# Why the mammoth application fee for Australian partner visa?



## Adventuress (Jan 8, 2012)

*Why is the Australian partner visa so expensive?*

Hello everyone,

If you've been researching Australian partner visas, you will have probably already found that the application fee alone is AU$1995 for an offshore application which could result in permanent residency.

I am wondering if anyone has ideas on the reason for its exhorbitant expense.

Here is a comparison of application fees for partner visas in the other top tier countries, from step 1 to permanent residency. Extra costs not considered (i.e. police and medical checks, etc.)

(I'll post links to these as soon as I'm allowed - still a newbie)


 USA
Permanent residency for a spouse outside of US
2 forms (I-130 + DS-130), filing fees: US$420 + US$140
Total: US$560 = approx. AU$540

Source: United States Citizenship and Immigration Services


 Canada
Application for permanent residency by a spouse
Processing fees: sponsor CA$75, principal applicant CA$475
Right of permanent residence (principal applicant only): CA$490
Total: CA$1040 = approx. AU$990

Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada


 UK
Application for residency by family of British citizens or settled persons
Application fee: GBP 810
Total: approx. AU$1230

Source: United Kingdom Border Agency


 NZ
Application for a resident visa under the family category
Application fee: NZ$1350
Migrant levy if and when approved: NZ$310
Total: NZ$1660 = approx. AU$1280

Source: Immigration New Zealand


 Australia
Application for partner temporary and permanent visa
Application fee: AU$1995 

Source: Department of Immigration and Citizenship of Australia

When I first started researching requirements for Australian partner visas four years ago, I was shocked to learn that an application could cost so much (and back then the fee was something like $1750). A recent article on this site also stated that partner visa fees will be raised even further in July of this year (2012)!!

I understand that every government has the prerogative to set fees as it wishes, but what could be the reasons it costs so much in Australia specifically as compared to other countires in similar standing? Am I the only one in awe of the mammoth cost required to be with the person closest to your heart in this country?


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## Boboa (Mar 24, 2009)

A - With much higher salaries than in any country mentioned it cost DIMIA more to process application. 
B - Only Canada provides similar benefits to permanent residents (free Medicare etc) fees are appropriate. at the same time Aus benefits provided from day 1 are double those of Canada. 
C - Australia tries to ensure only financially viable people apply

IMHO not an advice.


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## Adventuress (Jan 8, 2012)

Boboa said:


> A - With much higher salaries than in any country mentioned it cost DIMIA more to process application.
> B - Only Canada provides similar benefits to permanent residents (free Medicare etc) fees are appropriate. at the same time Aus benefits provided from day 1 are double those of Canada.
> C - Australia tries to ensure only financially viable people apply
> 
> IMHO not an advice.


Thanks for your response, Boboa. Your points do make sense, especially the first about paying the people who process applications. Not an attempt to offer advice on my part, but instead to reach an understanding of the reasons.


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## Boboa (Mar 24, 2009)

I understand it might put you a bit off. But if you planning to be next to a person you really love it shouldn't matter. You lucky to find love, not many have done so well 
All the best mate in your move


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## theskyisblue (Sep 28, 2010)

Hi guys
I think its also one way to prevent frivolous/fraudelent applications being made. Its an awful lot of money to lose if you're denied, so I guess it makes people think hard about their chances of approval, and the validity of their application.
Cheers


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## Adventuress (Jan 8, 2012)

Yes, I think you're both right, it doesn't matter if it's someone you love but at the same time it's an awful lot of money to lose. That's exactly the reason I've been thinking through our chances for the last four years! I think we have almost decided to apply, but there is still a lot of uncertainty which of course makes everyone nervous.

I was a child immigrant with my parents myself a couple of decades ago and comparing what things were like back then for migrants to now... it's just that the fee in itself sometimes makes me think that Australia is still the lucky country - but _only_ if one has already been lucky.


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## Adventuress (Jan 8, 2012)

-- Sorry, accidental repeat post --


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## twww (Sep 16, 2011)

Keep in mind there are additional costs. It all adds up to a very expensive exercise.


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## Boboa (Mar 24, 2009)

Yeah. Ages ago it was almost free . My parents migrated to Germany and it costed them the train ticket only . Now the German Blue card is almost impossible to get.


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## havaiana girl (Apr 10, 2010)

G'day to you

When my husband and I applied in early 2010 the fee was $1705 for just the application fee, cose we had to lodge offshore it also cost about $100 to send it there as you are not allowed to lodge here in australia for them to internally courier to the other embassy. No it must be posted. The could scan the documents which in my opinon makes more sense cose then everyone has access in immigration but they are not so advanced yet, in some other govt agencies this is what they do so it elivates to a degree documents being lost and everyone can access the documents regards of the size.

The cost is a revenue raiser. No other reasonable explaination.

Wait til you get to the cost of the medical, that will blow your mind, again another revenue raiser.

Every step along the way is revenue raising, I'm speaking from experience.

cheers



Adventuress said:


> Hello everyone,
> 
> If you've been researching Australian partner visas, you will have probably already found that the application fee alone is AU$1995 for an offshore application which could result in permanent residency.
> 
> ...


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## Adventuress (Jan 8, 2012)

Boboa said:


> Yeah. Ages ago it was almost free . My parents migrated to Germany and it costed them the train ticket only . Now the German Blue card is almost impossible to get.


Funny you say that, because I have a German family friend who, twenty years ago, applied to an Australian embassy for entrance to Australia based on his marriage to his Australian wife, and was granted permanent residency *on the spot with no or minimal fees* 

Here is the link to the article stating that fees will go up again this year. The reason given - so that Australian taxes are no longer subsidising these applications - is valid and will win a lot of approval, but how much will we then be expected to pay? $3000? $4000?



> Currently, the application fees charged to people wanting to come to Australia do not cover the cost to the Commonwealth of processing the applications. The changes are projected to generate about $613 million over the next four years in revenue.


This makes me think that the current fee of two grand (ok, ok, short five dollars) doesn't pay the salaries of those who process them, as was suggested earlier.

If fees rise even higher I think many people will take one look and decide 'Australia doesn't want me'. Perhaps that's the idea.


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## Skippy59 (Jan 9, 2012)

Call me a cynic if you will but for me it's nothing more than another one of the many revenue raisers our government has. When you have a monopoly you can do what you like and for us it's take it or leave it. Take our passports for example, they're the dearest in the world (as far as I know) and if you don't like it then that's too bad because you certainly can't get one from anyone else.


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## robboat (Jun 12, 2012)

User pays.....if you don't use it - no problem!

Even the government is stating they are targeting the "economic refugees".....

Just part of the grand scheme of life.


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## Adventuress (Jan 8, 2012)

Ah yes, of course. People of all nationalities, as a rule, enter romantic relationships with Australians just for the economic benefits. How could I be so silly as to forget that little fact.


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## Whitney (Jan 4, 2013)

I have always just assumed that they work out the visa fees based on the entire immigration system as a whole and charge different applicants an amount that they can probably afford. I don't think they spent $3995 processing my application. I think a significant portion of that went to supplement other types of migration - covering the costs of processing refugees, for example. I actually have no real idea whether or not this is the case but I sort of like that idea. It seems fair that as an immigrant who generates enough income to save $3995 that I should be expected to offset the cost for immigrants who may have risked their lives and spent their life savings to travel here from war torn or impoverished countries.


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## Whitney (Jan 4, 2013)

Adventuress said:


> Ah yes, of course. People of all nationalities, as a rule, enter romantic relationships with Australians just for the economic benefits. How could I be so silly as to forget that little fact.


I'm the exact opposite! I settled down with an Australian because I just LOVE paying to see a doctor.


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## rhirhi (Apr 14, 2013)

The fee's are defiantly expensive! Especially the onshore 820 visa....but like they have said before....i don't consider Australia to be a 'cheap' country by any means. I live in Switzerland at the moment and it's cheaper here (cost of living in terms of rent, electricity bills etc) than it is for me in Australia!


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## robboat (Jun 12, 2012)

Adventuress said:


> Ah yes, of course. People of all nationalities, as a rule, enter romantic relationships with Australians just for the economic benefits. How could I be so silly as to forget that little fact.


When you really think about it - you are absolutely correct.


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## Adventuress (Jan 8, 2012)

Yep, so my husband married me just so he could get into Australia, it wasn't for my personality or anything as silly as that. Well, let me tell you he's been patient, biding his time over five whole years just so he could make an entry. I'd better expect him to be leaving me now he's a permanent resident.


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## kmarees1986 (Apr 23, 2012)

Adventuress said:


> Yep, so my husband married me just so he could get into Australia, it wasn't for my personality or anything as silly as that. Well, let me tell you he's been patient, biding his time over five whole years just so he could make an entry. I'd better expect him to be leaving me now he's a permanent resident.


Mind the insensitivity of some people Adventuress, some people know everything it seems!


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## Adventuress (Jan 8, 2012)

Whitney said:


> I have always just assumed that they work out the visa fees based on the entire immigration system as a whole and charge different applicants an amount that they can probably afford. I don't think they spent $3995 processing my application. I think a significant portion of that went to supplement other types of migration - covering the costs of processing refugees, for example. I actually have no real idea whether or not this is the case but I sort of like that idea. It seems fair that as an immigrant who generates enough income to save $3995 that I should be expected to offset the cost for immigrants who may have risked their lives and spent their life savings to travel here from war torn or impoverished countries.


I like that idea, it is a nice one. But what happens when you actually can't afford it? I was eighteen years old when I met my husband, still in university and with nary a cent to my name. He was one of his country's poor, struggling to earn a living wage let alone have a savings account. Since he couldn't join me in Australia (high-risk country - no chance for ETA or WHV, poor - no chance for student visa or skilled visa) I moved to be with him. That made two of us struggling to earn a living wage. When we applied it was $1995 - took us a while (oh, about four and a half years) to figure out how to make that money. If it had been $2700, like it is now? We'd still be in his country, struggling to make ends meet, and I'd still be facing daily abuse because I'm a foreigner in his country. The Australian government missed out on four or five years of my taxes because they made it almost impossible to apply in the first place. But I was young and able - we made it in the end. I can't imagine what it would be like to be living on a disabled pension and faced with a massive $2700 or $3995 just to be able to be with your life partner. It's not exactly pocket change.


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## Adventuress (Jan 8, 2012)

kmarees1986 said:


> Mind the insensitivity of some people Adventuress, some people know everything it seems!


Hahaha  The ones that know everything provide the best entertainment


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## kmarees1986 (Apr 23, 2012)

Adventuress said:


> I like that idea, it is a nice one. But what happens when you actually can't afford it? I was eighteen years old when I met my husband, still in university and with nary a cent to my name. He was one of his country's poor, struggling to earn a living wage let alone have a savings account. Since he couldn't join me in Australia (high-risk country - no chance for ETA or WHV, poor - no chance for student visa or skilled visa) I moved to be with him. That made two of us struggling to earn a living wage. When we applied it was $1995 - took us a while (oh, about four and a half years) to figure out how to make that money. If it had been $2700, like it is now? We'd still be in his country, struggling to make ends meet, and I'd still be facing daily abuse because I'm a foreigner in his country. The Australian government missed out on four or five years of my taxes because they made it almost impossible to apply in the first place. But I was young and able - we made it in the end. I can't imagine what it would be like to be living on a disabled pension and faced with a massive $2700 or $3995 just to be able to be with your life partner. It's not exactly pocket change.


Both my husband and I worked full time in London during the planning and preparation phase leading up to applying...our application was actually submitted about 6 weeks later than planned becuase we had so much trouble trying to raise the application fee. Bit different for us as we had fees to pay for a migration agent also due to my husbands criminal record, but knowing we struggled to get there makes me feel for those less fortunate to be in the position we were in. If it wasn't for the support from our families I don't think we would be able to have applied yet nor would we have been able for me to move home to have our baby and have my husband come on a tourist visa. So far including the fees for our agent, application fees and miscellaenous costs, we have spent about $9300 (roughly) on all things visa - the good news is that all the expenses are basically out of the way now - unless we need to appeal a rejection, I'm looking at another $10,000 approx to get through that. So a potential $20,000 will be spent on trying to be together and start a life in Australia...


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## rhirhi (Apr 14, 2013)

kmarees1986 said:


> Both my husband and I worked full time in London during the planning and preparation phase leading up to applying...our application was actually submitted about 6 weeks later than planned becuase we had so much trouble trying to raise the application fee. Bit different for us as we had fees to pay for a migration agent also due to my husbands criminal record, but knowing we struggled to get there makes me feel for those less fortunate to be in the position we were in. If it wasn't for the support from our families I don't think we would be able to have applied yet nor would we have been able for me to move home to have our baby and have my husband come on a tourist visa. So far including the fees for our agent, application fees and miscellaenous costs, we have spent about $9300 (roughly) on all things visa - the good news is that all the expenses are basically out of the way now - unless we need to appeal a rejection, I'm looking at another $10,000 approx to get through that. So a potential $20,000 will be spent on trying to be together and start a life in Australia...


 and to think i thought we had to pay a lot with the visa, translations and certification costs! That really is A LOT of money Kmarees! I really hope for your sake you don't have to appeal!! Good luck!


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## kmarees1986 (Apr 23, 2012)

rhirhi said:


> and to think i thought we had to pay a lot with the visa, translations and certification costs! That really is A LOT of money Kmarees! I really hope for your sake you don't have to appeal!! Good luck!


And that was the cheaper migration agent - we could never have afforded the London based one (that comes highly reccomended mind you) at £6000+VAT. I wondered what it is he could do for that sort of money?? Send a gold plated application?? Bribe a DIAC officer?? Oh man yeah its been really expensive but you do what you have to right? I am feeling we won't have to appeal but knowing how much it will costs us roughly in advance means I will be more prepared this time!


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