Australian visas to cost more from 1 July 2018

The application fee for some visas has risen by nearly $300 since July 2017.

closeup of australian visa in passport Source: Public Domain

The visa application charges for some Australian visas are going up on 1 July 2018.

It was in the May 2017 budget that Treasurer Scott Morrison made the announcement of annual indexation of visa fees in line with the forecast consumer price index.

The Government is hoping to generate $410 million dollars over a four-year period from 2017 to 2021.

Visa fees are indexed and rounded off to the nearest $5. This round of indexation increases the fee for a majority of visas by the 2018‐19 forecast consumer price index.  

The visa fee hike only applies to the 1st installment of the visa application fee for both primary and secondary applicants. It does not apply to the second installment of the visa fee.

Source: DHA

The student visa fee for the primary applicant will rise by $15 to $575 from $560. An adult dependent applicant will now have to fork out $430 instead of $420 from 1 July this year.   

The application fee for independent skilled visas, regional sponsored and employer nominated visas is also rising.

A primary applicant for independent skilled visa subclass 189  will now have to pay $3,755, $85 more than the current $3,670. The visa fee for an additional adult applicant will now be 1,875 instead of 1,835 and a $940 instead of $920 for an additional child applicant.  

The same visa fee hike also applies to visa subclass 190 (state nominated), Employer nominated(Subclass 186), Regional Employer Nomination (Subclass 187) and Skilled provisional Temporary Graduate (Subclass 485) visa.

Federal Labor will push for a parliamentary vote on same-sex marriage ahead of a planned plebiscite. (AAP) Source: AAP

Partner visa application fee which is among those recording the highest hike is going to set back overseas brides and grooms looking to be with their partners in Australia by $7,160 instead of $7,000. Since July last year, the fee for this visa will rise by $235.

The fee for Business Innovation and Investment (Subclass 188 Provisional) visa in the Premium Investor stream will record the highest hike of $190. Applicants will now have to pay $8,770 instead of $8,580.