Australia has raised its Subclass 500 student visa fee to AUD 2,500 — roughly ₹1.37 lakh — effective July 1, 2026, up from AUD 2,000. It's the latest in a run of increases that has more than tripled the fee in under three years, and Indian students are the second-largest group of applicants it hits.
What happened
The Australian government's Subclass 500 (Student Visa) application fee rose from AUD 2,000 to AUD 2,500 for applications lodged from 1 July 2026, per reporting from StudyAbroadLife and Deccan Herald. The fee applies to new visa applicants — those already holding a valid student visa are unaffected — and covers the standard route used by the large majority of Indian students pursuing degree, diploma and vocational courses in Australia. Students enrolled in ELICOS (English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students) pay a separate, reduced fee of AUD 2,050.
The increase does not change university admissions, offer letters, Confirmation of Enrolment requirements, or scholarship eligibility — it's purely the government visa application charge.
Why it matters
This is not an isolated jump: the same fee stood at AUD 710 a few years ago before rising to AUD 1,600, then AUD 2,000, and now AUD 2,500 — a run of increases against a currency where the rupee cost has climbed even faster than the headline AUD figure. India remains one of Australia's largest source countries for international students, so the cumulative fee run-up adds a real, recurring cost to a degree budget that already includes the separate proof-of-funds requirement — roughly AUD 29,710 a year in living-cost evidence, a threshold that's been in place since 2024.
What this means for your trip
- ›Budgeting for an Australian degree in 2026 or later? Add AUD 2,500 (about ₹1.37 lakh) for the visa fee alone, on top of tuition, proof-of-funds savings, and travel costs.
- ›ELICOS-only applicants pay less — AUD 2,050 instead of the standard AUD 2,500 — so check which visa fee category actually applies to your course.
- ›This fee doesn't affect current visa holders — only new applications lodged from July 1, 2026 pay the higher rate.
Australia's Subclass 500 student visa application fee rose to AUD 2,500 from 1 July 2026, up from AUD 2,000 — StudyAbroadLife.
The bottom line
If an Australian degree is on your family's radar for next year, factor the AUD 2,500 visa fee into the budget now rather than at application time — it's become one more line item in a cost that keeps climbing year over year.
