Visa application costs for permanent and temporary residents have been raised by the federal government from July 1.
This is close to a hike in the cost of citizenship applications from $285 to $490.
The fee for the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT), which hears appeals on visa-related issues, has increased dramatically, from roughly $1,800 to $3,000.
According to the most recent data from the Department of Home Affairs, the cost for the Business Innovation and Investment (Significant Investor stream) visa has increased by the greatest amount. The price has increased from $7,880 in 2020-21 to $8,925 in 2021-22, representing a 13.2 percent increase.
The Visa Application Charge (VAC) is a general taxation charge imposed by the government in accordance with policy goals.
Along with the CPI [Consumer Price Index] adjustment in accordance with the 2020-21 Budget, the VACs for the majority of Business Innovation and Investment Program visas were raised by 11.3 percent on 1 July.
For example, the fees for Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme visa), Subclass 187 (Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme visa), Subclass 189 (Skilled independent visa), Subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated visa), and Subclass 489 (Skilled Regional (Provisional)) have increased by 1.7 percent from $4,045 to $4,115 in the current financial year.
For the current financial year, the initial visa application fee for Subclass 143 (Contributory Parent visa) has increased from $4,155 to $4,255. However, the overall cost is about $48,000.
Individuals seeking for a partner visa (onshore or offshore) will now have to pay an additional $135.
A migration agent in Perth said the increase in visa fees is minimal and is based on the current Consumer Price Index (CPI), a statistical tool that measures inflation.
The Australian government raises visa costs on an annual basis, and the increases are usually modest. We are more worried about the significant increase in AAT fees. There has been an increase in the price from $1,800 to $3,000. It seems that this was caused by an increase in the number of visa applications being rejected, he added.