Form 80 Cost Australia: What Does Completing Form 80 Actually Cost?

Completing Form 80 costs nothing by itself — the form is free from the Department of Home Affairs, and submitting it to ImmiAccount carries no fee. The question most applicants are actually asking is: what will it cost me in total to get Form 80 done? That depends on your history, your visa type, and the supporting services you need.

Form 80 itself is free

The official Form 80 PDF (design date 03/21) is published by the Department of Home Affairs and available at no cost. You can download it directly from the Department, complete it, and upload it to ImmiAccount as part of your visa application — all without paying any government fee.

There is no fee to download Form 80, no fee to submit it, and no separate "character assessment fee" attached to the form. Any cost you encounter is not from Form 80 itself — it is from a service or adviser you have chosen to engage.

Migration agent fees

A registered migration agent (MARN holder) is the most significant cost that can arise around Form 80. Agents are not required for most applicants — but for complex cases, their advice is worth considering.

Migration agent fees vary significantly depending on the agent, the visa type, and the complexity of your case. Form 80 assistance is almost always bundled into the overall visa application service rather than priced separately. Indicative ranges:

Service	Indicative cost (AUD)
Full skilled visa application assistance (incl. Form 80 review)	$2,000 – $6,000+
Partner visa application assistance (incl. Form 80)	$2,500 – $5,000+
Hourly consultation / Form 80 review only	$200 – $500 per hour

These figures are indicative only — actual fees vary by agent and are not regulated by the Department of Home Affairs (though agents are regulated by MARA). Always request a written fee disclosure from an agent before engaging them. Migration agents registered with MARA are required to provide a written Client Services Agreement before accepting payment.

For applicants with straightforward histories, completing Form 80 independently is achievable. Agent involvement becomes worthwhile when your situation involves criminal history, prior visa refusals, sensitive disclosures, or a formal s56 notice with a tight deadline.

NAATI translation fees

If any of your supporting documents are in a language other than English — for example, a foreign police check, employment letter, or court document — the Department of Home Affairs requires a NAATI-certified translation before those documents can be accepted as evidence.

NAATI (National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters) translators charge per page or per word, and rates vary by language pair, document complexity, and turnaround time. Indicative costs:

Document type	Indicative cost (AUD)
Short letter or certificate (1–2 pages)	$80 – $200
Police check or court document (2–5 pages)	$150 – $400
Employment records, pay slips (per page)	$50 – $120 per page
Rare or complex language pairs	Higher — obtain a quote

Not all Form 80 applicants need translations. If your documents are already in English — for example, if you have lived only in English-speaking countries — no translation is required. If you have lived in non-English-speaking countries and the Department asks for supporting evidence, NAATI-certified translation becomes necessary. See the Form 80 translation guide for more detail.

Police check fees

Form 80 Part K asks about criminal history in any country. For some visa types, the Department may also require a police clearance certificate — separate from Form 80 itself — to support your character assessment. Fees depend on the country:

Police check	Indicative cost
Australian Federal Police (AFP) National Police Check	AUD $42 (online, standard)
Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) check	Varies by accredited body
Overseas police clearance (e.g. India, China, UK, USA)	Varies widely by country and issuing authority

Police checks are requested separately from Form 80 — if the Department requires one, it will appear as a named request in your ImmiAccount checklist. Not all Form 80 applicants are asked for a police check. See the Form 80 police check guide for country-specific guidance.

FormMate 80 pricing

FormMate 80 is free to use. You can create an account, complete all 20 sections of Form 80 using the guided wizard, auto-save your progress across sessions, and download the completed PDF — all at no cost. The tool is funded by display advertising.

FormMate 80 is an independent tool and is not affiliated with the Department of Home Affairs or the Australian Government. The official blank Form 80 PDF remains freely available from the Department at all times — you are not required to use FormMate 80.

DIY vs migration agent: cost comparison

Approach	Form 80 cost	What you get	Best for
Official PDF (DIY)	Free	Blank 19-page PDF — download here	Applicants comfortable working through a form independently
FormMate 80	Free	Guided wizard, auto-save, instant PDF — fill online here	Most applicants who want structured guidance at no cost
Migration agent (Form 80 review)	~$200–$500/hr	Professional review of completed Form 80 before submission	Applicants with disclosures or complex histories wanting a second opinion
Migration agent (full application)	$2,000–$6,000+	End-to-end visa application management including Form 80	Complex cases: criminal history, prior refusals, s56 notices

NAATI translations and police check fees apply on top of any of the above, if required. These are not fixed — they depend on your individual history and what the Department requests.

When a migration agent is worth the cost

For most applicants with straightforward histories, completing Form 80 independently using FormMate 80 or the official PDF is achievable at no cost. Professional advice from a registered migration agent adds genuine value when:

• You have criminal history — charges, convictions, or cautions — in any country at any time
• You have had a prior visa refused or cancelled, in Australia or overseas
• You are uncertain about what to disclose in the character sections (Parts K–N)
• You have received a formal s56 notice and are unsure how to respond
• You have lived in multiple countries with complex employment or address histories
• The visa type carries significant personal or financial consequences if refused

A registered migration agent can review your completed form before submission and advise on disclosures that require careful handling. Always verify any agent is registered with MARA at mara.gov.au — only registered agents are legally authorised to provide migration advice for a fee in Australia.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a fee to submit Form 80?

No. Form 80 is a free official Department of Home Affairs form. There is no fee to download it, complete it, or submit it to the Department as part of your visa application. Any cost you encounter is from a third-party service you have chosen — not from Form 80 itself.

Does FormMate 80 charge to complete or download Form 80?

No. FormMate 80 is free to use. Completing all 20 sections, saving your progress, and downloading the completed PDF are all free. The tool is funded by display advertising and is not affiliated with the Department of Home Affairs.

What is the total cost of completing Form 80, including supporting documents?

For most applicants: $0. Form 80 is free, FormMate 80 is free, and if all your documents are in English and no police check is separately requested, there are no additional costs. Additional costs arise only if you choose to use a migration agent (professional fees), need NAATI-certified translations of foreign-language documents (roughly AUD $80–$400 per document), or the Department separately requests a police check (AUD $42 for an AFP NPC; varies for overseas checks).

Are there paid Form 80 tools I should avoid?

Be cautious of any service that charges a significant fee for entering your data into Form 80 when the official blank form is free. Do not use any service claiming to submit Form 80 directly to the Department on your behalf — you must upload it to ImmiAccount yourself. A migration agent charging professional fees for full application advice is legitimate and regulated by MARA; an unregistered service charging a flat fee to "fill your Form 80" is not.