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The Department of Home Affairs announced they intend to run an invitation round on 15 October 2026. What you should do before 15 October Check your EOI: Ensure your Expression of Interest in SkillSelect is submitted and up to date. Verify your points: Confirm your claimed points are accurate and supported by your skills assessment, qualifications, English language results, marital status and skilled employment history. Monitor your email and SkillSelect account: Check for an

Ministerial Direction No. 123 made under section 499 of the Migration Act 1958 will introduce a new character tests framework which will take effect from 31 October 2026. It replaces Ministerial Direction No. 110 which was in place since June 2024. The Department of Home Affairs will have to apply the new framework when considering the refusal of a visa under section 501, the discretionary or mandatory cancellation of a visa under sections 501 and 501(3A), and requests to re

Australia is proposing significant changes to its Working Holiday Maker visa program, with Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announcing a new approach to second-year and third-year Working Holiday visas. These changes are part of a broader migration policy package announced today. The Government says the reforms are intended to better manage temporary migration while ensuring Australia's migration program is aligned with workforce and economic needs. For young Working Holiday

Today Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has announced a major overhaul of Australia's migration programs, unveiling a package of changes aimed at tightening temporary migration, addressing "visa misuse" and bringing migration levels closer to the Federal Government’s targets. The changes have significant implications for international students, their families, Working Holiday Makers, visitor visa holders, overseasn national parnters of Australians and people who remain in Aus

Australia’s visitor visa program is heading for a tighter setting. The change centres on one short phrase with big practical consequences: No Further Stay condition Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has outlined changes that would place condition 8503, known as the No Further Stay condition, on more visitor visas. For many future visitors, that would mean a trip to Australia remains just that, a visit. It would no longer be a simple way to arrive in Australia and then apply fo

Australia's Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa program is in the headlines, with 24 partner countries now showing a "paused" status on the Department of Home Affairs website — and the Opposition seizing on the move as evidence of broader migration mismanagement. How country caps work Each program year, the Department of Home Affairs sets a cap — a maximum number of first Work and Holiday visas it will grant to applicants from certain partner countries. There are no caps on

Australia’s immigration system has undergone significant changes with the introduction of three new Ministerial Directions that came into effect on 25 July 2026. These changes reflect the government’s focus on prioritizing visa applicants who are already in Australia, aiming to reduce overseas migration and support local workforce needs. For anyone involved in workforce visa applications, understanding these new directions is essential to navigate the updated priorities and p

The ongoing military conflict in the Middle East has disrupted travel plans for many, especially Iranian nationals holding Visitor (Subclass 600) visas who are currently outside Australia. The situation remains volatile, with risks of attacks and escalation, making travel uncertain and complicated. For Iranians affected by these events, understanding visa options and maintaining lawful status in Australia is critical. This guide explains the available pathways, temporary trav

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