In the News
The latest legal, legislative and immigration news and updates — curated and summarised.
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Tasmania Skilled Migration Update 2026-27: Opening Date and New Fees
Tasmania has announced that its skilled migration program for the 2026-27 period will officially open on August 17, 2026, with a total of 2,050 available places. The update introdu…
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Northern Territory Skilled Migration: 2026-27 Nomination Applications Open
The Northern Territory government has announced that skilled migration nomination applications will open on August 21, 2026. This follows the receipt of the full allocation for the…
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FKCV v Minister for Immigration: Federal Court Rules on Bridging R Visa Considerations
The Federal Court of Australia set aside a tribunal decision that failed to properly consider the practical consequences of releasing a non-citizen into the community on a Bridging…
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BQNZ v Minister for Immigration: Federal Court Denies Extension for Visa Review
The Federal Court of Australia dismissed an application for an extension of time to seek judicial review of a mandatory visa cancellation, which was filed nearly five years late. T…
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Australia to Transition Permanent Parent Visa Applications Online by April 2026
Starting April 22, 2026, all applications for permanent parent visas in Australia will transition to an online submission system. This change applies to all permanent parent visa c…
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NCNZ v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship: Federal Court Upholds Visa Cancellation Refusal
The Federal Court of Australia dismissed an application challenging the refusal to revoke a protection visa cancellation under section 501CA. The court ruled that the Tribunal is n…
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Australia Budget 2026–27: Minor Adjustments to Immigration Policy
The Australian Federal Budget for 2026–27 introduces minor tweaks rather than a complete reset of the immigration program. The policy shifts focus toward onshore visa holders for p…
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Kaur v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship [2026] FCA 897
The Federal Court of Australia dismissed an appeal regarding the refusal to reinstate a student visa review application, ruling that the lower court did not err in its judgment. Th…
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Correction to Australia's 2026 Core Skills Income Threshold Calculations
Recent reports clarify that the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) for Australian skilled migration will be $79,423 as of July 2026, correcting previous widespread miscalculations…
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Tasmania Releases First 2026-27 Migration Invitation Round Results
Migration Tasmania has issued 93 invitations for Subclass 190 and Subclass 491 visas in its first round of the 2026-27 program year. The update highlights a high volume of 'Gold Pa…
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Australia Increases Visa Fees by 25% and Raises Age Cap for Working Holiday Visas
Australia has implemented a 25 percent increase in application charges for most visa categories. Additionally, the age limit for Working Holiday visas has been raised to 35 for cit…
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Australia Updates Visa Processing Priorities for Onshore Applications
New ministerial directions in Australia have shifted processing priorities to favor onshore skilled and family visa applications as of July 2026. This change may lead to longer wai…
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Australia Shifts Skilled Visa Processing Priorities to Onshore Applicants
The Albanese Government has introduced a new ministerial direction to reorder the processing of skilled visa applications to meet net overseas migration targets. The new policy pri…
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Australia Commences 2026-27 Work and Holiday Visa Ballot for Specific Nationalities
The selection process for the 2026-27 Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa ballot has begun for passport holders from China, India, and Vietnam. Random draws are scheduled to take …
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Understanding PLT Arrivals vs. Net Overseas Migration in Australia
This report clarifies the distinction between Permanent and Long-term (PLT) border crossing records and Net Overseas Migration (NOM) metrics. The primary difference is defined by t…
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Australia Implements New Visa Application Charges from July 2026
The Australian government has updated visa application charges (VACs) for all visa categories effective July 1, 2026. These changes were introduced through the Home Affairs Legisla…
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Australia Increases Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) for 2026
Starting July 1, 2026, the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) in Australia will increase to $79,423. This new threshold applies to all nomination applications lod…
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Australian Citizenship Application Fees to Increase in 2026
Starting July 1, 2026, Australian citizenship application fees will increase from $575 to $595 to align with the Consumer Price Index. Applications submitted before this date will …
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Australia Updates Working Holiday Visa Eligibility
Australia has announced updates regarding eligibility requirements for the Working Holiday visa program. These changes aim to streamline the application process and clarify criteri…
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RMAs Buyer Beware: You Can No Longer Complete 10 Online CPD Points in One Day
There has been an important operational change to the way Registered Migration Agents can complete their annual CPD requirements online. From 1 July 2026 , there is now a maximum o…
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