Knowing the Australia visa cost 2026 before you apply removes one of the biggest sources of stress in the migration process. The Australian Government publishes a free, official tool for this purpose: the Visa Pricing Estimator. This page explains how to use that tool, what the government fee actually covers, and what other costs you need to plan for before you lodge.

All information reflects the position as of June 2026. Visa fees in Australia are updated annually, typically from 1 July each financial year.

 What Is the Australia Visa Pricing Estimator?

The Visa Pricing Estimator is a free tool published by the Department of Home Affairs. It is the official, governmentmaintained source for Australian visa fee estimates.

Access it here: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/visapricingestimator

You enter your visa type, passport country, number of applicants, and a few details about your situation. The tool calculates an estimate of the visa application charge specific to your circumstances. This is more useful than a general fee table. It accounts for whether you are applying from inside or outside Australia, whether you are lodging online, and whether secondary applicants hold certain prior visas that affect the charge applied.

One thing to be clear about: the estimator covers the government's visa application charge only. It does not include skills assessment fees, English test costs, medical examination fees, or migration agent fees. Those are separate costs, and they are covered further below.

 How to Use the Official Visa Pricing Estimator: Step by Step

The estimator walks you through a short series of questions. Each step affects the accuracy of the result.

Step 1: Select your visa type. Choose the visa subclass you are applying for from the dropdown. If you are not certain which visa applies to your situation, speak with a Registered Migration Agent before using the tool. Selecting the wrong visa type produces an inaccurate estimate.

Step 2: Choose your visa stream. Some visas have multiple streams. The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), which replaced the TSS visa, has three streams: Core Skills, Specialist Skills, and Essential Skills. Each may carry a different charge.

Step 3: Enter your passport country. Your nationality affects the fee for certain visa types.

Step 4: Enter your intended lodgment date. Fees change on 1 July each year. If you are applying close to that date, enter your actual intended lodgment date carefully.

Step 5: Confirm online or paper application. Most applications are lodged online through ImmiAccount. Paper applications may attract a different fee.

Step 6: Confirm whether you will be in Australia when you lodge. Onshore and offshore lodgment can produce different charges depending on the visa type.

Step 7: Answer the prior visa question. The system asks whether you or any secondary applicants hold certain temporary visas listed in Table 2 on the DHA website, specifically visas applied for while in Australia. This is a technical question. A Registered Migration Agent can clarify this for you before you use the tool.

Step 8: Enter the number of additional applicants. Adults (18 and over) and children (under 18) are entered separately. The fee increases for each additional person included in the application.

Step 9: Get your estimate. Click "Get Estimate." The result shows the visa application charge based on your inputs. Save or screenshot the result for your records.

 Australia Visa Costs by Visa Type

The government fee differs significantly depending on which visa you are applying for. Below is an overview of the most common visa types Desire Migration clients work with. For the exact fee that applies to your application, use the official estimator. Fees are indexed annually, and any figure published on a private website may be out of date within months of being published.

 Skills in Demand Visa (Subclass 482)

The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) allows Australian employers to sponsor skilled overseas workers on a temporary basis. It operates across three streams: Core Skills, Specialist Skills, and Essential Skills. Each stream has different eligibility rules and minimum salary requirements.

Two parties pay fees for a subclass 482 application. The applicant pays the visa application charge directly to the Department of Home Affairs. The employer pays a separate training contribution called the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy. These are completely separate payments. The employer's levy does not go toward the applicant's visa fee.

The SAF levy is calculated based on the employer's annual turnover and the duration of the visa applied for.

For the current visa application charge, use the official estimator. For a detailed breakdown of what the 482 visa costs both applicants and employers, read our Skills in Demand visa cost guide at /skillsindemandvisacostaustralia. To understand the full application process and eligibility, see our Skills in Demand visa streams guide at /skillsindemandvisastreams.

 Partner Visa (Subclass 820/801 and 309/100)

The Australian partner visa is a twostage process. The government charges a single fee at the time of lodgment that covers both stages of the application.

Onshore applicants (those in Australia when they apply) lodge the subclass 820 (temporary partner visa). Once they meet the required period of relationship, it progresses to the subclass 801 (permanent partner visa). Offshore applicants lodge the subclass 309 (provisional) visa, which progresses to the subclass 100 (permanent) visa.

Partner visa fees sit among the higher application charges in the Australian visa program. Use the official estimator for the current amount specific to your application.

 Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485)

The Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) allows recent graduates from Australian institutions to stay and work in Australia after completing their studies.

From 1 March 2026, the application charge for the subclass 485 increased to AU$4,600. This is a verified figure as of June 2026. Applications lodged before 1 March 2026 were not affected. The charge applies to the primary applicant. Additional family members included in the same application attract a further fee. Enter them in the official estimator to account for this.

One more change applies from August 2025: PTE Academic score requirements for the 485 shifted to individual component minimums. Listening 47, Reading 48, Writing 51, Speaking 54. An aggregate score is no longer accepted for this visa class. Desire Migration offers PTE Academic coaching with onsite practice labs at all three offices.

 Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189)

The subclass 189 (Skilled Independent visa) is a pointstested permanent residency visa. It does not require an employer sponsor or state and territory nomination. Applications are invitationonly. You submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect and receive an invitation before you can apply.

The application charge is a onetime government fee paid at lodgment. Use the official estimator for the current amount.

 Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190)

The subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated visa) follows the same pointstested process as the 189, with the addition of a nomination from a state or territory government. That nomination adds five bonus points to your SkillSelect total.

Each state runs its own occupation list and nomination criteria. Some states open and close nominations based on workforce demand. This can change several times per year.

 Skilled Work Regional Visa (Subclass 491)

The subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional visa) is a provisional visa, not an immediate grant of permanent residency. It allows skilled workers to live and work in a designated regional area of Australia for up to five years. After three years of regional living and working, and after meeting a minimum income requirement, 491 holders become eligible to apply for the subclass 191 (Permanent Residence Regional) visa.

In SkillSelect, the 491 provides 15 bonus points. This makes it a practical pathway for applicants who have not yet reached the 65 points typically required to receive a 189 or 190 invitation.

 Parent Visas (Subclass 143, 103 and 870)

Australian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor a parent to live in Australia. Three visa options exist, each with different fees and very different waiting times.

The Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143) is the faster option, with current processing times sitting at approximately 15 years from lodgment (as verified at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au, April 2026). The NonContributory Parent visa (subclass 103) carries a lower application charge but significantly longer processing. Current estimates for the 103 sit at approximately 33 years.

The Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) lets parents visit Australia for extended stays of three or five years. Many families use the 870 as a practical option while a permanent parent visa works through the queue.

 What the Government Fee Does Not Cover

The visa application charge is paid to the Department of Home Affairs. Several other costs are part of every application, paid separately to different providers. These do not appear in the estimator.

Skills Assessment: Most skilled migration visas require a skills assessment by an Australian assessing authority. Assessment fees vary by authority and occupation. As a planning guide, they range from several hundred dollars to over a thousand. The skills assessment must be completed before you can submit your EOI on SkillSelect.

English Language Testing: A valid English language test result is required for most Australian visa types. Accepted tests include PTE Academic, IELTS, CELPIP, TOEFL iBT, and LanguageCert Academic, which was approved for Australian visas in August 2025. Desire Migration offers coaching for PTE Academic, NAATI CCL (Hindi and Punjabi), CELPIP, and LanguageCert at all three office locations.

Medical Examination: Most visa applicants must complete a health examination conducted by a DHAapproved panel physician. The fee is charged by the physician and applies to each person included in the visa application.

Police Clearance Certificates: Depending on your visa type and personal history, you may need police clearances from Australia and from every country where you have lived for 12 months or more in the past 10 years.

Document Translation: Supporting documents that are not in English must be translated by a certified translator before submission. The Department of Home Affairs does not accept informal or machine translations.

Migration Agent Fees: A Registered Migration Agent (RMA) reviews your eligibility, prepares your documents, and manages communication with the Department of Home Affairs. Their involvement is optional. But mistakes in visa applications can lead to refusals, delays, and in some situations, bans on reapplication. An agent fee is a cost. So is a refused application.

Desire Migration charges a fixed fee of AU$110 for an initial consultation at our Melbourne CBD office. For student visa clients, an initial consultation with Sachin Sachdeva, our Education Director, is free.

 Australia Visa Fees That Changed in 2026

Two changes in 2026 directly affect common visa applicants.

Subclass 485 application charge (March 2026): The Temporary Graduate visa fee increased to AU$4,600 from 1 March 2026. This is a confirmed figure, verified as of June 2026. Applications lodged from 1 March 2026 onwards pay the new rate.

Annual indexation (July 2026): The Department of Home Affairs adjusts visa application charges annually, with changes typically applying from 1 July. If you are planning to lodge close to that date, check the official estimator after 1 July to confirm the current fee for your application.

Salary thresholds (July 2026): For employersponsored visa holders, two income thresholds apply from 1 July 2026. The Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) is AU$79,499 per year. The Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT) is AU$146,717 per year. Source: Baker McKenzie, March 2026.

 Why Visa Fees Change Each Year

Australian visa application charges are indexed by the Department of Home Affairs on an annual basis. The government uses Consumer Price Index (CPI) data and policy decisions to determine the rate of adjustment. Changes typically apply from 1 July each financial year.

This is why any dollar figure for a visa fee published on a private website may be out of date within months. The official DHA Visa Pricing Estimator is updated by the Department when fees change. It is the most reliable source available for current fee information.

 Frequently Asked Questions

How much does an Australian visa cost?

The cost varies depending on which visa you are applying for, how many people are included, and whether you are lodging from inside or outside Australia. The Department of Home Affairs publishes a free Visa Pricing Estimator at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au that generates a personalised estimate based on your specific details.

Is there a free visa fee calculator for Australia?

Yes. The Department of Home Affairs provides a free, official Visa Pricing Estimator at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/visapricingestimator. It is governmentpublished and updated when fees change. Enter your visa type, applicant details, and intended lodgment date to receive a personalised estimate.

Do Australian visa fees change every year?

Yes. The Department of Home Affairs indexes visa application charges annually, with changes typically taking effect on 1 July each financial year. Check the estimator after 1 July if your lodgment date is close to that date.

What does the visa application charge cover?

The visa application charge covers the government's cost of assessing your application. It does not cover skills assessment fees, English test registrations, medical examinations, police clearances, document translations, or migration agent fees.

How much did the 485 Temporary Graduate visa fee increase?

The subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa application charge increased to AU$4,600 from 1 March 2026. This applies to all applications lodged from that date.

What is the total cost of getting Australian permanent residency?

Beyond the government application charge, plan for a skills assessment, English test, medical examination, police clearances, and migration agent fees. For a full cost breakdown, see our Australia PR total cost guide at /australiaprvisacost189190491.

Does the visa fee increase if I include family members?

Yes. Most visa types charge an additional fee for each secondary applicant. Adults (18 and over) are charged at one rate; dependent children under 18 are charged at a lower rate. The official Visa Pricing Estimator accounts for secondary applicants when you enter their numbers.

 Plan Your Visa Costs with Desire Migration

The government fee is one line item. Understanding the full cost of your visa pathway, across skills assessment, English testing, medical, and professional guidance, is where planning becomes important.

Desire Migration, led by Manisha Bhutani, a Registered Migration Agent with 15 years of experience (MARN 2217756), has supported over 11,698 clients through their Australian visa applications. Our team reviews your occupation, your English test results, and your complete visa history before recommending a pathway. That level of review applies to every client, not just complex cases.

We operate from three offices: Melbourne CBD (1003/530 Little Collins St) and Truganina (2/203 Palmers Rd) remote consultations are available.

Book a consultation with Desire Migration at desiremigration.com.au.