Skills assessment (Direct Entry stream), paid to the assessing authority for your occupation: typically $500 to $1,500
- English test (IELTS, PTE or equivalent): $400 to $450 per person who needs one
- Health examinations: roughly $300 to $500 per adult through a panel physician
- Police clearance certificates from every country you have lived in for 12 months or more in the last decade; costs vary by country. See our police clearance translation guide for how the 12-month validity interacts with processing times.
- NAATI certified translations of any non-English document: qualifications, employment references, birth and marriage certificates, police checks. Priced per page at $69 for the first page and $49 thereafter.
- Migration agent or lawyer fees, if used: commonly $3,000 to $6,000 for an employer-sponsored application
For document-heavy applications, translations are one of the few costs you can predict exactly: count your non-English pages and multiply.
A worked example
A primary applicant with a partner (functional English) and one child, sponsored by a small business, Direct Entry stream:
| Visa charge, primary | $6,140 |
|---|---|
| Partner | $3,070 |
| Child | $1,535 |
| Skills assessment | ~$1,000 |
| Health checks, 2 adults + child | ~$1,000 |
| Police certificates, 2 countries | ~$150 |
| Translations, 6 non-English pages | $314 |
| Applicant-side total | ~$13,200 |
| Employer: nomination + SAF levy | $3,540 |
If the partner could not demonstrate functional English, add ~$5,090.
Which stream changes what
The three 186 streams (Temporary Residence Transition, Direct Entry, Labour Agreement) share the same visa application charge. What changes is the surrounding cost: the TRT stream generally does not require a skills assessment, while Direct Entry does, and Labour Agreement terms are set by the agreement itself. The fee table above applies to all three.
FAQ
How much does the 186 visa cost in total?
Government charges are $6,140 for the primary applicant, $3,070 per additional adult and $1,535 per child, plus $540 nomination and a $3,000 or $5,000 SAF levy paid by the employer. With health checks, skills assessment, police certificates and translations, a typical single applicant spends $8,000 to $9,000 on their side; families more.
Who pays the SAF levy on a 186 visa?
The employer, always. Passing it to the worker, deducting it from wages or accepting reimbursement is a breach of sponsor obligations, even if the worker agrees.
What is the 186 second instalment?
About $5,090 charged per adult applicant who cannot demonstrate functional English before grant. An English test at functional level is the cheap way around it.
Is the 186 visa fee refundable if refused?
No. Visa application charges are non-refundable on refusal or withdrawal except in very limited circumstances.
Did the 186 fee increase in 2026?
Yes. The primary applicant charge rose to $6,140 on 1 July 2026, part of an across-the-board increase of roughly 25% to most visa application charges.
Do my documents need to be translated for a 186 application?
Any document not in English (degrees, employment references, birth and marriage certificates, police checks) must be accompanied by an English translation, done by a NAATI certified translator if translated in Australia.
