The real cost of an Australian visa application
Start with the charge for your exact visa stream and family composition, then add only the services your application actually needs. This tool combines a dated government-fee snapshot with optional budget placeholders. It cannot quote the final amount payable or confirm that a visa is open to you.
Visa application charges can be a major part of an application budget. From 1 July 2026, the 189 Skilled Independent visa starts at $6,135 for the primary applicant, while the standard combined 820/801 or 309/100 partner visa charge starts at $11,710. Home Affairs changes charges from time to time, so confirm the amount that applies on the date the Department receives your application.
Department of Home Affairs application charges (from 1 July 2026)
| Visa subclass | Main applicant | Partner | Child under 18 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 189 Skilled Independent (points tested) | $6,135 | $3,070 | $1,540 |
| 190 Skilled Nominated | $6,140 | $3,070 | $1,535 |
| 491 Skilled Regional | $6,140 | $3,070 | $1,535 |
| 482 Skills in Demand | $4,015 | $4,015 | $1,005 |
| 485 Temporary Graduate (primary streams) | $5,750 | $2,875 | $1,450 |
| 500 Student (all other students) | $2,500 | $1,530 | $500 |
| 820/801 Partner (standard combined application) | $11,710 | $5,860 | $2,935 |
| 309/100 Partner (standard combined application) | $11,710 | $5,860 | $2,935 |
| 186 Employer Nomination Scheme | $6,140 | $3,070 | $1,535 |
| 417 First Working Holiday | $840 | n/a | n/a |
Source: Department of Home Affairs current visa pricing table, effective 1 July 2026. Some applicants may qualify for a concession or exemption.
Build your budget from an itemised checklist
Editorial review: 30 September 2026. The government-charge table above retains the checked 1 July 2026 fee snapshot. The optional extras are transparent placeholders, not researched market averages or quotes: skills assessment $1,000, English test $400, health examinations $400 per selected person, police checks $100 per person, professional assistance $4,000 and translations $300. Some selections exclude an irrelevant placeholder. Whether a check is required depends on your visa and circumstances.
| Budget item | Evidence to obtain | Record separately |
|---|---|---|
| Government charges | Official estimator for subclass, stream, location and each applicant's age | First instalment, second instalment, any subsequent temporary application charge and card surcharge |
| Assessment and test | Exact assessing authority pathway or approved test booking quote | Standard/priority service, tax, re-test or review fees and expiry |
| Health, police and biometrics | Home Affairs request and nominated provider or government fee | Person, country, requested examination and currency |
| Professional help and documents | Written scope and fee agreement; translation/certification quote | Tax, exclusions, cancellation and refund terms |
Keep employer costs out of the worker's invoice
Home Affairs says the employer must pay costs associated with becoming a sponsor and nominating/sponsoring an applicant, and must not transfer them to the visa holder or family. This includes the Skilling Australians Fund levy. A contract or deduction arrangement does not make prohibited recovery acceptable. Separate the worker's own visa application charge and personal advice from sponsorship costs; ask for an itemised breakdown if they are mixed. Source: Home Affairs cost of sponsoring.
A family scenario is not an eligibility decision
The second person in this tool is treated as an additional adult; later people are treated as under-18 children. A single parent with one child, three adults or a dependant aged 18 or over needs a different calculation through the official Visa Pricing Estimator. A listed charge does not prove the person can be included. Concessions, stream conditions and timing of adding a dependant may change the calculation.
Can a refused or withdrawn application be refunded?
A refusal, unsuccessful application or change of mind does not by itself create a refund entitlement. Home Affairs can refund only where legal or administrative authority permits. Do not assume an appeal outcome, early withdrawal or relationship ending will return a visa charge. Use the official refund rules for your precise circumstance. Reversing a payment may invalidate an application or create a debt. Professional-service refunds are governed separately by the agreement and applicable consumer law.
Closed or restricted selections
The 188 program closed to new applications on 31 July 2024. The 476 closed to new applications on 1 July 2024. The calculator withholds a new-application estimate for those options. The 187 TRT selection is for limited transitional circumstances, not a generally open regional route; check the official visa listing before relying on a charge.
What can change the total?
Some visas have a second instalment, so the first displayed charge is not the whole government cost. Contributory parent and sponsored-parent selections can have substantial later instalments. This tool does not calculate them. Check the exact instalment conditions and your family composition in the official pricing notes before budgeting. Health-cover premiums, travel, settlement expenses, additional specialist reports and document costs are not fully modelled here. No tax-deductibility conclusion is made.
A practical final check
- Write your exact visa, stream and applicant ages beside the estimate.
- Run the official estimator and record its date; do not rush an incomplete application to chase a possible fee change.
- Replace each selected placeholder with a written quote and convert currencies on the same date.
- Add genuinely applicable omitted items, then keep an unallocated contingency separate from confirmed fees.
- Check refund/cancellation terms before payment and retain receipts.
Change note: Removed prohibited sponsor-cost recovery advice, speculative refund grounds and unsupported provider prices. Closed streams now produce a warning, family assumptions are explicit, and output tips no longer promise a visa grant or fixed partner-stage timeline.