Albanese government changes immigration policy; India, Nepal and Pakistan are not included in the special concession

The Australian government, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, has introduced an important change to its immigration policy, offering special student visa fee concessions to eligible students from 23 countries.

From July 1, 2026, the main application fee for the regular Student Visa (Subclass 500) was increased from 2,000 to 2,500 Australian dollars. However, eligible students from selected countries will now benefit from a reduced application fee.

Which 23 Countries Are Eligible?

The countries covered under the special concession include Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Micronesia, Marshall Islands and Timor-Leste.

Eligible students from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam are also included in the scheme.

Family Members Can Also Benefit

A key feature of the concession is that family members of the main applicant may also receive the reduced fee, provided the primary applicant meets the eligibility requirements.

However, India, Nepal and Pakistan have not been included in the official list of countries eligible for the special student visa fee concession.