Migration Agent Fees in Melbourne (2026)
Hiring help with a visa in Melbourne means paying two separate bills: the professional fee, which this page prices, and the visa application charge, which goes to the Department of Home Affairs and sits outside every figure here. On our table a visitor or student matter is $540–$2,700, a partner application $4,300–$6,500 and a full employer sponsorship package $3,250–$8,650. Where your file lands inside its band depends on the visa stream, your history, how many people are on the application and whether you engage a registered agent or a Victorian lawyer.
Comparing cities, or after the Australia-wide picture? See the national guide: How much does a migration agent cost in Australia?
Detailed Pricing — Migration Agent Cost in Melbourne 2026
| Tier | Agent professional fee (ex GST, excludes government charges) | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor or student visa | $540–$2,700 | Per application |
| Skilled visa (189/190/491) | $2,150–$5,400 | Per application |
| Partner visa (820/801 or 309/100) | $4,300–$6,500 | Per application |
| Employer sponsored (482/186), full sponsorship package | $3,250–$8,650 | Per application |
| ART review or appeal | $3,250–$11,000 | Per matter |
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- Agent or Victorian lawyer. The only people who may lawfully take a fee for immigration assistance are OMARA-registered agents and lawyers who hold an Australian legal practising certificate (Department of Home Affairs). A Melbourne lawyer also works under the Legal Profession Uniform Law: once the work will cost more than $750 you must get a written estimate, and above $3,000 a more detailed written costs disclosure is required (Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner).
- Which visa stream. The stream sets the starting point. A visitor or student file is mostly forms and supporting papers, priced at $540–$2,700, while skilled work at $2,150–$5,400 can start long before anything is lodged when the applicant needs a skills assessment first. Partner files, at $4,300–$6,500, gather documents from two people, so expect more hours of sorting and checking.
- Everyone on the application. The typical Greater Melbourne household has 2.6 members (ABS 2021 Census), and a visa file can name a spouse, sons and daughters or other dependants alongside the person applying. Every extra name brings identity papers, health and character checks to track and more forms to prepare, so ask whether the fee covers the whole family or is priced per applicant.
- Your migration history. A first application with nothing awkward in it takes the least work. A past refusal, a cancelled visa, a medical or character concern or unexplained gaps in your travel or work record all call for extra analysis and written submissions, which is why two Melbourne quotes for the same visa can sit at opposite ends of a band.
- Staged employer packages. An employer-sponsored file has three parts: approval of the business as a sponsor, nomination of the role and the worker's own visa application. All three together come to $3,250–$8,650 on our table. Some agents quote each stage on its own, so when a Melbourne employer compares offers, line the stages up rather than the totals.
- Review at the tribunal. Representing someone before a review tribunal on a visa matter is immigration assistance in its own right (Department of Home Affairs), priced at $3,250–$11,000 on our table. How far up that band a matter goes depends on how much needs preparing: a short written submission on one point is a different job from getting ready for a hearing with witnesses.
- Money paid in advance. OMARA requires a registered agent to park client funds in a separate account and draw on them only once the service is given. If the agent stops acting for you, they cannot keep money you paid ahead, although work finished before the contract ended may still be payable where the contract provides for it (OMARA). Read the payment schedule before you sign.
Agent, lawyer or self-lodge?
Use an OMARA-registered agent or immigration lawyer for partner, skilled and employer-sponsored applications where the non-refundable government charge alone runs into thousands, and for any refusal or review.
Straightforward visitor or working holiday applications with clean histories are routinely self-lodged through ImmiAccount.
How to Keep the Migration Agent Cost Sane in Melbourne
This guide is general information, not advice. Figures are typical ranges compiled from published Australian sources in 2026 and are not a quote; confirm fees with the provider before engaging them. This page is general information, not legal advice. Professional fees are exclusive of GST; court and tribunal filing fees, government charges and disbursements are separate and are not included in any band above. Hourly figures are market ranges, not a scale. Only OMARA-registered migration agents and Australian legal practitioners may give immigration assistance for a fee. The government Visa Application Charge is separate from any agent fee and is non-refundable.