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The Australian Government has announced that the National Planning Level (NPL) for international student commencements will remain unchanged in 2027, providing certainty for education providers and prospective international students. The 2027 planning level will remain at 295,000 international student commencements, the same as in 2026. According to the Government, this level is approximately 8% below the immediate post-COVID peak, with current data indicating that student co

Australia has introduced changes to its Working Holiday Maker program from 1 July 2026, including a substantial increase in visa application charges for young travellers seeking to live and work in Australia. The base application charge for both the Working Holiday (subclass 417) visa and the Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa has increased by 37.3%, rising from AUD 670 to AUD 920 for primary applicants. The second and third year visa in the same program the application cha

Today, the Australian Government has introduced a range of increases to visa application and citizenship application fees without any warning as to Australian citizenship application fees have increased in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to reflect the increasing cost of processing applications. Some lower-value fees remain unchanged due to rounding, and applications that already attract a nil fee are not affected. The first instalment of visa application charges (VA

The High Court has rejected a proposed common law defence that would have shielded Commonwealth officers from liability for false imprisonment during a period of unlawful immigration detention.

Since the introduction of paper-based student visa reviews, many applicants and practitioners have been wondering whether the changes would affect the chances of success at the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART). While it is still early days, we are now starting to see remittal decisions being issued in student visa review matters determined solely on the papers. This is an encouraging sign for applicants who may have been concerned about the removal of oral hearings. A rem

The Australian Border Force (ABF) has launched a national operation targeting compliance issues within the Training (Subclass 407) visa program. This four-month operation, led by the Department's Sponsor Monitoring Unit, aims to identify and address fraudulent training programs and exploitative practices that undermine the visa system. What the Operation Involves Over 100 site visits conducted in the first month across six states and territories. Focus on employers who lack g

The next invitation round for the Skilled Independent visa (Subclass 189) is scheduled for 4 June 2026. This visa is highly sought after by skilled workers who want to live and work permanently in Australia without employer sponsorship. What Applicants Need to Know Ensure your Expression of Interest (EOI) is current in SkillSelect. Double-check that all information provided in the EOI is accurate and up to date. Points scores and eligibility criteria remain critical for recei

A Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) is a formal agreement between the Australian Government and a state or territory government or regional authority. It provides access to more occupations than the standard skilled migration program. DAMAs operate under an agreement-based framework, allowing regions to respond to their unique economic and labor market conditions. Understanding the DAMA Framework A DAMA is structured as a two-tier framework covering a defined regiona

In the announcement of changes to migration by the federal government in its budget speech the focus was on proposed reforms to the permanent migration system to gain better educated, younger and higher skilled migrants in an effort to address worker shortages in the existing landscape. The government said it will spend $85.2 million to deliver faster skills assessments and to accelerate occupational licensing. The government is chasing skilled workers. While the cap of 185,0

Australia’s migration and administrative law framework continues to evolve with the introduction of the Administrative Review Tribunal Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Rules 2026 (Amendment Rules). These amendments make targeted but significant changes to the Administrative Review Tribunal Rules 2024 (ART Rules), primarily aimed at supporting the effective operation of the new “on the papers” review process for certain temporary visa decisions prescribed under the Migration Re

On 12 May 2026, the Australian Government announced that the 2026–27 permanent Migration Program will be set at 185,000 places, with an approximate 70:30 split between the Skilled and Family Programs. The overall planning level and the Skill and Family split of the program are unchanged from 2025-26. Across both the Skill and Family streams of the permanent Migration Program, the government will prioritise applications from onshore migrants, allocating 129,590 places to migr

The Federal Government has announced a significant new investment aimed at strengthening the integrity of Australia’s migration system, allocating $167.4 million over four years as part of the 2026–27 Federal Budget. A major focus of the funding package is the growing pressure on Australia’s migration program, especially the protection visa and migration review systems, within the processes of the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) and the Federal Court of Australia (FCA) a

Australia remains one of the most sought-after destinations for international education. With rising application volumes has come increased scrutiny. The Department of Home Affairs recently published data on their decisions shows about 20 to 25% refusal rate across all visa lodgements. About 50% of the refusals proceed to Administrative Review Tribunal (ART). If your student visa has been refused and you’re now waiting for a decision at the ART, you’re not alone. More than 50

Earlier this month Opposition Leader Angus Taylor announced the Coalition’s immigration policy that focuses on reducing overall migration levels, implementing strict ‘Australian values’ tests, and increasing security vetting. The Coalition is the Liberal-National Coalition an alliance of conservative and centre-right political parties namely the Australian Liberal Party and the National Party of Australia. Key aspects of the Coalition policy include mandatory social media che

Congratulations to Dessie Hristova and Assent Migration Lawyers for being recognised in the Best Lawyers Edition 2027 , published today for professional performance in Australian Immigration Law. Being included in Best Lawyers is particularly meaningful because it is based on peer review and recognition within the legal profession and is trusted, unbiased benchmark for excellence, reflecting high esteem within the Immigration Law practice area in Australia. We thank our cli

It is commonly known that visa applications lodged by overseas nationals who are in Australia are subject to criteria listed in Schedule 3 of the Migration Regulations 1994. The purpose of Schedule 3 is to uphold an expectation of the Australian migration system that overseas nationals should at all times remain lawfully in Australia and ensure they apply for a new visa while they still hold a valid substantive which has not expired. In practice, Schedule 3 is triggered in ci

At Assent Migration Lawyers, we closely monitor updates from the Department of Home Affairs to ensure our clients are well-prepared and positioned for success. The April 2026 Partner Processing update from the Department of Home Affairs reinforces several important themes that are directly impacting how Partner visa applications are assessed. Getting it right from the start One of the key findings from the Department’s recent review is that many applications are being lodged

Australia’s federal government has been switly and quietly changing visa regulations. The latest change introduced legislation to temporarily ban some passport holders from countries impacted by war conflict from coming to Australia. The change appears to have been sparked by the war in the Middle East as it has raised concerns about increase in asylum seeker claims. Officials from the Home Affairs Department drafted the new legislation late last week and it was introduced to

​​​The Australian Government is updating Training (subclass 407) visa application requirements to ensure the program supports genuine skills development as intended. From 11 March 2026, in addition to other validity requirements, all new applicants for a Training visa will need to wait for the following before they can make a valid Training visa application: their sponsor must be approved as a temporary activities sponsor , and their sponsor must have an approved Training vis

The Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) sets the minimum annual salary that must be offered to certain sponsored visa holders. From 1 July 2026, the TSMIT will increase to $79,499. This change is significant for employers who sponsor overseas workers under Australia’s Skills in Demand program and Employer Nomination Scheme and links to the broader obligation to ensure equivalent terms and conditions of employment between Australian and overseas employees. All