Blow To Kenyans As Australia Increases Temporary Visa Fees
Australia has doubled student visa fees, which would affect thousands of Kenyan students who wish to study in the country or are already there.
The revised charges, which went into effect on July 1, were confirmed by the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs and affected practically all visa categories, with most increasing by about 25%.
This is a significant increase from Australia’s customary annual 3% adjustment based on the Consumer Price Index.
The Student Visa, officially known as Subclass 500, has increased from Ksh260,000 (USD2,000) to Ksh323,000 (USD2,500), putting additional pressure on international student applications.
Australian visa application fees are increasing from 1 July 2026.
If migration is part of your future plans, now is the time to understand how these changes could affect your budget and timeline. 🇦🇺#AustralianMigration #VisaUpdate #MigrationAustralia #NewWorldImmigration pic.twitter.com/W6txFnXIhb— New World Immigration (@nwivisas) July 1, 2026
Additionally, the Temporary Graduate Visa, Subclass 485, popular among students hoping to work after graduation, rose from Ksh594,000 (USD4,600) to Ksh743,000 (USD5,750).
Australian authorities also introduced a new (English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students) ELICOS visa rate set at Ksh265,000 (USD2,050), targeting students enrolling in English-language intensive courses.
This is also due to the fact that the English language is widely spoken in Australia; the ELICOS visa charge might come in handy in job preparedness for overseas students in Australia.
Notably, this marks the second time the fee has gone up in just four months, catching many applicants off guard.
The timing could not be more significant for Kenyans, given that around 10,000 Kenyan students are currently pursuing education in Australia.
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Recent tracking data from the Australian Department of Education ranks Kenya as the top African country for international student enrolments in the country.
Beyond student Visas, Partner Visa charges under categories 820 and 801 also increased significantly, moving from Ksh1.2 million (USD9,365) to Ksh1.5 million (USD11,710), an extra Ksh303,000 (USD2,345) per application.
Visitor Visa fees under Subclass 600 were not spared either, with offshore applications rising from Ksh23,000 (USD200) to Ksh33,000 (USD250).
Onshore Visitor Visa applications saw an even steeper rise, climbing from Ksh65,000 (USD500) to Ksh81,000 (USD630) for those already in Australia.
The aforementioned charges are likely to affect between 2,000 and 3,000 Kenyan tourists annually, many visiting friends and relatives already settled there.
Blow To Kenyans As Australia Increases Temporary Visa Fees
