Australia hikes student visa fee for international students by 25%

The Australian student visa fee has been increased by 25% for international students looking to study in Australian universities. However, the increase is far less than the fee hike implemented in 2024. ​The fee for international student visas was hiked by 125% in 2024 when the fee was increased from $710 to $1,600.

For 2025, the visa application charge (VAC) for Student visas (subclass 500) and Student Guardian visas (subclass 590) has been increased from AUD $1,600 for a primary applicant to AUD $2,000. The new student visa fee will be effective from 1 July 2025.

Subclass 500 is the student visa that allows international students to visit Australia to study in an Australian university or college for up to five years.

The student visa fees from 1 July 2025, will be AUD$2,000 per visa application unless you are exempt. The increase does not apply to Pacific Island and Timor-Leste Student visa applicants.

Students and their family members who are making a combined application with the student might not have to pay the base application charge if they are secondary exchange students or applying for courses approved under a student’s training scheme approved by the Commonwealth to study in Australia.

The base application charge is also not payable if you are applying for a new Student visa (subclass 500) because of an education provider default.You must first enroll in a course at an Australian education or training provider before applying for a student visa. Once you have received a confirmation of enrollment (CoE) from the provider, you can apply for Subclass 500 student visa.

The student (subclass 500) visa allows you to study the following study types:

• higher education
• Vocational and Education Training (VET)
• pathway courses
• English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS)
• primary and secondary school
• secondary school exchange programs
• postgraduate research
• non-award courses (such as Study Abroad and Exchange semesters), and
• international students sponsored by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) or Defence.

 In addition to the Base application charge of AUD$2,000, there is an additional applicant charge for 18 and over of AUD$1,225 and AUD$400 for under 18 persons. If you are in Australia when you lodge your application, the subsequent temporary application charge (STAC) of AUD 700 may be payable.

Why Has the Student Visa Fee Increased?

The official reason given by the Australian Government for this increase is to better support the immigration system, fund compliance activities, and ensure that visa processing reflects the true cost of administration.

Here are some detailed reasons:

• Stronger scrutiny on visa applications: To prevent abuse of the student visa system and to ensure only genuine students apply.
• Rising operational costs: Processing, biometrics, and verification costs have increased.
• Funding for border security and integrity checks.
• Encouragement for genuine applicants only: By increasing costs, Australia aims to deter non-genuine applicants who may be misusing student visas for migration purposes.