Visa application charges rose on 1 July 2026: what you will now pay
Before you rely on this. This article was published on 11 July 2026 and describes the changes that commenced on 1 July 2026. Migration rules and charges change often. Always confirm the current position with the Department of Home Affairs, or speak to a registered migration agent, before you lodge.
Applying for an Australian visa now costs more. Most visa application charges rose on 1 July 2026, and for a lot of visas the increase is around 25 per cent.
The new charges apply to applications lodged on or after 1 July 2026. There is no way to lodge at the old price now, so the useful question is how to budget properly and avoid paying for the same mistake twice.
What changed
Reported increases to the charge for the main applicant include:
- Student visa (subclass 500): $2,000 to $2,500
- Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485): $4,600 to $5,750
- Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482): $3,210 to $4,015
- Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189): $4,910 to $6,135
- Partner visa: $9,365 to $11,710
Those are the charges for the main applicant only. A partner or child included in the same application is charged separately, so a family application lands well above the headline number.
What this means for you
Two things matter more than they did in June.
Budget for the whole application, not just the visa charge. Health examinations, police certificates, translations, certified copies and skills assessments all sit on top of it, and none of those got cheaper.
A refusal is now a more expensive mistake. The visa application charge is generally not refunded if your application is refused. At these amounts, getting the eligibility and the evidence right before you lodge is worth considerably more than it used to be.
What to do now
- Check the current charge for your visa with the Home Affairs visa pricing estimator. It is the only source that is always up to date, and it accounts for family members.
- Add the secondary applicant charges for anyone you are including.
- Have your eligibility and evidence reviewed before you pay, not after.
Talk it through before you lodge
If you are weighing up whether your application is ready to lodge, we will review your circumstances and tell you plainly. AIS Immigration Solutions are registered migration agents in Brisbane, and we work with clients around the world. Call +61 7 3216 0052 or send us a message and we will give you a straight answer.