Visa Application Charge increases
Any client we have spoken to about costs over the last few months will have heard us say “but those prices will increase in the new Financial Year”. And it’s a new Financial Year and they have increased…
In general, the prices have gone up by around 3%, or the rate of inflation, with some key exceptions that may show Government thinking and future Policy.
In terms of the core visas a Partner visa is now $9,365 (up from $9,095). With this now creeping very close to $10k when you include card surcharges I do wonder how many people are eligible for a Partner visa but are not applying through a combination of cost and the long processing times. Couple that with the stubbornly long wait times for Parent visas and you do start to draw conclusions about the Governments preferred migrant profile.
Speaking of which, the Sub Class (SC) 482 Skills In Demand visa has had a minor bump, going up to $3,210 (from $3,115) but many applicants can expect to also collect the $700 subsequent temporary visa charge, for example if moving from a SC417 Working Holiday Visa. The SC186, the permanent employer sponsored visa, has had a similar increase, going from $4,770 to $4,910. Staying with skilled migration the points tested visas (SC189, SC190 and SC491) are also now $4,910.
Wrapping up, anyone who has asked about Student visas over the last year will have heard me talk about how they have been used as a bit of a ‘political football’. That trend shows no sign in slowing down. The base VAC is now $2,000, up from $1,600, something I suspect will make this visa even less attractive. My standing advice is that the Student visa should only be considered as a means to genuinely study a course or qualification that is of worth to you, even if it were studied outside Australia. The days of taking a SC500 visa as an ‘easy’ pathway to remain in Australia, for example at the end of a Working Holiday Visa, are gone.
In short Migration is not getting any cheaper anytime soon. Higher inflation does inevitably mean higher fees but the relative stability in Skilled Migration charges does seem to foreshadow some consistency in approach over the next year, as hoped for following the continuity of Federal Government.
As always if you would like to have a chat about these changes, or discuss your eligibility for a visa, please feel free to reach out on hello@mcdonaghmigrations.com.au and we can set up a time.
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All information correct at time of publication but no guarantee or warranty provided. This article is for information only and should not be relied on as personal migration advice, you should always speak to a Registered Migration Agent to understand your individual circumstances.
Information sourced from https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2025L00796/asmade/text