australian student visa cost doubled when the federal government announced it would more than double the temporary graduate visa application fee, a change flagged starting March 2026. The non-refundable charge has risen to A$4, 600 for most applicants, up from A$2, 300, hitting international graduates trying to extend their stay after finishing studies. Students and union representatives say the move was announced without meaningful consultation and will force urgent choices for those mid-transition from study to work.
Key facts and immediate impact
The fee hike lifts the temporary graduate visa application from A$2, 300 to A$4, 600 and takes effect starting March 2026, with information published by the Department of Home Affairs on 1 March (ET). The increase is non-refundable and applies to the majority of applicants, while exemptions remain in place for eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens and for students who studied in regional areas. The change makes the Australian fee far above comparable post-study visa costs listed for New Zealand (A$1, 406), Canada (A$262), the UK (A$1, 665) and the US (A$661).
Immediate consequences are practical and financial: graduates whose student visas are due to expire in mid-March are confronting a sudden, steep additional expense if they wish to remain onshore. Government material shows the temporary graduate visa permits eligible international graduates to live and work full time in Australia after completing eligible qualifications; the higher fee now applies to that pathway. The Department of Home Affairs provided notice on 1 March (ET) that the application charge had been increased effective immediately for most applicants.
Australian Student Visa Cost Doubled
The rise follows a pattern of recent tightening and fee increases in the international student sector. In mid-2024 (ET), the non-refundable student visa fee was more than doubled from A$710 to A$1, 600, and other reforms reduced the age eligibility for temporary graduate visas to 35 while shortening the maximum stay from six years to three years. Data covering the year to 31 January show a 33% drop in temporary graduate visas granted, falling to 84, 354 offers from 126, 348 in the prior period.
Immediate reactions from students, unions and government
“I was devastated to log on and find the fee had suddenly doubled with no transitional grace period, ” said Jimmy, an engineering graduate from a prestigious Australian university, describing how the timing left those who finished studies in December and face student visas expiring on 15 March (ET) in limbo.
“Being blindsided by the country that hundreds of thousands of students have called home sends a clear message about our standing, ” said Ariya Masud, International Officer, National Union of Students, who called the unilateral fee hike a failure of consultation and warned many graduates will be uncertain if they can afford to remain in the country.
A spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs said information about the increase was published on 1 March (ET) and noted Australia continues to offer post-study work rights and other migration pathways for highly qualified graduates who choose not to apply for the temporary graduate visa under the new charge.
Quick context
The temporary graduate visa allows eligible international students to live and work full time in Australia after completing approved qualifications. The latest fee rise is the most recent in a series of Commonwealth reforms affecting international students and post-study work arrangements.
What’s next
Students with applications pending or student visas expiring on or around 15 March (ET) face immediate decisions about whether to pay the new, higher fee or pursue alternate pathways. Expect intensified scrutiny in coming days from student groups and scrutiny of departmental guidance after the Department of Home Affairs published the change on 1 March (ET). The australian student visa cost doubled remains the central flashpoint as unions and graduates weigh formal responses while individuals decide their next moves.
