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Migration

This is general information from the Department of Home Affairs’ own pages, not advice about your visa.

In Australia, only a registered migration agent or an Australian legal practitioner can lawfully charge you for immigration assistance. You can check an agent on the Register of Migration Agents.

Six visa charges, one ruler

Every visa class has its own item in the Migration Regulations, and its own price. This site lays six of them side by side, each copied exactly, so the difference between them is the length of a line.

The price in the lawMigration Regulations 1994, Schedule 1, six items

Six visa classes, one ruler

Base application charge, first instalment

  • Student (Temporary) (Class TU)for any other applicantitem 1222
    $2,500
  • Subclass 189 (Skilled—Independent)for any other applicant: First instalment—Visas in the Points‑tested streamitem 1137
    $6,135
  • Subclass 190 (Skilled—Nominated)for any other applicantitem 1138
    $6,140
  • Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional (Provisional))for any other applicantitem 1241
    $6,140
  • Protection (Class XA)item 1401
    $50
  • Refugee and Humanitarian (Class XB)for any other applicantitem 1402
    Nil

Every site in this family draws its charges on this one ruler, $0 to $8,000.

Not all of the components may apply to a particular application. Migration Regulations 1994, Schedule 1, notes to each item

Anyone else who asks to be paid

In Australia, only RMAs and legal practitioners can lawfully charge you for immigration assistance.

Home Affairs, Using a migration agent

Any provider of immigration assistance who: tells you they can fast track your Australian visa, tells you they can guarantee an Australian visa, is lying and may be trying to scam you.

Home Affairs, Using a migration agent

Even if someone recommends a migration agent to you, always check the Register of migration agents to make sure the person is a registered migration agent.

OMARA, Step by step

Free legal advice and help with your Protection visa application is available

Free legal help, on the Department’s pageHome Affairs, Protection visa (subclass 866), Help with your visa Search the Register of Migration Agents

Why print the price

A visa application charge is not set by whoever takes the payment. It is written into Schedule 1 of the Migration Regulations, item by item.

The receipt above copies the base application charge from six items as the compilation of 2 October 2026 prints them, each for the Schedule’s “any other applicant”. Other lines in each item set other amounts: for other applicants, for each person added and, in some items, a second instalment.

In the Department’s words

Where the words come from

Every figure on the receipt is copied from the Regulations, and every sentence in quotation marks from the page named beneath it. Charges change, usually each July, and instruments made under the Regulations decide some of who pays which line; the links open the versions in force today.