Stay up to date with the latest changes in Australian migration law, policy updates, and visa announcements.
Migration Tasmania ran the first weekly invitation round of the 2026-27 program year on 20 August. A practical guide to how the rounds rank Registrations of Interest, what the Gold to Red priority pass bands mean, what an invitation actually gives you, and the 28 day window to lodge the nomination application.
Migration Tasmania opened the 2026-27 Skilled Migration State Nomination Program to new Registrations of Interest on 17 August 2026, with 1,250 subclass 190 places, 800 subclass 491 places and weekly invitation rounds from 20 August. The offshore subclass 491 pathway is suspended for the year and priority attributes have been revised.
Ministerial Direction 119 commenced on 25 July 2026 under section 499 of the Migration Act 1958, replacing Direction 105. It sorts skilled visa and nomination applications into five priority bands based on occupation and location at lodgement, applies to applications already on hand, and removes separate regional priority. Full breakdown with references.
Visa Application Charges rose for applications lodged on or after 1 July 2026. Most subclasses are up around 25% — Student visa now $2,500, Subclass 485 $5,750, partner visas $11,710 — while Bridging Visa B, the Subclass 461 and the Resident Return visa roughly tripled. Full breakdown with references.
The 2026 27 Federal Budget and recent Home Affairs material confirm a more selective skilled migration system. Points test reform, onshore priority, higher salary thresholds and tighter occupation alignment explained.
Australia's pre application ballot for the Work and Holiday (Subclass 462) visa opens for China, India and Vietnam from 4 to 25 June 2026, with random selections from 2 July 2026 to 30 April 2027. AUD 25 fee, 28 day window to apply if invited.
Migration Tasmania will close Registrations of Interest for all Subclass 190 and Subclass 491 pathways at 5pm on 3 June 2026, with the final invitation round on 4 June. Here is what every Tasmanian state nomination candidate needs to do.
The 2026 27 Federal Budget confirms a major overhaul of Australia's skilled migration points test to favour younger, better educated and higher skilled applicants, alongside faster trades recognition, Working Holiday Maker ballots and a new Adult Migrant English Program.
From 18 May 2026, Australia has paused new private VET and ELICOS provider applications to teach international students for 12 months, as ASQA scrutinises integrity concerns and over saturation in the sector.
The 2026 27 Federal Budget holds the permanent Migration Program at 185,000 places for a third year, with 132,240 Skill stream places, a 70 percent onshore tilt, a redesigned points test and higher employer sponsored salary thresholds from 1 July 2026.
From 26 March 2026, Iranian passport holders with Visitor (Subclass 600) visas outside Australia are temporarily banned from travelling to Australia for six months under the Migration (Arrival Control) Determination 2026.
Complete guide to Australia's National Innovation Visa covering eligibility criteria, tier one and tier two priority sectors, state government nomination pathways, the EOI and invitation process, and indicators of exceptional achievement for permanent residence.
The Australian Government has introduced the Migration (Specified Courses and Exams for Registration as a Migration Agent) Instrument 2026. Updated prescribed courses, Capstone Assessment, English proficiency exams, minimum scores, and transitional rules from 1 April 2026.
The Australian Parliament is set to pass sweeping new laws giving the Home Affairs Minister power to prevent up to 61,000 temporary visa holders in the Middle East from entering Australia, with 7,200 Iranian nationals likely to be the first affected.
The Australian Government has introduced legislation to temporarily ban people from travelling to Australia from designated countries on temporary visas for up to six months, amid concerns over visa overstays linked to the Middle East conflict.
The Migration Amendment (Training Visas – Sponsorship Requirements) Regulations 2026 ends concurrent lodgement for Subclass 407 visas. A strict sequential process now applies from 11 March 2026.
South Australia issued 406 state nomination invitations on 3 March 2026 for Subclass 190 and 491 visas, targeting health professionals and engineers in critical shortage sectors.
On 6 March 2026, the Department of Home Affairs launched a radical operational shift: AI-powered triage, legally binding processing targets (7 days for Specialist Skills 482), real-time tracking, and the end of 'lodge now, fix later'.
The Department of Home Affairs has confirmed increases to the TSMIT, CSIT, and SSIT from 1 July 2026. The TSMIT/CSIT rises to $79,499 and the SSIT to $146,717 — a ~4% jump driven by AWOTE indexation.
From 1 March 2026, the Australian Government has doubled the Visa Application Charge for the Temporary Graduate visa (Subclass 485) for most applicants. See the full breakdown of new fees and exempt countries.
Parent visa processing remains one of the biggest challenges in Australian migration. Non-contributory queues now exceed 30 years. We break down current wait times and strategic alternatives.
Updated fee structures for registered migration agents commencing 1 April 2026. Commercial registration is now $1,760, repeat registration $1,595, and non commercial registration $160.
Updated CPD point allocations, mandatory requirements, and provider approval standards for registered migration agents commencing 1 April 2026.
The legislation introduces significant procedural changes to how the Administrative Review Tribunal handles migration cases — shifting from oral hearings to 'reviews on the papers' for temporary visa applicants.
The Genuine Student Test has replaced the Genuine Temporary Entrant requirement for Student Visas (Subclass 500). Understand the new structured assessment criteria and how to prepare your application.
The Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) has increased to $73,150. See how this affects 482, 494, and 186 employer sponsored visa nominations and what employers need to know.