International students planning to stay and work in Australia after graduation may now face a much higher visa cost, following a major fee increase to the country’s main post-study work visa.
The change affects the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485), a popular visa that allows international students to remain in Australia after completing their studies to gain work experience.
Graduate visa fee jumps to $4,600
From 1 March 2026, the application fee for the Temporary Graduate visa has doubled from $2,300 to $4,600. The increase applies to new applications submitted from that date onward.
The visa is widely used by international graduates who want to stay in Australia temporarily to work, build professional experience and explore longer-term career or migration opportunities.
Higher costs for families
The price increase also applies to family members included in the visa application.
Under the updated fee structure:
- Adult secondary applicants must pay $2,300
- Applicants under 18 must pay $1,160
However, the government has confirmed that eligible passport holders from Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste will not be subject to the higher visa fee, reflecting Australia’s close ties with the region.
How are people reacting?
Speaking to The Guardian, the National Union of Students (NUS) international officer, Ariya Masud, said the decision to hike the visa application fee without consulting students meant many graduating students were uncertain whether they could afford to remain in Australia.
“Being blindsided by the country that over 800,000 current students have called their home for years sends a clear message to international students about their standing in Australian society,” she said.
Also speaking to The Guardian, Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) National President Jesse Gardner-Russell said the Australian job market was already exclusionary to temporary migrants trying to transition to skilled work, as many employers required permanent residency for graduate positions.
This marks the third time the federal government has increased the temporary graduate visa application charge since February 2025.
“Doubling the cost of their ticket to play … means that those who have already integrated into Australian society and want to contribute to growing our economy, will be unable to participate,” Gardner-Russell said. “These rules need to be reversed.”
Other recent changes affecting international students
The graduate visa fee increase comes alongside several other policy changes affecting international students.
Recent reforms include:
- A ban on education providers paying agent commissions for recruiting students who have already started studying with another provider
- The government passing an amendment giving the Administrative Review Tribunal more power to handle student visa refusal appeals solely through written submissions and not in-person hearings
What happens now?
According to SBS News, Phil Honeywood, Chief Executive of the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA), has stated he would be meeting with the Education Minister Jason Clare and the Assistant Minister for International Education Julian Hill to voice the sector's concerns and call for international student application fees to be lowered.
