Australia Raised Its Student Visa Fee to 2,500 Dollars: What Changed Since 2023
By Muntasir • Published Aug 16, 2026 • Updated Sep 27, 2026 • Visas & Student Mobility, Canadians Studying Abroad, Canada Higher Ed News & Policy
Australia's Subclass 500 student visa fee jumped from AUD 710 before July 2024 to AUD 2,500 from July 1, 2026, a rise of more than 250 percent in two years. The July 2026 update also added new fee tiers for English-language courses, regional passports, and the post-study work visa.
💵 AUD 710 before July 2024, AUD 1,600 from July 1, 2024, AUD 2,000 from July 1, 2025, AUD 2,500 from July 1, 2026
📩 ELICOS English course applicants pay a separate AUD 2,050 rate
🎓 The Subclass 485 post study work visa fee rose to AUD 5,750, up from AUD 4,600
AUD 2,500 converts to roughly CAD 2,250 to CAD 2,350, and rates shift daily
The fee climbed every year since 2024
Australia's Subclass 500 student visa charge sat at AUD 710 for years before jumping to AUD 1,600 on July 1, 2024, a 125 percent increase in a single year. The government raised it again to AUD 2,000 on July 1, 2025, then to AUD 2,500 on July 1, 2026. Across two years the fee rose 56 percent, and against the pre-2024 baseline it more than tripled. A Canadian student who paid the old AUD 710 fee before July 2024 now pays almost four times as much for the same visa.
| Effective date | Subclass 500 fee (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Before July 1, 2024 | 710 |
| July 1, 2024 | 1,600 |
| July 1, 2025 | 2,000 |
| July 1, 2026 | 2,500 |
The July 2026 increase came through the Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Regulations . The government describes the increases as a way to fund the migration system and keep the student visa program financially sustainable.
New fee tiers arrived alongside the increase
The July 2026 update split the Subclass 500 fee into several tiers based on your course and passport, not one flat rate.
Standard applicants pay AUD 2,500
Applicants studying an ELICOS English course pay a separate AUD 2,050 rate
ASEAN passport holders pay a reduced AUD 2,050 fee, introduced to strengthen education ties with Southeast Asia
Applicants from Pacific Island nations and Timor-Leste pay a lower AUD 745 fee
A dependant aged 18 or older adds AUD 1,530, and a dependant under 18 adds AUD 500
The Subclass 485 post study work visa fee rose too, from AUD 4,600 to AUD 5,750, a 25 percent increase, so the cost of staying to work after your degree went up in the same round of changes.
Part of a bigger integrity push
The fee increases arrived alongside broader checks on Australia's international education sector. From March 2024, Australia replaced the Genuine Temporary Entrant requirement with the Genuine Student requirement, adding stricter checks on visa applications and refusing more borderline cases. Australia also raised the financial capacity threshold you must show alongside your visa application in the same integrity push, on top of the fee itself. Combined with three fee increases in three years, from AUD 710 to AUD 2,500, the cost and the scrutiny of an Australian student visa both went up over a short period.
What this costs in Canadian dollars
AUD 2,500 works out to about CAD 2,250 to CAD 2,350 depending on the day's exchange rate. Budget the visa fee on top of your tuition deposit, Overseas Student Health Cover, and the funds you show for your Subclass 500 application . The visa fee alone now costs more than round trip airfare from most Canadian cities to Australia. Check the fee on the Department of Home Affairs website before you pay, since rates change on July 1 and this fee has moved every year since 2024.