WiseKangaroo | A practical skilled migration budget guide
By Atul Pandey · Updated 3 November 2026
How much does Australian PR cost? Start with your visa pathway and everyone included in the application. Then add state nomination fees, required checks and any professional help you choose. A single headline price can miss a large part of the bill.
This guide focuses on points-tested skilled migration: permanent subclasses 189 and 190, with subclass 491 included for comparison. The 491 is a provisional visa. A later permanent residence application has its own requirements and costs.
All amounts are in Australian dollars. Figures below are dated budget inputs, not an all-inclusive quote or a guarantee of an invitation or visa grant.
Separate your budget into three parts
Keep these amounts on separate lines so you can see who charges each fee and when you need the money.
Commonwealth charges: the visa application charge for the main applicant and each accompanying family member, plus any applicable second instalment and payment surcharge.
State or territory fees: registration or nomination charges for the program you use. These are separate from the Commonwealth visa application charge.
Other costs: skills assessments, English tests, health examinations, police certificates, translations and optional professional advice. Obtain quotes for your circumstances.
Our 189 visa guide, 190 visa guide and 491 visa guide explain the pathways before you compare their budgets.
Commonwealth visa application charges
These are the standard first-instalment amounts. Additional-applicant columns apply to eligible family members included in the application.
| Visa | Main applicant | Additional applicant 18 or over | Additional applicant under 18 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 189 points-tested | $6,135 | $3,070 | $1,540 |
| 190 | $6,140 | $3,070 | $1,535 |
| 491 provisional | $6,140 | $3,070 | $1,535 |
Source: Migration Regulations 1994, Schedule 1, items 1137, 1138 and 1241. Check the Home Affairs Visa Pricing Estimator for the application you intend to lodge.
For two adults and two children under 18, the standard first-instalment subtotal is $12,285 for a 189, or $12,280 for a 190 or 491. Other costs are additional.
Lower charges can apply to eligible Pacific-regional passport holders and their combined family applications. A second instalment can also apply to certain adult applicants without functional English. Check the relevant conditions rather than assuming the standard table is your final bill.
Home Affairs says the applicable charge depends on when it receives the application. Payment surcharges may apply. Recheck the official fees guidance before paying, particularly if your plans cross a fee-change date.
Victoria nomination fees for 2026 to 2027
Victoria publishes separate ROI and nomination application fees for its 190 and 491 programs. A published fee schedule does not mean both programs are open. Check the current fees and payment terms.
| Stage | Outside Australia when paying | In Australia when paying |
|---|---|---|
| Registration of Interest | $60 | $66 including GST |
| Nomination application if invited | $180 | $198 including GST |
Your physical location at each payment determines whether GST applies. One ROI followed by one nomination application totals $240 if both payments are made outside Australia, or $264 if both are made in Australia. Moving between stages changes the calculation.
The ROI fee is charged once per program year. A nomination fee is payable only if you are invited and submit that application. Fees are generally non-refundable. Paying does not guarantee selection or approval.
As at 3 November 2026, Victoria is accepting 190 Registrations of Interest. Its 491 program is not open and 491 ROIs are not being accepted. See Victoria’s official program update and our Victoria nomination fees and points test guide before paying or preparing a state application.
For another state or territory, check that program’s own current fee page. Victoria’s amounts are not a national nomination fee.
Use government subtotals as a starting point
These examples assume standard visa charges and one Victorian ROI followed by one nomination application, with both state payments made in Australia. They do not include any second instalment, payment surcharge or other costs.
| Example | Visa first instalment | Victorian stages | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|
| One applicant for a Victorian 190 | $6,140 | $264 | $6,404 |
| Two adults and two under-18 children for a Victorian 190 | $12,280 | $264 | $12,544 |
Add your own quotes to the subtotal. A skills assessment or English test may need to be paid for well before you receive an invitation, so plan the timing as well as the total.
Get quotes for the costs that vary
Skills assessments
Confirm the assessing authority and assessment pathway for your occupation before paying. Different services can have very different prices, even within the same authority.
For example, ACS currently lists General Skills at $1,498 and Post Australian Study at $1,136. Its published fee page does not specify the GST basis, so confirm the final payable amount rather than adding or removing GST yourself.
Engineers Australia’s 2026–27 fee schedule lists a standard Competency Demonstration Report assessment at $940 excluding GST or $1,034 including GST. A Washington, Sydney or Dublin Accord assessment is $505 excluding GST or $555.50 including GST. These examples are different pathways, not a price range that applies to every occupation.
Check whether employment assessment, extra qualifications, fast tracking, reviews or a fresh application would cost more. Do not assume every family member needs a separate skills assessment; check the claims you intend to make.
English tests
Get the current booking price for the accepted test, test centre and country you will use. Allow separately for preparation or a repeat attempt if needed. Check Home Affairs’ English language requirements before booking, including the required test version, score and timing. An old test-price estimate is not a reliable budget.
Health checks and documents
Follow the official instructions for arranging health examinations. Ask the approved provider for the examinations required for each person; one flat family estimate may miss extra tests.
Also price the police certificates, translations, replacement records and document delivery you actually need. Include travel to appointments and any bank or currency-conversion fees. Keep relocation expenses, such as flights and housing, in a separate moving budget.
If you choose professional help, request a written quote that identifies the work covered, GST treatment, payment stages and exclusions. Keep professional fees separate from the charges paid to governments, assessing authorities and other providers.
WiseKangaroo’s published Full Service professional fees are A$4,400 including GST for a 189, and A$4,950 including GST for a state-nominated 190 or 491. These packages include our professional assistance with one standard skills assessment, the EOI and visa application; the 190 and 491 packages also include state nomination. The assessing authority’s fee, state fees and government visa charges are additional. Complex assessment pathways may require an extra fixed professional fee disclosed before engagement. See our current pricing and payment stages.
For applicants preparing and lodging their own application, our A$990 including GST Expert Application Review covers a pre-lodgement review and one follow-up review after recommended changes. It does not include preparation, lodgement or ongoing representation. A Migration Strategy Consultation is A$220 including GST. Professional fees do not buy an invitation or a favourable decision.
Build your own budget before committing
Choose the pathway and list every applicant, including each child’s age at the relevant application stage.
Check the government fees and any concession or second-instalment rules that apply.
Add the correct state charges, using your expected location at each payment.
Collect current quotes for assessments, tests, health checks and documents. Add optional professional fees separately.
Record when each payment is due, what is refundable and what might need to be paid again. Recheck fees before each application.
If you want help checking your pathway and the stages to budget for, book a consultation with WiseKangaroo.
General information only, current as at 3 November 2026. Fees and program settings can change. Check official sources and obtain advice about your circumstances before applying.
