Australian Visa and Immigration News - IN 2026

02 February 2026

Skilled Migration Counters the Low Birth Rate!

The Migration Institute of Australia has submitted that skilled migration is essential to Australia’s long-term economic performance, productivity growth and fiscal sustainability. Moreover, skilled migrants supply a significant component of net workforce growth, underpin essential services, support innovation and regional development, and contribute positively to government revenue. Treasury’s recent intergenerational reports have highlighted Australia’s ageing population problem, with our age dependency ratio (percentage of working population compared to the young and old) predicted to rise from 26.6 per cent about now to 38.2 per cent in 2062-63. Australia faces a demographic cliff and, without any unexpected increase in our low birth rates, only skilled migration can help ameliorate this problem. No amount of anti-migration rhetoric can change the fact that without properly managed migration there won’t be enough workers to adequately provide the health, aged care and general services that our ageing population will need. Just take a look at any health care company or transport company today and check out the migrant component of their workforce. Many of these companies would struggle to provide adequate services to Australia’s ageing population without migrant workers.

01 January 2026

Proposed Australian Visa Changes in 2026!

For 2025–26, Australia's permanent migration program remains at 185,000 places, unchanged from the previous year, with continued emphasis on skilled migration. A total of 132,200 places (around 71 per cent) are allocated to the skilled stream, while 52,500 places (approximately 28 per cent) are allocated to the family stream, predominantly partner visas. After two years of attempts to rein in student numbers, the Albanese government will adopt a more moderate stance in 2026. The target intake will rise from 270,000 in 2025 to 295,000 in 2026, even as stricter visa checks remain in place. Skills and Training Minister Andrew Giles said in August: "The settings that government has put in place for 2026 will ensure that the international VET [Vocational Education and Training] sector can grow sustainably to better meet skills needs, in Australia and the region." As part of the reforms, universities seeking an increase to their allocation will need to demonstrate stronger engagement with Southeast Asia and make progress in providing secure student accommodation for both local and international students. Following the post-pandemic surge, the number of migrants coming to Australia has fallen to a three-year low. Net overseas migration (NOM) fell to 306,000 over the 2024-2025 financial year, according to the latest figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). NOM measures the change in Australia's population from people entering and leaving the country.

16 December 2025

No Entry, No Economic Growth!

A Resolve Poll in 2025, finds that 53% of Australians want immigration paused. The only time in modern Australian history that we have had something akin to an immigration pause was 2020-21, when the Government used emergency health powers to largely close international borders. Net migration fell to negative 88,760, although the permanent migration program was delivered at 160,052 and the permanent humanitarian program at a historically low 5,947. The unemployment rate in 2020-21 spiked to around 7.4% and economic growth in the June quarter of 2020 fell to negative 5.9%; the September quarter of 2020 fell again to negative 3.1% and in the December quarter of 2020, to negative 0.4%. The Government moved to support the economy with unprecedented wage subsidies and other fiscal measures, leading to the biggest budget deficit in our history, as well as interest rates falling close to zero. Many governments around the world took similar action. While an immigration pause outside a pandemic may not lead to such severe outcomes, it would certainly slow economic growth and negatively affect many industries and businesses. How much it would address the housing crisis is unclear. Part of our housing and infrastructure challenge is finding enough traditional trade workers to build more houses and infrastructure. A significant part of the housing crisis is a crisis of affordability. Many people simply can’t afford the rents being asked for, even with Commonwealth rent assistance. Even during COVID, when international borders were closed, there was no dramatic fall in rents or house prices.

27 November 2025

New Zealanders Move to Australia for Higher Wages!

According to Provisional data from Stats NZ shows 73,900 New Zealand citizens departed in the year to August 2025, up from the previous record of 73,300. More than half – 58% – of all New Zealand citizens who left the country in 2024 moved to Australia, where average weekly incomes are higher and New Zealand citizens have work and residency rights. Increasingly, family members are choosing to join them across the Tasman. In 2024, there was a net migration loss of 30,000 people from New Zealand to Australia – the highest number in more than a decade, according to Stats NZ.

27 November 2025

Australia Eases Visa Risk Ratings!

According to reports, a note issued by the Department of Home Affairs through the Provider Registration and International Student Management System (PRISMS), which oversees international student data, confirms that evidence levels have been updated. “The September 2025 evidence level update for countries and education providers (based on student visa outcome data from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025) has taken place, effective for applications lodged on or after 30 September 2025,” read a statement by the DHA on the PRISMS website. Consultants and universities in Australia are able to determine these levels through the government’s document checklist tool, which reveals a provider’s risk standing based on the requirements triggered when paired with a student’s country of origin.

06 September 2025

Record Migration Intake Levels in April 2025!

“New ABS data confirms that record migration intake levels were broken in April. The federal government has either lost control of Australia’s migration program or is cravenly using it for its own economic or political purposes, not for the benefit of the nation,” said Morgan Begg, Director of Research at the Institute of Public Affairs. Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Overseas Arrivals and Departures data for April 2025, released today, shows net permanent and long-term arrivals in April of 2025 were 24,660 – the highest April net intake on record, beating the previous record of 22,770 in 2009 by 8 per cent. Also: Net permanent and long-term arrivals in the year-to-April of 2025 were 212,660 – the second highest on record, narrowly surpassed by the previous year’s number at 216,810. “Australia is a tolerant and welcoming society for new migrants. However, our migration intake must be planned for, it must enjoy the support of the community, and it must not overstretch critical social infrastructure like housing, schools, roads, and hospitals,” Mr Begg said.

06 September 2025

Decrease in PR Due To Student Visa Reforms!

The post-covid migration boom has peaked, with newly-released number showing almost 200,000 fewer foreigners settled in Australia last year as the government’s student visa reforms took effect. Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows that temporary net migration – the difference between the number of people arriving from overseas and those who left – fell from 530,620 in 2023 to 340,800 in 2024, a drop of 36 per cent. Despite the slowdown, the ABS calculated Australia’s total population grew by 1.7 per cent in 2024 to 27.4 million. Last year, the Albanese government’s attempt to cap new overseas student numbers at 270,000 was rolled when the Coalition and Greens banded together to block it. Instead, it has allocated quasi-caps to each university and college, intending to put a dent in the supply of places.

26 May 2025

Pacific Engagement Visa Applicants Get Invitations!

Applicants who were selected in the January and February 2025 Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) ballots need to lodge their visa applications soon. The PEV offers the chance to live and work in Australia permanently. PEV holders can access the same benefits as all permanent visa holders to help raise a family. This includes access to public schools, Medicare and subsidised child care. Countries that held PEV ballot selections in January and February 2025: Fiji Nauru, Papua New Guinea Solomon Islands Timor Leste Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu To be eligible for a PEV, the Department of Home Affairs will first randomly select you in a ballot and then invite you to apply. Getting selected in the PEV ballot does not mean you have a visa to enter Australia. You still need to apply for a PEV by the 120 day deadline in your Notification of Selection letter. If you are invited to apply for the PEV, you must either use the link to apply in your Notification of Selection letter, or through your ImmiAccount.

22 April 2025

Migrant Surge as Graduates Bring in Families!

A big number of Indian and Nepalese foreign student graduates is likely to bring tens of thousands of family members to Australia to accompany them while they work on post-study visas, undermining promises by Labor and the Coalition that they can get migration numbers under control. New analysis of Department of Home Affairs data by international education analyst Andrew Norton shows how students from parts of South-East Asia and the Indian subcontinent, who drove a post-pandemic enrolment surge, readily access opportunities under the so-called 485 visa class to bring in dependants. Of the 214,000 people in the country on these temporary graduate visas, one in five are the spouses or children of primary visa holders. For those from China, the largest foreign student cohort, just 12 per cent of 485 visa holders are dependants. But at least one in three of those from Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and India are family members.

07 April 2025

Coalition Plans to Cut Student Numbers by 80,000 !

Opposition leader, Peter Dutton says a reduction in foreign students would help Australians "afford homes again", by bringing down the cost of living. The Greens and the university sector have sharply criticised the plan as "scapegoating". The Coalition will reduce the number of overseas students coming to Australia each year by around 80,000 in what it says is a bid to address housing affordability for young Australians. Dutton announced on Sunday that a cap of around 25 per cent would be applied to the number of foreign students admitted to public universities. The Coalition said "unsustainable" migration levels were leading to housing unaffordability. "The plan that we announce today is about getting young Aussies into homes more quickly and helping them afford that home," Dutton told reporters. Therefore, an elected Coalition government would allow 30,000 fewer foreign students into Australia each year compared to Labor's plan. This would set the cap of international students each year at 240,000.

24 March 2025

Regional Australia the ‘New Frontier’ as Migration Soars

A growing number of number of Aussies are making the move to the regions as the big city exodus continues. Actually, there were 32.2 per cent more people moving from capital cities to regional areas than the other way around, according to CBA’s latest Regional Movers Index (RMI) for Q4 2024. Migration from the capitals to the regions accounted for 11.4 per cent of the total migration. Meanwhile, migration from regional to the capitals was 8.6 per cent. This is reportedly the lowest number of people migrating from the regions to the cities since COVID-19 lockdowns ended. Sydneysiders are fleeing the city in droves, as 59 per cent of all capital city outflows left Sydney. Of those who left Sydney, 38 per cent settled in regional areas. Victoria followed with 40 per cent of all city leavers fleeing Melbourne and 33 per cent settling in regional areas. The most popular destinations for internal migration were: Sunshine Coast (10 per cent) Greater Geelong (8.5 per cent) Lake Macquarie (5 per cent) Moorabool (4.1 per cent) Maitland (3.6 per cent)

03 March 2025

Pacific Engagement Visa is Costly and Slow!

The Pacific Engagement Visa will grant permanent residency to citizens from the Pacific and Timor-Leste chosen through a random ballot, similar to the "Green Card Lottery", as offered in the US. Those selected can apply for a visa, and up to 3,000 visas are available each round. Therefore, the PEV has opened a major new migration pathway for Australia's closest neighbours and generated huge interest in the region, with more than 56,000 people applying. However, more than five months after applications closed, the federal government has allocated less than 5 per cent of the total visas available this round. While Minister for International Development and the Pacific Pat Conroy said he was "satisfied" with the rollout of the scheme, applicants say trying to gain a visa has been costly and confusing. They're also reporting delays in receiving visas, and say the job offers they need in order to be eligible are being withdrawn — despite the time and large amounts of money they spent securing them. Pacific Islanders hoping to gain a Pacific Engagement Visa need a medical assessment and character reference to submit their application. According to an Applicant, another requirement — a job offer from an Australian employer — had been the "most challenging" part.

05 February 2025

Impact of Domestic Violence on Temporary Visa Holders

According to the information received from the Department of Home Affairs, the Australian Government has a strict zero-tolerance policy towards domestic and family violence (DFV), protecting everyone, including both permanent and temporary visa holders. Other key highlights are: As of December 6, there were over 2.7 million temporary visa holders in Australia. The Migration Regulations 1994 contain Family Violence Provisions (FVPs) which allow certain visa applicants to be granted a permanent visa if their relationship has broken down and they have experienced DFV perpetrated by the sponsoring partner or primary applicant. On average, around 780 primary Partner visa applicants seek access to the FVPs each year (based on the previous five years, 2019-20 to 2023-24). The Government allocated $8.9 million in the 2023-24 Budget to expand access to the FVPs to most permanent visa subclasses and additional cohorts of Partner visa applicants.

01 January 2025

Working Holiday Visa Numbers Have Soared!

In 20024, Australia has been welcoming a record number of working holidaymakers into the country – with numbers surpassing 200,000 for the first time – as a strong labour market and a surge of British backpackers boost the ranks of working travellers this summer. Their arrival is a boon to regional industries but will compound the Albanese government’s challenge in reducing migration levels as it heads into a federal election campaign dominated by voters’ concerns about the cost of living, housing and immigration. There were a record 213,400 people on working holidaymaker visas in Australia at the end of November – 43,000 more than last Christmas and 72,300 more than the pre-COVID level of 141,100 in December 2019. Last year, Australia took in about half of the world’s working travellers. Those numbers will put pressure on Australia’s annual migration targets, which the Albanese government is scrambling to meet after overshooting Treasury’s forecasts for the past two years as visitors delay their departures from the country. The post-pandemic immigration surge will be a heated political issue coming into next year’s election as both Labor and the Coalition pledge to bring down numbers.

19 November 2024

Foreign Students Fear Australia's Student Visa Cap!

The new Student Visa Cap - which would significantly reduce new enrolments - is needed to make the A$47.8bn (£24.6bn, $32bn) education industry more sustainable, the government says. It is the most controversial of recent measures that have also imposed tougher English language requirements on student visa applicants, and greater scrutiny on those seeking further study. Non-refundable visa application fees have also been doubled. Nevertheless, the sector and its supporters say they weren’t properly consulted, and that the changes could ravage the economy, cause job losses and damage Australia’s reputation, all while punishing both domestic and international students. "It sends out the signal that Australia is not a welcoming place," says Matthew Brown, deputy chief executive of the Group of Eight (Go8), a body which represents Australia’s top ranked universities. Education is Australia's fourth biggest export, trailing only mining products. Foreign students, who pay nearly twice as much as Australian students on average, prop up some institutions, subsidising research, scholarships, and domestic study fees. At the University of Sydney, for example, they account for over 40% of revenue. However, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's government is facing pressure to reduce record levels of migration, in the hope of improving housing affordability and easing a cost-of-living crisis, ahead of a federal election next year. And international students - who totalled 793,335 last semester - have become a target.

01 November 2024

Australian Universities Unhappy with Visa Cuts!

Australian University Vice-chancellors call on the Government to “end the pain” as University of Canberra announces planned cuts. Universities Australia has accused the government of “holding universities to ransom” over a controversial visa processing rule. As the government’s proposed caps on international student numbers await the return of parliament in November, the national vice-chancellors’ group said that a continued crackdown on processing visas, known as ministerial direction 107, was “damaging the nation’s economy”. The direction, introduced in December 2023 by then home affairs minister Clare O’Neil, ordered migration authorities to assess student visas based on immigration risk. In a statement on 24 October, Universities Australia said the government’s refusal to remove the directive until the caps law is passed was hitting revenues. “Australia’s universities rely on revenue from international students to fund their operations after decades of underfunding by governments of both persuasions,” chief executive Luke Sheehy said. He linked the directive to recent job cut announcements in higher education. The ministerial direction “has resulted in 60,000 fewer visas being granted in the higher education sector, resulting in billions of dollars in lost revenue for our universities and the economy”, he said.

17 October 2024

Long Processing Time for Parent Visas!

In order to sponsor a parent overseas to join their Australian child or children permanently in Australia, they can go down one of two routes. The costly pathway is a contributory parent or aged parent visa with a price tag of close to $50,000 per person. The cheaper option is a standard parent or aged parent visa, which costs “only” $5125, but takes much longer. Currently, the government sets an annual cap of 8500 parent visas, with about eight in 10 granted to “contributory” applicants. This is 4000 more places than the Coalition granted in its last year in office, but is still too few to meet demand. Consequently, the logjam grows. On 30 June, 2023, Home Affairs had 140,615 parent visa applications on hand. A year later, it was 151,596. A year ago, Home Affairs advised new applicants that a contributory parent visa “may take at least 12 years to process”. Now it says the time frame is 14 years. This is ridiculous, but the wait for the cheaper, standard visa is beyond absurd – it’s now stretched to 31 years. Unfortunately, many applicants will die before their cases are considered. They, and their Australian families, are condemned to live in limbo, clinging to forlorn hope.

23 September 2024

Australia's Population Reaches 27 Million!

Now, in September 2024, Australia is home to more than 27 million people but policies over the last decade have failed to deliver the housing needed, an expert warns. New data issued by the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows the national population grew by 2.3 per cent to 27.1 million in March this year. It's an increase of about 615,300 people over the previous year, with net overseas migration driving about 83 per cent of this growth. The "natural increase", which means births and deaths, accounted for 17 per cent of the growth. All states and territories saw increases in population ranging from about 3.1 per cent in Western Australia to 0.4 per cent in Tasmania. Australian National University demographer Liz Allen said hitting the 27 million population milestone was a moment to consider the challenges and opportunities facing the country in the future. Dr Allen said often when the country experiences a population increase, especially when it was driven largely by overseas migration, there was a tendency to panic. "A type of population panic, we see this play out … we see particularly [some] politicians and commentators who perhaps are unhappy with the way the country is headed and blame the population for policy failures," she said. Has Audio Duration: 3 minutes 59 seconds. Listen 3m 59s Migration keeps economy out of recession Dr Allen said it could affect social cohesion and potentially drive harmful rhetoric around migration when Australia's population change was problematised.

27 November 2025

Government Rationale for Student Visa Caps

The Student caps are for two purposes. First, wresting control over student numbers from the Department of Immigration. This is a power struggle that goes back to the mid-1980s. Education thinks Immigration is limiting the size of the industry it is committed to growing, while Immigration thinks Education doesn't give a damn about the quality of education delivered, the ability of students to get skilled jobs and the risk of huge numbers of students ending up in immigration limbo — a problem that Immigration must manage, not Education. Second, the caps will enable Education to grow the industry much faster than compared to the levels that would result if current visa processing settings remained in place. Hence Jason Clare's demand for the Immigration Minister’s Direction 107 on risk rating providers to be abolished once caps are in place. The caps are about increasing aggregate student numbers, not cutting them. The outcome of the battle on student visa processing arrangements will be crucial. Jason Clare will demand Immigration get out of the way and let each provider get the students the caps provide for. Just as former Education Minister John Dawkins demanded control over student visas in the 1980s (and was effectively given that) until there was an overstayer blowout and Immigration Minister Robert Ray demanded his department again control student visas.

02 September 2024

Student Caps in Australia Posted on Chinese Social Media

In China, prospective students reacting to limits on overseas students coming to Australia are weighing up studying in other countries amid fears their fees will rise and uncertainty over their applications. Tracking of sentiment on social media reveals a growing frustration among some young Chinese people with Australia, as a swath of migration changes over the past year makes them feel increasingly unwelcome, says Angela Lehmann, head of research for consultancy The Lygon Group. “This is coming at a really delicate time for China and the way that it understands the value of international education,” Dr Lehmann said. “The graduate job market is softer due to the fragile Chinese economy. Parents are wondering whether it is worth sending their children overseas, particularly to Australia, because of all the policy changes.” On Thursday, shadow education spokeswoman Sarah Henderson said the Coalition would support the caps, almost certainly guaranteeing their passage into law. The Education Minister Jason Clare said no more than 270,000 new overseas students could enrol across Australian universities and colleges next year. Each of the 1400 institutions registered to teach foreign students have their own caps, and the limits will hit hardest at the prestigious Group of Eight universities such as Sydney, Melbourne and Monash.

20 August 2024

150,000 Elderly Parents Await Australian Residency

The expensive Parent residency path is a contributory parent or aged parent visa with a price tag of close to $50,000 per person. The cheaper option is a standard parent or aged parent visa, which costs “only” $5,125, but takes much longer. The government sets an annual cap of 8,500 parent visas, with about eight in ten granted to “contributory” applicants. This is 4,000 more places than the Coalition granted in its last year in office, but is still way too few to meet demand. As a result, the processing delays grow. On June 30 2023, Home Affairs had 140,615 parent visa applications on hand. A year later, it was 151,596. Last year, The ABC cited Treasury estimates that each parent permanent migrant costs Australian taxpayers $393,000. Thus, the federal budget would be in the hole to the tune of $59.5 billion if all of the outstanding 151,596 parent visa applications were approved. Peter Strachan made the salient observation that parental visas actually create skills shortages because parent visas “create more demand for services and become dependents” The financial cost of parental visas is already enormous and rising, jeopardising the viability of Australia’s health system and welfare state. Parent visas also contradict the mistaken assumption that a robust migration program is required to address an ageing population and skills shortages. Instead, these visas make the ageing problem and skills shortages worse.

06 August 2024

Skilled Migration State Allocations for 2024/25

Monthly invitation rounds will begin in August 2024 for WA. The allocations for this year in WA are: Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa: 3,000 places and Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) visa: 2,000 places. Tasmania’s State Nomination Program is open for Registrations of Interest from 12pm, 1 August 2024. The allocations are: Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa: 2,100 places and Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) visa: 760 places. The allocations for South Australia are: Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa: 3,000 places and Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) visa: 800 places. New South Wales has been allocated 5,000 places for skilled visa nominations: Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa: 3,000 places and Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) visa: 2,000 places. Victoria has been allocated a total of 5,000 places for the upcoming program year: Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa: 3,000 places and Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) visa: 2,000 places. The ACT has a flexible approach to meeting local labor market needs, with 1,800 nomination places allocated for this year: Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa: 1,000 places and Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) visa: 800 places. Queensland has been allocated 1,200 places, split evenly between two visa types: Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa: 600 places and Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) visa: 600 places. NT General Skilled Migration nomination applications can be lodged from 1 August 2024. The region has doubled its allocation from last year, now offering 1,600 places: Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa: 800 places and Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) visa: 800 places.

22 July 2024

Surge in Expats Returning Home to Australia

A record number of Australians returning from overseas could thwart the Albanese government’s attempts to cut migration levels, as expats are enticed home by the strong jobs market. A net total of 37,380 Australians arrived in the country in 2023-24, a record number that reverses the trend of surging departures after the borders reopened, at the end of the pandemic. In the first year borders were reopened, in 2021-22, a record net of 380,510 Australian citizens left the country. Another 242,610 exited the country in 2022-23. Australia’s unemployment rate rose to 4.1 per cent in June 2024. However, Australia still boasts one of the lowest jobless rates across advanced economies. Previous volatility in net migration of Australian citizens followed the global financial crisis and the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting more Australian citizens to return home than depart. The Opposition Leader, Peter Dutton has promised to reduce Australia’s permanent migration program from 185,000 to 140,000 for two years, or by 25 per cent, to ease pressure on housing demand and prices. Under the Coalition plan, the permanent intake would then increase to 150,000 in year three, and 160,000 in year four.

05 July 2024

Australian Student Visa Fees are Doubled

Australia has more than doubled the cost of student visa fees for international students from $710 to $1,600 AUD, a move which will impact Indians planning to study in Australia. The move has triggered outrage from student representatives who say that the price hike will drive potential students to competitors. From July 1, the international student visa fee has risen to $1,600 from $710. The federal government said the additional revenue will help fund initiatives in education including cuts to graduate debt, financial support for apprentices, and the ongoing implementation of its migration strategy, the report said. "International education is an incredibly important national asset and we need to ensure its integrity and quality," Minister for Education Jason Clare said in a statement. According to the Indian High Commission in Canberra, the number of Indian students enrolled for studying in Australia is estimated at around 1,20,277 as of August 2023, making Indian students the second largest cohort of foreign students in Australia. However, Yeganeh Soltanpour, the national president of the Council of International Students Australia, slammed the decision, noting the fee increase, combined with high deposit costs, places extra strain on international students, the ABC report said. "The possibility of spending all that money only to face rejection is quite disheartening for many students. It has caused many in the student community to explore other options and competitive countries," she said. Phil Honeywood, CEO of the International Education Association of Australia, told the ABC that the announcement was the "last straw" for the international education sector, which has already suffered from a slowdown in visa approvals. Listen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com "We are really in danger of losing a USD 48 billion a year industry," he said, adding that it will "heavily impact" on relationships with our Indo-Pacific neighbours who rely on Australia to deliver world-class qualifications to young people. He warned that this change could drive prospective students to the United Kingdom, Australia's closest competitor, which currently charges $900 for student visa fees.

18 June 2024

Slight Drop in Migration Numbers in last Quarter of 2023

Migration added just over 100,000 people to Australia's population in the last 3 months of 2023, according to new official figures that cast doubt on the government's own migration forecast. Net overseas migration (NOM) – a figure that tracks arrivals and departures – was 107,300 for the December quarter. While that is lower than the year before, it is not sufficiently low to meet Treasury's projection in last month's budget, which was 395,000 for the full financial year about to end. Data for half of that year is now available, and the running tally is at 252,000 — well past halfway. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton pointed to that record-high figure to mount a political argument about the cost of living and has promised to reduce the numbers of permanent and temporary migrants. But despite the heated politics, governments have minimal control over net migration. Most of the main entry streams are not capped, including international students and temporary workers. And where governments have tried to impose limits, they have encountered business anger and warnings of economic damage.

04 June 2024

Temporary Skills Migration Threshold Increased!

The TSMIT will increase from $70,000 to $73,150, from 1 July 2024, New nomination applications from this date will need to meet the new TSMIT of $73,150 or the annual market salary rate, whichever is higher. This new modification will not affect existing visa holders and nominations lodged before 1 July 2024. These changes are in conformity with the Government’s commitment at the Jobs and Skills Summit in September 2022.

17 May 2024

New Innovation Visa for Exceptionally Talented

On 14 May, the Australian Government announced the introduction of a new Innovation visa to attract exceptionally talented workers, replacing a controversial investor migrant program deemed economically ineffective. The new visa will replace the Global Talent visa (GTI) program, which is scheduled to end in late 2024. The government emphasized its goal "to target exceptionally talented migrants who will drive growth in sectors of national importance." This decision comes amid increasing demands for the centre-left Labor government to reduce migration. A post-pandemic surge in students and other arrivals has worsened an already strained rental market, contributing to higher inflation rates. Therefore, the government is intensifying scrutiny on student visas and will implement a ballot system for the popular work and holiday visa for applicants from China, Vietnam, and India, starting in the fiscal year ending June 2025. Consequently, these measures are anticipated to halve net overseas immigration to 260,000 arrivals in 2024-25, lower than 528,000 in 2022-23.

22 April 2024

63 Per Cent of International Students Choose Australia

Despite the Australian government's decision to cut the Post-study work visas for international students by two years, many still choose to study in Australia, specifically because of employment opportunities after graduation. A new study has found that 63 percent of international students have chosen to study in Australia because they believe the country offers better career prospects after attaining degrees. The survey of 1,058 international students, including current, former, and prospective students, was conducted by YouGov, an international data company, and published by Ascent One, an overseas education consultancy. Students responding to the survey are from the top five source countries of international students in Australia: Columbia China India Philippines Over half of students from Columbia, India, and the Philippines said there are better employment opportunities in Australia than in their home countries. On the other hand, only 34 percent of students from China believe the same. According to the results, 47 percent of students decided to study in Australia because of its good reputation for studying. Meanwhile, 29 percent said they chose Australia because they planned to live there permanently. About 41 percent of potential international students said they did not know any changes made by the Australian government in the migration policy released in December 2023. However, 27 percent said they would not continue studying in Australia due to these changes.

26 March 2024

New Visa Requirements Take Effect

The government announced on 21 March that it will deliver on key commitments from December’s migration strategy with important new changes on March 23, including introducing higher language requirements for visas and a new ‘no further stay’ rule on visitor visas. The Government said changes were required due to “pandemic-era concessions” it had inherited from the former government led by Scott Morrison. “Since September, the government’s actions have led to substantial declines in migration levels, with recent international student visa grants down by 35% on the previous year,” minister for Home Affairs and Cyber Security Clare O’Neil said. Among actions it has made are closing unrestricted working hours for international students, in addition to the pandemic event visa. The English language requirements for student visas has increased from IELTS 5.5 to 6.0 and graduate visas from IELTS 6.0 to 6.5, which will both improve student experience and reduce potential workplace exploitation. New powers under Section 97 of the ESOS Act also took effect on March 23, which allows authorities to suspend high risk education providers from recruiting international students.

27 February 2024

Highest Student Visa Refusal Rate since 2005!

As at February 2024, Approval rates for Australian student visas have dropped to the lowest level, since 2005/06. In the six months to December 2023, 80.9% of total student visa applications were granted — down from 86% in 2022-23, 91.5% in 2021-22 and 89.9% before the pandemic in 2018-19. Refusal rates differ across countries, with offshore higher education visa approvals from India and Nepal dropping from 74.2 and 65.2% in 2022-23 to 60.8 and 47.8%, respectively. "We would have never gone to these sorts of levels before, in terms of approval rates — both in terms of percentage rates but also in terms of absolute numbers," said Abul Rizvi, a former deputy secretary of the immigration department. "We have never refused so many absolute numbers of students, ever." A package of integrity measures was announced under the strategy to lift standards for international students and education providers, alongside planned changes to English language and genuine student requirements. Therefore, certain Education Providers were attracting students where issues such as fraud and non-compliance are common, and they consequently get a high-risk rating and their applications are carefully scrutinized.

24 January 2024

188 Business Innovation and Investment Visa is Closed!

Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil has made the decision to close the Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP), a scheme introduced in 2012 in a bid to attract high-net individuals into Australia. The program’s 188C Visa, Significant investor stream also known as the “golden ticket” visa allows foreign nationals to stay in Australia for up to five years if they invest at least $5 million AUD into approved investments. The 188C Stream has been long critiqued as a way of fast-tracking Chinese millionaires into Australia, with the cohort making up over 85 per cent of successful applications. The Permanent visa subclass was given the number 888 – which signifies ­triple good luck in Chinese ­numerology. Ms O’Neil stated that the recent changes were a part of an overhaul of Australia’s “broken” migration system. “It has been obvious for years that this visa is not delivering what our country and economy needs from a migration system,” Ms O’Neil said.More than 100,000 overseas migrants have used one of the BIIP streams to gain residency in Australia since 2012, according to the Home Affairs department. Therefore, applications for the entire BIIP 188 Visa Program had closed in lieu of an official announcement from the federal government.

27 February 2024

Significant Migration Strategy Reforms Planned for 2024!

The Government's strategy for 2024 will be to focus on making changes and improvements to Skilled migration and International Education. In this respect, stricter English language requirements will be implemented for students and temporary Graduate visas, and for In-demand Skilled occupations. Also, it has been announced that a new visa for Pacific migrants will be set-up. The government has stressed that Net Overseas Migration is not an immigration policy target, however, the new strategy aims to reduce the figure from 510,000 to the near-pre-pandemic level of 375,000 in the 2023-24 financial year, and then to 250,000 in 2024-25. Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil stated that: "Our goal is to return migration to sustainable levels." The new Visa strategy will increase pathways to permanent residency and clamp down on exploitation of migrants through switching of Temporary visas.

04 December 2023

Sydney is Number One Destination for Irish Accountants!

Many Irish Accountants are moving to Sydney, Australia on Working Holiday visas, and their salary expectations are reasonable - just market-rate or even lower. In addition, if an Employer sponsors them, they have a tendency to stay loyal to the company for a few years. "Sydney is the No. 1 destination in the world for Irish accountants, and they can move over once they qualify," the Lemon Talent co-founder and Irish expat explains. Currently, the Jobless rate is at a near 50-year low of 3.7%, work-force participation at a record high, and with many businesses finding it tough to find employees, therefore, Australia needs more workers. It is forecast that Australia will need to rely on a large number of overseas workers to fill 880,000 roles in industries including health, housing, engineering and technology by 2030.

15 November 2023

Faster Pathway to Permanent Residence for 482 Visa Workers

The Government has announced that it intends to lift the cap on the number of 482 visa applications submitted in Australia, allowing for a larger number of applications. In addition, the Government stated that 482 Visa Applicants will now be eligible for a pathway to Permanent residence, regardless of whether their occupation is on the Short-term, Medium-term or Long-term Lists. Currently, only 482 visa Applicants who have Skilled occupations on the Medium-term or Long-term lists may apply for the ENS 186 visa, which is a route to Permanent residence. Therefore, this expansion to include Short-term occupations will now cover a wider range of occupations, encompassing roles, such as, cooks, chefs, hospitality, health and construction workers.

26 October 2023

Australia Increases Permanent Migration Program

In 2022/23, there has been a significant increase in Permanent residence applications, as well as Temporary Visas, and this had resulted in a backlog of permanent visa applications. In 2021/22. the number of Permanent visa applications increased by 63.5% from 185,030 to 302,434 in 2022/23. The largest source countries were from India then China, Nepal and Philippines. In addition, the Family stream grew by 27.3% in 22/23 compared to 21/22, with a substantial backlog of over 140,000 Parent visa applications. Finally, The Skill stream delivered a record high number of 142,344 applications, with a backlog of more than 184,000 in 2023 compared to 119,000 in 2022.

1 October 2023

Government to crack down on Education Providers Visa Scams

The Government's proposed changes are to restore integrity to the education and migration system, and include strengthening the 'fit and proper person test' for international education providers to avoid private college owners from also functioning as Education Agents.In addition, the Government will share data and statistcics about Education Agents performance, with private Colleges and Universities. Also, there will be a ban on paying Education Agents commissions for transferring students between higher education courses, so as to prevent unscrupulous Agents from enticing students to quit their University course and transfer to a low-fee course of questionable quality.

26 September 2023

Australia resumes Tourist visas for Chinese Groups

The Australian Government has re-commenced the processing of Visitor visas for Chinese Group Tours, for the first time since before the Covid-19 pandemic. Formerly, in 2019, Chinese Visitors were the biggest source of international tourists to Australia, totalling 1.4 million Visitors, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The Minister for Trade and Tourism described the resumption of Chinese Tour Groups as a significant boost to the Australian Tourism industry. He said: "The resumption of Chinese group tour travel will provide another welcome boost for Australia's hard-working tourism operators."

19 September 2023

Victoria's State Nomination Program has Re-opened

The Victorian Government has just re-opened their State Nomination program for the Skilled Nominated, Subclass 190 Visa for Permanent residence, as well as the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional), Subclass 491 Visa, which will remain open until early 2024. Note that Victoria has re-opened Nomination for Onshore and Offshore applicants. The process of applying is that Applicants must initially complete a 'Registration of Interest' (ROI). Currently, there is no timeframe until an ROI is selected, due to large numbers of applications and the fact that the Program is extremely competitive. However, if an Applicant has a strong ROI, then they may receive an application for Victorian Visa Nomination, within 1 -2 months.

12 September 2023

Filipinos to Join Australian Work and Holiday Visa Program

The Australian and Philippines Governmanets have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOA), which allows eligible citizens of both countries to apply for a 12 month multiple entry visa, which allows them to work. The Work and Holiday visa arrangement will be open to Filipino and Australian citizens who are 18 to 31 years of age, at the time of application and who are graduates of tertiary education or have successfully completed at least 2 years of undergraduate study or post-secondary education. In addition, Applicants must meet Health, Character and Security requirements and have medical insurance for the duration of their stay. The MOU is due to take effect at a date mutually agree by both parties, but probably in early 2024.

31 August 2023

Subclass 408 - Pandemic Visa is being Closed

The Immigration Minister, Andrew Giles has closed the Subclass 408, Pandemic Special Event Visa to new Applicants. The 408 Visa was created in 2020, during the Covid-19 restrictions, in order to fill labour shortages and assist International students, who were unable to depart Australia. However, the Visa has been controversial and had negative publicity due to the fact that it allowed APplicants to work full time for unlimited hours, for 12 months. Therefore, from 2 September 2023, the 408 Visa will only be open to applications from current Visa holders, and it will be closed to all Applicants from February 2024.