The price of visas is set to rise, with holiday makers, students and foreigners wanting to marry their Australian partners to be worst hit. The Government is hoping to reap $500 million from the price hike as it attempts to return the budget to surplus.
Working-holiday visas will increase $70 to $360 and temporary skilled worker visas will jump to $450, $100 extra. The increase will invariably hit the multitude of Greeks wanting to work in Australia and call it home.
Partner visas are set to jump hundreds, with those already in Australia hoping to marry their Australian partner having to pay $4000, about $1000 extra. Those overseas wanting to marry their Australian partner will have to fork out about $650 more, bringing the visa cost up to $2700. Australian migration agent, Mr George Kastsaromitsos deals with many Greek clients and thinks the price hike comes as another blow to Greeks wishing to marry and work in Australia.
“There’s no justification, especially when people have to wait 13 months for them [the government] to even start looking at the applications,” he told Neos Kosmos. “The government is overdoing it.” Mr Kastsaromitsos believes that changing anything to do with visas will further confuse Greeks and other migrants.
International students already here on a student visa will also have to pay a much heftier sum to be able to work in Australia. From $315, the skilled graduate visas will now be $1260. Acting Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Senator Kate Lundy has brushed off criticism that extra costs would deter people. In a statement she said, ‘the government has made a targeted increase in the cost of visas where there are high levels of demand, and therefore areas that are less likely to be significantly impacted by the added costs’.
Maurene Horder, CEO of the Migration Institute of Australia, a body representing Migration agents, says it is unfair. She told Radio Australia “the fact you can get away with charging a bit more doesn’t mean it is reasonable or fair or that you have to do it”. Other predicted costs will be felt by the tourism industry, which might see dip in numbers as tourists seek other countries with cheaper entry costs.
Changes to visa pricing take effect from 1 January 2013.