Every 1 July the Department reprices the visa program. A quote prepared in June is wrong by the first week of July, and a client who budgeted on last year’s charge lodges short. This year the 482 main applicant charge is $4,015, the 186 is $6,140, the student visa is $2,500 and the partner visa is $11,710. Those are the settled numbers for 2026-27. The rest of this article is about what else has settled, and how to tell a confirmed change from a rumour.
The last few years produced a run of structural reforms. Some were replaced whole visas. Others quietly shifted thresholds. Here is where the program stands today, written without predictions.
Short answer: The Skills in Demand visa replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage visa in December 2024, and the National Innovation visa replaced Global Talent. The Administrative Review Tribunal replaced the AAT in October 2024. Charges were re-indexed on 1 July 2026, with the 482 at $4,015 and the 186 at $6,140.
What has changed, in order
- March 2024The genuine student requirement replaced the genuine temporary entrant test for subclass 500 applications.
- October 2024The Administrative Review Tribunal replaced the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. The migration review fee is now $3,727.
- December 2024The Skills in Demand visa replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage visa under subclass 482. The National Innovation visa replaced the Global Talent visa under subclass 858.
- 1 July 2026Visa application charges were re-indexed across the program. Thresholds for employer sponsored visas were updated to $79,423 and $146,576.
The Skills in Demand visa
The 482 kept its subclass number but changed shape. The three streams now turn on salary and occupation rather than on the old short term and medium term lists. The Core Skills stream uses a single Core Skills Occupation List of 456 occupations, with a salary floor of $79,423. The Specialist Skills stream covers roles paid at or above $146,576 in most occupations other than trades. The Labour Agreement stream is unchanged in concept and sits alongside both.
Two further shifts matter for workers. The work experience requirement was shortened, which brought earlier career applicants into scope. And a worker who leaves a sponsor now has a longer period to find a new one before the visa is at risk. The full stream criteria are on our 482 visa page.
The National Innovation visa
The Global Talent visa closed to new applications and the National Innovation visa took its place under subclass 858. The charge is $6,235 for the main applicant. It remains invitation based, so an expression of interest is the first step. The focus is on people with an internationally recognised record in a priority sector, and the number of invitations is tightly managed. Consequently, it is not a general skilled pathway, and most applicants are better served by the points tested or employer sponsored routes.
Employer sponsored permanence
The 186 visa is the permanent destination for most sponsored workers. The transition stream requires two years with the sponsor on a 482 and an applicant under 45 at lodgement. The main applicant charge is $6,140, with $3,070 for an additional adult and $1,535 for a child. The nomination charge is $540 and the levy is a one off $3,000 or $5,000. Nothing in those rules changed in 2026 beyond indexation, which is exactly the point. The rules are stable, so planning the transition early is the lever. Our 186 visa page sets out both streams.
Charges as at 1 July 2026
| Visa | Main applicant charge |
|---|---|
| Skills in Demand, subclass 482 | $4,015 |
| Employer Nomination Scheme, subclass 186 | $6,140 |
| Skilled Independent, subclass 189 | $6,135 |
| Skilled Nominated, subclass 190 | $6,140 |
| Temporary Graduate, subclass 485 | $5,750 |
| Student, subclass 500 | $2,500 |
| Partner, onshore and offshore | $11,710 |
| National Innovation, subclass 858 | $6,235 |
| Visitor, subclass 600, applied from overseas | $250 |
Additional applicant charges, the subsequent temporary application charge and employer side charges sit on top. The fees and process page lists the family charges for each subclass.
Students and review
The student visa changes were about integrity rather than price. The genuine student requirement asks about your circumstances, your reasons for the course and provider, and the value of the course to you. It is now the leading refusal ground. Our student visa page explains how it is assessed.
Review sits in the same story. The ART inherited the AAT’s migration jurisdiction in October 2024. Its fee is $3,727, halved in hardship and partly refunded on a successful review. Deadlines still run from notification, and the Tribunal cannot extend them.
Confirmed or rumoured
The Skills in Demand streams and thresholds. The Core Skills Occupation List. The National Innovation visa. The genuine student requirement. The ART and its fee. The 1 July 2026 charges in the table above. Each of these is published on the Home Affairs website or in the Federal Register of Legislation, and each can be checked today.
If a change is not on the Home Affairs site, in a legislative instrument or in a ministerial direction, it is not in force. Announcements are not law until the instrument is registered. Consultation papers are not law at all. Therefore, do not lodge, withdraw or delay on the strength of a social media post. Ask for the instrument number, and if nobody can produce it, plan on the current rules.
What is scheduled
Two things are certain because they recur. Charges are indexed each 1 July, so any application planned for the second half of 2027 should budget for an increase. The Core Skills Occupation List is reviewed periodically by Jobs and Skills Australia, and occupations can be added or removed. Beyond that, we do not publish predictions. When a change is registered, we update our pages the same week, and the FAQ page records what changed and when.
Before you lodge in 2026-27
Figures verified against Home Affairs visa pricing and published threshold settings as at 1 July 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Temporary Skill Shortage visa still available?
No. It was replaced by the Skills in Demand visa in December 2024. Existing TSS holders keep their visas, and their pathways to the 186 continue, but new applications are made under the Skills in Demand streams.
What happened to the Global Talent visa?
It closed to new applications and was replaced by the National Innovation visa under the same subclass 858. The new visa is invitation based, charges $6,235 for the main applicant, and targets people with an exceptional record in a priority field.
Which charges changed on 1 July 2026?
Most visa application charges were indexed. For 2026-27 the 482 is $4,015, the 186 is $6,140, the 189 is $6,135, the 500 is $2,500 and the partner visa is $11,710. Applications lodged on or after 1 July pay the new amounts.
Do the new thresholds apply to existing 482 holders?
The threshold applies at nomination. A worker already on a 482 is not re-tested mid visa. A new nomination, including a 186 nomination, must meet the threshold in force on the day it is lodged.
Where can I check whether a rumoured change is real?
Look for it on the Home Affairs website, in the Federal Register of Legislation, or in a published ministerial direction. If it appears in none of those, it is not in force, and applications should be planned on the current rules.
General information as at 2 September 2026. Not legal advice. Settings change during the program year, so check the current instrument or obtain advice before acting.