Subclass 491 Visa Cost: Application Fee and Total Budget for 2026

The subclass 491 visa is not cheap. The federal application charge is substantial, and when you add state nomination fees, skills assessments, English testing, medical examinations, and police clearances, the total out-of-pocket cost is significantly higher than the government fee alone. Applicants who budget only for the visa application charge typically encounter several hundred — sometimes over a thousand — dollars in unplanned costs mid-process.

Here is the complete breakdown.

The federal visa application charge

The base application charge paid to the Department of Home Affairs for the primary applicant is AUD $4,910 for the 2025-26 program year.

This charge applies at the time of lodgement. It is not refundable if the application is refused, and it is not refundable if you withdraw your application voluntarily.

Additional applicants add to the base charge:

Secondary applicants (spouses and de facto partners) incur a separate supplementary charge. Dependent children also incur charges, though at a lower rate than secondary adults. The Department of Home Affairs publishes current secondary applicant fees on the immi.homeaffairs.gov.au website — these are indexed and change annually, so verify the current figures before lodgement.

For a couple applying together, the combined federal application charge typically exceeds AUD $7,000. For a family of four, it can reach AUD $10,000 or more before any ancillary costs.

State nomination fees

Nomination processing fees vary significantly by state, and some states charge nothing at all.

WA's $200 fee is non-refundable regardless of the nomination outcome. If your application is rejected or you withdraw after paying, the fee is not returned. This is worth knowing before submitting an incomplete nomination application.

Victoria's fee waiver is one of the more applicant-friendly aspects of the VIC nomination program. Since Victoria does not charge for its Registration of Interest or the subsequent nomination process, VIC applicants save this line item entirely.

Skills assessment costs

A positive skills assessment is mandatory before you can submit an EOI. Assessment fees vary by body and occupation:

These are approximate figures — verify the current schedule directly with each body, as fees are revised periodically. Skills assessments are valid for three years from the date of issue for EOI purposes.

If your first skills assessment is unsuccessful, a reassessment or supplementary review incurs additional fees. For this reason, assembling complete, correctly formatted evidence before submitting your assessment application matters.

English language test fees

If your first test does not achieve the score you need for your target points band, resitting costs the full fee again. Applicants aiming for Superior English (20 points) often require multiple attempts. Build at least one resit into your budget if you are pushing for the highest band.

Note: IELTS One Skill Retake (OSR) allows you to rebook a single band if you passed three but fell short on one. This is cheaper than a full resit and is worth using if your weak band is close to the target.

Medical examination costs

All applicants (primary and secondary) must undergo a medical examination through a panel physician approved by the Department of Home Affairs. Costs vary by location and provider:

• Single adult: approximately AUD $300–$500
• Per child: approximately AUD $150–$350
• Chest X-ray (if required): approximately AUD $80–$150

Examination results are valid for 12 months. If processing is delayed and your medical expires before the visa is granted, you will need to repeat the examination at full cost.

Police clearance costs

You need a police clearance from every country where you have lived for 12 months or more in the past ten years:

• Australian Federal Police national police check: approximately AUD $43–$66 online
• Overseas clearances: highly variable by country — some are free, others cost AUD $50–$300+ in equivalent, and some require notarisation, translation, and apostille

Countries with complex clearance processes (India, Nigeria, the Philippines, Pakistan) can add both time and cost to this requirement. Budget AUD $100–$500+ for international clearances depending on your history, and start the process as early as possible.

Migration agent fees (optional)

If you engage a Registered Migration Agent to manage the nomination and visa application process, professional fees are additional to all of the above. Industry rates for a subclass 491 application typically range from AUD $3,500 to $5,500 and above, depending on complexity and the agent's experience level. This cost is entirely separate from the government application charge.

Not all applicants engage an agent. Many use the self-study route — understanding the process thoroughly, assembling documents correctly, and managing the lodgement independently. The Australian government provides no legal requirement to use a migration agent for this application.

Total realistic budget

A realistic total budget for a single primary applicant, without a migration agent:

For a couple applying together, add at minimum the secondary applicant's federal charge, medical examination, and clearances. Realistic total for a couple: AUD $10,000–$14,000 before migration agent fees.

Is the 491 cost comparable to other skilled visas?

The 491 application charge (AUD $4,910) is identical to the subclass 190 application charge. The subclass 189 charge is also in the same range. The main cost differentiation across the 189, 190, and 491 pathways is not the government fee — it is the ancillary costs and whether you need to repeat items like English tests or assessments before reaching the nomination threshold.

One cost that does not apply to the 491 (unlike employer-sponsored pathways like the 482) is Skilling Australians Fund levy. The 491 is a points-based independent pathway, and there is no SAF levy payable.

For a full walkthrough of the application process, state nomination strategies, and what to track during the three-year regional compliance period that leads to permanent residency, see the Australia Skilled Work Regional Visa (491) Guide.