For anyone who wants to apply for an offshore Australia partner visa after 1st July 2015, a nasty surprise awaits. The Department of Home Affairs 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!
The Department of Home Affairs’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.
We cannot help but feel the Department of Home Affairs has an underlying objective. It would seem this fee increase is not just an increase related to increased processing fees.
| 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 |
| Onshore partner visa (subclass 820/801) by Prospective Marriage visa | $1,145 | $575 | $285 |