What changed on 1 July 2026
The visa application charge is the fee you pay to the Department of Home Affairs when you apply for a visa. The amounts are set in Schedule 1 to the Migration Regulations 1994.
From 1 July 2026, the Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2026 changed these charges. The explanatory statement that accompanies them says the first instalment of the charge rose by 25 per cent for most visas.
The same regulations also made a specific increase for Student (subclass 500) and Student Guardian (subclass 590) visas, made targeted increases for some other visas, set limited exemptions for particular groups, and continued yearly indexation for all other visas in line with forecast inflation of 2.6 per cent.
Read the amending regulations on the Federal Register of Legislation
Read the explanatory statement for the amending regulations
Visas and groups not covered by the 25 per cent increase
The explanatory statement lists these exclusions.
Humanitarian and protection visas are excluded. These are subclasses 200, 201, 202, 203 and 204, the Temporary Protection visa (subclass 785), the Safe Haven Enterprise visa (subclass 790) and the Protection visa (subclass 866).
Some temporary and regional mobility visas are excluded. These are the Pacific Engagement visa (subclass 192) and the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility stream of the Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (subclass 403).
Some Student visa applicants are excluded. These are Student (subclass 500) applicants from ASEAN countries who are enrolled in English language courses or non-award courses.
Citizens of Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste who are eligible under specific Australian visa programs, and who are applying for those visas, are also excluded.
The explanatory statement says these exemptions are meant to make sure vulnerable applicants and priority groups are not adversely affected by higher costs.
Visas with a targeted increase instead
Some visas have a targeted increase in place of the general 25 per cent rise. The explanatory statement lists these.
For Working Holiday (subclass 417) and Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visas, the charges for second and third visa applications have increased.
Resident Return visas (subclasses155and157), the Bridging visa B (subclass 020) and the New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) visa (subclass 461) each have an increase of 200 per cent.
The explanatory statement says these targeted increases replace the general 25 per cent increase rather than adding to it.
How to check what you will pay
Charges differ between visas and depend on who is included in the application, so we have not listed individual amounts here. Home Affairs suggests using its Visa Pricing Estimator to work out your visa cost.
Check the charge close to the date you plan to apply, and do not rely on an old quote or screenshot. If family members are included in your application, budget for each person. The visa application charge may not be the only cost, as health checks, police certificates, translations and other documents can add to the total.
Read the Home Affairs visa pricing page
Use the Home Affairs Visa Pricing Estimator
Planning your application
If you are deciding between visa options, the total cost can be part of that decision.
See the main Australian visa types
See our other recent migration updates
To talk about your situation, Book a Consultation from the top of this page, or message us on WhatsApp on +61 478 278 410.
General information only, not legal advice. EMC Australia, MARN 1800335.