Planning to study, work or settle in Australia? Applicants will now need to budget more for their immigration plans, as the Australian government has revised visa application charges effective July 1, 2026. The new fee structure increases the cost of several popular visa categories - student visas, skilled migration visas, work visas and partner visas - by around 25%. Most visa application charges have increased significantly, with some of those categories going up 25%.
International students are the biggest ones affected by it. The Student Visa (Subclass 500) is now AUD 2,500, up from AUD 2,000. The increase is expected to make Australia’s student visa one of the most expensive in the world and affect thousands of prospective students wishing to go to Australian universities and colleges to study.
Higher costs will also be payable for those who wish to stay in Australia after completing their studies. The Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) is now charged an application fee of AUD 5,750 and is the third consecutive increase in 2026. The visa is issued to graduate students to work in Australia after their study and is a popular route to skilled migration.
Skilled migration program applicants will be charged more for permanent residency in Australia. The Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189) and all skilled migration routes (including Subclass 190 and Subclass 491) now have a base application charge of approximately AUD 6,135. The Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) also costs AUD 6,140 and the Skills in Demand Visa (Subclass 482) application fee is now AUD 4,015.
Family migration has also become more expensive. The Partner Visa now costs AUD 11,710, making it one of the costliest Australian visa categories. Meanwhile, the Visitor Visa (Subclass 600 Offshore) application fee has risen to AUD 250, affecting tourists and short-term visitors planning trips to Australia.
According to the Australian government, the revised charges apply to visa applications lodged on or after July 1, 2026. Applicants should be reminded that these fees are government visa application charges and do not include any added costs such as health examinations, police clearance certificates, English language tests, Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), skills assessments, biometrics, or migration agent fees.
Education consultants and migration experts advise prospective applicants to plan their finances properly before applying for visa applications. Anyone working, studying, or migrating to Australia in the future should also keep in mind what changes in immigration policies, eligibility criteria and processing time scales will be made.
Despite the high application fees, Australia is still one of the top three most popular destinations for international students, highly skilled professionals and migrants in the world due to its good education system, quality of life, jobs and opportunities for job opportunities and a pathway to permanent residency with better opportunities for those with a higher cost of access to the country (in terms of visa fees, tuition, accommodation, travel as well as living costs) and is a place for international students who wish to study in Australia.
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