Australia began requiring an upfront A$1,863.50 fee for reviews of most Protection visa decisions on November 1, 2026, after changes to the Migration Regulations 1994 took effect. The Administrative Review Tribunal announced the change that day.
The fee is payable when an applicant lodges a review, replacing the usual arrangement in which protection-review applicants did not ordinarily pay at filing. The amending instrument was registered on October 31.
The Migration Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Regulations also change some Bridging Visa B rules. The payment requirement and visa provisions apply principally to applications and decisions from the commencement date.
Applicants in two groups are exempt from the upfront payment
The new charge applies to review applications involving decisions to refuse or cancel a protection visa. It also covers certain decisions to withdraw an existing protection finding, including a decision under section 197D of the Migration Act that such a finding would no longer be made about a person.
Applicants pay when they submit the review application. The upfront amount represents half of the ordinary application fee; depending on the result and circumstances, the remaining balance may also become payable.
Two groups do not have to pay the upfront charge: non-citizens held in immigration detention, and applicants whose cases can be combined with another application that already carries a paid fee. The exceptions are limited to those categories described by the tribunal.
Refunds turn on the outcome or validity of the application. Applicants who successfully challenge a protection decision receive the payment back in full. The same applies if the tribunal finds the application invalid, or is prevented from reviewing the decision.
Withdrawing a review after November 1 does not generally qualify for a refund. The tribunal says it will return the fee in only very limited circumstances.
The change shifts when most applicants must provide the money, rather than creating a charge for every protection-related review. Earlier applicants remain under a different payment arrangement.
The submission time determines which payment rules apply
People who began an online review application before the new rules but had not submitted it by 12:00 am (AEDT) on Sunday 1 November 2026 must start the process again. They must pay the new fee when lodging the replacement application.
Applications lodged before November 1 generally stay under the previous payment rules. Under that system, unsuccessful applicants pay after the review concludes, rather than at the outset. The tribunal sends an invoice, which must be paid within 7 days.
Applicants who succeed under the earlier arrangement are, in most cases, not required to pay a fee. The date of submission therefore separates the former post-review payment process from the upfront requirement.
The dividing line is submission, not simply beginning an online form. An unfinished application does not keep its place under the earlier arrangements, even if the applicant started entering information before the rules changed.
Some Bridging Visa B routes depend on whether a claim has ended
The same instrument restricts access to certain Bridging Visa B grants for non-citizens connected to a protection application after the claim has been finally determined. It preserves defined routes while a merits review or judicial review remains underway.
Some affected bridging visas also carry conditions 8564 and 8566. Those conditions address unlawful activity and conduct that poses a risk to public safety or public order.
The visa provisions are separate from the application fee, but both changes sit in the same amendment instrument. Their reach depends in part on whether a protection claim is still in a review process or has reached final determination.
Pending cases remain tied to their procedural stage
The new provisions apply principally to decisions and applications made on or after commencement. A person’s procedural position can affect how they apply, including whether a protection application, tribunal review or court proceeding remains pending.
The regulations distinguish among stages of the case. A review lodged before commencement generally retains the earlier payment arrangement, while the rules also preserve specified bridging-visa pathways during merits or judicial review.
