How to pay your Australian visa fee from the US
Migratio Editorial · Last updated
TL;DR: US-issued Visa and Mastercard cards are widely accepted at ImmiAccount with few decline issues, carrying the same 1.40% surcharge for debit and credit. Many US cards also charge their own foreign transaction fee on top of the exchange rate — check your card's terms. Cards that waive this fee (some Chase Sapphire, Capital One and Discover cards, among others) can eliminate that extra cost.
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US-issued Visa and Mastercard cards are widely accepted at ImmiAccount with few decline issues, carrying the same 1.40% surcharge for debit and credit. Many US cards also charge their own foreign transaction fee on top of the exchange rate — check your card's terms. Cards that waive this fee (some Chase Sapphire, Capital One and Discover cards, among others) can eliminate that extra cost.
Current Australian visa fees
Fees vary by subclass. Common examples: ETA (subclass 601) AUD 20, Visitor visa (subclass 600) approximately AUD 250 for an offshore tourist application, Student visa (subclass 500) approximately AUD 2,500, and Partner visa (subclass 820/801) approximately AUD 11,710. Home Affairs charges were last indexed on 1 July 2026 — check the website for current amounts before you pay (Home Affairs).
Accepted payment methods
ImmiAccount accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, PayPal, UnionPay and BPAY. Diners Club is not accepted. US-issued cards are among the most reliable for ImmiAccount payments — the USD-to-AUD payment path is well-established and decline rates are very low.
The surcharge is 1.40% on Visa, Mastercard, American Express and JCB — the same rate applies to debit and credit — 1.90% on UnionPay, and 1.01% on PayPal (Home Affairs).
Minimising the conversion cost
Many US credit and debit cards charge a separate foreign transaction fee on non-USD purchases, on top of the exchange rate and the ImmiAccount surcharge — check your own card's terms for the exact figure. This fee is set by the card issuer, not by ImmiAccount.
Some US cards waive foreign transaction fees entirely — check current terms for cards such as the Chase Sapphire range, Capital One Venture/Quicksilver, several Discover cards and Bank of America Travel Rewards. Using one of these for the visa payment removes that fee, which matters most on a higher fee such as the Partner visa.
Common card-decline reasons from the US
US cards are rarely declined at ImmiAccount. Occasional issues include: fraud alert on an unfamiliar foreign merchant (call your bank to approve the charge), insufficient credit limit for high-value visas, or expired card details.
Payment-failure recovery
How long a failed online payment takes to reverse depends on your bank, not on Home Affairs. Confirm whether the charge posted before retrying. Contact the Home Affairs Global Service Centre if the charge does not reverse.
Receipt and refund
Successful payment generates a TRN in ImmiAccount. Download the receipt. Refunds are limited — fees are generally not refunded for refused visas. To request one, complete Form 1424 and send it to the office processing your application. Home Affairs states there is no standard time frame for processing a refund request.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my US debit card?
Yes. US Visa and Mastercard debit cards are accepted, with the same 1.40% surcharge as credit cards. Your card issuer's own foreign transaction fee, if it charges one, still applies.
What is the cheapest way to pay from the US?
Use a credit or debit card with no foreign transaction fee, so you only pay the ImmiAccount surcharge and the card network's exchange rate.
Can I pay in USD instead of AUD?
No. ImmiAccount charges in AUD. Your card issuer handles the USD-to-AUD conversion.
Can someone in Australia pay for me?
Yes. They can pay with their card on your ImmiAccount login.
Are there alternative payment methods?
Besides card, ImmiAccount also accepts PayPal, UnionPay and BPAY.
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