An important update for all clients and applicants looking to lodge a visa application with the Department of Immigration and Border Protection on or after the 19th April 2014. The Department of Immigration and Border Protection has recently announced that it will be passing the relevant surcharges associated with credit card payments onto the client. This is not ideal news, seeing the majority of visa applications are paid for using online lodgement facilities or application forms that all use credit card payment as the primary payment option.
Global Enterprises Group expresses disappointment at the manoeuvre, being a further increase on the cost of clients applying for visas to come into Australia. Global Enterprises Group’s Managing Director James Clarke recently commented “this is just the most recent in a long train of cost increases put on clients wanting to get a valid visa to come into Australia. The Department of Immigration and Border Protection has already increased visa application charges in major ways at least 3 times in the last 12 months, this being the most recent. Some of the increases have already seen application fees for some visa applicants increase by more than 300%”.
Global Enterprises Group can confirm that all online visa applications such as 457, 186, 187, 820, 309 etc will now incur the charge. The Department of Immigration and Border Protection will have three different rates, related to Visa/MasterCard, American Express/JCB and Diners. The date for introducing this surcharge has been moved around, however it has now been confirmed to be introduced on the 19th April (Saturday). Global Enterprises Group has no choice but to also include the surcharge in the terms and conditions issued to clients for applications post Saturday the 19th April. The three different rates are broken down as follows:
The full update from the department of immigration can be seen here: http://www.immi.gov.au/Help/Pages/fees-charges/visa.aspx
