Australia Releases List of 13 Countries Whose Citizens Can Pay Less for Specialist Skills Visa
- Australia has announced a lower visa application cost for eligible citizens from 13 Pacific Island nations and Timor-Leste starting July 2026
- The cost concession applies to the Skills in Demand visa Specialist Skills stream and covers family members of the primary applicant
- Eligible nationals are automatically recognised by their passport when applying through Australia's ImmiAccount platform
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Australia has introduced a reduced visa application fee for citizens of 13 Pacific Island nations and Timor-Leste, offering them a financial advantage when applying for the country's specialist skills visa.
The policy, which took effect on 1 July 2026, applies to the Skills in Demand visa Subclass 482 Specialist Skills stream. Under the new arrangement, qualifying applicants pay a lower cost at the point of lodging a valid visa application through Australia's online immigration platform, ImmiAccount.
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Australia: Which countries qualify for concession
The Australian Department of Home Affairs listed the following nations as eligible:
- Federated States of Micronesia
- Fiji
- Kiribati
- Nauru
- Palau
- Papua New Guinea
- Republic of the Marshall Islands
- Samoa
- Solomon Islands
- Timor-Leste
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu.
Recognition is based on the applicant holding a valid passport from one of the listed countries. Crucially, family members travelling or applying alongside the primary applicant are also eligible for the reduced cost, provided their eligibility is established through the primary applicant's passport.
Australia: How reduced cost is applied
The lower fee is charged automatically during the application process in ImmiAccount, meaning eligible applicants do not need to request the concession separately or submit additional documentation to claim it.
The Specialist Skills stream of the Skills in Demand visa is designed for highly skilled workers seeking to fill roles in Australia that require specialist expertise. By lowering the financial barrier for Pacific and Timor-Leste applicants specifically, the Australian government signals a deliberate effort to support labour mobility within its regional neighbourhood.
In a similar report, Legit.ng earlier published that Australia released a list of 36 occupations that are eligible for special Skills in Demand visa exemption.
Australia: Countries eligible for Pacific Engagement visa
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia announced its Pacific Engagement Visa and the 12 countries whose citizens are eligible to apply for permanent residence. The list includes Pacific island nations such as Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, as well as Timor-Leste.
The visa marks Australia’s latest effort to strengthen its ties with the Pacific and wider Indo-Pacific region. But citizens of countries left off the list will need to consider other immigration routes to live in Australia.
Source: Legit.ng
