From Sunday 1 November 2026, you will need to pay an upfront fee when applying for a review of a protection visa decision. This follows recent changes to the Migration Regulations 1994.
This means you must pay a fee of $1,863.50 at the time of applying for a review of:
- a decision to refuse or cancel a protection visa
- a decision made under section 197D of the Migration Act that a protection finding would no longer be made about a person.
If payment is not made when you apply, you will not be able to submit an online application unless the fee does not apply to you.
Who does not need to pay a fee?
You may be exempt from paying any fee if:
- you are a non-citizen in immigration detention, or
- your application is combined with another application where a fee has already been paid.
Who can get a refund?
If you are successful in your review of your protection decision, or if we decide that your application is invalid, you are entitled to a full refund of the application fee.
If you apply on or after Sunday 1 November 2026 and withdraw your application, we can only refund the application fee in very limited circumstances.
Online applications prior to 1 November 2026
If you have started an online application for a review of a protection decision but do not submit it before 12:00 am (AEDT) on Sunday 1 November 2026, you will need to start a new online application form and pay the upfront fee before you submit it.
If your application for review was lodged with the Tribunal before 1 November 2026 and is not successful, you will generally be required to pay a fee. If you are successful in your review, in most cases you won't be required to pay a fee. If you are required to pay a fee, we will send you an invoice which must be paid within 7 days.
If you are not sure if this fee will apply to you, find out more information on our website
