23 May 2017

Starting a New Australian Migration Year

An overview of recent migration changes including increased visa application charges and visa processing times.

New Migration Year approaching

Every year on 1st July the new Australian migration year commences. It is on this date that we expect changes to existing legislation to be released from the Department of Border Protection (DIBP). Generally we are not given notice of major changes; however a few anticipated changes have been released this month such as price increases.

The recent removal of 200 occupations from the skilled occupation lists is an example of how quickly changes to skilled migration can occur. As migration legislation changes it's becoming increasingly important to use the services of an OMARA Registered Migration Agent to process your visa application.

Visa Price Increase due on 1st July 2017

As part of the 2017-18 Budget, the Australian Government has declared a number of changes to existing Visa Application Charges (VACs). These charges are paid directly to the DIBP on lodgement to process your visa application.

New Visa Application Charges (VACs)
Please see below an overview of the new VACs which will be implemented on 1 July 2017:

Visa Type

Existing VAC

New VAC

Skilled Visa (189, 190 and 489)

$3600/$1800/$900 AUD

$3670/$1835/$920 AUD

Spouse Visa (100/309)

$6865/$3435/$1720 AUD

$7000/$3505/$1755 AUD

Prospective Marriage Visa (801)

$1145/$575/$285 AUD

$1170/$585/$290 AUD

Contributory Parent Visa (143)

$3695/$1245/$625 AUD

$3770/$1270/$640

*The prices above are main applicant fee / second applicant fee (over 18) / second applicant fee (under 18)

You can see all the new Visa Application Charges on the 2017-18 Budget Visa Price Increase Fact Sheet available on the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) website.

If your visa has already been lodged these price increases do not affect you.

Processing Times for Skilled Visas

As we come to the end of the migration year processing times typically increase, meaning you will wait longer for a decision on your visa. The main reason for this is Australian visa allocations are filling up as we approach July.

You can track current global processing times for visas via the DIBP website.

In the past month the processing times for skilled visas have varied from 3-7 months from lodgement. It's important to note these are estimates released from the DIBP and each case is assessed on a case-by-case basis. Priority processing cannot be issued and we have been advised against contacting Immigration for updates.

Please do not make any irreversible decisions such as selling your house or arranging travel until your visas have been granted.

If you want to find out more about using an OMARA Migration Agent:


Alternatively you can meet the Visa Bureau team at our upcoming UK seminars.


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