From July 1, 2024, new Australian citizenship application fees will apply. Fees are changing to reflect the cost of processing applications. On July 1 each year, indexation is applied to citizenship application fees based on the consumer price index (CPI).
The new fees apply to all citizenship applications received by the Department of Home Affairs (the Department) at or after 12 am (AEST) on July 1, 2024.
The new fees applicable from July 1, 2024, are set out in the table here. There will be no changes to the eligibility for fee exemptions.
Online applications
- Those who apply online at or after 12 am (AEST) on July 1, 2024, will pay the new fee, regardless of when they started the application. The application is considered submitted when the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) receives it, along with the fee.
- For those who apply online and pay by credit card or debit card, PayPal, or UnionPay, the application and fee is generally received on the same day.
- Those who submit an incomplete application may need to submit a new application and pay the relevant fee.
- Online services, including ImmiAccount, may not be available between 2 pm (AEST) on June 30, 2024, and 9 am (AEST) on July 1, 2024, due to systems maintenance.
Paper applications
- For paper applications sent by post, an application is considered submitted on the date DHA receives the application, not the date the application form is posted. If DHA receives the application at or after 12 am (AEST) on July 1, 2024, the new fee applies. To avoid the risk of postal delays, DHA recommends applying online where possible.
- If DHA receives a paper application without the full fee applicable on the date received, it cannot consider the application until the correct fee has been paid.
- Those who pre-paid a lower fee, but do not submit the application before the fee change, can make a ‘top-up’ payment using ImmiAccount.
- For those who do not pay the ‘top-up’ amount, the application will be returned. They will need to submit a new application with the correct fee.
Erickson Insights & Analysis
Erickson Immigration Group will continue to monitor developments and share updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or case-specific questions.