485 graduate visa fees doubled, then rose again: strategy for 2026 graduates
Current as at 3 July 2026. Fees are FY2026‑27 figures; the charge in force on your lodgement date applies - confirm at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au before you lodge.
No visa subclass had a rougher 2026 on price than the Temporary Graduate (subclass 485). In the space of five months, the primary application charge for the Post-Higher Education Work stream went from $2,300 to $5,750 - a 150 per cent increase within a single academic year.
For international students finishing their courses this year, the 485 is still usually the bridge between graduation and a longer-term pathway. But at this price, it needs to be treated as a strategic investment with a plan attached - not an automatic next step.
The fee timeline
| Period | 485 primary charge (Post-Higher Education Work stream) | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| To 28 February 2026 | $2,300 | - |
| From 1 March 2026 | $4,600 | Charge roughly doubled by the Migration Amendment (Temporary Graduate Visa Application Charge) Regulations 2026 - a 2025‑26 MYEFO revenue measure - with a new four-tier charge structure |
| From 1 July 2026 | $5,750 | The ~25% across-the-board VAC indexation applied on top |
Additional applicant charges from 1 July 2026 are reported at $2,875 (18+) and $1,450 (under 18) - indicative figures to confirm on the Home Affairs fee calculator. The March 2026 changes also introduced a lower fee tier for Pacific Island and Timor-Leste passport holders, who were spared the doubling.
What did not change
The eligibility architecture is the same as the 2024 settings: an age limit of 35 for most applicants, English test results valid for one year, and the requirement to apply within the window after completing an eligible qualification. The cost changed; the gate did not. That matters because the eligibility clock - not the fee - is still the hard constraint. Missing your application window costs you the visa; the fee only costs you money.
Timing strategy for 2026‑27 graduates
1. Lodge within your window, but lodge deliberately
With the charge now fixed at $5,750 until at least 1 July 2027, there is no fee-driven urgency inside the year - the July increase has already happened. Use the time to lodge a complete, accurate application: at these prices, a refusal (the charge is generally not refundable) or a validity problem is an expensive way to learn about decision-ready standards.
2. Make the 485 years earn their keep
The 485 is a runway, not a destination. Every month should advance a defined next step: skilled employment in your nominated field, a skills assessment, English results at the level your target visa needs, or a sponsoring employer. Graduates who drift through their 485 arrive at its end with the same profile they started with - minus $5,750.
3. Plan against the points-test rewrite
The Government has committed to a rewritten points test targeted for 1 July 2027 - squarely inside the validity of a 485 granted this year. The current test still applies and reported design changes remain proposals, but the direction announced in the May Budget favours younger, higher-skilled, higher-paid candidates. Practical implication: build the durable point-earners now (English, qualifications, skilled employment), keep an EOI current under the existing rules, and be ready to move if transition arrangements reward early movers. Track your position on our points calculator.
4. Check the concession if it applies to you
Pacific Island and Timor-Leste passport holders benefit from a lower charge tier introduced in March 2026. If that describes you, confirm the current concessional amount before lodging - the difference is significant.
Budgeting the whole pathway
The 485 charge is one line in a larger budget: skills assessment fees, English testing, health examinations and - eventually - a permanent visa charge that also rose 25 per cent this July ($6,135–$6,140 for the points-tested subclasses; $6,140 for employer-sponsored subclass 186). Our fee estimator maps the full sequence so the July 2026 schedule does not ambush you twice.
Advice before, not after
We work with graduating students on exactly this junction: whether and when to lodge the 485, what to do with the time it buys, and how to sequence towards permanent residence through the skilled program or employer sponsorship. If you finish your course in 2026, book a consultation before you lodge - a one-hour plan is the cheapest component of a $5,750 application. Our student visa team can also assist if anything in your study history needs addressing first.