Pricing Your Australian Career Move: Visa Application Charges After 1 July 2026

News · 2026-08-06 · 3 min read

A move to Australia is a long-term career investment, and like any investment it starts with an accurate budget. For professionals weighing an employer-sponsored or skilled pathway, the latest change to government charges is a key input.

From 1 July 2026, the Australian Government applied higher application charges to almost every visa category. The revised amounts apply to all applications lodged from that date.

Sponsorship-linked work visas

These are the pathways most closely tied to a job offer from an Australian employer:

Subclass 482, Skills in Demand: now $4,015, compared with $3,210 before.
Subclass 186, Employer Nomination Scheme: $6,140.
Subclass 494, Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional: $6,140.

Applicants planning to relocate with a partner or children should allow for a separate government charge for each additional family member, payable in addition to the figures listed.

The general skilled visa streams

Subclass 190, Skilled Nominated: $6,140.
Subclass 491, Skilled Work Regional: $6,140.
Subclass 189, Skilled Independent: $6,135.

Study and early-career visas

For those building qualifications first, this is what student and graduate visas now cost:

Subclass 485, Temporary Graduate: $5,750.
Subclass 500, Student Visa: $2,500.
Subclass 590, Student Guardian: $2,500.

The Partner Visa sits at $11,710, the largest single government charge anywhere in the system.

Modelling a household budget

As a quick example, consider a main applicant who includes a spouse and one child, a family of three, in a Skilled Independent (189) application. Government charges on their own come to $10,745.

A realistic plan should also cover the costs that sit outside the visa charge:

Skills assessments for your occupation
English language testing
Police clearance certificates
Medical examinations

Applications lodged earlier

Does this affect visas already lodged? No. An application lodged before 1 July 2026 remains at the old fee, even if processing is still under way. The higher charges apply only to applications lodged from 1 July 2026 onward. Good news for early movers.

Where the career opportunities remain

Higher costs have not changed the underlying picture. Australia's need for skilled workers isn't going away, particularly across Carpentry, Electrical, Mechanics, Welding, Chef roles, Butchery, HVAC, Nursing, Engineering and Heavy Vehicle Mechanics. Thousands of employer-sponsored positions continue to be available to suitably qualified overseas candidates, from India and around the world.

Planning your next move

Ready to explore visa sponsorship as part of your migration plan? Accredited Australian employers continue to offer genuine sponsorship to skilled workers. Review the employer sponsored jobs on this site, register your profile, and take a concrete step toward an Australian career.

Key takeaway: treat the visa charge as one line in a wider relocation budget. Factor in family members, assessments, testing, medicals and police checks early, so your long-term pathway is planned rather than rushed.

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