Breaking News: Australia Implements Immediate Doubling of Student Visa Application Fees
Australia Doubles Student Visa Application Fees
July 1, 2024 - The Australian government has announced a significant increase in student visa fees, effective immediately. The application fee for a student visa will now be AUS$1,600, representing a 125% increase from the previous fee of AUS$710.
An official government release explains, "This increase reflects the increasing value of education in Australia and reflects the Government’s commitment to restoring integrity in the international education sector." The statement notes that the increase will help fund important initiatives in education and migration, including the "ongoing implementation of the Migration Strategy."
Minister for Home Affairs Clare O’Neil added, "The changes coming into force today will help restore integrity to our international education system, and create a migration system which is fairer, smaller, and better able to deliver for Australia."
The updated fee schedule for the Student visa (subclass 500) has been published on the Australian Department of Home Affairs website. The new charges include AUS$1,445 for each accompanying applicant aged 18 and over, and AUS$390 for each accompanying family member under 18 years of age.
Comparatively, student visa fees in Canada and the United States stand at CDN$150 (AUS$165) and US$185 (AUS$280), respectively.
This move comes less than two months after the government increased the minimum funds requirements for international students, the second increase in recent months. Though there was no mention of any increase in the government’s budget tabled on May 14, 2024, today’s announcement clarifies that the “later date” for the fee hike is now.
Additionally, the fee increase is being implemented amidst historically high rejection rates for student visa applications in the first four months of this year.
Vicki Thomson, Chief Executive of the Group of Eight leading research-intensive universities, responded, “Far from ‘restoring integrity in the international education sector,’ this measure will be a deterrent to international students. The recent crackdown on visa approvals has already sent a strong signal that we are not open for business. This increase in visa fees will reverse the diversification of countries from which students come, at the very time the Federal Government is encouraging our universities to attract quality students from the ASEAN region... It is death by a thousand cuts to our most successful services export sector.”
Posted 7 months ago