Migration Agent Fees in Australia: 686 Real Quotes Show $220 Median

Real marketplace data from 686 quotes by 57 MARA-registered agents puts the median consultation fee at $220, with the middle half between $150 and $275. Covers what the Code of Conduct legally requires an agent to give you before you pay, and the separate, non-refundable government visa charge. Figures as at September 2026.

Read the full guide, with official sources →

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Chapters

  1. 0:00 $220
  2. 0:12 The consult fee is not
  3. 0:24 $220 median.
  4. 0:36 Middle half of agents:
  5. 0:57 Ask directly:
  6. 1:08 Fixed or hourly —
  7. 1:18 Hourly billing?
  8. 1:30 First consult only:
  9. 1:41 What an agent owes you
  10. 1:58 No pay without a
  11. 2:10 $6,135 to $11,710 —
  12. 2:31 Plus: health exam, police clearances,
  13. 2:45 No paperwork, no invoice?
  14. 2:57 Where to read more

Transcript

686 real quotes from 57 registered agents put the median migration consultation fee at $220.

That figure covers the initial consultation only — the appointment where the agent explains your pathway. Preparing and lodging the actual application is a separate quote, given afterwards.

Counting each agent once, so a single busy agent can't skew the number, 686 quotes from 57 agents put the median consultation fee at $220.

The middle half of agents quote between $150 and $275 for that first consultation.

There's no official schedule for what full case representation costs. It's quoted separately, and what raises it is a prior refusal, evidence that could be read more than one way, or a sponsorship to coordinate.

Some agents credit the consultation fee toward the full engagement fee if you go ahead with them. This varies agent to agent, so it's worth asking directly.

The Code of Conduct allows either a fixed total fee or an hourly rate. Either way, section 46 says the fee must be fair and reasonable.

For hourly billing, the agreement must include a time estimate. Under section 46 subsection 4, you can't be charged beyond that estimate unless you agree in writing to an updated one.

For that first consultation, section 43 lets an agent skip the signed agreement — but the fee must still be reasonable, and they must tell you their MARN.

Before any fee beyond that, section 42 requires a written, signed agreement. Section 46 states the fee itself, section 48 the payment terms, and section 49 requires an itemised invoice before you're charged, and a receipt after.

Separately, section 313 of the Migration Act 1958 says an agent isn't entitled to be paid at all unless they give you a statement of services listing each service and its charge.

None of this includes the government's own visa charge, paid directly to the Department and non-refundable. As at 1 July 2026, that's $6,135 for a subclass 189, $6,140 for the 190 or 491, and $11,710 for a partner visa.

On top of both, budget for costs neither the agent nor the government controls: a health exam, police clearances, document translation, and — for skilled visas — the assessing authority's own skills assessment fee.

If an agent asks you to pay before giving you anything in writing, or can't produce an itemised invoice, that's not a grey area — it's a Code of Conduct breach you can raise with OMARA.

The full guide, with the official sources, is on migratio.com.au. The link is in the description. And if you'd like to talk it through, you can compare registered migration agents there, and see their fees before you book anything.

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