Important Update: Ministerial Directions 121 & 122 Introduce New Skilled Visa Processing Priorities
Ministerial Directions 121 and 122: New Skilled Visa Processing Priorities An update for temporary, provisional and permanent skilled visa applicants and employers Australia has introduced two new Ministerial Directions establishing updated processing priorities for skilled visa applications. Ministerial Direction 121 applies to certain temporary skilled visa applications, while Ministerial Direction 122 applies to certain provisional […]
The Migration Brief | August 2026
Happy Friday everyone. To get your weekend off to a good start, we thought it time to clarify and cut through the recent chatter about Australia’s migration programme and let you know what is currently happening in this space rather than give unnecessary airplay to the peripheral noise. The below information will enable you to […]
Australia’s Changing Migration Landscape: What Temporary Visa Holders Need to Know
What a more cautious migration environment may mean for temporary visa applicants The Migration Environment Has Changed Australia’s migration system is continuing to recalibrate following the post-pandemic increase in migration levels. The Federal Government has indicated that moderating Net Overseas Migration remains an important government priority. For employers, visa holders and prospective applicants, the practical […]
Australian Government issues new skilled visa processing direction favouring onshore applicants
Ministerial Direction 119, signed off on 24 July 2026, has been presented as a skilled visa processing framework designed to prioritise occupations of national importance, including defence, law enforcement, construction, healthcare and teaching. On its face, that approach is understandable, particularly given current workforce pressures and broader policy priorities in areas such as defence, housing, […]
Important Update for Indian Visa Applicants
What Australian Visa Applications Need to know Indian nationals applying for Australian visas may currently experience difficulties obtaining an Indian Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) due to the temporary suspension of Indian consular services in Australia. As PCCs are commonly required to satisfy Australian visa character requirements, this disruption may affect some applicants. Visa Executive is […]
Are We Measuring the Right Migration Outcomes?
Australia is very good at counting migration activity. We know how many visas were granted, how long applications took, how many people arrived and departed, and how the Migration Program was allocated across different streams. Home Affairs publishes a substantial amount of useful data. The annual Migration Program Report tracks the composition of the permanent […]
Australia’s Visa System Is Built for Yesterday’s Jobs.
Even a decade ago, it was relatively simple. An accountant studied accounting. An engineer studied engineering. A marketing manager studied marketing. Today, some of the most valuable workers in Australia’s economy are performing jobs that did not exist when they attended university, using technologies that barely existed three years ago, and developing skills faster than […]
When Migration Costs Rise, Who Really Pays?
On 1 July 2026, the Australian Government increased visa application charges across most visa categories. For some subclasses, the increase was substantial. The Subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa increased from $3,210 to $4,015, while the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme visa increased from $4,910 to $6,140. Other visa categories, including student, graduate and partner […]
Latest Australian Visa Changes – July 2026
Notifications of 1 July changes Part 2 Rather than give you all the good news of the Australian visa changes in one day, we have decided to delay the gratification and spread the love over two days. Temporary Skills Migration Income Threshold increases. The Temporary Skills Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) has increased to $79,423, effective […]
Important Update: Government Visa Charges Have Increased
📢 Visa Fee Changes Effective 1 July 2026 Visa Application Charges (VACs) are indexed annually in accordance with the Consumer Price Index (CPI), as published in the Federal Budget papers. CPI in Australia is currently around 4%. This year, however, the dreaded curse of forgetfulness has set in with our federal politicians and, as a […]