Amid widespread anger over Australia’s 25 % visa-fee rise, one cohort is breathing easier: applicants holding passports from 11 Pacific Island nations and Timor-Leste remain exempt from the extra A$500 slug on Student (subclass 500) and Guardian (subclass 590) visas. The concession, introduced in 2025 to support regional mobility, was preserved in Schedule 3 of the 2026 Amendment Regulations that took effect this week. Student associations from Fiji, Samoa and Tonga issued a joint statement on Saturday thanking Canberra for “recognising the unique development partnership between Australia and the Pacific.” The discounted VAC—about A$1,150 after CPI indexation—means Pacific applicants pay less than half the fee faced by students from other countries. Universities with large Pacific cohorts, such as James Cook University and the University of the South Pacific’s joint medical program, say the decision safeguards scholarship pipelines. However, education agents argue the government should go further by streamlining Genuine Student requirements, noting a spike in refusal rates for Pacific students over English-language evidence. Analysts observe the carve-out aligns with the forthcoming Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) ballot, underscoring Australia’s strategic competition with China in the region. Mobility managers should note that dependants of primary Pacific applicants also enjoy the lower fee.
