Australia Visa Application Fees 2026: What You Actually Pay

The visa application charge you pay for an Australian visa in 2026 is not a single fixed amount. It is made up of a base application charge, which depends on the visa subclass and your circumstances, and, for certain temporary visas lodged in Australia, an additional subsequent temporary application charge (STAC) based on your visa history. The exact amount is set out in the Visa Pricing Table, which you must check for your specific visa. The Department of Home Affairs does not publish a single “2026 fee” that applies to all applicants; the charge is calculated per person, per application, based on the visa you are applying for and, for the STAC, on the temporary visas you have previously held and where you applied for them. This article explains the components of the charge, when the STAC applies, how skilled visa processing priorities work under the current Ministerial Direction, and how to prove permanent residence status. It does not list every fee amount, because the official guidance does not provide them; it tells you exactly where to find them.

The base application charge: what it is and where to find it

The base application charge is the primary fee for a visa application. It is payable by each person included in the application, and it is set out in the Visa Pricing Table for each visa subclass. The amount varies by visa type and by whether you are the main applicant or a secondary applicant. For example, the official guidance shows that a Visitor (subclass 600) visa – Tourist stream had a base application charge of AUD150 when applied for outside Australia and AUD380 when applied for inside Australia, but these figures are illustrative examples, not a current fee schedule. The Department states explicitly that you should consult the Visa Pricing Table to verify which charges apply to you. The base application charge is separate from any other charges that may apply, such as the subsequent temporary application charge, and it is payable at the time of lodgement. If the base application charge for your application is nil, the subsequent temporary application charge will not be charged either.

The subsequent temporary application charge (STAC)

The subsequent temporary application charge is an additional charge that applies to certain temporary visa applications. It is payable by each person in the application and is based on their individual visa history. The charge is payable in addition to any other visa charges that apply at the time of lodgement. It does not apply to bridging, criminal justice, or enforcement visa applications, nor to permanent visa applications. The charge is calculated for each applicant individually, using a four-step formula set out by the Department. The charge applies only if all four steps are answered “yes”. The steps are: you are in Australia applying for a visa of a kind specified in Table 1; you hold, or last held, a substantive visa of a kind specified in Table 2; you applied for that Table 2 visa while you were in Australia; and none of the five listed exceptions apply. The exceptions are if the Table 2 visa was for a new-born child born after the primary applicant applied, was granted by operation of law, was granted as a result of ministerial intervention, was granted without an application, or was a student visa required because an education provider defaulted. If any of those applies, the charge is nil.

Table 1 and Table 2 visas

The STAC applies only when you are applying for a visa listed in Table 1 and you previously held a visa listed in Table 2. Table 1 – the temporary visas being applied for – includes the Temporary Activity (subclass 408), Training (subclass 407), Skills in Demand (subclass 482), Student (subclass 500), Student Guardian (subclass 590), and Visitor (subclass 600) visas. Table 2 – the previous visas applied for in Australia – is a longer list that includes the Training and Research (subclass 402) visa in both streams, the Training (subclass 407), Temporary Activity (subclass 408), Working Holiday (subclass 417), Domestic Worker – Diplomatic and Consular (subclass 426), Occupational Trainee (subclass 442), Temporary Work (Skilled) (subclass 457), Work and Holiday (subclass 462), Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482), Skills in Demand (subclass 482), Student (subclass 500), Student Guardian (subclass 590), Foreign Affairs or Defence Sector (subclass 576), Visitor (subclass 600), Medical Treatment (subclass 602), and Medical Treatment (Long Stay) (subclass 685) visas. If you are applying for a Table 1 visa and your previous substantive visa is not in Table 2, the STAC is nil.

How the STAC is calculated in practice

The Department provides two worked examples that illustrate how the charge is applied. In the first, Fritz applies for and is granted a Visitor (subclass 600) visa – Tourist stream in his home country. He pays the base application charge of AUD150. The STAC does not apply because the visa was granted while he was outside Australia. While in Australia, he applies for a further Visitor visa before his current one expires. He pays the base application charge of AUD380. He does not pay the STAC because the visa he currently holds was applied for when he was outside Australia. He then applies for a third Visitor visa while still in Australia. This is his second temporary visa application made in Australia. He pays the base application charge of AUD380 plus a STAC of AUD700, for a total of AUD1080. The note is important: if Fritz had left Australia before the expiry of the first Visitor visa he applied for while in Australia, and applied for a further Visitor visa outside Australia, the STAC would not have applied. The second example, involving a family, is cut off in the official guidance, but the principle is the same: the charge is calculated per applicant based on their individual visa history.

Exemptions from the STAC

The STAC will not be charged if any of the following applies: the base application charge for your application is nil; the visa pricing table does not show a STAC; the visa pricing table shows the STAC as nil; the visa pricing table shows the STAC as N/A; you are outside Australia while making your substantive temporary visa application; you are making your first substantive temporary visa application in Australia; or the STAC formula evaluates the charge to nil. The definition of a substantive visa is important: it is a visa other than a bridging visa, a criminal justice visa, or an enforcement visa. Some visas are granted by operation of law, which may include some Special Persons visas, Enforcement visas, Absorbed Persons visas, Ex citizen visas, and visas granted to newborn babies.

Skilled visa processing priorities: Ministerial Direction 119

If you are applying for a skilled visa, processing priorities are set by Government policy, currently outlined in Ministerial Direction 119, which came into effect on 25 July 2026. This Direction replaced all processing priorities under Ministerial Direction 105 and applies to all on-hand applications, including the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) program, which was not previously included under Ministerial Direction 105. Prioritisation is afforded according to both occupation and the location of applicants at the time of application. Occupations supporting Australia’s law enforcement and defence interests are afforded the highest priority, followed by those in construction, healthcare, and teaching. Applicants who are already in Australia have higher priority than those who are outside Australia. The processing order is: first, law enforcement or defence interests with the applicant in Australia; second, law enforcement or defence interests with the applicant outside Australia; third, construction, healthcare, and teaching occupations with the applicant in Australia; fourth, all other applications with the applicant in Australia; and fifth, all other applications with the applicant outside Australia. Ministerial Direction 119 covers the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186), Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 187), Skilled Independent (subclass 189), Skilled Nominated (subclass 190), Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) (subclass 191), Skills in Demand (subclass 482), Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482), Skilled Regional (Provisional) (subclass 489), Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491), Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) (subclass 494), Skilled Regional (subclass 887), and Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) (subclass 888) visas. Two other Directions are relevant: Ministerial Direction 114, which came into effect on 12 February 2025 and covers the Business Innovation and Investment (subclass 188) visa (closed July 2024) and Business Talent (Permanent) (subclass 132) visa (closed July 2021); and Ministerial Direction 120, which came into effect on 25 July 2026 and covers Class BX (subclass 858) visas, Distinguished Talent (closed November 2020), Global Talent (closed December 2024), and National Innovation (subclass 858) visa applications.

Proving permanent residence status

If you are an Australian permanent resident, you can prove your status using VEVO, the Visa Entitlement Verification Online service. You must have an electronic visa record of your permanent visa, and it must be linked to your passport or Immicard. You can also use VEVO to check you have the right to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident before you travel outside Australia. If you arrived in Australia before 1 June 1959 and have not left Australia since your arrival, or you are a New Zealand citizen who arrived before 1 September 1994 without a permit and can prove you usually resided in Australia before that date, you may be considered a former Australian permanent resident and eligible to apply for a Resident Return Visa (RRV). You will need an RRV if you wish to travel overseas and re-enter Australia as a permanent resident. If you do not have an electronic visa record with the Department, you do not have to request one before lodging your RRV, but you should provide supporting documentation: evidence of your first arrival to Australia (New Zealand citizens must also provide evidence of any subsequent travel in and out of Australia), identity documents, and documents proving your residence in Australia. If you have no intention to travel and re-enter Australia but you need an electronic visa record to prove you are a permanent resident, you can request one using the forms described on the Department’s page. You may not have an electronic record of your visa if your last arrival was before 1990. There are two specific forms: one for people who last entered Australia before 1990 as a permanent visa holder and do not have an electronic visa record but need one, and who are not the holder of an Authority to Return or Return Endorsement issued between 1 March 1976 and 31 December 1986; and one for holders of an Authority to Return or Return Endorsement issued between those dates by way of a wet stamp in an old passport who want it recorded as a BF-111 visa. The second form has additional conditions: you must never have departed and remained outside Australia for more than three consecutive years after being issued the Authority to Return or Return Endorsement, and you must never have been granted any substantive visa since 1 September 1994, with certain exceptions for Electronic Travel Authority, Border, Visitor (Business Visitor stream in conjunction with APEC Business Card), and Special Purpose visas.

Special consideration for children born in Australia

If your child was born in Australia and does not meet the health requirement for a temporary or permanent visa, you do not need to apply for special consideration. A visa processing officer will consider your child’s eligibility for the child born and ordinarily resident in Australia assessment. The officer must be satisfied your child is under 18 years old at the time of visa decision (and has not turned 18 during visa processing), was born in Australia, and is ordinarily resident in Australia. The officer will confirm the birth by sighting your child’s full standard Australian Birth Certificate issued by Births, Deaths and Marriages; extracts and ceremonial Birth Certificates are not accepted. The officer will contact you if they need more information to determine if your child is ordinarily resident in Australia. If your child does not satisfy the assessment, the officer may consider them for a health waiver if one is available for the visa subclass they applied for.

What to do next and what to verify

The most important step is to verify the exact visa application charge for your circumstances on the official Visa Pricing Table, because the official guidance does not provide a complete fee schedule. You should also check whether your visa is in Table 1 and whether your previous visa is in Table 2 to determine if the subsequent temporary application charge applies to you. If you are applying for a skilled visa, check the current Ministerial Direction to understand processing priorities, and if you are a permanent resident, use VEVO to confirm your status before you travel. The Department’s pages on fees and charges, skilled visa processing priorities, proof of permanent residence, and special consideration for children are the authoritative sources; the examples in this article are illustrations only and do not replace the official fee schedule.