Nauruans Applying to Study in Australia Now Pay Less for Student Visas

Australia's Department of Home Affairs has confirmed a reduced application charge for the Student visa (subclass 500) for eligible citizens of 23 countries across the Pacific Islands, Timor-Leste and Southeast Asia. Nauru is among the nations covered by the concession.

The standard student visa application charge is AUD 2,500 for the main applicant, while qualifying nationals pay a lower fee. The source does not state the exact reduced amount.

Key facts

• Visa affected: Student visa (subclass 500)
• Standard charge: AUD 2,500 for the main applicant
• Who qualifies: Citizens of 23 countries in the Pacific Islands, Timor-Leste and ASEAN
• Also covered: ELICOS and Non-Award sector applications
• Family members: Eligible dependants included in the application may also get the reduced charge
• How it is applied: Automatically through ImmiAccount, based on the passport used

What is changing?

The Department of Home Affairs is applying a lower student visa application charge to passport holders from the eligible countries. The concession is applied at the point of the online application, so applicants do not need to arrange a separate discount themselves.

The reduced charge also covers applications in the Independent English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) sector and the Non-Award sector. ELICOS refers to English-language courses for international students, while Non-Award courses generally involve study that does not lead to a formal Australian qualification.

Who is affected?

Citizens holding valid passports from 13 Pacific Island and Timor-Leste countries qualify: Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

Citizens of these Southeast Asian countries are also included: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.

Timor-Leste appears in both groups, but the supplied information states that its citizens are assessed under the Pacific Island rate rather than the ASEAN rate.

How is the reduced fee applied?

Applicants lodge their case through ImmiAccount, Australia's immigration application platform. The system identifies eligible applicants from the passport details they provide and applies the concession automatically.

Family members included in an eligible applicant's application may also qualify for the reduced charge. Australia has also introduced changes affecting who can apply for a Student visa while already in the country and whether family members can be included, though the source does not give details of those rules.

What this means for travellers

Students from the listed countries who are planning study in Australia should check their eligibility and the applicable fee with the Department of Home Affairs before submitting an application. Holding an eligible passport and paying the lower charge does not guarantee visa approval — applicants must still meet the relevant visa requirements.

No start date, expiry date or reduced fee amount has been announced in the information available. The department advises applicants to confirm the current fee and eligibility conditions before lodging.