Effective 1 March 2026, Australia’s Department of Home Affairs hiked the base application fee for the Temporary Graduate (Subclass 485) visa from AUD 2,300 to AUD 4,600—roughly INR 3 lakh. The levy, announced without prior consultation, immediately makes Australia the most expensive destination for post-study work rights, with fees now double those of Canada and triple those of New Zealand.
The Subclass 485 visa lets foreign university graduates work in Australia for up to three years and is a common springboard to permanent residency. Education agents estimate that Indians accounted for nearly 25 per cent of the 96,000 485 visas granted in 2025; those planning to lodge applications this academic year must now budget an additional INR 1.5 lakh per principal applicant, plus sharply higher charges for dependants.
Student associations and universities have slammed the move, warning it could deter high-calibre STEM talent and undercut the Australian government’s own ‘India Economic Strategy 2030’, which targets deeper skills mobility with India. Some institutions are considering partial fee subsidies or bursaries to soften the blow for priority cohorts such as PhD candidates.
![Australia Doubles Post-Study Work Visa Fee; Indian Graduates Face INR 3 Lakh Bill]()
Amid such uncertainty, visa facilitation services like VisaHQ can simplify the process for Indian students and graduates. Through its India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/), applicants receive step-by-step guidance, document checks, and real-time updates, helping them avoid costly errors at a time when the financial stakes of an Australian application have never been higher.
For Indian employers that sponsor graduate trainees under international mobility programmes, the cost spike could necessitate re-negotiating relocation budgets or shifting placements to the UK and Canada, where post-study fees remain far lower.
Immigration advisers urge applicants to lodge complete submissions upfront; with a higher financial outlay at risk, refusals (already running at 15 per cent for Indian citizens in 2025) would be even more costly.
The Subclass 485 visa lets foreign university graduates work in Australia for up to three years and is a common springboard to permanent residency. Education agents estimate that Indians accounted for nearly 25 per cent of the 96,000 485 visas granted in 2025; those planning to lodge applications this academic year must now budget an additional INR 1.5 lakh per principal applicant, plus sharply higher charges for dependants.
Student associations and universities have slammed the move, warning it could deter high-calibre STEM talent and undercut the Australian government’s own ‘India Economic Strategy 2030’, which targets deeper skills mobility with India. Some institutions are considering partial fee subsidies or bursaries to soften the blow for priority cohorts such as PhD candidates.
Amid such uncertainty, visa facilitation services like VisaHQ can simplify the process for Indian students and graduates. Through its India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/), applicants receive step-by-step guidance, document checks, and real-time updates, helping them avoid costly errors at a time when the financial stakes of an Australian application have never been higher.
For Indian employers that sponsor graduate trainees under international mobility programmes, the cost spike could necessitate re-negotiating relocation budgets or shifting placements to the UK and Canada, where post-study fees remain far lower.
Immigration advisers urge applicants to lodge complete submissions upfront; with a higher financial outlay at risk, refusals (already running at 15 per cent for Indian citizens in 2025) would be even more costly.
