Australia Increases Student and Post-Study Visa Fees by 25% (July 2026)

On July 1, 2026, the Australian Department of Home Affairs raised most visa application charges by approximately 25% in a single step under the Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2026. There was no prior public announcement. There was no consultation with the education sector. The fee increase took effect at 12:27 AM on July 1.

If you are an Indian student planning to apply for an Australian student visa or a post-study work visa, the cost of applying has just changed significantly.

Currency note: 1 AUD = Rs. 66.18 as of July 6, 2026. Always verify current rates before financial planning.

What Changed on July 1, 2026

Student Visa (Subclass 500):

• Previous fee: AUD 2,000 (Rs. 1,32,360).
• New fee from July 1, 2026: AUD 2,500 (Rs. 1,65,450).
• Increase: AUD 500 (Rs. 33,090) or 25%.

ELICOS and Non-Award Sector (new separate tier):

• Previous fee: AUD 2,000 (same as standard student visa).
• New fee from July 1, 2026: AUD 2,050 (Rs. 1,35,669).
• This is the first time a separate, lower pricing tier has been created for English-language course students.

Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485):

• Previous fee (as of March 2026): AUD 4,600 (Rs. 3,04,428).
• New fee from July 1, 2026: AUD 5,750 (Rs. 3,80,535).
• Increase on July 1: 25%.
• Combined increase since early 2026: approximately 150% (from AUD 2,300 in January 2026 to AUD 5,750 now).

Student Guardian Visa (Subclass 590):

• Also increased by 25%, matching the main student visa increase.

The fee is non-refundable. If your application is refused, you do not get the visa application charge back. A refusal now costs a student significantly more than it would have a year ago.

The Fee History: How We Got Here

This is not an isolated event. Australian student and graduate visa fees have increased three times in rapid succession:

In two years, the cost of the main student visa has risen 56%. In 18 months, the cost of the post-study work visa has risen approximately 185%. These are not inflation adjustments. They are policy instruments.

What the ELICOS Tier Means

ELICOS stands for English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students. These are standalone English language programs that are not packaged with a university degree or vocational qualification. Many Indian students enroll in ELICOS courses either as preparation for a degree program or as a standalone English proficiency pathway.

Before July 1, 2026, ELICOS students paid the same AUD 2,000 as all other student visa applicants. The new tier sets ELICOS at AUD 2,050, AUD 450 less than the standard AUD 2,500.

This sounds like a concession. It is not a straightforward one. The English Australia sector had lobbied for ELICOS fees to be reduced, not increased, citing declining enrolments and the short-term nature of most English language courses. Ian Aird, CEO of English Australia, said, "No announcement was made of the decision to hike these visa fees, a decision clearly reached weeks, if not months, ago. There was no discussion with the sector to consider the likely impacts of these changes."

ELICOS enrolments in Australia were already declining before this increase. A fee of AUD 2,050 for a short English language course that may last 8 to 12 weeks remains one of the highest ELICOS visa fees in the world.

What the 485 Fee Means for Indian Students

The 485 Temporary Graduate Visa is the post-study work visa that allows graduates from Australian universities to work in Australia for 2 to 4 years after graduation. It is the primary reason many Indian students choose Australia over other destinations.

Jesse Gardner-Russell, national president of the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations, said: "This is a fee on the exit door, not the front door."

The total visa cost of an Australian study pathway for a typical Indian master's student:

This is the cost of visa applications alone, before tuition, living costs, or the Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) insurance requirement.

Why Australia Increased Fees This Way

Australia's migration system has been tightening for two years: lower permanent migration ceilings, higher salary thresholds for sponsored visas, and tougher English requirements for some student pathways. The July 2026 fee increase is the clearest signal, yet that price is now doing the work that quotas used to do.

Two reasons are cited in the Australian government's own budget documentation. First, migration fee revenue is one of the few levers the Department of Home Affairs can pull without new legislation, and the increase raises meaningful budget revenue. Second, the government has been using fees as a lever to reduce net migration following years of record-high international student arrivals.

Australia After the Fee Increase: The Honest Assessment

The fee increase is real, and the cumulative impact is significant. But Australia's universities are also stronger globally than they were a year ago, and the structural advantages of studying there have not changed.

QS World University Rankings 2027: Top Australian Universities:

• UNSW Sydney: #19 globally (Australia's #1 for the first time, the only Australian university in the global top 20).
• University of Melbourne: #22 globally.
• University of Sydney: #28 globally.
• Australian National University: #29 globally.
• Monash University: #31 globally.
• University of Queensland: #40 globally.
• University of Western Australia: #77 globally.
• Adelaide University: #79 globally.
• University of Technology Sydney: #87 globally.

All eight Group of Eight universities remain ranked in the global top 100 in 2027. Nine Australian universities are in the top 100 overall: the Go8 plus UTS.

What Australia still offers that most alternatives do not:

• The 485 post-study work visa: 2 to 4 years of open work rights after graduation.
• Superannuation: Employers pay 12% on top of wages into a retirement fund students can claim upon departure.
• Casual minimum wage of AUD 33.05/hour (approximately Rs. 2,187/hour), the highest in any major study destination.
• A genuinely strong graduate employment market, particularly in engineering, healthcare, technology, and finance.

What the fee increase changes: The upfront visa cost has risen significantly. Students should build AUD 8,250 (Rs. 5,45,985) into their two-year financial plan specifically for visa application charges, on top of all other costs.

What Indian Students Should Do Right Now

1. If you are mid-application: The fee that applies is the one in effect on the date the Department of Home Affairs receives your application, not when you began preparing it. If you lodged before July 1, 2026, the old fee applies regardless of when a decision is made.

2. If you have not yet lodged: You are now subject to the new AUD 2,500 fee for the student visa. Budget this into your total cost of study.

3. For students planning the 485 visa after graduation: The AUD 5,750 fee should be part of your financial plan from day one of your degree. It cannot be paid in installments. The full amount is required at the time of application.

4. For ELICOS applicants: Your fee is AUD 2,050, not AUD 2,500. Confirm your enrolment category at the time of application using the official Department of Home Affairs Visa Pricing Estimator at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au.

5. Pacific Island and ASEAN concessions: Students from Pacific Island nations pay AUD 745. Students from ASEAN countries pay a concessional rate of AUD 2,050 for the standard student visa. Indian students pay the full AUD 2,500.

Book a free session with a Leap Scholar counselor to understand how the new Australian visa fees affect your total cost of study, whether Australia remains the right destination given your budget and career goals, and what your realistic financial plan looks like for a two-year Australian master's degree and post-study work pathway.
 

Sources: SOL Migration, Australia Visa Fees July 2026: The Full List of New Costs, July 3, 2026 | RACC, Australia Visa Fee Increase From 1 July 2026: Complete Guide, July 3, 2026 | TernVisa, Australian Visa Fees Just Rose 25%: the 1 July 2026 Increase Explained | The PIE News, Student Visa Fees Rise Again as Australia Adds ELICOS Pricing Tier, July 1, 2026 | ICEF Monitor, Surprise Hike in International Student Visa Application Fees, July 2, 2026 | IDP Australia, Australia Student Visa and 485 Visa Fee Changes 2026 | AccessEdu, Australia Visa Price Changes 2026, July 1, 2026 | StudyAustralia.gov.au, Australia Excels in QS World University Rankings 2027 | Newsted Global, Australian University Rankings 2027: Australia's Top QS Universities | UNSW Official QS 2027 announcement | Fair Work Commission Annual Wage Review 2026