Australia doubles student visa fee to Rs 1.05 lakh, bans onshore applications: Impact on Indians

Australia has more than doubled the cost of its student visa, raising fees from AUD 710 to AUD 1,600, (Rs 46,000 to Rs 1.05 lakh), a move that has triggered outrage among international students and education sector bodies, and comes just months after the country also doubled its post-study work visa fee.

The changes place Australia at the top of the global rankings for student visa costs, surpassing Canada, New Zealand, the US and the UK.

The latest revision also bans onshore visa applications. International students currently in Australia on Temporary Graduate, Visitor or Maritime Crew visas will no longer be able to apply for a student visa from within the country, they must now submit applications from abroad. Separately, the Australian government has already lowered the age limit for Temporary Graduate visa applicants from 50 to 35 years, effective July 1.

The cumulative impact on Indian students, among the largest cohorts of international students in Australia, is significant.

The post-study visa hike that came first

The student visa increase follows a similarly abrupt decision in March, when Australia doubled the application fee for its Temporary Graduate visa (Subclass 485) from AUD 2,300 to AUD 4,600 overnight, without any prior notice to the sector. The 485 visa is the primary pathway through which international graduates remain in Australia to live and work after completing their studies.

The fee increases arrived at a time when international graduates were already struggling to find work in Australia. A survey of around 8,500 postgraduate students at the University of Melbourne, conducted by a CAPA member organisation, found that 55% of international students cited difficulty finding employment as a major issue, compared with 32% of domestic students. A lack of career support was identified as the biggest study-related concern, cited by 28% of respondents.

Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations’ national president, Jesse Garden-Russell, highlighted the structural barriers already in place. “The Australian job market is already seen to be exclusionary to temporary migrants trying to transition to skilled work, as many employers require permanent residency for graduate positions. In a period where the job market is already tough for our international students, doubling the cost of their ticket to play, the 485 Temporary Graduate Visa, means that those who have already integrated into Australian society and want to contribute to growing our economy, will be unable to participate.”

He invoked a principle Australia has long associated with itself: “Australia’s society centres around the fair go. We are meant to be a country which gives a leg up to battlers to help them succeed.