You pay a visa application charge (VAC), sponsorship/nomination fee or citizenship application fee so we can assess your application. These will not be refunded to you just because your application, nomination or sponsorship was refused or unsuccessful.
Generally, a VAC will only be refunded in certain circumstances, including if:
- the application was unnecessary at the time it was made.
- a mistake was made by the Department.
- the applicant has died.
- the sponsorship or nomination was not successful.
- the application was made because of a mistake by the applicant and it is withdrawn in writing before a decision is made.
If you reverse or cancel a payment for your application:
- your application might become invalid.
- you might incur a debt to the Commonwealth. This may limit your ability to be granted another visa.
Refunds for the Skilling Australians Fund Levy are only possible for limited reasons. For more information check the Skilling Australians Fund Levy information at
Cost of sponsoring (homeaffairs.gov.au)
There is no standard timeframe for processing a refund request. Each refund request must be individually assessed under the relevant legal authority or administrative rules.
Requesting a refund
In certain circumstances the payer of a VAC for a Partner visa may be able to receive a refund. There are limited situations where refunds can be granted. For a list of these situations see
Form 1424 - Refund request.
VAC refunds are not available if:
- your Partner visa was cancelled by the Minister (unless you have requested for it to be cancelled) or
- you or your sponsor have advised the Department that you are no longer in a relationship and you will no longer be pursuing a Partner visa.
To be eligible for a VAC refund your application needs to have been finalised. If your application is outstanding but you no longer wish to proceed with the application you need to:
- meet the criteria for a VAC refund and
- use your ImmiAccount to request the withdrawal of your application by submitting form 1446.
Prospective Marriage Visa
VAC refunds are not available if:
- your Prospective Marriage visa was cancelled by the Minister (unless you have requested for it to be cancelled) or
- you had lodged an application for a Partner (subclass 801) visa and paid a reduced VAC because you held a Prospective Marriage visa or
- at the time your visa ceased you or your sponsor had advised the Department that you no longer intend to marry.
Follow these steps to check the status of your payment and request a refund:
- Login to your
ImmiAccount
- From the 'My Payments' drop-down tab, select 'Manage Payments'
- Previous payments and their status will be displayed
- If the payment status in ImmiAccount is 'Credit' or ‘Paid’ a refund can be requested.
- To request a refund:
- From the actions menu, select the 'Request Refund' option.
- A new screen will display that allows you to begin your refund request.
You will need to:
- Complete
Form 1424 - Refund request
- Send the completed form to the office processing your application. If you don’t know the location of the office processing your application, send the completed form to your
nearest office.
Generally, you will not be given a refund just because:
- your RRV application was refused
- you lose the travel facility remaining on your previous visa when your RRV is granted.
- you did not use your RRV for any travel (regardless of the reason).
If you think we made a mistake that caused you to lodge your RRV application in error, let us know. Provide documentary evidence with your request to support your claim.
