Sydney, July 3 -- Australia will continue with preferential visa application fees for citizens of ASEAN member states, including Vietnam, underscoring its strategy of attracting students and skilled talent from the region. Under new regulations that took effect on July 1, the application fee for a student visa (subclass 500) rose to 2,500 AUD (1,729 USD) from 2,000 AUD. Applicants from ASEAN countries, including Vietnam, will pay a discounted 2,050 AUD, an increase of just 50 AUD from the previous rate. The differentiated fee structure signals that Australia continues to treat ASEAN as a priority in its international education strategy, with Vietnam as an important market that has shown a steady rise in student numbers, according to obser...