Loving an Australian; the Most Expensive of all Foreign Partners.

Emma Drynan, Director at Freedom Migration, said people in love are willing to do anything to be together. “Another increase will result in young couples being separated for extended periods, or starting their life together in significant debt when really it’s a time for them to save towards a new home or a stable future together,” she said. “ For any expat returning home permanently can be extremely challenging; the stress of finding a new home, re-entering the workforce and establishing yourself back into your old life is just as confronting as when you first decided to set off on your adventure leaving your home country. . But to now be faced with the barrier of having to outlay nearly $7,000 to bring your partner home with you makes the process of relocating back to Australia impossible for many expats.”

As of the 1 July 2015 the cost of falling in love with an Australian will set the visa applicant back a whopping $6,865.

In December last year, the government increased partner visa fees by 50% with a partner visa application lodged from outside Australia pre 1 January 2015 costing $3085 increased to $4627.50, prospective marriage visa – previously $3085 increased to $4627.50. From 1 July 2015 these same visas will see a further price rise of 50% taking the fee to $6,865. Emma said Australia attracts the highest fee of all Western countries as far as partner visa fees are concerned. “The government is limiting cross-cultural relationships to the elite, making it only accessible for couples who are willing to pay a crazy amount of money for love”.

For more information on Australia’s partner visa program give our office a call on +61 (07) 3063 1200

IMPORTANT: Please note, this does not constitute Immigration advice. Always seek advice from a Registered Migration Agent before applying for an Australian Visa. Migration Law is constantly changing. This information is accurate only at the time of publication.