Australian Immigration fee changes for Employer Sponsored visas

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Australian Immigration has increased the application fees for employer sponsored visas beginning 1 January 2012.

The application fee for 457 visas increased by 15 percent from $305 to $350. The fees for sponsorship approval and nominations for 457 visas remain the same. The application fee for SBS sponsorship approval is $405 and the fee for a 457 nomination is $80. All fees are in Australian Dollars.

The application fees for Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) and the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) visas have also increased by 5 percent. The fee for an onshore ENS or RSMS visa increased from $2,960 to $3,105 and the fee for an offshore ENS or RSMS was increased from $1,995 to $2,095. The ENS nomination fee of $520 has remained the same.

In better news, there has been a 5 percent decrease in the application fee for student visas from $565 to $535.

Also, please note that from 1 July 2012 major changes are coming to Australian skilled immigration. You will have to submit an expression of interest before submitting your Australian skilled immigration application. This is likely to mean fewer people qualifying for skilled immigration and a longer processing time. If you wish to come under the current skilled immigration programme you should apply for a skills assessment as soon as possible. You need to be ready with your skills assessment and, have passed the English language test before you can submit your immigration application.


If you would like to apply for an Australian visa, WorkPermit.com can help. WorkPermit.com is a specialist visa consultancy with over twenty years of experience dealing with visa applications. We can help with a wide range of visa applications to your country of choice. Please feel free to contact us for further details.