Australia Immigration Overview: Costs, Timeline and Process in 2026
Updated: 2 days ago
Budget for Australian migration by separating government application charges, professional and provider fees, settlement expenses and capital. Start with the visa stream and eligible family members, then check the actual dates and payment conditions.
Current government fees: choose the exact stream
The table below records Australian-dollar amounts observed in the rendered Home Affairs pricing table on 13 November 2026. The official page shows a 1 July 2026 update. These are the displayed base and additional-applicant charges, not the entire cost of migration. Assess exemptions, second instalments, payment surcharges and any applicable subsequent temporary application charge separately.
Visa / stream | Base AUD | Additional 18+ AUD | Additional under 18 AUD |
189 Points-tested | 6,135 | 3,070 | 1,540 |
190／491／186 DE、TRT、LA／494 ES、LA | 6,140 | 3,070 | 1,535 |
482 SID Core／Specialist／Labour Agreement | 4,015 | 4,015 | 1,005 |
500 All other students | 2,500 | 1,530 | 500 |
500 ELICOS／Non-Award | 2,050 | 1,255 | 410 |
600 Tourist：outside Australia | 250 | N/A | N/A |
600 Tourist：in Australia | 630 | N/A | N/A |
858 National Innovation | 6,235 | 3,120 | 1,560 |
A family calculation with explicit assumptions
Assume one principal applicant, one eligible additional adult and one eligible child under 18 are included in the same applicable application. The displayed 190 charges total AUD6,140 + AUD3,070 + AUD1,535 = AUD10,745. For SID 482, the corresponding sum is AUD4,015 + AUD4,015 + AUD1,005 = AUD9,035. Neither example includes other charges, professional work, third-party services or settlement. The calculation does not establish family eligibility.
The current table shows different under-18 amounts for the points-tested and Hong Kong 189 streams. Do not silently standardise them. Tourist 600 applicants apply separately; an N/A additional-applicant entry does not mean free family applications.
Student dependants: a charge column is not permission to include them
Study Australia explains that, from 2 October 2026, new Student visa applications generally cannot include family members unless an exemption applies, with specified transitional arrangements for existing families in Australia. Family members cannot be added after grant. Check the actual exemption, course and lodgement position before budgeting a family move or paying non-refundable tuition. The published fee columns do not override eligibility rules.
Separate application expenses from settlement and capital
Budget category | Evidence to obtain | Treatment |
Assessment, English, health, police and translation | Provider, location, scope and relevant family members | Use actual quotations; a generic range is not a bill |
Professional services | Responsible person, tasks, stages, extra work and refund terms | Separate from government charges and approval outcomes |
State and employer processes | Applicable authority, recipient and lawful payer | Do not relabel costs that cannot lawfully be passed to a worker |
Moving, living, education and insurance | City, household, transition period and current quotations | A separate household cash-flow plan |
Investments, deposits and reserves | Liquidity, exit, refund and availability conditions | Do not describe every cash requirement as a consumed service fee |
Plan timing and payments by stage
Evidence preparation, testing, assessment, EOI or nomination waiting, invited application and government processing are different stages. Follow the actual invitation and official instructions. A processing estimate does not promise when a family will receive permanent residence, and lodging an EOI does not establish an invitation. Keep income that has not been secured out of the guaranteed-funds column.
Record the remaining amount, earliest payment date, cancellation terms and funding source for each item. Keep the Australian-dollar price when adding a home-currency estimate, and date the exchange-rate assumption and transaction charges. Test the budget against a delayed job start or changed pathway; leave unquoted items marked for confirmation rather than zero.
Avoid obsolete visa labels, charges and professional claims
New 482 cases use Skills in Demand and the applicable stream, with later 186 eligibility and charges assessed separately. BIIP closed to new applications on 31 July 2024; existing 188 and 888 matters need their own review. The correct name is National Innovation visa. NIV priorities P2, P3 and P4 are not three investment visa products that can be purchased for a fixed amount.
A later 191 application following an eligible regional visa has separate requirements; do not carry over an obsolete minimum-income threshold or assume permanent residence after three calendar years. Police, health and translation evidence depends on the applicable instructions. Confirm the professional responsible for the engagement; this article does not rely on unverified licences, years of experience or claims that using a lawyer increases approval chances.
Request a defined PremierVisa assessment
Provide your occupation, intended pathway, assessment and English status, location, family ages, destination and available funds. PremierVisa Group can help identify preparation tasks and cost questions. Before engagement, confirm the responsible professional, written service scope, itemised fees and refund terms. Separate immigration preparation from any legal, investment or tax advice that requires its own professional engagement.
Frequently asked questions about costs
Is there one total price for Australian migration?
No. Calculate the applicable visa and family charges, then separate provider, professional and settlement expenses.
Should a family multiply the principal 190 charge by three?
No. Under the stated principal, eligible adult and eligible under-18 assumptions, the three displayed charges total AUD10,745, before other expenses.
Does N/A mean free family applications for Tourist 600?
No. Each person applies separately, with any relevant exemption assessed individually.
Does a Student fee column establish dependant eligibility?
No. Check the restrictions, exemptions and transitional arrangements applying from 2 October 2026.
Is investment capital a consultancy fee?
No. Separate capital, fund charges, government fees, professional services and living reserves.
Are NIV P2, P3 and P4 investment products?
No. NIV means National Innovation visa; these labels are official processing priorities.
Does the table include every second instalment or surcharge?
No. Check your stream, English position, payment method and application history for additional charges.
Does paying the correct charge ensure approval?
No. Payment, eligibility, invitation and visa approval are separate matters.
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