Last updated: July 2026. Based on the Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2026, registered 30 June 2026 and commencing 1 July 2026. Figures current as of publication date.
New Australian Visa Fees 2026-27: What Changed on 1 July
Most Australian visa application charges rose by around 25 per cent on 1 July 2026. That is well above the routine 3 to 4 per cent indexation that visa fees usually attract at the start of the financial year. It is a deliberate, above-CPI adjustment applied across almost every visa subclass, and it lands alongside two structural additions to the fee schedule: a reduced VAC for applicants who hold a passport from a Pacific-regional country, and a category-based pricing model for Student (500) and Temporary Graduate (485) visas that was not there before.
If you are budgeting a partner application, an employer sponsorship, a skilled independent lodgement, or a family visitor visa, the new figures materially change the maths. This guide sets out every major change, calculates the actual percentage increase for each subclass, explains who qualifies for the new Pacific concession, and unpacks the policy signal that sits behind numbers this size.
What the amending instrument does
The changes were introduced by the Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2026, registered on 30 June 2026 and commencing on 1 July 2026. The instrument amends Schedule 1 of the Migration Regulations 1994 to reset the first-instalment Visa Application Charge (VAC) for almost every subclass listed there. It also creates a new pricing tier tied to the applicant’s passport country.
Alongside the VAC changes, the Core Skills Income Threshold moved to $79,423 from 1 July 2026 (up from $76,515 for 2025-26), and the Fair Work Commission separately published the 2026-27 Fair Work High Income Threshold at $190,100. The salary side of the equation moved too, and we have covered those in our current TSMIT, CSIT and SSIT reference and our earnings-and-super deep dive for 482 nominations.
Skilled visas: 189, 190, 491 with a $1,225 to $1,230 jump per primary
The three flagship skilled subclasses moved in lockstep at just over 25 per cent above their 2025-26 rate.
| Visa | 2025-26 primary | 2026-27 primary | Change | Pacific rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 189 Skilled Independent (points-tested and Hong Kong streams) | $4,910 | $6,135 | +$1,225 / +24.95% | $5,030 |
| 190 Skilled Nominated | $4,910 | $6,140 | +$1,230 / +25.05% | $5,035 |
| 491 Skilled Work Regional (both streams) | $4,910 | $6,140 | +$1,230 / +25.05% | $5,035 |
Adult dependent and child charges moved by the same 25 per cent. For a family of four (two adults, two children) applying for a 189, the government-fee subtotal has risen from $9,825 to $12,285, a $2,460 impact before adding skills assessment, English, health and any migration-agent costs.
Employer-sponsored: 482, 186, 494 on the same 25% pattern
The employer-sponsored program moved with the skilled pathways.
| Visa | 2025-26 primary | 2026-27 primary | Change | Pacific rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 482 Skills in Demand (all streams) | $3,210 | $4,015 | +$805 / +25.08% | $3,290 |
| 186 Employer Nomination Scheme | $4,910 | $6,140 | +$1,230 / +25.05% | $5,035 |
| 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional | $4,910 | $6,140 | +$1,230 / +25.05% | $5,035 |
The 482 nomination fee and the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy were not amended by this instrument and remain at their prior amounts. That means the increase falls entirely on the worker’s VAC rather than the sponsor’s contribution. For a full breakdown of who pays what across the temporary employer-sponsored program, see our guide on regulation 2.87 and cost-recovery rules for 482, 494 and DAMA nominations.
National Innovation Visa: 858 up to $6,235
The National Innovation Visa (858) climbed to $6,235 for the primary applicant.
| Applicant | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | Change | Pacific rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | $4,985 | $6,235 | +$1,250 / +25.08% | $5,110 |
| Adult dependent | $2,495 | $3,120 | +$625 / +25.05% | $2,560 |
| Child | $1,250 | $1,560 | +$310 / +24.80% | $1,280 |
The FWHIT context that some NIV state-nomination pathways reference has also moved (2025-26 was $183,100; from 1 July 2026 it is $190,100). For academic-track applicants, our NIV evidence guide for researchers covers where FWHIT actually matters in an NIV file.
Partner and Prospective Marriage: a $2,345 jump per combined application
The partner program took one of the largest dollar-value increases because the fee is already the highest in the family stream.
| Visa | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | Change | Pacific rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 820/801 Partner (onshore) combined | $9,365 | $11,710 | +$2,345 / +25.04% | $9,600 |
| 309/100 Partner (offshore) combined | $9,365 | $11,710 | +$2,345 / +25.04% | $9,600 |
| 300 Prospective Marriage | $9,365 | $11,710 | +$2,345 / +25.04% | $9,600 |
| 820 from 300 (reduced VAC after marriage) | $1,560 | $1,955 | +$395 / +25.32% | $1,600 |
For a couple with two children lodging a 309/100 or 820/801, the government-fee subtotal has moved from $18,780 to $23,485, a $4,705 jump on the visa fees alone.
Parents: the biggest percentage hits
Parent visas absorbed the largest percentage increases of any category.
| Visa | 2025-26 first instalment (primary) | 2026-27 first instalment (primary) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 103 Parent | $4,890 | $6,600 | +$1,710 / +34.97% |
| 804 Aged Parent | $4,890 | $6,600 | +$1,710 / +34.97% |
| 143 Contributory Parent | $4,890 | $6,300 | +$1,410 / +28.83% |
| 864 Contributory Aged Parent | $4,890 | $6,300 | +$1,410 / +28.83% |
| 173 Contributory Parent (Temporary) | $4,045 (approx) | $4,245 | +$200 / +4.94% |
Pacific concessional rates apply on the parent stream as well ($5,410 for 103/804 primary; $5,170 for 143/864 primary).
The second instalment, which is by far the largest cost on a contributory parent visa ($43,700 on 143 and 864, $47,825 on 103 and 804), was not addressed in this instrument and remains at its prior amount pending a separate legislative update.
Student 500: new category-based pricing
The Student visa moved to a three-tier structure that did not exist before 1 July 2026.
| Category | 2025-26 primary | 2026-27 primary | Adult dep | Child |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific-regional passport holder | $2,000 | $745 | $555 | $185 |
| Specified ASEAN passport holder or ELICOS / non-award course | $2,000 | $2,050 | $1,255 | $410 |
| All other applicants | $2,000 | $2,500 (+25%) | $1,530 | $500 |
Specified ASEAN countries for the new mid-tier are: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
For most study-abroad markets, this is the third increase in three financial years. The 500 fee was $710 until July 2024, jumped to $1,600 in July 2024, then to $2,000 in July 2025, and now sits at $2,500 for the mainstream applicant pool.
Temporary Graduate 485: four-tier structure after the March doubling
The Temporary Graduate visa was already the most volatile line item in the migration program this year. It doubled on 1 March 2026 from $2,300 to $4,600. It then rose again on 1 July 2026 into a category-based structure.
| Category | 2025-26 (pre-March) | March 2026 | 2026-27 (1 July) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard “other applicants” | $2,300 | $4,600 | $5,750 (+25% from March) |
| Post-Higher Education Work, non-Pacific | $2,300 | $4,600 | $2,265 |
| Other Pacific category | $2,300 | $4,600 | $2,360 |
| Pacific-regional passport with PHE | $2,300 | $4,600 | $930 |
The reweighting is telling. The July update reduces the fee for graduates who studied a higher-education qualification and for Pacific-regional passport holders, but keeps the “standard” applicant on a 150 per cent increase across five months. For context on the March jump alone, see our earlier 485 visa fee doubling explainer.
Visitor 600 and Working Holiday: the smaller headline, still 25%+
| Visa | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | Change | Pacific rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600 Visitor (Tourist, offshore) | $200 | $250 | +$50 / +25.00% | $205 |
| 600 Visitor (in Australia) | ~$500 | $630 | +26.00% | $515 |
| 600 Frequent Traveller | $1,480 | $1,845 | +$365 / +24.66% | $1,515 |
| 417 Working Holiday | $635 | $840 | +$205 / +32.28% | n/a |
| 462 Work and Holiday | $635 | $840 | +$205 / +32.28% | $690 |
Working Holiday and Work and Holiday absorbed the sharpest single-item increase in the visitor family, at 32 per cent for a first-application charge. Second and subsequent WHV applications now attract $1,000 rather than the previous flat rate.
The new Pacific-passport concession explained
The most significant structural change in the 2026-27 fee schedule is the introduction of a reduced VAC for applicants who hold a valid passport from a Pacific-regional country.
The thirteen countries in the concession list are:
- Federated States of Micronesia
- Fiji
- Kiribati
- Nauru
- Palau
- Papua New Guinea
- Republic of the Marshall Islands
- Samoa
- Solomon Islands
- Timor-Leste
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
The concession applies at the point of application. It reduces the primary applicant fee and, where the schedule allows, the dependent charges as well. The saving is meaningful. A 189 family of four from the concession list pays $10,065 in VAC ($5,030 + $2,515 + $1,260 + $1,260) against the standard $12,285. That is a $2,220 difference on the government-fee line alone, before any other application costs.
This is consistent with the broader Pacific Engagement architecture that sits above the migration program, including the Pacific Engagement Visa ballot introduced under the Migration Strategy in 2024. Fee policy is now being used to lower the cost of migration for the same cohort that the ballot targets, at a time when the general applicant pool is being charged more.
Why the jump? Policy commentary
A 25 per cent across-the-board increase is not indexation. Recent annual CPI has sat in the low single digits, and regulation-side indexation of visa charges usually tracks close to that figure. What the government has done instead is roll several separate policy pressures into a single tariff reset. A few threads are pulling in the same direction.
Revenue. Visa application charges are a material line in the federal budget. A 25 per cent uplift across almost every subclass delivers a meaningful contribution to consolidated revenue, and it does so without touching income tax, corporate tax or the excise base, where the political cost of change is higher.
Cost recovery framing. The Department of Home Affairs has for several years positioned VACs as a recovery mechanism for the true cost of visa processing rather than simply as a tax. If that framing is genuine, the 2026-27 reset argues that processing costs have moved substantially faster than CPI, including case-officer wages, technology spend, integrity checking and Administrative Review Tribunal load. The Department has not published a detailed cost-recovery methodology alongside this instrument, so the framing is at present asserted rather than shown.
Migration Strategy signalling. The 2024 Migration Strategy set an explicit goal of tightening the temporary and post-study segments of the program while preserving the permanent skilled pipeline. The Temporary Graduate 485 doubling on 1 March 2026 was the first hard signal that fees would be used as a filter. The 2026-27 across-the-board increase, layered on top of the earlier 485 change and the Student 500 progression from $710 to $2,500 over three years, extends the same logic to the rest of the program. Applicants who can absorb the fee are the applicants Australia now wants first in the queue.
Distributional rebalancing. The introduction of the Pacific-passport concession and the Student 500 ASEAN tier point to a fee schedule that is starting to price differently by nationality and by course type. That is a departure from the previous convention of a single global rate per subclass. It aligns fee policy with broader foreign-policy priorities, including Pacific Engagement and the ASEAN education market, without changing the underlying eligibility rules.
Employer-sponsored dynamics. The 482 primary VAC now sits at $4,015 and the SAF levy is unchanged. A small business sponsoring one Core Skills worker on a four-year 482 will pay the SAF levy of $1,800 per year ($7,200 total) plus the $540 nomination fee plus the $4,015 VAC, a $11,755 employer-side outlay before migration-agent costs. Contract structures need to be tested against the higher Core Skills Income Threshold of $79,423 in the same package.
What this looks like in practice
Consider a couple with a school-age child preparing an offshore Partner (309/100) application in the second half of 2026-27. Under the 2025-26 schedule they were budgeting $9,365 + $4,685 + $2,345 = $16,395 in VAC. Under the 2026-27 schedule the same family lodges at $11,710 + $5,860 + $2,935 = $20,505. That is a $4,110 movement on a fee line that most couples had already ring-fenced in a savings plan twelve months earlier.
A skilled independent applicant (subclass 189) with a spouse and one child moves from $9,825 to $12,285, a $2,460 uplift. If the primary applicant holds a passport from one of the Pacific-regional countries, the same family lodges at $8,050 ($5,030 + $2,515 + $1,260), nearly $4,000 less than the standard rate and $1,500 less than the pre-1-July mainstream figure.
For a family that is already navigating the Core Skills Income Threshold at $79,423 alongside a 482 nomination, budgeting is now front-and-centre. Our visa cost estimator has been updated to the 1 July 2026 rates and lets you model a family-composition and category-tier scenario in a few clicks.
What to do if you are planning to lodge
- Confirm which fee applies to your lodgement. The charge is the one in force on the date the application is validly lodged and paid. If you have a fully compliant application ready, and you are on the fence about a 30 June versus 1 July lodgement, the difference is now material rather than marginal.
- Check whether you sit inside the Pacific concession. Only a valid passport from one of the thirteen listed countries qualifies. Dual nationality does not automatically extend the concession, since the passport used to identify the applicant on the visa application is the relevant document.
- For 482 and 186 sponsors, rework the contract. A Core Skills nomination now needs to clear a $79,423 CSIT and an Annual Market Salary Rate assessment on the same package. The earnings definition has not changed, so structure the offer as base salary plus super rather than a total-inclusive package.
- For 485 applicants, work out which of the four tiers applies to you. The gap between the “other applicants” $5,750 rate and the Pacific/PHE $930 rate is now the difference between a four-figure and a mid four-figure line item.
- For partner applicants, model both stages. The 2026-27 rate applies to a lodgement made today; a subsequent 820 application from a 300 prospective-marriage holder now sits at $1,955 rather than the previous $1,560.
Frequently asked questions
Q: When do the new fees take effect? A: The Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2026 commenced on 1 July 2026. The fee that applies to an application is the fee in force on the date the application is validly lodged and paid.
Q: Are the increases only CPI indexation? A: No. Standard indexation would sit near 3 to 4 per cent for 2026-27. The actual increase is approximately 25 per cent across most subclasses, and higher on the non-contributory parent line (34.97 per cent) and Working Holiday line (32.28 per cent). This is a deliberate above-CPI reset rather than routine indexation.
Q: Who qualifies for the new Pacific-passport concession? A: Applicants who hold a valid passport from Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu or Vanuatu. The concession applies at the point the visa application is lodged.
Q: If I lodged before 1 July 2026, do the new fees apply to me? A: No. The fee applicable to a validly lodged application is the fee in force on the date of lodgement. Applications lodged and paid by 30 June 2026 attract the 2025-26 schedule.
Q: Did the 482 nomination fee and SAF levy also change? A: No. The 2026 Measures No. 1 instrument amended VACs listed in Schedule 1 of the Migration Regulations 1994 but did not amend the SAF levy or the nomination fee. Those remain at their prior amounts pending any separate legislative change.
Q: What happens to a contributory parent second instalment? A: The 143, 864, 103, 804, 173 and 884 second instalments were not amended by this instrument and remain at their pre-1-July 2026 amounts. The change applies only to the first-instalment VAC at the point of lodgement.
Get advice before you lodge
If you are preparing an application under the new fee schedule and want a second pair of eyes on the structure, especially where a Pacific concession may apply or where a 482 nomination has to clear the new CSIT, book a consultation with a registered migration agent. WiseKangaroo agents are MARN-registered and review contract wording, family composition and category-tier eligibility at the pre-lodgement stage, before a fee change turns into a refusal.
For a fuller cost picture that includes skills assessment, English testing, health, police and translation costs on top of the VAC, our visa cost estimator walks you through a family-specific projection.
This article is for general information only. Migration law and fee schedules change regularly, and individual circumstances vary. For specific advice about your application under the 2026-27 schedule, consult a registered migration agent. WiseKangaroo migration agents are MARN-registered and authorised to provide Australian immigration assistance.
