Australia: Government Proposes Significant Increases to Visa Application Fees
If the government proposal is approved, the Visa Application Charges for Subclass 457 (Temporary Business (Long Stay)) visas would increase by 30 percent, and would triple for certain Skilled Graduate visas, effective January 1, 2013.
The Australian government is proposing to increase the Visa Application Charges (VAC) for several visa subclasses that provide permission to work and are in high demand according to the government’s Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook. If approved, the new fees would take effect on January 1, 2013.
The proposed changes to visa charges are as follows:
| Visa | Current VAC | Proposed January 1 VAC |
| Subclass 457 (Temporary Business (Long Stay)) visa | AU$350 | AU$455 |
| Skilled Graduate visas | AU$315 | AU$1,260 |
| Working Holiday visa | AU$280 | AU$360 |
| Partner visas | AU$3,060 (for applications filed from within Australia) | AU$4,000 |
| AU$2060 (for applications filed abroad) | Approximately AU$2,700 |
The proposed fees are subject to change prior to January 1, 2013. Fragomen is closely monitoring the status of the proposed VAC increases and will provide additional information and clarification as necessary.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen in Australia or send an email to fragomenclientcorrespondence@fragomen.com.
Source: Fragomen