TeeTMI

Visa Application Charge Increases 1st September

News just coming in that there will be an increase in many visa application charges as of the 1st September 2013!
As an example the Skilled Independent basic charge will increase from $3060 to $3520.

Primary Applicant $3,520
Secondary Applicant >18 $1,760
Secondary Applicant <18 $880

http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2013L01534

This along with the additional applicant fees introduced in August will be a real blow to many would-be visa applicants.

Tee

Pollyana

Ouch, going up again isn't good

I'll make this a sticky for a while.....

mrsgreenstar76

They're putting it up again already? Sometimes I wonder if they're trying to put people off applying.

Pollyana

quite a hike too, as its not a proper table yet its a bit hard to follow but working from existing figures it looks like $400 on a Spouse Visa, just for themain applicant.

rammygirl

Just hop they use the extra cash to speed up processing!

Topkiddy

I dont think they require any skilled migrants at all. This is getting silly.

George Lombard

Just a short note to say that this increase is also clearly an election initiative, but sadly not one which will ever be wound back - the major advantage for applicants is that at least you've been given three weeks' notice.

Cheers,

George Lombard

Pollyana

Its not just skilled migrants, family class are going up as well.

roaringmouse

Were the fees actually increased in July? I thought they just introduced new charges for additional people in the same application.

These September changes seem to be increases in the base application charge - of about 15%, which is on the high side for an increase and along the lines of what the UK was doing about 8-10 years ago.

Pollyana

In July they introduced charges for each applicant. instead of one overall fee. Not sure whether each charge itself increased - certainly for Spouse the original fee became the Main Applicant fee. That fee is now going up from $2680 to around $3000

roaringmouse

Indeed - 15% increases across the board for the base fee:

Offshore Partner - $2,680 increase to $3,085
Onshore Partner - $3,975 increase to $4,575

That's about £2,200 for an offshore applied in London, based on DIACs current conversion rates (or £1,800 using the real exchange rate). In 2005 I paid about £570 for my spouse visa, although there was a slightly better exchange rate at the time.

That's still less to get to PR stage than the UK spouse visa nowadays with 3 visa application charges, but catching up (based on no added dependents).

TeeTMI

Yes very few visas are included in the increase, there are some student visitor visas that were not increased.
I have not checked each visa individually but it looks as if most have increased by 15%.

prattech

--> At the start of year 2013, I was prepared to pay $3060 for Me & my wife on application.
--> From July, I again prepared my mind to pay 3060 + 1530 = $4590

--> & now since 19th Aug invitation round doesn't had any invitation for my occupation - 2613, I will have to prepare myself to pay $5280.


This is not good at all, hope they speed-up the process at least.

old.sparkles

Hi prattech - are you aware of the changes with your occupation group - http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=805175

prattech

Hello OS, thank you for asking. Yes, I'm aware of the changes.