Australian Visa Updates - Immigration

🛑 A visitor visa to Australia is about to become a one way door. The government has announced that a No Further Stay condition will be added to all Visitor visas, so that visitor visas are used for genuine visits rather than as a way to extend a stay onshore. In practice that generally blocks applying for another visa from inside Australia. If your plan was to visit first and sort out your next visa once you arrived, that plan is closing. Share this with someone planning to move abroad

⚠️ Your 88 days of regional work will no longer guarantee you a second year in Australia. Second year Working Holiday visas are moving to a ballot capped at 45,000 places, and the third year ballot will hold just 5,000 places with a six month regional work requirement. Last year around 57,000 backpackers took a second year and about 31,000 took a third. You will do the work, then enter a lottery. UK nationals remain exempt from the regional work requirement under the free trade agreement. Share this with someone planning to move abroad

🚨 Australia just told most international students they cannot bring their family. On 17 September, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced that international students will generally no longer be able to bring partners or children as secondary visa applicants. Exceptions are expected for Pacific and ASEAN nationals and for PhD students. Families already attached to an existing visa are not affected. If your study plan was built around bringing your spouse, that plan needs rebuilding now. Share this with someone planning to move abroad

🗳️ If you were planning a move to Australia right now, which would you choose. A. Apply for a Working Holiday visa now, while it is still open in your country B. Wait for the proposed visitor and student visa changes to settle first Reply with A or B. Share this with someone planning to move abroad

📋 The next Australian skilled visa invitation round is expected by September 30, and a lot of people are still waiting. The Subclass 189 Skilled Independent invitation round is coming soon, but occupation ceilings mean not every profession gets the same number of invites. If you have an EOI sitting in the pool, this is the round to watch. Share this with someone planning to move abroad

🚨 Your occupation could now be the reason your Australian visa file is not moving. A new priority order called MD119 decides which skilled visa applications get processed first. Law enforcement, defence, healthcare, teaching and construction sit at the top of the queue. If your occupation is not on that list, your file may simply sit while others move ahead of you. Check where your occupation ranks before assuming your timeline is normal. Share this with someone planning to move abroad

🚨 Your occupation could now decide how fast your visa moves, not just your points. The Department of Home Affairs has rolled out a new priority order called MD119 that decides which skilled visa applications get processed first. Law enforcement and defence sit at the top, followed by healthcare, teaching and construction. If your occupation is not on that list, your file may simply sit and wait. On top of this, salary thresholds for the Skills in Demand visa rose again from 1 July, now sitting near AUD 79,499. Check where your occupation ranks before you assume your timeline is normal. Share this with someone planning to move abroad

💰 Australia just raised the price of entry for skilled workers. The minimum salary threshold for skilled visa sponsorship has jumped again for 2026, pricing out roles that used to qualify easily. If your job offer sits close to the old threshold, you may no longer meet the bar. Does the new salary threshold affect your visa plan? 🅰️ Yes, I am now under the line 🅱️ No, I still qualify React with your answer. This change is already reshaping who gets sponsored. Share this with someone planning to move abroad

🔥 A major Skilled Independent visa update just dropped and it could affect your PR chances this month. The Department of Home Affairs confirmed the next subclass 189 invitation round will happen by 30 September. At the same time, the number of people on temporary graduate visas has surged 170 percent since 2021 to over 271,000, putting pressure on the entire reform agenda. The employer sponsored income threshold has also risen to 73,150 dollars, making sponsorship harder to secure. If your EOI is not accurate and updated right now, you could miss this round completely. Share this with someone planning to move abroad