From 1 July 2013, the new visa pricing arrangements were officially implemented by the Australian Government, affecting most visa sub-classes across the migration program. These proposed changes will mostly impact visa applicants with large families who will now face a considerable increase following the new "per-person" visa application charge structure.
Whereas before, skilled visas attracted a base fee of $3,060 regardless of the size of the family; now, there is a base fee of $3,060 plus an additional fee of $1,530 for every family member aged 18 or over and $765 for every family member aged under 18. These additional fees will also be charged if a child or spouse is added to the application after visa lodgement.
The news of the increase has so far been met with a level of apprehension by the industry; however, Migrate 2 Oz's, Ray Welthagen, encourages the industry to look at the positive influence that this will have in terms of preventing non-genuine applicants from going through the process unnecessarily.
According to Welthagen, "the visa cost itself should never be the determining factor in the decision to migrate, and those who choose not to migrate based solely on high costs may not be suitable migration candidates."
He points out that the cost of obtaining a visa makes up only a small fraction of the total cost of migrating. Those who are migrating for the right reasons are those who understand that the sooner a migrant is able to settle into a country with a stable currency and a well-managed economy, the sooner they are able to rebuild their wealth, especially when taking into account the weak exchange rate.
With the migration industry being in a state of constant change, it is becoming increasingly important for potential migrants to use the services of a registered migration agent to ensure that applicants choose the right migration path for their needs. Doing so could potentially save applicants a lot of time and money by eliminating the risk of making a costly error when lodging a visa application due to a simple lack of knowledge and understanding of the application process.
To avoid being caught off guard by substantial price increases, Welthagen advises potential migrants to apply for a visa sooner rather than later. "If you're thinking of migrating in the next five years - apply now. In 2005, the cost of an application was around R38,000 for a family of four. Eight years later, it is around R105,000 - an increase of some 276%."
