Gate Migration

02/10/2026

STUDENT VISA ELIGIBILITY

Temporary Visas That Prevent an Onshore Student Visa Application
Effective from 2 October 2026
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you hold one of the visas listed, you cannot lodge a Student visa application while you are in Australia. There are no exemptions to this visa-list restriction.

What does the new rule mean?

From 2 October 2026, a person in Australia who holds one of the specified temporary visas cannot lodge a Student visa (subclass 500) application in Australia. The restriction generally applies whether the listed visa is held as the primary or secondary visa holder, subject to the specific Subclass 995 exception noted below.

A simple check before you proceed

Current visa -> Can I lodge in Australia? -> Do I need to apply offshore? -> Do I meet the Student visa requirements?

Need an individual assessment?

If you currently hold a temporary visa and are considering studying in Australia, Gate Migration can assess whether you can lodge a Student visa in Australia or whether an offshore application will be required.

Disclaimer: This information is general in nature and does not constitute migration advice for an individual matter. Visa eligibility depends on individual circumstances and the legislation and policy in effect at the time of application.

Gate Migration | Your Pathway, Clearly Guided

30/09/2026

📍 A new chapter is on the horizon!

We’re preparing for a new office space for Gate Migration, and we look forward to sharing more with you soon.

✨ New location and opening details coming shortly—stay tuned!

In the meantime, we’re here to assist with your visa and migration enquiries.

30/09/2026

🎉 A complex matter. A milestone worth celebrating.

We’re pleased to share the approval of a Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme – Direct Entry nomination and the Subclass 186 Visa Application on 29 September 2026.

This outcome is particularly meaningful given the complexity of the matter. Congratulations to our client, and thank you for trusting Gate Migration.

Navigating an employer-sponsored nomination? Speak with us about your circumstances and the next steps.

🌐 Book a consultation: [email protected]

Your Pathway, Clearly Guided.
Dimple Singh | Registered Migration Agent

Every matter is assessed individually, and future outcomes are not guaranteed.

17/09/2026

🇦🇺 AUSTRALIAN MIGRATION UPDATE | 17 September 2026

The Government has announced proposed migration reforms that could affect students, graduates, visitors, skilled migrants and working holidaymakers.

Here are the key points:

🔹 Skilled migration: A redesigned points test, with proposed benefits for selected housing and construction trades, and updated processing priorities for critical sectors.

🔹 Students and graduates: Proposed restrictions on bringing partners and children, with some exceptions. Further details are still to follow.

🔹 Working Holiday visas: Proposed ballots with limited places for second and third-year visas. Completing the required work may qualify you for the ballot, rather than guarantee a place.

🔹 Visitor visas: Wider use of “No Further Stay” conditions is proposed, limiting options to apply for another visa while in Australia.

🔹 Student course changes: Proposed restrictions on repeatedly moving to courses at the same or a lower qualification level.

🔹 Visa compliance: Stronger action on overstaying and misuse of the migration system.

⚠️ IMPORTANT: These are announcements—not confirmation that all changes have commenced. Start dates, final eligibility rules, exceptions and arrangements for existing visa holders and applications still need clarification. Some measures require legislation.

Continue to follow your current visa conditions and seek individual advice before changing your plans.

Gate Migration will share further updates as official details become available.

Dimple Singh | Registered Migration Agent
MARN 1793597

General information only. This post is not individual migration advice.

21/08/2026

NORTHERN TERRITORY SKILLED MIGRATION 2026–27 IS NOW OPEN

Another positive start to the 2026–27 skilled migration program.

What does this mean for skilled migrants?
The NT is accepting new applications for:

🔹 Subclass 190 – Skilled Nominated visa
A permanent residence pathway for eligible skilled applicants.

🔹 Subclass 491 – Skilled Work Regional visa
A 5-year provisional regional visa with a pathway towards permanent residence for eligible applicants.

Who can apply?
Applications are reopening for:

✅ All eligible onshore streams
✅ Selected offshore streams

Important Note: The eligibility criteria have been updated for the 2026–27 program year.

Being eligible for a skilled visa does not automatically mean you qualify for NT nomination. Applicants must meet both the Home Affairs visa requirements and the specific NT Government nomination criteria.

Offshore applicants — pay particular attention
The reopening does not mean every offshore skilled applicant can simply lodge an NT nomination application.

The NT has specific requirements for offshore applicants, including eligible occupations and nomination stream requirements. Your occupation, work experience and employability in the Northern Territory can therefore be critical.

Already living in the NT?
For eligible onshore applicants, this may be an important opportunity to reassess your pathway under the updated 2026–27 criteria — particularly if you are already working and establishing yourself in the Territory.

⚠️ Do not leave your application until your visa is close to expiry.

You should have genuine commitment in NT.
Applicants nominated by the Northern Territory are expected to live, work and settle in the NT for at least 3 years after visa grant.

📌 The takeaway

The opening of another state/territory program is welcome news for skilled migrants who have spent months waiting for clearer opportunities in the new program year.

But don't rush to lodge simply because applications are open.

First question: Are you eligible for a skilled visa?
Second question: Do you meet the NT's 2026–27 nomination criteria?
Third question: Is NT actually the right nomination strategy for your circumstances?

These are three different questions — and they should be considered before lodging.

📩 Need your NT nomination eligibility assessed?
Contact Gate Migration for professional migration advice.

General information only. Individual eligibility depends on personal circumstances and the applicable migration and nomination requirements.


Official Source: https://australiasnorthernterritory.com.au/move/migrate-to-work/nt-government-visa-nomination

20/08/2026

Work & Holiday Visa Update: You have been waiting to lodge a Subclass 462 Work and Holiday visa and your country is currently showing as PAUSED

What does it mean?

From a migration perspective, there are three words applicants need to understand:

🟠 PAUSED — the annual cap has not necessarily been exhausted. Home Affairs may reopen applications during the 2026–27 program year.
🔴 CLOSED — the annual allocation has been reached. Applications generally will not reopen until the next program year.
🟢 OPEN — applications can currently be lodged, subject to eligibility.

So, who should be paying attention?

This particularly matters to applicants seeking their FIRST Subclass 462 visa from countries where annual caps apply.

👥 Who is currently affected?

As at 20 August 2026, the Home Affairs country-cap page shows a number of countries as paused, including:

🇦🇷 Argentina
🇦🇹 Austria
🇧🇷 Brazil
🇨🇱 Chile
🇨🇿 Czech Republic
🇪🇨 Ecuador
🇬🇷 Greece
🇭🇺 Hungary
🇮🇱 Israel
🇲🇾 Malaysia
🇵🇪 Peru
🇵🇱 Poland
🇵🇹 Portugal
🇸🇬 Singapore
🇪🇸 Spain
🇹🇭 Thailand
🇺🇾 Uruguay
…and several others.

⚠️ This relates to FIRST Subclass 462 visas. Home Affairs confirms that there are no country caps for second or third Work and Holiday visas.

If your country is showing PAUSED, the opportunity may not be gone — but the reopening date is not guaranteed or announced in advance.

And that creates a practical issue:

When a cap reopens, being eligible and being ready to lodge are two different things.

If Australia is part of your 2026–27 plans, use the pause to understand the requirements and get your documents organised rather than starting from scratch after applications reopen.

🇮🇩 Indonesia — a different change is coming

Indonesia is moving to a ballot system for the WHM program, following agreement between the Australian and Indonesian Governments.

Eligible Indonesian applicants will be able to express their interest through the ballot, which Home Affairs anticipates will open later in 2026. Further arrangements are still to be announced.

📌 The takeaway?

PAUSED is a waiting game.
CLOSED means wait for the next program year.
BALLOT means a different pathway to getting your opportunity.

We’ll continue watching the Home Affairs updates and share changes as country caps reopen.

14/08/2026

We finally received a visa grant for the brother of an Australian citizen—on the second attempt.

It wasn’t easy. The first application was refused, adding to the growing concern many Australian families feel when a close relative’s visa is unsuccessful.

These cases are a reminder that having family in Australia does not automatically guarantee a visa grant. Each application must clearly address the applicant’s circumstances, purpose of travel, financial position, home-country ties and, importantly, any concerns raised in a previous refusal.

A second application should never be a simple resubmission of the first. It requires honest reflection, stronger evidence and a carefully considered response to the refusal reasons.

There are never guarantees—but persistence and thorough preparation resulted in a positive outcome.

A humble and happy moment for the family, and a rewarding one for us at Gate Migration Australia. ❤️

13/08/2026

🚨 TASMANIA SKILLED MIGRATION 2026–27: ROIs OPEN 17 AUGUST

Tasmania’s 2026–27 Skilled Migration State Nomination Program is about to open—but this year, submitting an ROI quickly may not be enough.

📅 New Registrations of Interest open: Monday, 17 August 2026
📩 First invitation round: Thursday, 20 August 2026
🔄 Invitations will then be issued weekly throughout the program year.

Tasmania has received 2,050 nomination places:

✅ 1,250 places for subclass 190
✅ 800 places for subclass 491

What has changed?

🔹 Longer and more stable employment in Tasmania will receive greater recognition.

🔹 The Tasmanian Skilled Employment Gold priority attribute now requires at least 30 hours per week in one job. Hours from separate jobs cannot be combined to meet this Gold requirement.

🔹 Applicants who have lived, worked or studied only in Tasmania—and nowhere else in Australia—may receive an additional 15 priority points.

🔹 The Priority Income Level remains unchanged at $57,000 per year or $28.85 per hour.

🔹 Submitting an ROI remains free. However, the nomination application fee applies

🔹 Tasmania will publish weekly information showing:

• ROIs invited
• Lowest scores invited
• Nomination places remaining
• Number of ROIs on hand
• The relevant three-month average score

⚠️ Important: Every priority attribute claimed must be supported by evidence. If an applicant’s verified score falls below the applicable published three-month average during assessment, the nomination application may not be approved.

Already have an ROI?
Do not withdraw it automatically. First compare your score under the previous and new settings. The revised criteria may benefit applicants with longer Tasmanian residence or employment—but not every applicant will score better.

🌏 What about Offshore Applicants?
It was informed that Tasmania does not plan to issue invitations under the subclass 491 Overseas Skilled Occupation Profiles pathway during 2026–27.
A limited pathway remains for eligible overseas health and teaching professionals who secure a qualifying job offer in Tasmania.

Before lodging or replacing an ROI, make sure you have selected the correct pathway, calculated the attributes accurately and collected evidence for every claim.

For an individual Tasmania nomination and ROI assessment, contact Gate Migration Australia.

Official update: Migration Tasmania—2026–27 Program Opening
https://www.migration.tas.gov.au/news/2024-25_program_open_to_rois

Tasmania’s Skilled Migration State Nomination Program will reopen to new Registrations of Interest in the coming weeks, with details to be announced soon. You can monitor the Migration Tasmania site for the latest information regarding the 2026-27 program. You can also sign up for our newsletter. ...

05/08/2026

Australia Parent Visa Changes 2026: Could the Onshore Pathway Be Closed?

What Families Need to Know

Australian families hoping to bring their parents closer may soon face a major change.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke was expected to announce wide-ranging migration reforms this week. Although his National speech has now been postponed, media reports suggest the Government has been considering tougher family visa rules as part of its plan to reduce net overseas migration.

What change is being considered?

The proposal being considered would prevent parents, partners and children of Australian citizens or permanent residents from entering Australia as visitors and then applying for certain family visas while onshore.

For parents, this could be particularly relevant to people considering an Aged Parent visa subclass 804 or Contributory Aged Parent visa subclass 864 after arriving in Australia.

If the proposal proceeds, eligible parents may instead be required to apply through an offshore pathway and remain outside Australia while waiting for their visa.

Why could this be significant?

Parent visa waiting periods are already extremely long. Home Affairs currently estimates approximately:

15 years for Contributory Parent visas; and
33 years for standard Parent and Aged Parent visas.

Removing an onshore application option could mean prolonged family separation for some applicants and greater reliance on temporary options such as the Sponsored Parent subclass 870 visa.

Has the law changed?

No- Not at this stage
The proposed changes have only been reported through public and media sources, and no final policy details or legislative changes have been formally announced.

Anyone considering an onshore Aged Parent visa strategy should seek professional advice about how any future changes may affect their circumstances and available options.

Gate Migration Australia will continue monitoring the announcement and provide an update once the Government confirms the new rules.

This information is current as at 5 August 2026 and is general information only. It does not constitute personalised migration advice.

Call now to connect with business.

13/11/2025

Big News for Skilled Migration Applicants!

After a three-month pause, SkillSelect invitations were issued today for both Subclass 189 (Skilled Independent) and Subclass 491 – Family Sponsored visas.

Early reports show strong activity across health, education, and key trades, continuing the trend of prioritising critical sectors.

Disclosure: Information compiled from publicly available sources, including the Department of Home Affairs SkillSelect pages and sector updates

Minimum points for key occupations this round(13 Nov 2025):

Registered Nurses (Various Specialistations and nec ) - 75
Social Workers – 75

Early Childhood Teachers – 85
Secondary School Teachers – 75

Physiotherapist - 75
Mechanical Engineer - 90
Chemical Engineer - 85
Psychologist - 90
Civil Engineering Draftsperson – 85
Food Technologist - 85

Bricklayers – 70
Electricians – 70
Painters – 70
Plumbers- 70
Carpenters – 65

These results align with recent patterns favouring essential skill areas, including Construction.

Interestingly, where Chemical and Mechanical Engineers were invited, IT occupations were not included in this invitation round — a notable shift from earlier trends.

If you’re considering lodging an EOI or want to understand where your occupation currently stands, now’s the time to review your points and strategy.

📩 Reach out if you’d like an assessment or guidance on strengthening your Skilled Migration profile before the next round.