Fees and charges
Visa application charges are now two-tier, and the lower tier follows the passport
From 1 July 2026 a concessional application charge applies to holders of a passport from any of thirteen Pacific-regional countries, and to student applicants from ten named South-East Asian countries.
Schedule 3 to the Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2026 rewrote the first-instalment charge for 47 separate items of Schedule 1 to the Migration Regulations 1994. In almost every case the repealed paragraph was replaced by two tables: a lower charge for holders of a passport issued by a Pacific-regional country
, and a higher charge for any other applicant
.
The thirteen Pacific-regional countries are now defined in regulation 1.03: the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
Base application charge for the classes we are asked about most often
| Visa | Pacific-regional passport | Any other applicant |
|---|---|---|
| Skills in Demand (Class GK), subclass 482 | $3,290 | $4,015 |
| Employer Nomination (Permanent) (Class EN), subclass 186 | $5,035 | $6,140 |
| Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) (Class PE), subclass 494 | $5,035 | $6,140 |
| Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (Class PS), subclass 491 | $5,035 | $6,140 |
| Nominated (Permanent) (Class SN), subclass 190 | $5,035 | $6,140 |
| Partner (Migrant) (Class BC), subclasses 309 and 100 | $9,600 | $11,710 |
| Prospective Marriage (Temporary) (Class TO), subclass 300 | $9,600 | $11,710 |
The additional applicant charges were rewritten alongside the base charge and follow the same two tiers. On the subclass 482 the additional applicant charge for an adult equals the base charge, so a second adult doubles the first instalment.
Student visas use a different list of countries
Schedule 1 item 1222 was restructured as well as re-priced. The base application charge for a Subclass 500 (Student) visa is $2,500, and a concessional base charge of $2,050 applies where the primary applicant holds a passport issued by one of ten countries specified in a new subitem 1222(5A): Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Separate rates apply to ELICOS and non-award enrolments and to several other categories within the same item, so a student fee should be read off item 1222 itself.
The instrument commenced on 1 July 2026 as a whole.
Sources
- Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2026 (F2026L00874), Schedule 3
- Migration Regulations 1994, Schedule 1 (Compilation No. 288)
- Department of Home Affairs, Partner visa (subclass 820) – cost concession for eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste applicants
Links go to the instrument or the official page. Where a page states a figure, the figure above is that page’s figure on the date shown.
Full guide: Fees and charges