Australia Announces 25% Student Visa Fee Hike & ELICOS Fee Fixed at $2,050

What is New in 2026?

In regard to the recent Australia Student Visa Fee Hike 2026, the application fee for Subclass 500 student visas has increased from $ 2,000 to $ 2,500 for higher education and vocational courses (VET), which is a rise by 25%. Also, the Department of Home Affairs has introduced separate pricing for English language (ELICOS) students for the first time, whose fee has gone up slightly from $ 2,000 to $ 2,050. Students from ASEAN countries will pay the same lower $ 2,050 rate, while applicants from Pacific Island nations continue paying $ 745. Foreign school exchange students in Australia can now obtain visas for free.

The steeper hike has landed on the Temporary Graduate visa (Subclass 485), used by international graduates for post-study work rights. Its fee has increased by 25%, from $ 4,600 to $ 5,750, which is the second increase in four months, following the doubling of its fee to $ 4,600 from 1 March 2026. Partner visa fees have also been hiked sharply, from $ 9,365 to $ 11,710, along with salary requirements for employer-sponsored skilled visas.

The announced changes in fees for different Australian student visas are as follows:

Why Fees Rose Again?

The Australia Student Visa Fee Hike 2026 is introduced as part of the government's continued effort to regulate the number of international students and increase the income from the issuance of visas, after similar fee hikes were introduced throughout 2025 and at the start of 2026. The Australian Government has failed to provide a detailed explanation for the introduction of the new fees without consultation with the educational sector.

However, industry leaders argue that the fee hike is being used as an informal means of controlling migration numbers through the regulation of post-study work numbers in Subclass 485.

Australia vs Other Countries

The Australia Student Visa Fee hike 2026 will leave the nation more expensive than the “Big Four” competitors in its league. In the US, the fee is approximately $ 775; in the UK, $ 935; in Canada, $ 240; and in New Zealand, $ 790.

These figures represent mere fractions of Australia’s fee of $ 2,500 for the same visa. Since 2022, the student visa fee in Australia has increased by 285%, while the graduate work visa fee increased by 148%.

Tips for Students

To aspiring applicants, especially those coming from India and other significant source nations, the Australia Student Visa Fee hike 2026 increases the burden in what is already a tough and uncertain visa application process. The extra $ 2,500 ($ 2,050 for ELICOS) must be considered while budgeting for study abroad as early as possible, while checking for current fees directly on the website of the Department of Home Affairs before applying, since there may be more upcoming changes, considering that this trend began a year ago.