The Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2026 came into force on 1st July 2026, bringing changes to citizenship fees, skilled visa income thresholds, and visa application charges across the board.
Citizenship fees rise with CPI
Citizenship application fees have gone up in line with the Consumer Price Index, effective from 1st July 2026.
Income threshold lifts for regional visas
The income threshold that applies to the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494) and the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme visa (subclass 187) will rise to $79,423 for applications lodged from 1st July 2026 onward. From now on, this figure will be adjusted automatically each year rather than requiring a fresh legislative instrument – bringing it in step with how the skilled visa income threshold used for other programs is managed. The same CSIT $79,423, along with SSIT $146,576, will also apply from the same date to the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) and the Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186).
Most visa fees to jump 25 per cent
The majority of visa application charges will rise by 25 per cent from 1st July 2026. A handful of visa types including Work and Holiday, Working Holiday, Resident Return, Bridging B, and the New Zealand Citizen (Family Relationship) visa will see their own specific fee adjustments rather than the standard increase.
Not everyone is affected by the steeper rise, however. A defined “Pacific-regional country” category has been added to the regulations, covering nations including Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Nauru, Palau, Kiribati, Tuvalu, the Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, and the Marshall Islands and Federated States of Micronesia. Applicants from these countries, along with a handful of other priority groups, will only see fees rise in line with forecast CPI (2.6 per cent) rather than the full 25 per cent increase. These lower-increase groups include humanitarian and protection visa holders, certain temporary and regional mobility visa applicants, some student visa cohorts, and citizens of Pacific nations and Timor-Leste applying under relevant programs.
Going forward, all other visa fees not covered by these specific arrangements will be indexed annually in line with forecast CPI.
Click here: Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2026
