Next week we welcome in a new financial year, and the news rolling in over the past few weeks has been one piece of good news after another! The government has committed to prioritising the backlog of visa applications, and on top of that:
WA was the first state to release its new financial year list, adding close to 200 occupations to the graduate list: The first new-financial-year state nomination policy and list is out! Over 190 occupations added including ICT / audit, plus open to offshore — a quick read on the positive signals for migration trends ahead!
Canberra’s new financial year occupation list has been released early, with 95 occupations including mechanical engineering, ET, massage therapists, interpreters and translators returning: Canberra new financial year state nomination | nearly 100 occupations added to the list, mechanical engineering / translation and more return! ACT government’s forecast invitation scores for the new financial year!
The Northern Territory’s MINT program has been significantly relaxed, with the occupation list expanded to cover every migration occupation, adding many finance and IT occupations, and overseas-graduate students now also have a chance to apply: NT MINT program significantly relaxed for the new financial year! All migration occupations eligible, covering multiple finance / IT / engineering / marketing roles — overseas-graduate students may also have a chance!
With the state governments making such cheerful updates, the federal Department of Home Affairs has also chimed in about its arrangements after 1 July in the new financial year.
Arrangement One: 485 Visa
The 485 replacement stream, and the 485 Graduate Work Stream (commonly known as the old TR) that does not require the nominated occupation to be on the list or have a relevant skills assessment, are expected to be lodgeable from 1 July.
Update from the Department of Home Affairs website
1. From 1 July 2022, the time-limited concession whereby applications for the 485 GWS (old TR) do not require the occupation to be on the occupation list or a relevant skills assessment will be lodgeable from 1 July 2022. If you have cumulatively completed 92 weeks of C3 or above / Trade / Diploma courses, you will be eligible to apply for a 2-year 485 visa and can work full-time throughout!
The official website currently states: the lodgement window runs from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023, with applicants needing to meet the relevant conditions and lodge within this period.
Legislation has also been updated, confirming it as a time-limited concession for lodgement within the 22–23 financial year.
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2. Replacement stream
— the official website also says applications are expected to be lodgeable from 1 July 2022. The published requirements so far are:
-You currently hold or previously held a 485 visa that expired on or after 1 February 2020
-You were outside Australia at any time between 1 February 2020 and 15 December 2021
-The length of the newly granted visa will match the length of your original 485 visa. A visa application fee is payable, and secondary applicants can be included, including family members who were not included on the original 485 visa.
Arrangement Two: Visa fees rise 3% from 1 July in the new financial year
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Changes to visa fees for common categories
*Overall increase of 3% with rounding; all figures in AUD
*The following are visa application charges, not including nomination fees, contributions, etc.
*The Department of Home Affairs will update its official website in due course
| Primary applicant |
Current financial year fee |
New financial year fee |
| 190 visa | 4115 | 4240 |
| 491 visa | 4115 | 4240 |
| 189 visa | 4115 | 4240 |
| 887 visa | 425 | 435 |
| 407 visa | 315 | 325 |
| 482 visa — short term | 1290 | 1330 |
| 482 visa — Medium-term | 2690 | 2770 |
| 186 visa | 4115 | 4240 |
| 858 visa | 4180 | 4305 |
| 500 visa | 630 | 650 |
| 485 visa | 1680 | 1730 |
| 600 visa (most streams, offshore) | 145 | 150 |
| 309/100 visa | 7850 | 8085 |
| 820/801 visa | 7850 | 8085 |
| 143 (first visa application charge instalment) | 4225 | 4355 |
Generally speaking, visa fee increases each financial year are routine (last financial year there wasn’t an increase, likely due to the pandemic).
On the appeals side, the AAT and FCC are also raising fees: the AAT application fee rises from AUD 3,000 to AUD 3,153, and the FCC fee rises from the current AUD 3,365 to AUD 3,535.
For those who already have nomination, if you lodge your visa before 1 July, you can still apply at the current financial year’s price, so we recommend lodging your visa as early as possible!
Parent migration is still paper-based, and postage takes a few days. Although the visa application charge is prepaid online, if the application arrives after 1 July you will still need to top up the gap from the fee increase, so lodging early can save you some money. Also, if some notarised documents for parent migration haven’t arrived yet, you can lodge first and supplement them later.
Department of Home Affairs system upgrade
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In addition, due to the system upgrade, updating the new application fees and other maintenance, the Department of Home Affairs has recently suspended BPay as a payment method. Credit Card payments will incur a 1.4% surcharge.
The Department of Home Affairs system will be under maintenance from 7pm on 30 June 2022 to 9am on 1 July 2022 (Australian Eastern Time), and the following functions will also be affected — don’t wait until the last minute to lodge!
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