For anyone who wants to apply for an offshore Australia partner visa after 1st July 2015, a nasty surprise awaits. The Department of Immigration & Border Protection (DIBP) has decided to introduce a new partner visa fee structure, applicable to all offshore partner visa applications – including the Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300). This recent policy change has attracted considerable speculation in the migration industry. A sudden increase of 50 per cent is thought by many as being simply too much!
DIBP’s stance on the matter is that people who want to come to Australia will pay the fees regardless. But, the pain doesn’t stop there. It’s not only the main applicant fees that have been substantially increased, additional applicants under 18 and over 18 years of age have been increased by 50% too.
| Description | Main applicant | Additional applicant 18+ | Additional applicant U18 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prospective marriage visa (subclass 300) | $6,865 | $3,435 | $1,720 |
| Offshore partner visa (subclass 309/100) | $6,865 | $3,435 | $1,720 |
| Onshore partner visa (subclass 820/801) | $6,865 | $3,435 | $1,720 |
| Subclass 820/801 for 300 visa holders | $1,145 | $575 | $285 |