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Australia visa fee hike: The Australian government has given a big blow to the Indian students studying there. Now studying in Australia will become even more expensive for them. Australia has significantly increased the visa fees for foreign students and those applying to work after studies. This will have a direct impact on Indian students who are studying here or coming to pursue degrees from Australian universities.
The universities and education related institutions here have expressed strong opposition to this decision of the Australian government. He says that this step will reduce Australia’s importance in the field of education and it will lag behind in competition with other countries. The new fees announced by the Home Ministry come into effect from July 1, 2026, without any prior consultation with the international education sector.
How much has the visa fee increased in Australia?
The application fee for student visa (Subclass 500) for Higher Education and Vocational Education (VET) students has increased from 2,000 Australian dollars (approximately Rs 1.32 lakh) to 2,500 Australian dollars (approximately Rs 1.65 lakh). According to the report of ICEF Monitor, the fee for students from ASEAN countries will remain only 2,050 Australian dollars. Since India is not a part of ASEAN, Indians will now have to pay 2,500 Australian dollars as visa fee.
The fee for English language (ELICOS) students has also increased to 2,050 Australian dollars (approximately Rs 1.35 lakh).
The fee for a temporary graduate visa (subcategory 485), which allows work after studies, has increased from 4,600 Australian dollars (about Rs 3 lakh) to 5,750 Australian dollars (about Rs 3.79 lakh).
Partner visa fees have also increased from A$9,365 (approximately ₹6 lakh) to A$11,710 (approximately ₹7.73 lakh).
The required salary range for employer-sponsored skills visas has also been increased. This visa will now be given only if the salary is 79,499 Australian dollars (approximately Rs 5.24 lakh). Earlier this limit was 76,515 Australian dollars.
Australia has become one of the most expensive countries to study.
Following the recent increase, Australian student visa application fees are now significantly higher than other major countries. Student visas in Australia now cost around 2,500 Australian dollars, compared to around 935 Australian dollars in the UK, 790 Australian dollars in New Zealand, 775 Australian dollars in the US and 240 Australian dollars in Canada.
Student visa fees in Australia have increased by 285% from 2022, while post-study work visa fees have increased by 148%. At the same time, countries like Canada and America have kept their student visa fees almost unchanged, while in Britain the increase has been much less.