Australian Visa Fee Increase History: Every Change Since 2010 and the 2026 Rates
Updated: 18 May 2026
Australian visa fee increase history since 2010 shows one clear pattern: the headline Visa Application Charge (VAC) has risen every single financial year. Most increases are routine CPI indexation on 1 July, sitting in the 3-5% range. A smaller number — the 2024 student visa hike, the 2025 student increase, and the 1 March 2026 doubling of the Subclass 485 charge — are policy-driven, legislated separately, and far larger than CPI alone could ever produce. For the full 2026 cost picture across every major subclass, see the parent reference: Australian Visa Fees: Complete Schedule 2026. This page documents how those numbers got there.
How Australian visa fees actually change
There are two mechanisms.
1. Annual CPI indexation on 1 July. Under the Migration Regulations 1994 and its subordinate Charges Schedule, the Department of Home Affairs adjusts most VACs each financial year in line with the Consumer Price Index. The increase is automatic, applies on 1 July, and typically sits between 3% and 5%. For the 2025-26 financial year, the general indexation was approximately 3%, aligned with the 2023-24 CPI figure.
2. Policy-driven (legislated) increases. Where the government wants to raise revenue or use price as a migration management lever, it amends the Migration Regulations directly. These changes can be larger than CPI, can take effect outside the 1 July cycle, and are usually flagged in Federal Budget papers (May) or via Department of Home Affairs media releases. Because fees live in regulation rather than the Migration Act itself, Parliament can change them without primary legislation — a faster path that the government has used repeatedly since 2024.
The "VAC" is not a single number. It is a stack of fee items:
- First instalment of the VAC — paid at lodgement, non-refundable.
- Second instalment of the VAC — payable before grant on certain visas where the applicant does not meet functional English.
- Subsequent Temporary Application Charge (STAC) — applies on most subsequent onshore temporary applications.
- Non-internet application charge — for paper lodgement where allowed.
- Nomination and sponsorship fees — separate charges on employer-sponsored streams.
- Ballot registration charge — for Work and Holiday (462) for capped countries.
When the government "increases fees," it can move any of these levers independently.
Year-by-year fee history table — Subclass 500 Student Visa
The Subclass 500 is the cleanest single benchmark of Australian visa pricing because it is heavily applied for, regularly indexed, and has been the target of the two largest policy hikes in recent memory.
| Date | Subclass 500 first instalment (approx, AUD) | Driver |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jul 2010 | $540 | CPI |
| 1 Jul 2015 | $550 | CPI |
| 1 Jul 2019 | $620 | CPI |
| 1 Jul 2022 | $650 | CPI |
| 1 Jul 2023 | $710 | CPI |
| 1 Jul 2024 | $1,600 | Policy increase (more than doubled) |
| 1 Jul 2025 | $2,000 | Policy increase (~25% above CPI) |
All figures approximate. Confirm against the current Charges Schedule (Migration Regulations 1994, Schedule 1, Item 1222).
The 1 July 2024 step from $710 to $1,600 is the largest single-year jump in any major Australian visa charge in the past fifteen years. The follow-up to $2,000 a year later confirmed it was not a one-off.
Year-by-year fee history table — Subclass 189 Skilled Independent
The Subclass 189 sits at the opposite end of the spectrum: high base fee, almost entirely CPI-driven, no large policy hikes.
| Date | Subclass 189 (main applicant, approx AUD) |
|---|---|
| 1 Jul 2015 | $3,600 |
| 1 Jul 2018 | $3,755 |
| 1 Jul 2020 | $4,045 |
| 1 Jul 2022 | $4,240 |
| 1 Jul 2023 | $4,640 |
| 1 Jul 2024 | $4,765 |
| 1 Jul 2025 | $4,910 |
All figures approximate. Confirm against the current Charges Schedule.
The 189 trajectory is what "normal" looks like: roughly $100-$200 added each 1 July, with no discontinuities. Secondary applicant fees (additional adult, additional child) track the same indexation.
Year-by-year fee history table — Working Holiday 417/462
The Working Holiday charge is small in absolute dollars but moves every year. It also picked up a non-CPI component when the 462 ballot was introduced.
| Date | WHV 417/462 first instalment (approx, AUD) |
|---|---|
| 1 Jul 2020 | $485 |
| 1 Jul 2022 | $510 |
| 1 Jul 2023 | $635 |
| 1 Jul 2024 | $650 |
| 1 Jul 2025 | $670 |
All figures approximate. From 1 July 2024, applicants from China, India, and Vietnam must also pay a non-refundable AUD $25 ballot registration charge to be considered for the 462, in addition to the visa fee itself.
The 2023 jump from ~$510 to $635 was the most aggressive recent CPI catch-up for the WHV — closer to a 24% increase as the Department reset the fee after pandemic-era softer indexation.
Year-by-year fee history table — Partner Visa 820/801
Partner is the largest mainstream VAC and a useful proxy for the high-value end of the schedule. The first instalment covers both the 820 (temporary) and 801 (permanent) stages.
| Date | Partner Visa first instalment (approx, AUD) |
|---|---|
| 1 Jul 2018 | $7,160 |
| 1 Jul 2020 | $7,715 |
| 1 Jul 2022 | $8,085 |
| 1 Jul 2023 | $8,850 |
| 1 Jul 2024 | $9,095 |
| 1 Jul 2025 | $9,365 |
All figures approximate. Confirm against the current Charges Schedule.
Partner fees have risen roughly 30% over the seven years to 2025-26, almost entirely through CPI indexation. There has been no announced policy-driven hike comparable to the student visa increases.
2026 financial year — what changed on 1 July 2025
The 1 July 2025 round, formalised in the Migration Amendment (Visa Application Charges) Regulations 2025, did the following:
- Routine CPI indexation of approximately 3% applied to the great majority of subclasses (visitor, skilled, employer-sponsored, partner, parent, refugee and humanitarian streams).
- Student visa (Subclass 500) first instalment lifted again from $1,600 to $2,000 — a 25% increase, well above CPI, embedding the 2024 policy hike at a new higher base.
- Student Guardian (Subclass 590) moved in line with the 500.
- Pacific Island and Timor-Leste applicants continued to be exempt from the elevated student fee under regional partnership arrangements.
- 485 (Temporary Graduate) second instalment confirmed nil under the Migration Amendment (Temporary Graduate Visa Application Charge) framework — applicants pay only the first instalment.
- Skilled in Demand (the renamed Subclass 482, replacing Temporary Skill Shortage in December 2024) moved to its three-stream structure — Core Skills, Specialist Skills, and Essential Skills — with stable fee settings.
- National Innovation Visa, which replaced the Global Talent visa, has its own fee table inside the schedule.
- 462 ballot registration charge of AUD $25 continued to apply to applicants from China, India, and Vietnam, separate from the visa application fee itself.
Then, several months later, the largest single change of the 2026 cycle landed.
The 2024-2026 student and graduate hikes — what happened
Subclass 500 (Student)
Pre-May 2024, the first instalment for a primary student applicant was approximately AUD $710. On 1 July 2024 it was raised to AUD $1,600 — more than double. On 1 July 2025 it was raised again to AUD $2,000.
The government's stated reasons:
- Manage international student numbers after record net overseas migration in 2022-23.
- Fund integrity measures and student welfare programs.
- Bring the cost more in line with comparable destinations (the UK student visa is approximately £524 first instalment plus the Immigration Health Surcharge; Canada is roughly CAD $150).
In absolute terms, the Australian student visa is now the most expensive in the world by a wide margin.
Subclass 485 (Temporary Graduate) — the March 2026 doubling
The brief on this page was that 485 had crept upward. The reality is sharper. Under the Migration Amendment (Temporary Graduate Visa Application Charge) Regulations 2026, effective 1 March 2026, the 485 first instalment doubled from approximately AUD $2,300 to AUD $4,600 for primary applicants. Secondary adult applicants doubled to $2,300, and children under 18 to $1,160. The second instalment remains nil.
Combined, the 1 July 2024, 1 July 2025, and 1 March 2026 changes have moved a graduating international student from paying a ~$710 student visa and a ~$1,895 graduate visa pre-2024 (around $2,600 across the full study-to-work pathway), to paying $2,000 plus $4,600 (around $6,600) — roughly a 150% lift in two years.
Pacific Island and Timor-Leste passport holders are exempt from the 485 doubling.
How to anticipate future increases
A practical operator's checklist:
- Assume CPI indexation every 1 July. Budget +3% to +5% on whatever your subclass costs today.
- Read the May Federal Budget. Policy-driven hikes are signposted there before regulation drafting.
- Watch the Department of Home Affairs newsroom and the Federal Register of Legislation for Migration Amendment Regulations. The 2024 student hike, the 2025 increase, and the March 2026 graduate doubling were all visible in regulatory drafting before they took effect.
- Lodge before 1 July to lock in the current-year fee. The Department applies the fee that is in force on the date of lodgement, not the date of decision. Submitting on 30 June can save the indexation increment.
- For student and graduate pathways, expect more. Both subclasses have now had two consecutive years of well-above-CPI movement. There is no signal that 2026-27 will revert to CPI-only.
For the complete current rate table across every major subclass, including second instalment and dependent surcharges, see Australian Visa Fees: Complete Schedule 2026. For when a second instalment is triggered, see Second Installment Visa Application Charge. For the mechanics of paying, see How to Pay Australian Visa Fees.
FAQ
When did Australian student visa fees increase to $2,000? The Subclass 500 first instalment rose to AUD $2,000 on 1 July 2025, under the Migration Amendment (Visa Application Charges) Regulations 2025. This was the second policy-driven increase in two years, following the 1 July 2024 jump from ~$710 to $1,600.
Are Australian visa fees indexed every year? Yes. Under the Migration Regulations 1994, the great majority of Visa Application Charges are adjusted on 1 July each year in line with the Consumer Price Index. The increase is automatic and does not require fresh legislation. Some subclasses receive additional policy-driven increases on top of this baseline.
Why did Australian visa fees increase so much in 2024? The 1 July 2024 student visa increase from ~$710 to $1,600 was a policy decision, not CPI indexation. The government's stated objectives were to manage net overseas migration after the 2022-23 surge, to fund integrity and student welfare measures, and to bring Australian fees closer to comparable destinations. The change was made by amendment to the Migration Regulations, not by primary legislation.
Is the Temporary Graduate (485) second instalment really gone? Yes. Under the Migration Amendment (Temporary Graduate Visa Application Charge) Regulations 2026, the 485 second instalment is set at nil. Applicants pay only the first instalment — which, from 1 March 2026, is approximately AUD $4,600 for the primary applicant.
Will visa fees go up again on 1 July 2026? CPI indexation is built into the regulations and will almost certainly apply on 1 July 2026 across the schedule, in the typical 3-5% range. Whether further policy-driven increases land alongside it will depend on the May 2026 Federal Budget and any Migration Amendment Regulations made before 1 July. Student, graduate, and employer-sponsored streams are the most likely candidates for above-CPI movement based on the pattern of the past two cycles.
