Visitor-visa fee rises to AUD 200 as April global fee adjustments kick in

Specialist site VisaCalm’s monthly roundup confirms that Australia quietly lifted the base charge for the Visitor (Subclass 600) visa from AUD 190 to AUD 200 effective 1 April 2026, part of an indexation exercise that also saw the United Kingdom increase its standard visitor fee and the United States expand its visa-bond pilot. Although a modest AUD 10 rise, the change matters for corporates that bulk-fund short-term travel for offshore staff: a company sending 500 visitors a year now faces an extra AUD 5,000 in direct costs, excluding card surcharges. Unlike previous years, the Department of Home Affairs did not issue a standalone media release; the new figure appeared in the online fee table on Easter Thursday. Travel-management companies (TMCs) received an alert only after automated booking bots flagged higher payable amounts during payment reconciliation on Friday morning. Some travellers who completed online forms before midnight 31 March but paid on 1 April report being charged the new fee. The increase coincides with Australia’s move to standardise refund rules. Under the revised legislation, applicants who withdraw before biometric capture now receive an 85 % refund instead of the previous flat AUD 80 concession, aligning policy with user-pays principles and discouraging speculative applications. Mobility teams are advised to update cost projections immediately and remind travellers to schedule biometric appointments promptly—delays can now turn into more expensive re-applications if the four-week payment-to-biometrics window lapses.