What a migration agent should cost, and why quotes vary so much
There is no regulated fee scale in Australia. OMARA regulates how agents behave, not what they charge. So the spread is real, and so is the confusion.
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The government charge for your actual family, plus what agents really charge for that work. No sign-up.
The two halves of every price
Almost every dispute about migration fees comes from mixing these up.
- The professional fee. The agent's own charge for their work. It attracts GST, and under section 46 of the Code it must be a fixed fee or an hourly rate with an estimate of hours.
- Disbursements. Money that passes through the agent to someone else: the visa application charge, skills assessment, English test, medicals, police checks, translations. These are not the agent's income and must not be marked up.
A partner visa quoted at "$3,000" and one quoted at "$14,710" can be the identical deal. The second one included the $11,710 visa application charge.
Typical professional fees
| Matter | Professional fee | Government charge |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor visa | $500 - $1,500 | $250 |
| Student visa | $800 - $2,500 | $2,500 |
| Temporary Graduate visa | $1,200 - $3,000 | $5,750 |
| Skills in Demand visa | $2,500 - $6,000 | $4,015 |
| Skilled Independent visa | $2,000 - $5,500 | $6,135 |
| Skilled Nominated visa | $2,200 - $6,000 | $6,140 |
| Employer Nomination Scheme visa | $2,500 - $6,500 | $6,140 |
| Partner visa (onshore, temporary) | $2,800 - $7,000 | $11,710 |
| Partner visa (offshore, provisional) | $2,800 - $7,000 | $11,710 |
| Contributory Parent visa | $3,000 - $8,000 | $49,900 |
| ART review of a visa refusal or cancellation | $2,500 - $9,000 | $3,727 |
Government charges shown are the published base rates as at 1 Jul 2026. They are indexed on 1 July each year and depend on your circumstances. Confirm the current charge at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au before you rely on it.
What a fair quote looks like
- A fixed fee, or an hourly rate with an estimated number of hours. "$350 per hour" alone is not a quote.
- Stated including GST.
- Disbursements listed separately, item by item, marked as estimates where they are estimates.
- A clear list of what is and is not included - a request for further information, a tribunal appeal, and a second application are commonly excluded, and should be.
- Payment in stages tied to events, not a single up-front lump.
- No promise about the outcome, because making one is a breach of the Code.
Warning signs
- A guaranteed visa. Nobody can guarantee a decision. Section 26 of the Code forbids saying so.
- "Government registered" or "MARA approved". Also a breach - it implies a relationship with the Department or OMARA that does not exist.
- Cash, or payment to a personal account. The Code requires invoices, receipts and client money handling.
- Money before a signed service agreement. Section 51 prohibits it outright.
- An offer to supply documents you do not have. Walk away and report it.
- No registration number anywhere. Section 25 requires it on their correspondence and advertising.
Our own fees
Posting a case and receiving quotes is free for applicants and always will be - charging the anxious side of this market is how lead-generation sites go wrong. VisaBid charges the provider a service fee on professional fees that are actually paid through the platform, never on the government charges passed through it. See what we charge providers.