From 1 July 2023, the Department of Home Affairs increased government lodgement charges; costs that must be paid to lodge a visa or citizenship application. The Department have advised that the revised lodgement charges have been adjusted to reflect current administrative costs.
While there have been no changes to certain visa categories such as the Pacific Engagement, Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM), ETA subclass 601 or the eVisitor subclass 651 visas which remain free of charge, a majority have experienced some degree of price increase. A notable price hike that is noteworthy is in the Business Innovation and Investment visas which have had a staggering 40% increase since the previous financial year. Citizenship applications have also experienced an increase, albeit much smaller in comparison to the former example, from $490 prior to July 2023 and now sitting at $540 per citizenship application.
The table below provides a snapshot of current price points for common visas. While the charges applicable to an applicant will vary depending on their individual circumstances, the following government lodgement charges for primary applicants (excluding dependants) have been observed.
| Visa Category | New Base Application Charge | Visa Category | New Base Application Charge | |
| Temporary Work (SC 400) Training (SC 407) Temporary Activity (SC 408) | $405 | ENS (SC 186) Skilled Independent (SC 189) | $4,640 | |
| Work & Holiday (SC 462) Working Holiday (SC 417) | $635 | TSS (SC 482): Short-Term | $1,455 | |
| Visitor (SC 600): Business, approved destination, sponsored family and offshore tourist streams | $190 | TSS (SC 482): Labour Agreement & Medium-Term | $3,035 | |
| Temporary Graduate (SC 485) | $1,895 | |||
| Visitor (SC 600): Onshore Tourist | $475 | Student (SC 500) | $710 | |
| Visitor (SC 600): Freq. Traveller | $1,395 | Partner (SC 820/801 309/100) | $8,850 |
Applicants are required to pay government lodgement charges at the time they submit their application. The required payment is made online through the online portal called immiaccount, the same portal used to prepare and lodge applications. Failure to submit the correct payment may result in unnecessary delays, or even the rejection of the application. Therefore it is crucial for applicants to be aware of the revised fees and payment requirements to ensure a smooth and successful visa application process. By staying informed and adhering to the updated costs and guidelines, applicants can navigate the updated lodgement charges with greater clarity and plan their immigration journey to Australia accordingly.
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