The Department of Home Affairs updates Australian visa application charges periodically, most commonly on 1 July each year. Here's a plain-English rundown of what a visa fee update actually means for you, and where to find the current confirmed figure for your specific visa.
What is a visa fee update?
A visa fee update is a change to the base application charge and associated fees (additional applicant charges, second instalments for some visas) the Department of Home Affairs sets for each visa subclass. Updates typically apply to applications lodged on or after the effective date — not retroactively to applications already submitted. [VERIFY: confirm the exact effective-date rule for your specific visa subclass against current Home Affairs guidance, since transition rules can vary.]
How often do fees change?
Visa application charges are reviewed regularly, with 1 July being the most common effective date for annual adjustments. The size of each update varies year to year and isn't guaranteed to follow the same pattern every time — some years bring a modest inflation-linked adjustment, others a larger policy-driven change.
Where to check the current confirmed fee
The Department of Home Affairs fee schedule is the only authoritative source for current visa application charges. Third-party sites (including migration agency blogs) can be a useful early signal when a change happens, but always confirm the exact figure on the official Home Affairs page before budgeting or lodging.
Read our full fee history and price comparison for a year-by-year table across every visa VisaPacks has a checklist for, or our fee increase breakdown for which visas rose the most in percentage and dollar terms.
Does a fee update affect my documents?
No — a visa fee update only changes what you pay to lodge, not what documents you need to provide. Your document checklist stays the same regardless of the current fee. VisaPacks gives you a personalised checklist for your visa so you can prepare your documents while you confirm the current fee separately.