Australian Visas & Visa Fees – the table below shows all the currently available visas and the visa fee or visa application charge (VAC) applicable to each of the visa. VAC will be revised at least once a year, on 1 July of each year.
The Migration Act 1958 regulates, in the national interest, the coming into, and the presence in, Australia of non-citizens: s 4(1). The Migration Act 1958 provides for visas permitting non-citizens to enter or remain in Australia on the basis that the Australian Parliament intends that this Act be the only source of the right of non-citizens to enter or remain: s 4(2).
An Australian visa is a grant of permission to a non-citizen to either travel to and enter Australia, to remain in Australia or to do both: s 29(1). A visa to remain in Australia may be permanent visa or it may be temporary visa: s 30. The Act provides for different classes of visas. A visa can be of a class provided for by the Migration Regulations 1994 made under the Act (s 31(1)) or to be provided for by a section of the Act (s 31(2)). For eg, the Act directly provides for permanent protection visas (s 35A(2)), temporary protection visas (s 35A(3) and safe haven enterprise visas (s 35A(3A)). Each of those classes of visa is defined by s 35A to be a ‘protection visa’. That provision also identifies that the criteria for a protection visa is that set out in s 36 together with any relevant criteria prescribed by the regulations for the purposes of s 31 (s 35A(6)). Section 36 then sets out the criteria for a protection visa (KDSP v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2020] FCAFC 108 at [15]).
A non-citizen who wants a visa must apply for a visa of a particular class: s 45(1). The requirements for a valid visa application are set out in s 46 and include that it be an application for a visa of a class specified in the application: s 46(1)(a).
Section 47 imposes on the Minister a duty to consider a valid application for a visa (s 47(1)), and a corresponding duty not to consider an application for a visa that is not a valid visa application (s 47(3)). That duty continue, subject to exceptions (such as visas quota filled: s 39 or consideration suspended: s 84), until a decision to grant or refuse to grant the visa (s 47(2)(b)) in the performance of a complementary duty imposed by s 65 (for eg satisfying the health criteria, if any and the other visa criteria, and the grant of the visa is not prevented by s 40 (circumstances when granted) or s 91W (evidence of identity and bogus documents) or s 91WB (applications of protection visas by members of same family unit) or s 500A (refusal or cancellation of temporary safe haven visas) or s 501 (special power to refuse or cancel) or others). What this mean is that satisfying the visa grant criteria is not necessary enough for the visa to be granted. The visa applicant must also satisfy s 65. It should be noted that ss 91W, 91WA and 91WB apply only to protection visas.
Most Australian visas have visa conditions attached to the visa (click here to learn more).
Australian Visas are categorised by Class and Subclass. A subclass is the visa number and some visa subclasses may come under 1 Class, for eg, in Class TU there is subclass 500 (Student) visa and subclass 590 (Student Guardian).
As a general rule, when applying for most Australian visas while you are in Australia, the Department of Immigration (Department of Home Affairs) will grant you a bridging visa (BV) to allow you to stay in the country until the visa application is finally determined.
If you are in Australia and your visa was cancelled or your visa application was refused, you may be prevented from applying for most visa. This is known as “section 48 bar” (click here to learn more about section 48 bar).
You can only apply for some Australian visas if you are in Australia (Onshore) while other visas require you to be outside of Australia when lodging the application (Offshore).
If you holds an APEC card, you do not need a visa to enter Australia (click here to learn more).
The below are currently (1 July 2021) available Australian Visas & Visa Fees (VAC: Sch 1). Click on the subclass to learn more.
| Visa Subclass | Onshore or Offshore | BV | VAC |
| Subclass 010 | Onshore (auto grant) | No | Nil |
| Subclass 020 | Onshore | No | $160 |
| Subclass 030 | Onshore (auto grant) | No | Nil |
| Subclass 040 | Onshore | No | Nil |
| Subclass 041 | Onshore | No | Nil |
| Subclass 050 | Onshore | No | Nil |
| Subclass 051 | Onshore | No | Nil |
| Subclass 060 | Onshore | No | Nil |
| Subclass 070 | Onshore | No | Nil |
| Subclass 100 | Onshore | Yes | $7,850 |
| Subclass 101 | Offshore | No | $2,710 |
| Subclass 102 | Offshore | No | $2,665 |
| Subclass 103 | On & offshore | Yes (retiree) | $6,490 |
| Subclass 114 | Offshore | No | $6,490 |
| Subclass 115 | Offshore | No | $6,490 |
| Subclass 116 | Offshore | No | $3,890 |
| Subclass 117 | Offshore | No | $1,660 |
| Subclass 124 | Offshore | No | see 858 |
| Subclass 132 | On & Offshore | Yes (Onshore) | Removed |
| Subclass 143 | On & Offshore | Yes (retiree) | $47,825 |
| Subclass 151 | On & Offshore | No | $8,915 |
| Subclass 155 | On & Offshore | No | $410 |
| Subclass 157 | On & Offshore | No | $410 |
| Subclass 159 | On & Offshore | Yes (Onshore) | $210 |
| Subclass 173 | On & Offshore | No | $31,980 |
| Subclass 186 | On & Offshore | Yes (Onshore) | $13,915 |
| Subclass 187 | On & Offshore | Yes (Onshore) | $13,915 |
| Subclass 188 | On & Offshore | Yes (Onshore) | $15,880 |
| Subclass 189 | On & Offshore | Yes (Onshore) | $9,000 |
| Subclass 190 | On & Offshore | Yes (Onshore) | $9,000 |
| Subclass 191 | Onshore | Yes | NA |
| Subclass 200 | Offshore | No | Nil |
| Subclass 201 | Offshore | No | Nil |
| Subclass 202 | Offshore | No | $19,449 |
| Subclass 203 | Offshore | No | Nil |
| Subclass 204 | Offshore | No | Nil |
| Subclass 300 | Offshore | No | $7,850 |
| Subclass 309 | Offshore | No | Nil |
| Subclass 400 | Offshore | No | $315 |
| Subclass 403 | On or Offshore | No | $315 |
| Subclass 407 | On or Offshore | Yes (Onshore) | $315 |
| Subclass 408 | On or Offshore | Yes (Onshore) | $315 |
| Subclass 444 | Visa On Arrival | No | Nil |
| Subclass 445 | On or Offshore | Yes (Onshore) | $2,675 |
| Subclass 449 | Offshore | No | Nil |
| Subclass 461 | On or Offshore | Yes (Onshore) | $370 |
| Subclass 462 | On or Offshore | Yes (Onshore) | $495 |
| Subclass 476 | On or Offshore | Yes (Onshore) | $410 |
| Subclass 482 | On & Offshore | Yes (Onshore) | $2,690 |
| Subclass 485 | Onshore | Yes | $1,680 |
| Subclass 491 | On or Offshore | Yes (Onshore) | $4,115 |
| Subclass 494 | On or Offshore | Yes (Onshore) | $13,915 |
| Subclass 500 | On or Offshore | Yes (Onshore) | $630 |
| Subclass 590 | On or Offshore | Yes (Onshore) | $630 |
| Subclass 600 | On or Offshore | Yes (Onshore) | $145 |
| Subclass 601 | Offshore | No | $20 (service) |
| Subclass 602 | On or Offshore | Yes (Onshore) | $320 |
| Subclass 651 | Offshore | No | Nil |
| Subclass 771 | Airport | No | Nil |
| Subclass 773 | Airport | No | Nil |
| Subclass 785 | Onshore | Yes | $3,005 |
| Subclass 786 | Onshore | Yes | NIl |
| Subclass 790 | Onshore | Yes | $40 |
| Subclass 800 | Onshore | N/A | Nil |
| Subclass 801 | Onshore | Yes | $7,850 |
| Subclass 802 | Onshore | Yes | $2,710 |
| Subclass 804 | Onshore | Yes | $6,490 |
| Subclass 808 | On or Offshore | Yes (Onshore) | $315 |
| Subclass 820 | Onshore | Yes | Nil |
| Subclass 835 | Onshore | Yes | $6,490 |
| Subclass 836 | Onshore | Yes | $3,860 |
| Subclass 837 | Onshore | Yes | $1,630 |
| Subclass 838 | Onshore | Yes | $6,415 |
| Subclass 851 | Onshore | Yes | Nil |
| Subclass 852 | On or Offshore | Yes (Onshore) | Nil |
| Subclass 858 | Onshore | Yes | $9,000 |
| Subclass 866 | Onshore | Yes | $40 |
| Subclass 870 | On or Offshore | Yes (Onshore) | $5k – $10k |
| Subclass 884 | On or Offshore | Yes (Onshore) | $33,285 |
| Subclass 887 | Onshore | Yes | $8,845 |
| Subclass 888 | Onshore | Yes | $2,590 |
| Subclass 890 | Onshore | Yes | $2,450 |
| Subclass 891 | Onshore | Yes | $2,450 |
| Subclass 892 | Onshore | Yes | $2,450 |
| Subclass 893 | Onshore | Yes | $2,450 |
| Subclass 988 | Offshore | No | Nil |
| Subclass 995 | On or Offshore | Yes | Nil |
Click here to learn if you can apply for more than 1 visa at the same time.
Australian migration law is complex and difficult to understand, contact our immigration lawyer for a consultation (fee applies) to help you understand Australian Visas & Visa Fees or to decide which is the best visa for you.
O41 222 4020 or WeChat: AUDvisa
This article is not intended to be or taken as migration legal advice. The author of this article disclaims any liability for any action or omission on the information provided or not provided in this article. You should always consult an immigration lawyer or a registered migration agent to form an informed opinion on your immigration matter.
