Australia doubles post-study work visa application fee

The Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) visa allows eligible foreign graduates to work in Australia from 18 months to up to 3 years once they complete their studies, and it can be a pathway towards permanent residency. Effective immediately, the non-refundable application fee for this visa is AU$4,600 (US$3,000), up from the AU$2,300 fee that had been in place from July 2025.

The new fee, announced without warning on 1 March 2026, is more than 10 times, 3 times, and twice the amount that students pay for similar visas in Canada, New Zealand, and the UK, respectively. Across three increases spanning 2024, 2025, and now 2026, the Temporary Graduate Visa application fee has more than doubled.

There are also now heftier fees for post-study work applicants’ accompanying dependants. The fee for partners or dependants aged 18 and over has risen from AU$1,115 to AU$2,300, and the fee for children under 18 years of age has increased from AU$560 to AU$1,150.

Even before the latest increase, the Temporary Graduate Visa was the expensive post-study work visa in the world.

Rising costs

The fee hike follows a pattern of rising costs for international students in Australia over the past couple of years. For example:

• The non-refundable student visa (Subclass 500) fee has risen twice in the past two years and now stands at AU$2,000 (roughly US$1,400), making it the most expensive study visa fee across all destinations.

• The proof of funds threshold for living costs rose to AU$29,710 (about US$20,000) per year in 2024.

• The private health insurance premium – which almost all international students need for a visa – is set to rise by +4.4% in April 2026.

• Many Australian universities have raised their tuition fees as the cost of international student recruitment has risen amidst far tighter governmental oversight and regulations. The average year-over-year increase was more than +6% in 2025.

Price effects

When the Australian government raised the application fee for the student visa (Subclass 500) in 2025, it said the higher cost would help to weed out non-genuine students (i.e., people who use study-related visa classes for the main purpose of working and/or immigrating to Australia).

Across higher education, vocational education (VET), and English-language training establishments (ELICOS), reaction to that move was negative despite widespread support for more integrity safeguards for students and institutions alike. Critics pointed out that as the new fee was introduced, visa refusals were skyrocketing, particularly for VET and ELICOS students. Many students – especially from Southeast Asia – have paid the non-refundable fee of AU$2,000 only to be refused for a visa. The ELICOS and VET sectors have been particularly hard hit by the higher fees, which apply regardless of the student’s intended length of study in Australia.

The new application fee for the Temporary Graduate Visa – as well as its sudden announcement and immediate implication – has shocked both educators and students. The Guardian interviewed a student named Jimmy (no last name given), whose student visa is soon to expire. He said:

“It sets a dangerous precedent where the government can bypass fairness at its whim to the detriment of vulnerable groups. Treating us as an ATM at the 11th hour is … a massive breach of trust that severely damages Australia’s international reputation.”

The National Union of Students (NUS) international officer, Ariya Masud, added to The Guardian:

“Being blindsided by the country that over 800,000 current students have called their home for years sends a clear message to international students about their standing in Australian society. [We are] regarded as ATMs to funnel a multibillion-dollar industry instead of human beings being forced into abandoning the lives and careers they’ve built here.”

A hurdle to recruitment

Australian immigration expert Dr Abul Rizvi told Vietnamese news outlet VnExpress that fees for international students in Australia have been rising much faster than inflation. He said that for many students, the ability to work after studies helps to offset the cost of completing an academic programme.

What’s more, international prospects carefully consider work rights when calculating the likely return on investment (ROI) of study abroad in various destinations, as we have reported recently. The Temporary Graduate Visa application fee hike – along with high visa refusal rates – will almost certainly change the ROI calculations of many families considering study abroad.

Speaking with Times Higher Education, Jesse Garden-Russell, president of the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA), said the fee hike was unfair to international graduates already struggling with high living and study costs. She continued:

“[It] sends a clear message that international graduates are being treated as revenue sources rather than valued contributors to Australia’s workforce and society. Graduates finish their studies hoping to gain work experience here, contribute to their fields and build networks – not to be hit with unpredictable, punitive costs.”

For additional background, please see:

• “How are Australian universities approaching international recruitment in 2026?”
• “What students want: The top decision factors for study abroad”
• “Australia: Full-year data for 2025 reveals impact of AUD$2,000 study visa application fee on ELICOS sector”