Latest on the Australian Subclass 485 Visa Fee Increase
Last week, the Department of Home Affairs quietly announced a system upgrade, during which only Subclass 485 visa applications were temporarily unable to use BPAY (from the 21st to the 28th, see Figure 2), while other visa types were unaffected.
Who would have thought that this was actually a covert increase in the Subclass 485 visa application fee. The relevant Legislative Instrument (LI) was in fact passed on 19 February (see Figures 3, 4, 5), and only published officially on the website yesterday.
Comparison of Subclass 485 Visa Fees (Including New Charges)
For a standard Subclass 485 application, the main applicant fee has jumped to AUD 4,600, with secondary applicants aged 18 and over paying AUD 2,300, and those under 18 paying AUD 1,160 (see header image). Applications may only be cheaper in the following scenarios.
1. Pacific Island passport holders (see Figure 6 for the list) applying for a second Subclass 485 visa
Main applicant AUD 905, secondary applicants aged 18 and over AUD 455, and those under 18 AUD 230.
2. Standard second Subclass 485 visa extension (see Figure 7)
Main applicant AUD 1,810, secondary applicants aged 18 and over AUD 910, and those under 18 AUD 460.
3. Pacific Island passport holders applying for a first Subclass 485 visa
Main applicant AUD 2,300, secondary applicants aged 18 and over AUD 1,150, and those under 18 AUD 580.
The Department of Home Affairs has not played fair here. Many applicants are holding a Subclass 315 expiring visa and were planning to lodge their application just before expiry — and I have clients who were supposed to submit their application this week but switched plans because BPAY was unavailable. Following that logic, if they really want to collect this 485 application fee from you, one has to wonder whether they might even deliberately delay Subclass 189 grants until after the 315 expiry. Let’s hope they aren’t as calculating as I imagine.
