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Australian work visa cost 2026: which budget lines belong to you and which to the employer?

Visa guide · 2026-10-30 · 7 min read

The price beside a visa name is a starting point for a budget, not the full cost of a move. If you are researching Australian work from overseas, separate the worker’s application charges, the family’s applicable charges and the employer’s sponsorship obligations. That makes missing costs and inappropriate payment requests easier to identify.

This guide describes the verified price-list settings for 30 October 2026. The Home Affairs page was last updated on 1 July 2026 in the verified record. All figures are Australian dollars. No currency conversion, adviser fee or complete household total is invented, and eligibility must be checked separately from price.

Compare the actual base charges

The official visa pricing table should be checked before payment. These are base application charges, not all-inclusive quotations for a family or a relocation.

The 403 MATES stream base charge is AUD470.00 in the verified list. The Pacific Engagement stream is AUD345.00 and the Treaty stream for Tuvalu is AUD205.00. Those are specific streams, not general cheaper alternatives for every worker.

A lower charge should therefore prompt an eligibility check rather than a quick change of plan. Do not combine a charge from one stream with requirements from another or assume a nationality-specific setting is universal.

Calculate family charges on their own terms

For the 482, the list separately shows AUD4,015.00 for each additional applicant aged eighteen or over, AUD1,005.00 for each under eighteen and AUD700.00 as the subsequent temporary application charge. Confirm when each charge applies instead of adding every line to every case.

Do not use those additional-applicant figures for a different subclass. Identify each intended applicant and the relevant route, then record confirmed and conditional charges separately. This gives you a calculation that can be checked rather than a single total built from assumptions.

The 482 guide provides route context. The archive article on family planning alongside migration also explains why a household move requires more than the main applicant’s base charge.

Understand the conditional second instalment

For applicants aged eighteen or over assessed as not having functional English, the verified second-instalment amounts are AUD4,890 for each such applicant for the 491 and 494, and AUD4,885 for the 189 and 190. For the 186, they are AUD9,800 for the main applicant or AUD4,890 for a secondary applicant in that setting.

This is not an extra charge paid by every adult. It belongs to the specified English assessment and visa categories. It should not be described as a general replacement for every English requirement, including professional registration standards.

Keep the amount as a conditional budget line until its applicability is checked. That avoids both overlooking a substantial charge and assuming the largest figure applies to every member of a household.

The employer has separate cost obligations

The official sponsorship cost guidance says the sponsoring employer must pay all costs of becoming a sponsor and nominating an applicant. These cannot be transferred to the visa holder or family. The Skilling Australians Fund levy must not be passed to the applicant.

If someone requests a payment described as a sponsorship package, ask for an itemised explanation. Keep the employer’s obligations separate from your own legitimate application costs. A salary deduction does not make a prohibited transfer acceptable because it happens after arrival.

Do not offer money in exchange for sponsorship. The archive discussion of employer recruitment needs is background about hiring, not a reason to buy access to a position. The actual vacancy and compliant process need to stand on their own.

Other services need current prices

Home Affairs identifies other costs including English tests, health examinations, police certificates and biometrics. Obtain the applicable instructions and current service charges for your circumstances. This article does not invent a universal total for those services.

Separate relocation spending as well. A flight, housing deposit or temporary accommodation booking is not part of the base visa application charge. Avoid non-refundable commitments simply because an interview was positive or you expect a decision by a particular date.

Use the visa guide collection to identify the route being costed. Use current vacancies to discuss actual conditions and benefits. Do not add assumed employer-funded travel or accommodation unless the employer has genuinely offered it.

A budget sequence you can check

1. Identify the exact visa or stream and each intended applicant.
2. Confirm the official base charge and applicable additional charges.
3. Record any conditional second instalment with its reason and category.
4. Obtain current costs for required tests, health, police and other services.
5. Separate employer sponsorship obligations and question proposed transfers.
6. Keep household relocation spending tied to confirmed developments.

Keep a source and date beside each amount. If planning crosses a pricing update, recheck before payment. An old converted figure in another currency is not evidence of the current Australian-dollar charge.

Common mistakes in a visa budget

Common mistakes include treating a base charge as a family total, mixing subclasses, ignoring conditional charges and accepting unexplained sponsorship deductions. Another is choosing a lower listed price without checking whether that stream is available to you.

The archive article on reading migration information carefully suggests a useful habit: keep a claim attached to its scope and source. For a budget, that means knowing what each amount pays for before transferring money.

Discuss the unresolved lines with the household as well as the headline total. A transparent budget makes it easier to decide which commitments can wait and which evidence or service needs attention next.

Frequently asked questions

Is the base charge the full cost of a move?

No. Additional applicants, applicable extra charges and services such as tests, health checks, police certificates and biometrics can change the total. Household relocation spending needs its own budget.

What is the verified 482 base charge?

The price list updated on 1 July 2026 shows AUD4,015.00 for each 482 stream. It separately lists additional applicant and subsequent temporary application charges, whose applicability must be checked.

Can the employer recover sponsorship costs from my salary?

The employer must pay the costs of becoming a sponsor and nominating the applicant, and cannot transfer them to the visa holder or family. The SAF levy must not be passed to the applicant either.

Does every adult pay the English second instalment?

No. The described second instalment concerns applicants aged eighteen or over assessed as not having functional English in specified visa categories. The visa and applicant position determine the relevant amount.

Is a lower-cost stream open to every nationality?

No. MATES, Pacific Engagement and other streams have their own eligibility and settings. A listed charge does not establish that you can use the stream.

Last checked: 9 November 2026 against the official sources linked above. This archival article describes the position on 30 October 2026.

Every case is different — book a consultation and our partner registered migration agents (MARA) can help you consider the rules and evidence that apply to your circumstances.

Key takeaways

• A base application charge is only part of a household budget.
• Check conditional and additional charges for the actual visa and applicants.
• Sponsor, nomination and SAF costs must not be transferred to the worker.

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