Visa application charges are reviewed by the Department of Home Affairs and typically change on 1 July each year. The table below tracks the base application charge across the last five financial years for every visa subclass VisaPacks has a checklist for, so you can see the trend rather than just the latest year-on-year move — we update it as each figure is confirmed against the official fee schedule, so treat any cell still marked "TBC" as unverified rather than assuming it hasn't changed.
| Visa | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 820/801 · Partner visa (Onshore) | $9,365 | $11,710 | $2,345 (+25.0%) |
| 309/100 · Partner visa (Offshore) | TBC | $11,710 | TBC |
| 500 · Student visa | TBC | $2,500 | TBC |
| 590 · Student Guardian visa | TBC | $2,500 | TBC |
| 485 · Temporary Graduate visa | $4,600 | $5,750 | $1,150 (+25.0%) |
| 189 · Skilled Independent visa | $4,910 | $6,135 | $1,225 (+24.9%) |
| 190 · Skilled Nominated visa | $4,910 | $6,140 | $1,230 (+25.1%) |
| 491 · Skilled Work Regional visa | TBC | $6,140 | TBC |
| 191 · Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa | TBC | $630 | TBC |
| 482 · Skills in Demand visa | $3,210 | $4,015 | $805 (+25.1%) |
| 186 · Employer Nomination Scheme visa | $4,910 | $6,140 | $1,230 (+25.1%) |
| 417 · Working Holiday visa | $670 | $840 | $170 (+25.4%) |
| 462 · Work and Holiday visa | TBC | $840 | TBC |
| 600 · Visitor visa | $200 | $250 | $50 (+25.0%) |
| 103 · Parent visa | TBC | $6,600 | TBC |
| 143 · Contributory Parent visa | TBC | $6,300 | TBC |
| 864 · Contributory Aged Parent visa | TBC | $6,300 | TBC |
"TBC" cells are still being verified against the Department of Home Affairs fee schedule — check the linked visa page for the current charge before relying on a figure here. "Change" compares the earliest to the latest verified year available for that visa, so it may span fewer years than the full table if older figures aren't confirmed yet.
Partner visas
The Partner (820/801) and Partner (309/100) visa application charges are among the highest of any Australian visa category, and typically move by more than the flat percentage applied to lower-fee visas. If you're preparing a partner visa application, build your checklist early — see the Partner (Onshore) and Partner (Offshore) checklists linked in the table above — so fee timing doesn't add pressure on top of gathering relationship evidence.
Student visas
Student (500) and Student Guardian (590) visa charges apply per application, with additional charges for accompanying family members. International students should budget for the current fee at the time of lodgement, not the fee quoted when you first started planning your application.
Skilled visas
Skilled Independent (189), Skilled Nominated (190), Skilled Work Regional (491), and Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) (191) visa charges are among the largest single costs in a skilled migration pathway, on top of skills assessment and English testing fees. Employer-sponsored pathways — Skills in Demand (482) and Employer Nomination Scheme (186) — carry their own separate charge structure.
Work and Working Holiday visas
Working Holiday (417), Work and Holiday (462), and Temporary Graduate (485) visas generally sit at the lower end of the fee scale compared to permanent pathways, but percentage increases still add up — especially for 417/462 applicants budgeting tightly around their trip.
Visitor visas
The Visitor (600) visa is the most-lodged visa type by volume, so even a modest dollar increase affects a very large number of applicants each year.
Parent visas
Parent (103), Contributory Parent (143), and Contributory Aged Parent (864) visas have some of the highest application charges of any Australian visa, reflecting long processing queues (for the non-contributory 103) or a significantly higher up-front cost in exchange for faster processing (for the contributory 143/864 streams).
FAQ
When do Australian visa fees usually change?
The Department of Home Affairs typically reviews visa application charges on 1 July each year, but the exact date and which visas are affected in any given year should always be confirmed on the official Home Affairs fee schedule rather than assumed from a previous year's pattern.
If I lodge before a fee increase, do I pay the old fee or the new fee?
Generally, the charge in effect on the date you lodge and pay applies, not the fee that was current when you started preparing your application. Since this determines what you'll actually be charged, confirm the exact current rule on the official Home Affairs fee schedule before lodging, especially if you're close to a known review date.
Are visa application charges refundable if my visa is refused?
Generally no — visa application charges are usually non-refundable even if the visa is refused, though refund eligibility and any exceptions vary by visa subclass and circumstance. Check the Department of Home Affairs' refund policy for your specific visa before assuming any amount is refundable.
Does VisaPacks charge visa application fees?
No. VisaPacks is a document preparation and checklist tool — visa application charges are paid directly to the Department of Home Affairs through ImmiAccount when you lodge. VisaPacks itself is free to start, with an optional one-time upgrade for cloud save and export features.