189 Visa Cost Australia: Government Fees, Migration Agent Fees, and Total Budget

The sticker price for the Subclass 189 visa is the Visa Application Charge (VAC) — but that is only part of the cost. Before a single form reaches the Department of Home Affairs, you will have spent significantly on skills assessments, English tests, health examinations, and police clearances. Understanding the full cost before you start prevents budgeting surprises at a late stage.

Visa Application Charges (July 2025 Schedule)

The Department of Home Affairs updated VAC rates in July 2025. These fees are non-refundable regardless of outcome.

The English deficiency surcharge: If a secondary adult applicant (spouse or de facto partner) does not meet "Functional English" (approximately IELTS 4.5 average), the Department levies an additional charge of $4,890 AUD per adult before the visa can be granted. This covers the cost of the mandatory Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) post-arrival. This surcharge is separate from the standard VAC and can catch families off guard.

For a family of three — two adults and one child — the baseline VAC alone is $8,595 AUD (primary + 1 adult + 1 child). Add the English surcharge for a partner without demonstrated English, and costs increase significantly before you have spent a dollar on anything else.

Pre-Application Mandatory Costs

These costs are incurred before you can lodge a visa application. Many are non-refundable if the visa is later refused.

Skills assessment Fees vary by authority:

• ACS (IT professionals): approximately $514 AUD (general) to $625 AUD (RPL pathway)
• Engineers Australia: approximately $500–$800 AUD depending on pathway; fast-track adds $250 AUD
• VETASSESS: approximately $550–$800 AUD
• ANMAC (nurses): approximately $800–$1,200 AUD
• CPA Australia / CAANZ (accountants): approximately $514–$675 AUD

Budget $500–$1,500 AUD for your skills assessment. If you need a second assessment attempt (negative first outcome) or a fast-track option, costs increase.

English language test Each IELTS Academic test costs approximately $360–$400 AUD in Australia. PTE Academic costs approximately $385 AUD. Many applicants sit the test multiple times — budget for at least two attempts if targeting Superior English (IELTS 8.0 in every band, which requires consistent performance across all four skills).

Health examination Bupa Medical Visa Services charges approximately $350–$700 AUD per adult for the standard examination package (general assessment + chest X-ray + relevant tests). Children's examinations cost less. Costs are higher for offshore applicants in some panel clinics. Budget $700–$1,400 AUD for two adults.

Police clearances Australian National Police Check: approximately $42 AUD. For each additional jurisdiction you lived in for 12+ months over the past 10 years, add the cost of that country's clearance. UK DBS, FBI Identity History Summary, and Indian Police Clearance Certificate typically run $50–$150 AUD equivalent each.

Translation costs If any documents are not in English (birth certificates, overseas police clearances, academic transcripts, payslips), official translation is required. NAATI-accredited translation in Australia typically costs $100–$300 AUD per document. A family with multiple non-English documents can easily spend $500–$800 AUD on translation alone.

Total Cost Estimates

Single applicant (no agent, standard documents)

• VAC: $4,910 AUD
• Skills assessment: $500–$1,500 AUD
• English test: $400–$800 AUD (one to two attempts)
• Health examination: $400–$700 AUD
• Police clearances + translation: $200–$500 AUD
• Total: approximately $6,500–$8,500 AUD

Family of three (two adults, one child, standard documents)

• VAC: $8,595 AUD
• Skills assessments (if partner also assessed): $1,000–$2,000 AUD
• English tests: $800–$1,600 AUD
• Health examinations: $1,000–$1,800 AUD
• Police clearances + translation: $400–$1,000 AUD
• Total: approximately $11,800–$15,000 AUD

These figures do not include NAATI CCL test fees ($800–$900 AUD), Professional Year program costs ($10,000–$13,000 AUD), or migration agent fees.

Migration Agent Fees: What You Are Paying For

Registered Migration Agents (MARA-registered) typically charge between $3,300 and $7,950 AUD for full Subclass 189 management. Initial consultations alone run $150–$400 AUD. For a complex case — multiple jurisdictions, CDR preparation, partner skills assessment — fees can exceed $10,000 AUD.

What migration agents provide:

• Form completion and lodgement management
• Document compliance review
• Representation in any Section 56 requests from the Department
• Advice on eligibility and timing

What migration agents typically do not provide:

• Proactive points optimization strategy (maximizing NAATI, Professional Year timing, state nomination)
• EOI timing analysis relative to quarterly rounds
• Date of Effect management advice

If your case is straightforward — clear occupation, strong points profile, clean employment history — an agent handles compliance. If your situation is complex (ACS deductions, partner points complications, multiple jurisdictions), an agent's compliance expertise is valuable.

Some applicants choose to handle the EOI and strategy phase independently and engage an agent only for the visa application lodgement — a targeted use of professional fees that reduces cost while getting compliance support at the highest-stakes stage.

The Australia Skilled Independent Visa (189) Guide includes a complete budget worksheet, the full July 2025 VAC schedule, and guidance on which costs are unavoidable versus optional — so you can build an accurate financial plan before committing to the process.