Australia visa fee April 2025: 13% hike to hit Indians visiting, studying

Studying or visiting Australia is going to pinch the pocket a bit more from today. Starting April 1, 2025, the Australian government has increased visa application charges by up to 13% across several categories, affecting Indian nationals planning to study, work or visit.  

 

For instance, the Student visa (subclass 500) now costs approximately AUD 1,808 (96,800), up from AUD 1,600 (Rs 85,600). Visitor and work visas have seen similar increases. A visitor visa that previously cost AUD 150 (Rs 8,030) now comes to around AUD 169.50 (Rs 9,070), while a work visa once priced at AUD 1,000 (Rs 53,530) now costs about AUD 1,130 (Rs 60,490).

 

 

Temporary graduate visa also more expensive

 

Back in February 2025, the government had already raised fees for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485), which is popular among international students completing their studies in Australia.

 

— The base application fee for primary applicants increased from AUD 1,945 to AUD 2,235, a 15% jump.

— For additional applicants aged 18 and over, the fee is now AUD 1,115.

— For those under 18, it’s AUD 560.

 

Different streams of the Temporary Graduate visa—such as the Post-Higher Education Work stream and the Post-Vocational Education Work stream—are all priced at the same level. Only the Second Post-Higher Education Work stream has a lower fee at AUD 880, with secondary applicants paying AUD 440 and AUD 225, depending on age.

 

The Department of Home Affairs said the changes were made to reflect inflation and the cost of processing visas.

 

Tuition fees going up too

 

Alongside visa fee hikes, several Australian universities have raised tuition fees for international students starting in 2025.  

 

— The University of Melbourne and the University of New South Wales have increased fees by up to 7%.

— Engineering at the University of Melbourne now costs AUD 56,480 a year.

— Clinical medicine courses have reached AUD 112,832 per year.

 

The universities said rising operational costs were behind the decision.

 

This latest increase comes months after Australia more than doubled the cost of its student visa in July 2024, raising it from AUD 710 to AUD 1,600 (Rs 39,546 to Rs 89,118).  

 

That change sparked criticism from both education consultants and prospective students.

 

The Albanese government said the increase would help fund educational initiatives, including lowering graduate debt and supporting apprentices.

 

“International education is an incredibly important national asset and we need to ensure its integrity and quality,” said Minister for Education Jason Clare.

 

Saurabh Arora, founder and CEO of University Living, told Business Standard the higher fees would push some students to look beyond Australia. “These changes will prompt international students to explore unconventional study destinations beyond the traditional four—US, UK, Canada and Australia,” Arora said.