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Lodging after 1 July 2026? The visa charges to budget for before you apply

News · 2026-08-06 · 4 min read

Yes, the Australian Government raised its visa application charges across nearly every category, and any application lodged on or after 1 July 2026 pays the new rate. If you are planning a move for work, the figures below show what to set aside for the Government charge alone, before any of the other costs of an application.

The new charges at a glance

The table lists the main routes a skilled worker or a family is likely to look at. Each figure is the charge for the main applicant.

The partner charge is the largest in the system. The current schedule is always on the Department of Home Affairs fees and charges page, so check it on the day you lodge.

A family example worth running on your own numbers

Take a family of three: a main applicant, a spouse and one child, applying together for a Skilled Independent (189) visa. The Government charges alone come to $10,745. Each extra family member adds a separate charge on top of the main applicant's figure, so a larger household moves the total quickly.

The costs that sit outside the Government charge

The charge is only one line in the budget. Most applicants also pay for:

• an English language test, and the preparation that goes with it
• a skills assessment for the occupation
• medical examinations
• police clearance certificates from the countries where they have lived

If your English score is the weak point, practice for IELTS or PTE before you book, because a second sitting is another expense. PractiseNow offers English test practice. For trade and vocational occupations, RPLDirect covers recognition of prior learning and skills assessment in Australia.

Which date decides your charge

The lodgement date decides everything. An application that went in before 1 July 2026 stays on the old charge, even if it is still being processed. Only applications lodged from 1 July 2026 onward pay the new figures.

Demand for skilled workers has not moved

Higher charges have not changed the shortage. Employers still struggle to find carpenters, electricians, mechanics, welders, chefs, butchers, HVAC technicians, nurses, engineers and heavy vehicle mechanics. Our look at why construction needs migration reform explains how that gap affects building, and the guide to trades as a migration pathway shows how a trade qualification turns into work. You can browse current vacancies on the jobs page.

Common mistakes when budgeting for a visa

• Counting only the main applicant's charge and forgetting the separate charge for each family member.
• Leaving out tests, assessments, medicals and police certificates, which can be needed before you can even lodge.
• Quoting a figure from an old article or forum post instead of the current schedule.
• Assuming a pending application will be charged the new rate. It keeps the rate from its lodgement date.
• Choosing a pathway on charge alone, without checking that your occupation and experience actually meet its conditions.

Questions newcomers ask about visa charges

Do the new charges apply to applications I have already lodged?

No. If your application went in before 1 July 2026, the old charge applies to it even while it is being processed.

Is the Skills in Demand visa cheaper than the permanent employer visas?

On the figures above, yes. The Skills in Demand (482) charge is $4,015, while the Employer Nomination Scheme (186) and Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (494) charges are each $6,140. A cheaper charge does not make it the right visa for you, because the conditions differ.

Does a partner or child pay the same charge as the main applicant?

Each additional family member adds a separate Government charge on top of the main applicant's figure. The family example above shows the effect.

What does a student visa cost compared with a graduate visa?

The Student (500) charge and the subclass 590 charge for a student's guardian are $2,500 each, and the Temporary Graduate (485) charge is $5,750.

Are there costs besides the Government charge?

Yes. English testing, skills assessments, medical examinations and police clearance certificates all come on top.

What to remember before you lodge

Work out the charge for every person on the application, add the tests and certificates, and confirm the figure against the official schedule on the day you apply. Lodgement date, not processing date, sets the charge. Strong demand in the trades and health means the effort can still be worth it, as long as the budget is honest from the start.

#visa fees #skilled migration #subclass 482 #subclass 189 #budgeting