Very often, when visa applicants are renewing their visa in Australia, they are required to pay a $700 fee in addition to the government visa fee when submitting their application. This fee is called the Subsequent Temporary Application Charge (STAC), and it is due when certain conditions are met.
In short, the STAC applies when you are submitting a visa onshore (in Australia), and your last substantive visa (other than a Bridging visa) was also lodged in Australia.
For example, if a visa applicant arrived in Australia on a Subclass 500 Student Visa (first Student Visa) that was lodged offshore (outside Australia), then renewed this Subclass 500 Student Visa (second Student Visa) while onshore, and later applied for a Subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa, they will need to pay the STAC. This is because they lodged the Subclass 482 SID visa while holding a Subclass 500 Student visa that was applied for in Australia.
Keep in mind that not every visa attracts the STAC. Generally speaking, the STAC does not apply to permanent residence visas. The table below will help you better understand when the STAC applies. The STAC fee applies when you hold or have last held one of the visas in Table 1 and are applying for a visa in Table 2:
| Table 1 – Your last substantive Visa (applied in Australia) | Table 2 – Visa you are applying for |
| 402 – Training and Research – Occupational Trainee stream402 – Training and Research – Research stream | 408 – Temporary Activity |
| 407 – Training Visa | 407 – Training |
| 408 – Temporary Activity visa | 482 – Skills in Demand |
| 417 – Working Holiday | 500 – Student |
| 426 – Domestic Worker – Diplomatic and Consular | 590 – Student Guardian |
| 442 – Occupational Trainee | 600 – Visitor |
| 457 – Temporary Work (Skilled) | |
| 462 – Work and Holiday | |
| 482 – Skills in Demand | |
| 500 – Student | |
| 576 – Foreign Affairs or Defence Sector | |
| 600 – Visitor | |
| 602 – Medical Treatment | |
| 685 – Medical Treatment (Long Stay) |
The exception to the STAC rule abovementioned is when your last substantive visa was granted by operation of law, which may include:
- some Special Persons visas
- Enforcement visas
- Absorbed Persons visas
- Ex citizen visas
- visas granted to newborn babies.