Australian Visa Changes from 1 July 2026: Fees & Thresholds

Key Australian visa changes from 1 July 2026

Which Australian visa application charges increased?

Most Australian visa application charges have increased from 1 July 2026, with many subclasses seeing around a 25% rise in the first instalment of the visa application charge. The source does not list individual subclasses or exact dollar figures, so fee impacts must be checked per visa type.

What changed for Australian citizenship application fees?

Australian citizenship application fees have also risen from 1 July 2026, generally in line with CPI (~2.6%). The source does not provide specific dollar amounts or a breakdown by application type, only that the increase broadly follows inflation.

New TSMIT and thresholds for employer-sponsored visas

The Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) has increased to $79,423 per year for applications lodged on or after 1 July 2026. This impacts multiple employer-sponsored programs and directly affects eligibility assessments for nominated positions across key skilled visa subclasses.

Higher high-income threshold for SC 186 age exemption

The Fair Work High Income Threshold has risen from $183,100 to $190,100 per year. This primarily affects Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) applicants who rely on the high-income age exemption, as they now need to demonstrate earnings above $190,100 to use that pathway.

Working Holiday Visa age rules and timing changes

For both the Working Holiday visa (Subclass 417) and the Work and Holiday visa (Subclass 462), applicants must now meet the age requirement at the time of lodgement. Previously, assessment timing gave some applicants more flexibility; that is no longer the case under the new rules.

Applicants close to the maximum age limit may be particularly affected, because eligibility now locks to age at lodgement rather than at a later decision stage. Lowest since September 2025.

Who gets the higher 35-year Working Holiday age limit?

The maximum age for Subclass 417 Working Holiday applicants has increased from 30 to 35 years for passport holders from four countries only. This change follows updated reciprocal arrangements and does not apply to all Working Holiday partner countries.

Higher Administrative Review Tribunal and Federal Court fees

Applicants seeking judicial review in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia will also face higher costs. The standard filing fee has increased to $4,180, with reduced fees available for eligible applicants.

New ImmiAccount limits on importing visa applications

From 1 July 2026, a visa application can only be imported into ImmiAccount up to three times. Any further import attempts are blocked unless the Department of Home Affairs manually resets the limit, which changes how multi-user practices may handle shared files.

The Department encourages organisations managing applications across multiple users to use the Assign or Share functions instead of repeated imports. According to the source, this measure aims to improve privacy and reduce fraudulent activity within ImmiAccount workflows.

How the 1 July 2026 visa changes affect applicants, employers and providers

Fee increases of around 25% for many visa subclasses, alongside CPI-linked rises for humanitarian, protection and some student cohorts, mean total application costs are now materially higher. For agents and education providers, this could affect quoting, payment planning and demand patterns across different visa pathways.

Employer-sponsored programs face a dual shift: the TSMIT now at $79,423, and the Fair Work High Income Threshold at $190,100. Together, these changes may limit sponsorship options for lower-salaried roles and tighten access to the age exemption route under Subclass 186, particularly in sectors where salaries cluster just below these benchmarks.

Working Holiday and Work and Holiday applicants experience both opportunity and constraint. The new 35-year limit for Cyprus, Finland, Germany and South Korea widens access, while the requirement to meet age at lodgement narrows timing flexibility for all WHV and W&H applicants. One small change, two very different impacts.

Higher ART and Federal Court fees increase the financial stakes of review and litigation strategies. For some refused applicants, the jump to $3,727, $2,293 or $4,180 may influence whether they pursue review at all, or consider alternative options before escalating to tribunal or court.

For ImmiAccount users, the three-import limit reshapes digital practice management. Where multiple staff or external partners previously re-imported files repeatedly, the shift towards Assign/Share tools may require updated internal training and clearer role allocation. A small systems tweak, but potentially a large process adjustment for busy practices.

Practical next steps under the 1 July 2026 visa settings

With higher fees, new income thresholds and changed Working Holiday rules now live, what should applicants, employers and education providers consider next?

1. 01Confirm the current visa application charge for each relevant subclass immediately before lodgement, as the source does not provide a full fee table and charges "vary considerably".
2. 02For employer-sponsored cases (Subclasses 482, 186, 494, 187 where applicable), review nominated salaries against the new $79,423 TSMIT and ensure any high-income age exemption strategies for Subclass 186 align with the $190,100 threshold.
3. 03For Working Holiday (Subclass 417) and Work and Holiday (Subclass 462) clients, check that age requirements are met on the lodgement date, and confirm whether the 35-year cap applies based on passport country.
4. 04When considering ART or Federal Court review, factor in the updated fees of $3,727, $2,293 and $4,180 and assess how these interact with the prospects of success and available budget.
5. 05For practices using multiple ImmiAccounts, update internal procedures to favour Assign/Share over repeated imports, reducing the risk of hitting the three-import limit and needing manual resets from the Department.

Some readers will adjust quickly. Others will need to re-think entire strategies. Either way, the government’s 1 July 2026 update makes cost, income and age thresholds more central to almost every migration conversation.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute migration advice. Always consult a Registered Migration Agent (still widely known as a MARA agent) for advice specific to your circumstances.

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