Australia Announces Increase in Application Fees and High-Income Threshold

With effect from July 1, 2024, Australia has made significant changes to its immigration laws that would affect income thresholds and application fees. These modifications represent a significant turning point in Australia’s immigration environment, impacting several visa categories and qualifying standards.

We’ll talk about the high-income threshold adjustment and higher visa application fees in this blog post. Examine these revisions to see how they may affect your visa applications and to make sure you are adhering to the most recent financial thresholds and immigration laws in Australia.

Increased Visa Application Fees

The Australian government increased the cost of applying for several different categories of visas, including

• Temporary Skill Shortage Subclass 482 Visa
• Short-term Stream
• Temporary Skill Shortage Subclass 482 Visa
• Medium-term and Labor Agreement Streams
• Skilled Employer-sponsored Regional Subclass 494 Visa
• Temporary Work Short-stay Specialist Subclass 400 Visa
• Training Subclass 407 Visa
• Employer Nomination Schemes Subclass 186 Visa
• Global Talent Subclass 858 Visa

These cost hikes also apply to Administrative Appeals Tribunal reviews of visa sponsorship and nominations, as well as applications for Australian citizenship.

Fair Work High Income Threshold (FWHIT) Adjustment

The Fair Work Commission raised the Fair Work High Income threshold from $167,500 to $175,000 in tandem with increases in visa fees. Employees over 45 who want to be excluded from the age limitations for permanent visas due to income criteria may be impacted by this revision. It’s possible that those who were previously exempt must now maintain eligibility by meeting the new Fair Work High-Income criteria.

These updates highlight how Australia’s visa policy is changing and the new financial factors that applicants need to take into account. Keep yourself updated so that your visa applications comply with the most recent rules and requirements.

Australian Student Visa Fee Hike 2024 & Ongoing Debate

The idea to increase the cost of Australian student visas sparks controversy. International students may find themselves in hot water if they plan to study in Australia. For certain students, the planned increase in the cost of an Australian student visa could prove disastrous. Let’s explore what this rise means for overseas students studying in Australia.

In Australia, there has been talk of raising the cost of student visas. The goal of this action is to lessen the strain that international matriculates place on markets. On the other hand, some contend that fewer foreign students will make matters worse.

The Gretton Institute, an Australian public policy think tank, suggested last month raising the application fees for student visas from 750 to 2500 Australian dollars. These fees must be paid by all applicants, regardless of whether they are granted a visa.

Since the epidemic, the number of overseas students studying in Australia has increased dramatically to over 650,000, more than doubling the figure from 2012 and double the proportion compared to native speakers in the UK and Canada. Moreover, it stated that the limited supply of housing caused by this spike has increased demand for housing, with rent rising by roughly 10% for every 100,000 new residents.

The national income rises as larger rent payments flourish. The wealth gap has also widened because Australians hold the majority of the rental properties. It helps the older, wealthier homeowners, but it puts more financial strain on the younger, impoverished renters.

Further Details

Gretton Institute researchers stated that rather than adding a tax to international student fee earnings, the goal of raising the student visa cost should be to deter students from traveling to Australia to enroll in less expensive and lower-quality courses.

They said that raising the application fee for student visas would bring in $1 billion a year, which could be used to benefit homeless tenants. Furthermore, the Gretton Institute asserts that since talented students have already paid an additional $150,000 for their bachelor’s degree, the rise in the visa price won’t discourage them from choosing a prestigious Australian university to study at.

Since last year, Australia has confirmed new regulations impacting overseas student registration, such as increased financial proof requirements and more stringent evaluation procedures. Not only that, but official data from the Australian government showed that the clearance rate for student visa applications was consistently above 90% from 2006 to 2022. However, for the 2021–2022 academic year, it fell to 86%, and for the last year, it dropped to a record-breaking 81.5%.

According to the Australian Department of Education, the nation welcomed approximately 768,000 international students in October of last year, with China, India, and Nepal accounting for the greatest numbers. But with more than 31,000 students studying in Australia, Vietnam came in sixth.