KEY POINTS
- Application fees for working holiday and international student visas are among those that are increasing.
- An increase to the Passenger Movement Charge means it will cost more to leave Australia.
- The government hopes to improve visa processing times.
Tourists, backpackers, and international students seeking to come to Australia are set to be slugged with higher visa application fees.
From 1 July this year, the government will increase application charges for a range of visa types including the select visitor and temporary visa subclasses, budget papers show.
And it will cost more to leave Australia, with the Passenger Movement Charge set to increase.
Visa types set for a fee hike include the visitor, working holiday, work and holiday, training, temporary activity, and temporary work short stay specialist.
The budget contains application fee hikes for a number of visas. Source: SBS News
A student 500 visa application fee, which affects international students, will be hiked from $650 to $715.
And a working holiday visa, the type used by backpackers, will be raised from $510 to $640.
The Pacific Engagement Visa and Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme will not be affected by the fee hike.
The government said it would use the $665 million raised from fee hikes over five years to improve visa processing times and “other government priorities”.
Who else will be charged more?
People leaving the country on international flights or sea transport will be slugged an extra $10.
The Passenger Movement Charge, a charge levied on passengers departing Australia on international flights or sea transport, will be hiked from 1 July 2024, from $60 to $70 per passenger.
What’s happening for international students?
Work rights are changing for international students. They’ll be allowed to work for an extra two years after graduating from certain degrees from 1 July this year.
The work hour cap for international student visa holders will be reinstated from 1 July 2023, following its removal during the COVID-19 pandemic.
READ MORE
Australian visa changes for 2023-24
It will be increased by eight hours from pre-pandemic levels to 48 hours per fortnight.
International students working in the aged care sector will be exempt from the 48-hours-per-fortnight work limit until 31 December 2023.
