Namaste Melbourne

​​On 1 October 2024, a pre-application process (visa ballot) commenced under the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) program.

Visa ballot registrations opened for the following high-demand Work and Holiday (subclass 462) countries:

China
India
Vietnam.

Visa ballots provide an equitable, streamlined and transparent way to randomly select first Work and Holiday applicants from partner countries where demand exceeds the number of places available in a program year.

The Department will conduct random selections of registrations over program year 2024-25.

We will notify​ those randomly selected by email and instruct them to apply for a first Work and Holiday visa online.

Applicants will need to meet all the standard eligibility requirements of the subclass 462 visa to be granted entry into Australia.

To learn more about the Work and Holiday visa ballots, including registration and selection periods, refer to New Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa pre-application process.

​​​​​Today we have launched a new mobile phone app called Australian Immi App (the app)​​​​. It provides facial biometric capture and verification capability. Visa applicants can now self-serve this part of the visa application process by using the app.
We will initially release the app for use across the Pacific for visa a​pplicants located in:FijiSamoaTongaPapua New Guinea.Third country nationals located in New Zealand can also use the Australian Immi App.Initial release in the Pacific is part of our commitment to build greater connectivity with the Pacific. We support economic growth and want to build a strong and secure Pacific region. The app will make the application process simpler, supporting travel between Australia and the Pacific.Applicants that have provided biometrics before at an Australian biometric collection centre can provide facial biometrics and passport details with the app. Eligible applicants will receive a letter from the Department, inviting them to download and use the app.The app is free to download and use. It will help clients save time and money as they won’t need to travel to a collection centre every time they apply for a new visa.We collect biometrics to help us identify clients and protect them from identity fraud. The use of biometrics makes travel to Australia safer and helps us secure Australia’s borders.To learn more about the Department’s biometric collection program refer to
Biometrics.

​​​​​The Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP) is closed as of 31 July 2024. Applications made before this date will still be processed.
You may be entitled to a refund of your Business Innovation and Investment (subclass 188) Visa Application Charge (VAC) for the Business Innovation, Investor, Significant Investor or Entrepreneur streams if you withdrew your application on or after 31 July 2024.You may also be entitled to a refund of your Business Talent (subclass 132) VAC for Significant Business History or Venture Capital Entrepreneur stream if you withdrew your application on or after 31 July 2024.Learn more about the
BIIP closure and refunds.

​​​​​​​We will be doing systems maintenance on some of our online systems from 8:30 pm Friday 13 September 2024 to 12 noon Saturday 14 September 2024 (AEST).

While we are making these changes, the following online services may not be available:

ImmiAccount
eLodgement (online visa and citizenship applications)
My Health Declarations (MHD) service
eMedical
Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO)
LEGENDcom
Australian Trusted Trader
Employment Suitability Clearances
Detention Visitor Application
APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC)
Humanitarian Entrants Management System (HEMS)
Adult Migrant English Program Reporting and Management System (ARMS)
Education Provider Report (eBIT)
Visa Pricing Estimator
MSI Register
Australian Migration Status (AMS) Training Portal
Online Payment Portal
Registration Gateway.

If you receive a ‘Service Temporarily Unavailable’ error message during this time, try again after the outage period.

If your current visa is due to expire on 13 September 2024 and you intend to stay in Australia, ensure you lodge your next visa application before 8:30 pm on Friday 13 September 2024.​

We apologise for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience.

​​​As a permanent visa holder, you must understand the conditions of your visa and your right to re-enter Australia before travelling overseas.To return to Australia as a permanent visa holder, you must have a valid travel facility linked to your visa. Without a valid travel facility on your visa, you risk being stranded outside Australia.A travel facility allows you to re-enter Australia multiple times during its validity period.If you travel without a valid travel facility, or if it expires while you are overseas, you must be granted a Resident Return visa (RRV) before returning to Australia as a permanent resident. ​Read more about
Resident Return visas (RRV).Your return to Australia may be delayed if you need to apply for an RRV.You can check when your travel facility ends on Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO). ​Learn more at Travelling overseas as a permanent resident.You may not have an electronic record of your permanent visa if your most recent arrival to Australia was before 1990. If this is the case, you should have your permanent visa recorded electronically before travelling.For more information visit Proof of permanent residency.You must also link your current passport to your visa and provide your new passport details before travelling overseas. This will help to avoid any delays at the border.More information is available at You have a new passport.​

​​People from Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries and Timor-Leste now have more opportunities to do business in Australia. Australia has extended the time people from these nations can visit to conduct business. This will boost trade, people to people links, investments and grow jobs. We have extended the business visitor visa to up to 5 years, instead of up to 3 years, for applications lodged after 1 April 2024. These changes were announced by Prime Minister Albanese at the 2024 ASEAN-Australia Special Summit held in March.Business visitors with a Visitor (subclass 600) visa can stay in Australia for up to 3 months at a time during multiple visits, for up to 5 years. Visa holders can visit to: negotiate contracts make general business or employment enquiries participate in conferences or trade fairsbe part of official government visits.We will also extend the 10-year visitor visa Frequent traveller stream to ASEAN states and Timor-Leste later this year. These measures do not include Myanmar. The visa changes are part of recommendations from Australia’s blueprint to deepen ties with Southeast Asia. Refer to Invested: Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040. These changes complement our Migration Strategy by: boosting international mobility supporting regional relationships strengthening community connections between ASEAN and Australia. Learn more about the Visitor visa (subclass 600) Business visitor stream or the Visitor visa (subclass 600) Frequent Traveller stream.​

​​From 1 July 2024, a new state-wide Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) for Western Australia will come into effect.

The WA DAMA, combined with WA’s existing State Nominated Migration Program, will enable up to 10,000 overseas workers to settle in WA annually and help address critical workforce shortages in the state.

WA Employers will continue to be able to access the occupations and concessions of DAMAs that are in operation for relevant regions of WA. Additionally, employers will now be able to access a broader list of occupations and concessions under the new WA DAMA.

For further information, see: Designated Area Migration Agreement.

​​​​​​​We will be doing systems maintenance on some of our online systems from 2 pm (AEST) Sunday 30 June 2024 to 5 pm (AEST) Monday 1 July 2024.

While we are making these changes, the following online services may not be available:

ImmiAccount
eLodgement (online visa and citizenship applications)

My Health Declarations (MHD) service
eMedical
Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO)
LEGENDcom
Australian Trusted Trader
Employment Suitability Clearances
Detention Visitor Application
APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC)
Humanitarian Entrants Management System (HEMS)
Adult Migrant English Program Reporting and Management System (ARMS)
Education Provider Report (eBIT)
Visa Pricing Estimator
MSI Register
Australian Migration Status (AMS) Training Portal
Online Payment Portal
Registration Gateway.

If you get a ‘Service Temporarily Unavailable’ error message during this time, please try again after the outage period.

Please make sure you lodge your next visa application before 2 pm on Sunday 30 June 2024 if:

your current visa expires on 30 June 2024, and
you plan to stay in Australia.

We apologise for any inconvenience.

​​​​From 1 July 2024, new citizenship application fees will apply. Fees are changing to reflect the cost of processing applications. On 1 July each year, indexation is applied to citizenship application fees based on the consumer price index (CPI).
The new fees apply to all citizenship applications received by the Department of Home Affairs (the Department) at or after 12 am (AEST) on 1 July 2024.​
The new fees applicable from 1 July 2024 are set out in the table below. There will be no changes to the eligibility for fee exemptions.Citizenship application fees (effective 1 July 2024)Application typeFee from 1 July 2024 (amounts in AUD)​​​
Australian citizenship by conferral—General eligibility (Form 1300t)Standard fee$560Concession fee*$80Child/children under 16 years applying on the same form as a responsible parent / Fee exemption^NilAustralian citizenship by conferral—Other situations (Form 1290)Standard fee$345Concession fee*$40Child/children under 16 years applying on the same form as a responsible parent / Fee exemption^NilAustralian citizenship by descent (Form 118)Single application / First sibling when two or more siblings apply$360Second and each subsequent sibling applying at the same time$150Australian citizenship for children adopted under full Hague Convention or bilateral arrangements (Form 1272)Single application / First sibling when two or more siblings apply$360Second and each subsequent sibling applying at the same time$150Renunciation of Australian citizenship (Form 128) Standard fee$300Resumption of Australian citizenship (Form 132)Standard fee$240Child/children under 16 years applying on the same form as a responsible parentNilEvidence of Australian citizenship (Form 119)​Standard fee$275Application for replacement of evidence of Australian citizenship lost, destroyed or damaged due to a natural disasterNil* Fee concessions for forms 1300t and 1290.A fee concession is available to:Holders of a Pensioner Concession Card issued by the Australian Government (Services Australia or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs).Persons aged under 18 years listed as a dependant on a Pensioner Concession Card issued by the Australian Government (Services Australia or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs).To be eligible for the fee concession, applicants must provide a copy of both sides of their Pensioner Concession Card with their citizenship application.
If lodging a paper application the copy must be certified. For information on certifying documents see
Applying online or paper – Certified copy.^ Fee exemptions for forms 1300t and 1290.No fee is payable by:British or Maltese former child migrants who came to Australia without parents between 22 September 1947 and 31 December 1967 under the Commonwealth Child Migration Scheme. A letter from the Child Migrants Trust confirming details of arrival and sponsorship will need to be submitted with the citizenship application.Persons who have served for at least 90 days in the permanent forces of the Commonwealth of Australia. A letter or discharge papers from the Australian Defence Force specifying service dates will need to be submitted with the citizenship application.Persons applying under the Statelessness provision (section 21(8) of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007).For information on fee concessions or exemptions for Australian citizenship by conferral, see Fee concessions or exemptions.Online applicationsIf you apply online at or after 12 am (AEST) on 1 July 2024, you will pay the new fee. This is regardless of when you started the application. Your application is considered submitted when we receive it, along with the fee.If you apply online and pay by credit or debit card, PayPal, or UnionPay, your application and fee is generally received on the same day.Before submitting your application, make sure it includes all the supporting documents. If you submit an incomplete application, you may need to submit a new application and pay the relevant fee. ImmiAccount systems maintenanceOnline services, including ImmiAccount, may not be available if you are applying online between 2 pm (AEST) on 30 June 2024 and 9 am (AEST) on 1 July 2024 due to systems maintenance.  You will need to consider this systems maintenance if you are applying online. If we receive your application at or after 12 am (AEST) on 1 July 2024, the new application fee will apply. There is no discretion for us to alter or waive fees in this situationPaper applicationsFor paper applications sent by post, an application is considered submitted on the date the Department receives the application, not the date the application form is posted. If we receive your application at or after 12 am (AEST) on 1 July 2024, the new fee applies.Please consider postage times. To avoid the risk of postal delays, we recommend applyin ​online where possible.If we receive your paper application without the full fee applicable on the date we receive it, we cannot consider your application until the correct fee has been paid.If you pre-paid a lower fee, but do not submit your application before the fee change, you can make a ‘top-up’ payment using ImmiAccount:My payments > Manage payments > Pre-pay Paper Service > Top-up payment.If you do not pay the ‘top-up’ amount, your application will be returned to you. You will need to submit a new application with the correct fee.

​The Government is focused on strengthening the integrity of the Student visa program. This will ensure we grant visas to genuine students and give students who receive qualifications in Australia opportunities to contribute to Australia’s economic growth.As part of the release of the
Migration Strategy, the government announced changes to Student visa eligibility. These changes will restrict certain temporary visa holders from applying for a Student visa while in Australia. From 1 July 2024, Temporary Graduate, Visitor and Maritime Crew visa holders will be unable to apply for a Student visa while in Australia. In addition to existing visas from which it is already not possible to apply for a Student visa onshore, the complete list of visa holders that will be unable to apply for a Student visa onshore are:
Subclass 485 (Temporary Graduate)
Subclass 600 (Visitor)
Subclass 601 (Electronic Travel Authority)
Subclass 602 (Medical Treatment)
Subclass 651 (eVisitor)
Subclass 771 (Transit)
Subclass 988 (Maritime Crew)Subclass 995 (Diplomatic Temporary) – primary visa holders only
Subclass 403 (Temporary Work) International Relations)) – Domestic Worker (Diplomatic or Consular) stream
Subclass 426 (Domestic Worker (Temporary) – Diplomatic or Consular)Visa hopping has contributed to a growing cohort of ‘permanently temporary’ former international students living in Australia. These changes, combined with other measures, will help to close this loophole and put an end to this practice.Temporary Graduate Visa holders should depart Australia, or find skilled jobs and/​​or other visa pathways, including those that may lead to becoming permanent residents of Australia. Visitor visa applicants who intend to study will be required to apply for their Student visa from offshore.​
Student visa applicants genuinely intending to pursue studies in Australia can apply outside Australia. Those who meet the criteria will be granted a Student visa.​​