Australian Visa Paper Based Application: Visa Fee Update 2021

Australian Visa Paper Based Application: Visa Fee Update 2021

On 11 June 2021, the Department of Home Affairs Australian announced the updated Australian Visa Fee for Paper-Based application, which will commence on 1 July 2021.

The Department announced two new instruments, which explain the payment fee for Paper-based visa application in foreign currencies and places for paying fees. Visa fees for the purpose of updated regulation includes:

• An instalment of visa application charge; or
• An amount of visa evidence charge; or
• An amount of nomination training contribution charge; or
• A fee payable under the Migration Regulations except for regulation 5.14C

How will the updated visa application charges affect you?

Payment of Visa Application Charges and Fees in Foreign Currencies

The Australian Government released an instrument that arranges foreign currencies. According to the instrument, visa applicants who would finalise the visa fee must follow the specified currency from 01 July 2021. Furthermore, it is stated on the instrument that the amount of the payment is to be worked out as follows:

a) If a certain currency is specified in the instrument, the visa application charge should be finalised according to the exchange rate for the currency specified in the instrument;

b) If a certain currency is not specified in the instrument, the visa application charge should be finalised according to the formula in sub-regulation 5.36(2). The formula is:

AUD x CER x 1.05

AUD means the amount of the fee in Australian dollars.

CER means the highest exchange rate that is lawfully obtainable on a commercial basis for the purchase in the foreign country of Australian currency with the currency of the foreign country in a period that:

• Begins:
  • On the day when this regulation commences; or
  • On any subsequent day when that rate increases or decreases by at least 5%, and
• Ends at the end of each day before another period begins.

Below is the list of currencies and exchange rates to Australian Dollar (AUD):

*1 AED = 0.33717 AUD

Read more: Australian Immigration Program Important Updates for 2021-22 Program Year

Places and Currencies for Visa Fee Payment

The Australian Government also announced places and currencies instruments, which divided each country with the acceptable currency. Looking at the instrument, the visa application fee for a paper-based application should be finalised by the currency according to where the application is lodged.

Below is the table for places and currency instrument:

*Application made in Bahrain should be paid in Bahrain Dinar currency

Read more: Maximum Amount of Family and Parent Visa Grants Announced for 2020/2021

The New Face of Payment System for a Paper-Based Application

Payment for a Paper-Based visa application can be made by using ImmiAccount. You can pre-pay in ImmiAccount for a paper-based application submitted in Australia by credit card, PayPal, or UnionPay. There will be a surcharge for these payments around 1.40% – 1.99%. Please be advised that the Department does not accept personal cheques or cash for Paper-based applications submitted in Australia.

Previously, payment for Paper-based application by foreign currency will follow the currency conversion fees set by the bank.

However, following the updated instrument, payment paper-based applications from 1 July 2021 onwards by foreign currency will follow the conversion fee set by the Department of Home Affairs. In addition, the payment will be finalised by a certain currency based on the location.

For example, suppose you lodged a paper-based application for Parent (subclass 143) Visa in Indonesia and do not have a bank account with AUD currency. In that case, you should finalise the visa fee payment by the Indonesian Rupiah currency, which is applicable for applications made in Indonesia.

It is aimed to ensure that the Home Affairs officers stationed at overseas posts can advise on and collect the correct amount of visa application charge payments from clients.

Read more: Australian Permanent Residency Visa Holders Forced to Wait for Benefits

How will it affect you?

Compared to the previous payment system, which followed the conversion fee that looks inconsistent, the visa application fee would change every hour following the conversion fee. Hence, there is no exact amount that you must pay in your currency when you do not own any Australian Dollar currency. However, the updated instrument will provide you with a precise visa application fee for a Paper-based application.

It is not good news or bad news for us. It is good to know that we are advised of an exact amount of the Visa Application fee for our Paper-based application. Whether the foreign currency gets stronger or weaker over Australian Dollar currency, the amount we have to pay will not change.

However, it is not good as well in certain situations. For example, suppose the foreign currency gets stronger over the Australian Dollar currency, in that case, we are supposedly able to pay a bit lower than the specified currency by the Department of Home Affairs, but this will not happen with this new arrangement. Let’s use the Indonesian Rupiah Currency as an example for a case study.

The Indonesian Rupiah currency on 14 June 2021 is at AUD 0.000091. Therefore, if you applied for a Paper-based Parent (subclass 143) Visa application which costs AUD 47,755 on 14 June 2021, you would need to pay in RP 524,780,219.

However, once the updated instruments commenced on 1 July 2021, which specified Indonesian Rupiah Currency at 0.000085192, we would need to pay RP 560,557,329.3267 for a Paper-based Parent (subclass 143) Visa application, and it is an exact amount, whether the currency will get stronger or weaker later.

Still not sure how it will affect you? Speak to us! We’re here to help!

The updated instruments of visa fee payment for paper-based visa applications might confuse you. Speak to us if you need further discussion and assessment regarding paper-based visa application! We are ready to help you!

We also understand that applying for a visa to Australia is certainly very complicated. It is even more challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our visa specialists at ONEderland Consulting will help you assess your visa options. We have a 98% success rate and one of the most highly recommended migration agents in Australia. Read our 4.9* score customer reviews.

We are complex visa specialists. As registered Australian migration agents with the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA), we are regulated in our professional practice and bound by the profession’s Code of Conduct issued by the Migration Agents Registration Authority.

Take the first leap and get in touch with us. Our migration agents and our team are professional, honest and our team members are able to speak various languages such as Mandarin/ Chinese, Bahasa Indonesia, Arabic, Japanese, Polish, German and Russian. Contact us through email at [email protected] or via phone at 1300 827 159. Alternatively, you may book your consultation online, and it is 100% refundable if you become our client.