Visa fees in Australia went up on 1 July 2026. For most visas, the first instalment of the visa application charge rose by 25%. Student visas jumped to a $2,500 base charge for most applicants, and second and third working holiday visas, Resident Return, Bridging B and subclass 461 visas got their own, larger increases. What you pay depends on the date the Department receives your application.
Status as at 2 October 2026: in force since 1 July 2026 under the Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2026. The doubling of the Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) charge has been in force since 1 March 2026.
Visa fees are the one cost of migrating you cannot negotiate, and for a family lodging together they add up quickly. This guide gives the current figures, straight from the Department and the legislation, and explains how the charge is built.
The 2026 visa fee increase: what changed on 1 July
The explanatory statement to the amending regulations sets out four moves.
A 25% rise for most visas. The statement describes “a system-wide increase to the first instalment of the VAC by 25 per cent from 1 July 2026 for most visas specified in Schedule 1”. VAC means visa application charge, the fee set by law for a visa application.
A bigger rise for students. For the Student visa (subclass 500) and Student Guardian visa (subclass 590), “The base application charge component of the first instalment for primary applicants increases from $2,000 to $2,500.”
Targeted rises instead of the 25%. The working holiday visas (subclasses 417 and 462) got what it calls an “Increase of $330 to second and third application VACs”. Resident Return (subclasses 155 and 157), Bridging B (subclass 020) and the New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship visa (subclass 461) each got an “Increase of 200% VAC”. The statement says these “replace, rather than supplement, the general 25 per cent increase.”
Exclusions. Left out of the 25% rise were humanitarian and protection visas (subclasses 200 to 204, 785, 790 and 866), the Pacific Engagement visa (subclass 192), the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility stream of the subclass 403, certain Student visa cohorts, and eligible citizens of Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste. Visas not caught by the 25% or a targeted rise received “ongoing annual indexation” in line with forecast CPI of 2.6%.
Australian visa fees as at 2 October 2026
The figures below come from the Department’s current visa pricing table, checked line by line against Schedule 1 of the Migration Regulations 1994 as in force from 1 July 2026. They are base application charges and additional applicant charges in Australian dollars, for applicants without a Pacific or Timor-Leste concession. They exclude card surcharges, second instalments and costs outside the visa application charge.
| Visa | Main applicant | Each extra applicant 18 or over | Each extra applicant under 18 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visitor (subclass 600), Tourist, Business Visitor or Sponsored Family stream, applying outside Australia | $250 | n/a | n/a |
| Visitor (subclass 600) Tourist stream, applying in Australia | $630 | n/a | n/a |
| Working Holiday (417) or Work and Holiday (462), first visa | $840 | n/a | n/a |
| Working Holiday (417) or Work and Holiday (462), second or third visa | $1,000 | n/a | n/a |
| Student (subclass 500), most applicants | $2,500 | $1,530 | $500 |
| Student (subclass 500), ASEAN passport, or ELICOS or non-award course | $2,050 | $1,255 | $410 |
| Student Guardian (subclass 590) | $2,500 | n/a | $500 |
| Temporary Graduate (subclass 485), Post-Higher Education Work or Post-Vocational Education Work stream | $5,750 | $2,875 | $1,450 |
| Skills in Demand (subclass 482) | $4,015 | $4,015 | $1,005 |
| Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) | $6,140 | $3,070 | $1,535 |
| Skilled Independent (subclass 189), Points-tested stream | $6,135 | $3,070 | $1,540 |
| Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) | $6,140 | $3,070 | $1,535 |
| Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) | $6,140 | $3,070 | $1,535 |
| National Innovation (subclass 858) | $6,235 | $3,120 | $1,560 |
| Partner (subclasses 820/801 and 309/100) | $11,710 | $5,860 | $2,935 |
| Prospective Marriage (subclass 300) | $11,710 | $5,860 | $2,935 |
| Parent (subclass 103), first instalment | $6,600 | $3,300 | $1,655 |
| Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (subclass 870), first instalment | $1,515 | n/a | n/a |
| Resident Return (subclasses 155 and 157) | $1,475 | n/a | n/a |
| Bridging B (subclass 020) | $575 | n/a | n/a |
| New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (subclass 461) | $1,330 | $675 | $325 |
Some visas have several pricing rows, depending on stream, location or a previous visa. Where the Department’s table and Schedule 1 both list a figure in this table, they agree. Visas we could not confirm exactly are not in the table.
Base charge and additional applicant charges
The structure is in regulation 2.12C of the Migration Regulations 1994. The visa application charge is the sum of a first instalment and a second instalment. The first instalment is made up of “the base application charge or the additional applicant charge”, plus “any subsequent temporary application charge” and “any non-Internet application charge”.
The regulations put the key point in a note: “Base application charge and additional applicant charge are alternatives. An applicant does not pay both components for the one application.”
In practice, the main applicant pays the base charge, and each family member combined in the application pays an additional applicant charge at the 18 or over or under 18 rate. A Partner visa that includes one child under 18 comes to $11,710 plus $2,935, so $14,645. A Skills in Demand application with an adult partner and one child comes to $4,015, plus $4,015, plus $1,005, so $9,035.
Two smaller charges can sit on top. A subsequent temporary application charge of $700 applies to some applicants in Australia who apply for a further temporary visa, where both visas are on a list the Minister specifies. A non-internet application charge of $80 applies to some applications that are not lodged online.
Instalments: when you pay
The Department’s explanation of visa application charges puts it this way: the charge “is payable in two instalments (although either or both of these instalments may be nil)”. The first instalment “is payable at the time the visa application is made” and the second “is payable before the grant of the visa”. It adds: “If you are required to pay the second instalment, we will notify you when it is due.”
For most visas the second instalment is nil. Where it is not, it can be the larger bill. Under Schedule 1:
- Parent (subclass 103): a second instalment of $2,065, payable before grant.
- Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (subclass 870): $4,855 where the visa’s period ends no more than three years after grant, and $10,925 in all other cases.
- Skilled Independent (189) and Skilled Nominated (190): $4,885 for an applicant who was at least 18 at the time of application and “is assessed as not having functional English”, unless an exemption applies. For the Skilled Work Regional (491), the figure is $4,890.
The 1 July 2026 rise was framed as an increase to the first instalment. The Department also notes: “If your visa requires you to be sponsored or nominated, your sponsor or nominator might be required to pay certain fees.”
Student visa fees from 1 July 2026
The amending regulations set three student price points.
- $2,500 for most primary applicants, with $1,530 for each family member 18 or over and $500 under 18.
- $2,050 for applicants holding a passport from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand or Vietnam, and for applicants enrolling in an ELICOS (English language) or non-award course. Before 1 July, these students paid the standard $2,000.
- $745 for applicants holding a passport from a Pacific-regional country, which the explanatory statement describes as the Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste.
Family member charges matter less than they used to, because from 2 October 2026 most new Student visa applicants can no longer include family members (see the FAQ below). Our guide to student visa changes from October 2026 covers who is exempt, and our team advises on student visas.
The 485 graduate visa: two rises in four months
The Temporary Graduate visa was the first to move. Budget Paper No. 2 records that “The Government increased the visa application charge for temporary graduate visa applicants by 100 per cent, excluding eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste applicants, with effect from 1 March 2026.”
That doubled the base charge to $4,600. The 25% rise on 1 July then took it to $5,750, with $2,875 for each adult family member and $1,450 for each child. Applicants for the Second Post-Higher Education Work stream pay a lower $2,265.
For the wider 2026 changes to the 485, including the announced limits on family members, see 485 visa changes in 2026.
The targeted rises: working holiday, Resident Return, Bridging B and 461
These charges moved differently from everything else. The before figures are from the Migration Regulations as in force from 1 June 2026, and the after figures from the version in force from 1 July 2026, for applicants without a Pacific passport.
| Visa | Before 1 July 2026 | From 1 July 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday (417), first visa | $670 | $840 |
| Work and Holiday (462), first visa | $650 | $840 |
| Working Holiday (417), second or third visa | $670 | $1,000 |
| Work and Holiday (462), second or third visa | $650 | $1,000 |
| Resident Return (155 and 157) | $490 | $1,475 |
| Bridging B (020) | $190 | $575 |
| New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (461) | $445 | $1,330 |
First visas moved to a common $840, and second and third visas to $1,000. The explanatory statement’s “Increase of $330” is exact for the 417, which was $670. The 462 was $650, so its rise was $350.
The last three rows have roughly tripled. For permanent residents who travel often, the Resident Return change is the one to budget for. If you are partway through farm work for a second or third working holiday visa, our guide to the second year working holiday visa and the announced ballot explains where that stands.
Citizenship fees were indexed too
Citizenship fees are not visa charges, but they moved on the same day. The same amending regulations applied CPI indexation, and the new fees “apply in relation to an application made on or after 1 July 2026.”
| Citizenship application | Before 1 July 2026 | From 1 July 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Conferral, general eligibility | $575 | $595 |
| Conferral, general eligibility, pensioner concession card | $80 | $85 |
| Conferral where the citizenship test is not required | $350 | $365 |
| Citizenship by descent | $370 | $380 |
| Evidence of Australian citizenship | $280 | $290 |
Is your fee fixed when you lodge?
The Department’s fees and charges page is direct about this:
The cost of your visa is dependent on the date we receive your application. If there is a price increase between the date you lodge your application and the date we receive your application, you will need to pay the new application charge.
Schedule 1, for its part, makes the first instalment “payable at the time the application is made”.
Three other things from the same rules are worth knowing before you pay:
- Surcharges. “A surcharge may apply when paying for visa application charges, sponsorship or nomination fees by credit card or by PayPal.”
- Refunds are narrow. Regulation 2.12F lists the circumstances, such as an application “made because of a mistake made by Immigration” or where “the applicant dies before a decision is made on the application”. A refusal is not one of the listed circumstances, so it is safest to treat the charge as spent once you lodge.
- Indexation continues. The explanatory statement describes indexation as “consistent with government policy to annually index VACs in line with CPI”. Any new amounts would come through further amending regulations.
Frequently asked questions
What is the new visa fee for Australia in 2026?
It depends on the visa. From 1 July 2026, most visa application charges rose by 25%. A Tourist stream Visitor visa (subclass 600) lodged outside Australia is $250, a Student visa is $2,500 for most applicants, a Skills in Demand visa is $4,015, and a Partner visa is $11,710.
How much does a student visa cost in Australia?
From 1 July 2026 the base charge is $2,500 for most applicants. It is $2,050 for ASEAN passport holders and ELICOS or non-award students, and $745 for Pacific and Timor-Leste passport holders. A $700 subsequent temporary application charge may also apply to some applications made in Australia.
Do family members pay a separate visa fee?
For most visas, yes. Each family member combined in the application pays an additional applicant charge, set separately for those 18 or over and those under 18. For a Partner visa, that is $5,860 and $2,935. For students, the Department’s fact sheet on the October 2026 changes says “Student visa applicants can no longer include family members (partner and/or dependent children) in their Student visa application, unless an exemption applies.”
If I lodged before 1 July 2026, do I pay the new fee?
The Department says the cost “is dependent on the date we receive your application.” An application received before 1 July 2026 was charged at the earlier rate.
Is a visa application fee refundable if the visa is refused?
Refunds of the first instalment are limited to the circumstances in regulation 2.12F of the Migration Regulations, such as a mistake by the Department or the applicant’s death before a decision. Plan on the assumption that the charge is not returned.
Will visa fees go up again?
The explanatory statement to the 1 July changes refers to “government policy to annually index VACs in line with CPI”. New amounts would need further amending regulations.
A realistic next step
The charge is fixed by law, so the saving is never in the fee itself. It is in lodging the right visa, with the right people included, the first time. If you are budgeting for a family application or weighing which visa to lodge, you can book a consultation with our migration lawyers before you pay.
About the author: Tina Nematian is the Principal Lawyer at One Planet Migration Law. She is an Australian Legal Practitioner and a Registered Migration Agent (MARN), and has guided clients through partner, skilled, employer-sponsored, student, and humanitarian visa applications across Australia.
This article is general information only and does not constitute legal or migration advice. Visa rules change frequently and outcomes depend on individual circumstances. Speak with a registered migration lawyer or agent before making any application. Figures were current as of October 2026; always check immi.homeaffairs.gov.au before lodging.
