Australia’s new financial year began with a bruising surprise for migrants, students and employers. From 1 July 2026 the Department of Home Affairs lifted Visa Application Charges (VACs) across almost every visa subclass, in many cases by about 25 %. The base fee for a Student (Subclass 500) visa climbed from AUD 2,000 to AUD 2,500, the Temporary Graduate (Subclass 485) visa soared from AUD 4,600 to AUD 5,750 and the Partner visa (820/801 or 309/100) now costs a record AUD 11,710.
![Visa application charges jump 25 % from 1 July, business groups warn of travel-cost shock]()
In this context, VisaHQ’s Australia portal (https://www.visahq.com/australia/) offers up-to-date fee information, customised checklists and end-to-end application support for individuals and corporate mobility teams, helping applicants budget accurately and avoid missteps amid the new pricing regime.
Migration lawyers point out that this is the second sharp rise in sixteen months, easily out-pacing CPI and wage growth. The increases also apply to secondary applicants and review fees before the new Administrative Review Tribunal. Tables released by Hannan Tew Lawyers show similar double-digit jumps for employer-sponsored visas such as the Skills-in-Demand (Subclass 482) and ENS 186 streams, pushing total lodgement costs for a family of four past AUD 20,000. Business reacted swiftly. The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) said the fee hike was introduced “without consultation” and would deter international students, tourists and urgently-needed skilled workers at a time when labour shortages remain acute. “Australia already had the world’s most expensive student visa. Lifting it again sends a poor signal to the global market,” warned ACCI chief executive Andrew McKellar. Universities Australia echoed those concerns, estimating the extra AUD 500 payable by each new student could slice tens of millions from education export earnings in the coming semester, while tourism operators fear higher visitor-visa costs will make trans-Tasman and short-haul trips less competitive against destinations such as Thailand and Japan. For employers and mobility managers the advice is to re-forecast relocation budgets immediately, check whether planned nominations can still be lodged under the previous fee schedule, and alert prospective assignees who may be holding out for a permanent-residence pathway that their total application costs have risen sharply.
In this context, VisaHQ’s Australia portal (https://www.visahq.com/australia/) offers up-to-date fee information, customised checklists and end-to-end application support for individuals and corporate mobility teams, helping applicants budget accurately and avoid missteps amid the new pricing regime.
Migration lawyers point out that this is the second sharp rise in sixteen months, easily out-pacing CPI and wage growth. The increases also apply to secondary applicants and review fees before the new Administrative Review Tribunal. Tables released by Hannan Tew Lawyers show similar double-digit jumps for employer-sponsored visas such as the Skills-in-Demand (Subclass 482) and ENS 186 streams, pushing total lodgement costs for a family of four past AUD 20,000. Business reacted swiftly. The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) said the fee hike was introduced “without consultation” and would deter international students, tourists and urgently-needed skilled workers at a time when labour shortages remain acute. “Australia already had the world’s most expensive student visa. Lifting it again sends a poor signal to the global market,” warned ACCI chief executive Andrew McKellar. Universities Australia echoed those concerns, estimating the extra AUD 500 payable by each new student could slice tens of millions from education export earnings in the coming semester, while tourism operators fear higher visitor-visa costs will make trans-Tasman and short-haul trips less competitive against destinations such as Thailand and Japan. For employers and mobility managers the advice is to re-forecast relocation budgets immediately, check whether planned nominations can still be lodged under the previous fee schedule, and alert prospective assignees who may be holding out for a permanent-residence pathway that their total application costs have risen sharply.
