Most years, visa fees go up by a small amount and hardly anyone notices. This year was different. On 1 July 2026, most Australian visa fees went up by about 25 per cent overnight. One visa, the graduate visa (subclass 485), has now gone up twice in the same year.
That is a big jump, and it has caught a lot of people out. If you are a skilled worker, a graduate, or a business owner sponsoring staff in Melbourne, the price you had in mind last month is probably wrong now.
The good news is that it is simple once you see the numbers together. Below are the new 482, 186 and 485 costs, in plain terms, plus a few ways you can still avoid paying more than you need to.
How The New Australian Visa Fees Break Down
The main fee you pay the government to apply is called the visa application charge. Every year it goes up a little to keep pace with the cost of living, usually by around 2.6 per cent. This year the government went much further and added about 25 per cent to most visas instead. Skilled and employer-sponsored visas were hit the hardest.
Here is what the main visas now cost for the main applicant:
| Visa | Old fee | New fee (from 1 July 2026) | Increase |
| 482 Skills in Demand (work visa) | $3,210 | $4,015 | +$805 |
| 186 Employer Nomination (PR) | $4,910 | $6,140 | +$1,230 |
| 485 Temporary Graduate | $4,600 | $5,750 | +$1,150 |
| 189 / 190 / 491 Skilled | ~$4,910 | $6,135–$6,140 | ~+25% |
| Partner visa | $9,365 | $11,710 | +$2,345 |
| Student (subclass 500) | $2,000 | $2,500 | +$500 |
| Citizenship (by conferral) | ~$575 | ~$575 | small rise only |
A July 2026 breakdown of the Department of Home Affairs price list confirms the 482 went up by $805, the 186 by $1,230 and the 485 by $1,150 (visasupdate.com, 1 July 2026).
The graduate visa (485) stands out the most. It has gone up twice in one year, from $4,600 in March 2026 to $5,750 in July. Very few visas have moved this fast.
Not Every Visa Went Up by The Same Amount
This is where people get confused, so here it is simply:
- Up about 25 per cent: most of the popular visas, including skilled, employer-sponsored, graduate, partner and student visas.
- Up only a little (about 2.6 per cent): a few types, such as citizenship, and some Pacific and Timor-Leste pathways.
- Up a lot more: a small number of visas rose by 200 per cent or more, such as Bridging Visa B and the Resident Return visa.
The takeaway: the visas most Melbourne applicants actually use, the 482, 186 and 485, all landed in the 25 per cent group.
Can You Still Beat the Price Rise?
For this round, no. The fee you pay is set by the date you send in your application, not the date you get a decision. So anything lodged on or after 1 July 2026 pays the new, higher price, even if you started filling it in months ago.
There is one more thing worth knowing. These fees are non-refundable. That means if your application is refused, you do not get the money back, and you have to pay the full fee again to reapply.
Timing can still work in your favour going forward:
- Fees rise again on 1 July every year, so getting a solid application in sooner can beat the next increase.
- Adding a partner or child later can cost more than including them from the start.
- A bridging visa can keep you in Australia lawfully while you get the paperwork right.
Appeals and Court Costs Went Up Too
If a decision does not go your way and you want to challenge it, those costs also rose on 1 July 2026:
- Tribunal review (Administrative Review Tribunal, or ART): $3,727, up from $3,580.
- Protection visa review: $2,293, usually only payable if the review is unsuccessful.
- Federal Circuit and Family Court filing fee: $4,180, with a lower fee of $2,090 for people who qualify.
Put a lost application fee together with a tribunal fee and one mistake can quietly cost thousands. Our ART appeal team sees this a lot, and going it alone rarely works out cheaper.
A Small Change That Trips People Up: the ImmiAccount Limit
One quiet change is easy to miss. ImmiAccount is the online system you use to lodge and manage your visa. From 1 July 2026, you can only import an application into an ImmiAccount three times. After that, it is blocked unless the Department resets it by hand.
If a few different people help with your application, such as family members or an agent, use the Share function instead of importing it over and over. The Department says the change is about protecting your privacy and cutting down on fraud.
Family costs add up too. On a 482, a partner or another adult is charged the same $4,015, and a child under 18 is $1,005. For a family of four, that is a serious amount of money.
A Little Planning Goes a Long Way
None of this means the door is closed. It just means a mistake now costs more than it used to, so a bit of planning pays for itself. Here is the simple maths. Because the fee is non-refundable, a refused 482 does not cost you $4,015. It costs you $4,015 for the first try, then another $4,015 to lodge again, plus the time you lose. On a partner visa that “second try” is nearly $11,710. Spending a little on getting it right the first time is often far cheaper than a refusal.
The bigger picture helps explain the rise: the government wants fewer people moving to Australia overall, with net migration expected to drop to about 245,000 in 2026–27, and higher fees are one way it is doing that (Australian Government, 2026–27 Federal Budget, May 2026). Costs are likely to keep climbing, so getting it right the first time matters more than ever.
A quick note on who you get advice from. In Australia, migration advice should come from either a registered migration agent (someone approved by the Migration Agents Registration Authority, or MARA) or an immigration lawyer (who can also give legal advice and represent you at a tribunal or in court). Unregistered “consultants” cannot legally give this advice, so always check.
That is really what we do at Amity Lawyers. We are a Melbourne team of immigration lawyers and MARA-registered agents, and we set out your options in writing before you pay anything, so you know the exact cost, what evidence you need, and any risks up front. No pressure and no sales pitch, just honest advice on whether now is the right time to apply and how to keep the cost down.
If a 482 work visa, a graduate visa or an employer-sponsored move is on your mind, a quick chat before you lodge can save you a lot of worry. You are also welcome to look through the other visas we help with. Whenever you are ready, we are here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the new fees apply if I lodged before 1 July 2026?
No. Applications lodged before 1 July 2026 are charged the old fees, no matter when you get a decision. Only applications lodged on or after 1 July 2026 pay the higher prices.
How much did the 482 visa fee increase?
The subclass 482 base fee went up from $3,210 to $4,015, an increase of $805, from 1 July 2026. Each extra adult, such as a partner, is also charged $4,015.
Do I get my money back if my visa is refused?
Usually no. Visa application charges are non-refundable even if your application is refused or withdrawn, so a refusal normally means paying the full fee again to reapply.
