Australian Visa Changes 1 July 2026: New Fees & Income Thresholds
From partner and student visas to skilled and regional pathways, the 1 July 2026 fee increases affect almost every applicant. See exactly what changed — including the new AUD 79,423 income threshold and Pacific/ASEAN concessions.
Effective 1 July 2026, the Australian Department of Home Affairs has implemented significant fee increases and eligibility changes across the skilled and family migration programs. This guide breaks down exactly what changed, how much more you will pay, and which concessions might reduce your cost.
Visa Application Charge (VAC) Increases
The following base Visa Application Charges (VAC) took effect on 1 July 2026:
- Subclass 820 (Partner visa, temporary): AUD 11,710.00
- Subclass 500 (Student visa): AUD 2,500.00
- Subclass 189 (Skilled Independent): AUD 6,135.00
- Subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated): AUD 6,140.00
- Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional, Provisional): AUD 6,140.00
- Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand, Core Skills stream): AUD 4,015.00
These are the primary applicant base charges and do not include instalments for accompanying family members. See our Subclass 820 guide, Subclass 500 guide, Subclass 189 guide, Subclass 190 guide, Subclass 491 guide, and Subclass 482 guide for the full fee breakdown, including partner and child instalments.
The Second Instalment Warning
A mandatory Second Instalment charge now applies to any secondary applicant aged 18 or over who does not have functional English:
- Subclass 189 and 190: AUD 4,885.00 per applicant
- Subclass 491: AUD 4,890.00 per dependent applicant
This charge is easy to overlook when budgeting for a family application — if your partner or an adult dependent has not sat an approved English test, plan for this additional cost on top of the base VAC.
The CSIT Salary Leap
The Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) and Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) — the minimum salary an employer must guarantee a sponsored worker to protect local wage standards — increased by 3.8% to exactly AUD 79,423, up from AUD 76,515. This directly affects:
- Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) nominations, where sponsors must guarantee the nominee's annual earnings meet or exceed CSIT
- Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) nominations, which use the same threshold as a baseline
If you are negotiating a sponsored job offer, confirm your salary package clears AUD 79,423 before your employer lodges a nomination.
Pacific & ASEAN Concessions
Not every applicant pays the higher rate. From 1 July 2026, a lower visa cost applies to eligible citizens of the following groups:
Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens (Subclass 820, 189, 190, 491, and 500):
- Federated States of Micronesia
- Fiji
- Kiribati
- Nauru
- Palau
- Papua New Guinea
- Republic of the Marshall Islands
- Samoa
- Solomon Islands
- Timor-Leste
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
ASEAN citizens (Student visa, Subclass 500, only):
- Brunei Darussalam
- Cambodia
- Indonesia
- Lao People's Democratic Republic
- Malaysia
- Myanmar
- Philippines
- Singapore
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Vietnam
Student visa applicants in the ELICOS and Non-Award sector may also qualify for reduced pricing regardless of passport, so check your specific course type before you pay.
What This Means For You
With base fees up across nearly every skilled and partner pathway, getting your application right the first time matters more than ever — a refused or returned application means paying these higher charges again. Run a free check with our AI Visa Pathway Matcher to confirm your eligibility before you lodge, or use our Points Calculator to see exactly where you stand under the current rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the new fees apply to applications already lodged before 1 July 2026?
No. The new charges generally apply only to visa applications lodged on or after 1 July 2026. Applications lodged before that date are assessed under the fee schedule in effect at the time of lodgement.
Does the CSIT increase affect visa holders who already hold a Subclass 482?
The updated CSIT primarily affects new nominations lodged on or after the effective date. Existing 482 visa holders should confirm with their sponsor or a registered migration agent whether any nomination variation triggers reassessment against the new threshold.
How do I check if I qualify for the Pacific or ASEAN concession?
Eligibility is based on the passport you hold at the time of lodgement. Check the full country list in this guide, and confirm your specific visa subclass and stream against the official Department of Home Affairs fee schedule before you pay.
Created 1 July 2026