Effective July 1, 2024, the Australian government increased visa application fees for most visa types, including the following: Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visa – Short term stream; Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visa – Medium term and Labour Agreement streams; Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (subclass 494) visa; Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) (subclass 400); Training (subclass 407) visa; Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa; and Global Talent (subclass 858) visa. Application fees for Australian citizenship and Administrative Appeals Tribunal reviews of decisions related to visa, sponsorship and nomination have also increased. Separately, the Fair Work Commission has increased the Fair Work High Income Threshold (FWHIT), which limits an employee's eligibility to be protected from unfair dismissal under the terms of the Fair Work Act, from AUD 167,500 to AUD 175,000. This means that applicants over 45 years of age who were supposed to be exempt from the age requirement to obtain a permanent visa for meeting the prior FWHIT, will no longer be able to rely on this exemption if their income is now less than the increased FWHIT.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.