Immigration fee increases

When I first started advising people on naturalisation back in 2012, the application fee was $84. This has crept up over the years. By 2016 it was $250. In 2018, it was $500. And in 2022, it was increased to $1000!

So there is always a risk that, come the new financial year on the first of April, the fees will go up again. If you or a family member are in the position of being eligible to apply for naturalisation prior to the 1st April, it may be worth focussing on getting it submitted prior to then, as it could save you hundreds of dollars.

For PRC, there are slightly different considerations.

The current PRC fees are $50,000 if applying under the Jobmaker's scheme; $10,000 for 20-year residents, and $3150 for dependents. These are very significant sums that have bounced around over the years. e.g. the Jobmaker's PRC fee started off as $120,000 in 2011, then reduced to 'only' $25,000 in 2013, and then hiked again to $50,000 in 2018. Although fees are more likely to go up than down, there is a chance that there could be some reductions.

The budget statement will be made in late February, which may contain hints of what will change, although it doesn't give all details of fee changes. Following that, various laws will be tabled in parliament to effect fee changes. This will give a limited window prior to the 1st April to assess whether will be better to submit an application before or after the new financial year.