What makes a subclass 186 application valid — and how is that different from the charge and the grant criteria?
A subclass 186 application passes through three separate legal gates: validity is decided under section 46 of the Migration Act, the visa application charge is a separate liability under sections 45A–45C, and grant is decided on the Schedule 2 criteria. Treating one gate as another is a common mistake — functional English for an adult family member, for example, only fixes the amount of the second instalment of the charge: it does not make the application invalid and is not a ground of refusal.