Australian visa and citizenship fees increase

Today, the Australian Government has introduced a range of increases to visa application and citizenship application fees without any warning as to

Australian citizenship application fees have increased in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to reflect the increasing cost of processing applications. Some lower-value fees remain unchanged due to rounding, and applications that already attract a nil fee are not affected.

The first instalment of visa application charges (VACs) for most Australian visas has increased by 25% from 1 July 2026. Such as in the base application charge for a Subclass 500 Student Visa and Subclass 590 Student Guardian Visa has increased from $2,000 to $2,500 for primary applicants.

Also the base application charge for General Skilled Migration visas (Subclasses 189, 190 and 491) and Employer Sponsored Permanent visas (Subclasses 186 and 494) has increased 25% from $4,910 to $6,135 for primary applicants.

Some visa fees nearly tripled, as base application charge for the New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (subclass 461) visa increased from $445 to $1,330 for primary applicants, being the greatest fee jump.

The increase in the base application charge of 37.3 % is for the Working Holiday (subclass 417) visa and the Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa which has increased from $670 to $920 for primary applicants. However, the second and third year visa in the same program the application charges increase from $670 to $1,000 - a 49.3% increase.

Followed by 28.8% increase in the base application charge for Partner visas (Subclasses 820, 801, 309 and 100) which increased from $9,095 to $11,710 for primary applicants.

The base application charge for the Skills in Demand (Subclass 482) visa has increased 25.1% from $3,210 to $4,015 for primary applicants. The application charge for each dependent child has increased to $1,005. With the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) being moved to $79,423 and the Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT) to $146,576.

According to the Government, this change is intended to support sustainable growth in the international education sector and strengthen the integrity of Australia's student visa program.

The Government states the changes are designed to:

• Keep citizenship application fees in line with the rising cost of processing applications and delivering the citizenship program.

• Raise revenue across the migration program while maintaining the existing visa charge structure.

• Support a sustainable migration program and strengthen the integrity of Australia's international education sector.

  
  

What this means for applicants

If you are planning to apply for Australian citizenship or lodge a visa application, it's important to factor these higher government charges into your plans. Anyone who has not yet lodged their application should ensure they understand the new fees before applying.

If you're unsure how these changes affect your circumstances, seeking professional migration advice can help you plan your application and avoid unexpected costs.

Visa fee free

Short-term visitor visas and Temporary Activity (subclass 408) visas associated with the Workplace Justice visa, the 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup, and the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games are exempt from visa application charge.

Photo by Kamil on Unsplash