Australia’s inbound tourism lobby has sounded the alarm after the 25 per cent increase to visa application charges (VACs) that took effect on 1 July began biting this week. In a strongly-worded briefing released on 7 July, the Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) argued that the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visa has jumped from AUD 670 to AUD 840 and the standard Visitor (subclass 600) visa from AUD 200 to AUD 250— rises well above inflation. Industry operators report fielding calls from agents in Europe and Asia asking why Australia is now among the most expensive destinations to enter. ATEC chief executive Peter Shelley fears the timing could not be worse. Long-haul carriers have only just rebuilt capacity and a strong Australian dollar already adds 12–15 per cent to ground costs. “Price sensitive backpackers and budget travellers will look to Canada or New Zealand if Australia keeps ratcheting up charges,” he warned.
![Tourism industry warns visitor visa fee hikes could price Australia out of the market]()
Travellers and employers grappling with the new VAC structure may find relief in using a streamlined application service such as VisaHQ. The platform’s Australia hub provides up-to-date fee calculators, document checklists and end-to-end submission support, helping individuals, tour operators and corporate mobility teams avoid costly errors and keep itineraries on track despite the rising charges.
The WHM segment alone supplied 117,000 workers to regional hospitality and agriculture last financial year; even a 5 per cent downturn would leave thousands of seasonal roles unfilled. Beyond tourism, the fee hikes may dampen corporate short-term travel. Business events groups told AccomNews they expect delegates to add the steeper VAC to registration costs, eroding Australia’s competitiveness for regional conferences. Large corporates that run rotation programs say additional red tape— each new entrant must pay the VAC up-front— will inflate mobility budgets by tens of thousands of dollars over a three-year project cycle. Home Affairs maintains the increases are needed to fund visa processing technology, but ATEC counters that service standards have not improved; median subclass 600 processing times still hover around 24 days. Operators are now urging the government to ring-fence a share of the extra revenue for marketing campaigns and faster service-level agreements, or risk undoing years of brand-building in key source markets. For travel managers, the practical advice is to budget for higher upfront costs, communicate early with travellers about processing lead-times, and explore multi-entry visa options for repeat visitors. Companies reliant on WHM labour should also monitor application volumes closely; if numbers fall, contingency recruitment may be needed ahead of the 2026-27 peak season.
Travellers and employers grappling with the new VAC structure may find relief in using a streamlined application service such as VisaHQ. The platform’s Australia hub provides up-to-date fee calculators, document checklists and end-to-end submission support, helping individuals, tour operators and corporate mobility teams avoid costly errors and keep itineraries on track despite the rising charges.
The WHM segment alone supplied 117,000 workers to regional hospitality and agriculture last financial year; even a 5 per cent downturn would leave thousands of seasonal roles unfilled. Beyond tourism, the fee hikes may dampen corporate short-term travel. Business events groups told AccomNews they expect delegates to add the steeper VAC to registration costs, eroding Australia’s competitiveness for regional conferences. Large corporates that run rotation programs say additional red tape— each new entrant must pay the VAC up-front— will inflate mobility budgets by tens of thousands of dollars over a three-year project cycle. Home Affairs maintains the increases are needed to fund visa processing technology, but ATEC counters that service standards have not improved; median subclass 600 processing times still hover around 24 days. Operators are now urging the government to ring-fence a share of the extra revenue for marketing campaigns and faster service-level agreements, or risk undoing years of brand-building in key source markets. For travel managers, the practical advice is to budget for higher upfront costs, communicate early with travellers about processing lead-times, and explore multi-entry visa options for repeat visitors. Companies reliant on WHM labour should also monitor application volumes closely; if numbers fall, contingency recruitment may be needed ahead of the 2026-27 peak season.
