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MATES International Education and Visa Services
AustraliaVisa Fees

Australia's student visa application charge rises to AUD 2,500

Status: In effect

From 1 July 2026 the base application charge for a Student visa (subclass 500) rose from AUD 2,000 to AUD 2,500, and the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) charge rose from AUD 4,600 to AUD 5,750. Concessions apply to ASEAN passport holders and to independent ELICOS and Non-Award courses.

What changed

  • The Student visa (subclass 500) application charge increased from AUD 2,000 to AUD 2,500 on 1 July 2026.
  • The Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) application charge increased from AUD 4,600 to AUD 5,750 on 1 July 2026.

Key dates

Officially announced
In effect from

Who may be affected

  • Primary Student visa applicants lodging on or after 1 July 2026, unless a concession applies.
  • According to Study Australia, primary Student visa applicants holding passports of ASEAN member countries continue to pay the previous charge plus an annual CPI adjustment. Nepal is not an ASEAN member, so this passport-based concession does not apply to Nepali passport holders.
  • Students applying for independent ELICOS and Non-Award courses are also exempt from the increase, according to Study Australia.
  • The existing Temporary Graduate concession for Pacific Island and Timor-Leste applicants continues.

Key takeaways

  • AUD 2,500 is the base charge for a Student visa lodged on or after 1 July 2026.
  • Home Affairs provides a Visa Pricing Estimator for the exact cost of your application; it does not include other costs.

What students should do

  1. Budget for the AUD 2,500 base charge if you are lodging a Student visa for a degree course.
  2. Check the exact amount with the Home Affairs Visa Pricing Estimator before you pay.
  3. If you are finishing study in Australia, budget for the higher Temporary Graduate charge of AUD 5,750.

Official sources

Read the Official Update(opens Study Australia (Australian Government) in a new tab — you are leaving the MATES website)

Opens the government website in a new tab. You will be leaving the MATES website.

Before you act on this

Visa and immigration requirements can change. Review the linked official government source and confirm the latest requirements with MATES before making an application decision.

This is general information, not legal or immigration advice. MATES cannot influence a government decision.

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