What does migrating actually cost beyond the visa fee?

Beyond the government fee, migrating usually costs an English test, a credential or skills assessment, medical examinations, police certificates, translations and biometrics before the visa, and flights, temporary housing, deposits and the first months without income after it. Settlement funds must be held as well, and every family member multiplies most of the list.

Before the visa

Language tests. IELTS is around ₹18,000 in India, and many people sit it twice. Australia and the UK also accept PTE, which is priced similarly.
Credential and skills assessments. An educational credential assessment for Canada costs a few hundred Canadian dollars plus couriers. Australian skills assessments vary widely by authority; engineering and health assessments are the most expensive.
Medical examination at a panel clinic, per person.
Police clearance certificates from India and every other country you have lived in, plus apostilles or translations where needed.
Biometrics, per person, with a family cap in Canada.
Document translation and notarisation for anything not in English.

Money held but not spent

Settlement funds for Canada and Australia, and maintenance funds for the UK, have to sit in your account for months before you apply. They are not a cost, but they are money you cannot use.

After the visa

flights for the family, and excess baggage
temporary accommodation for the first weeks, and a rental deposit of one to two months' rent
health cover where the public system does not start immediately
the months between landing and the first salary, which is the cost families most often underestimate
re-licensing for regulated professions, which can be exams, courses and fees stretching over a year

What we do about this

Every programme page lists the government fee and the processing time from the official source. Our own fee is quoted in writing after the free assessment, never included in a "package" with things you could pay for directly, and never marked up on government charges. If the total is more than your plan allows, we would rather you know that at the assessment stage than in a foreign city.

Sources

Checked against these on 5 September 2026 by Zehla AZ, Head of Sales. Immigration rules change without notice — if you are reading this much later, check them again.