Crossing Borders

02/06/2026

Gold Migration is officially in liquidation. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has appointed a case worker to manage the company's files and trust accounts.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-02/gold-migration-lawyers-in-liquidation/106748894?

If you have been affected. We are here to assist/support you as needed.

Gold Migration Lawyers went into liquidation yesterday, leaving customers out of pocket thousands of dollars and their visa applications unresolved.

29/05/2026

Big changes are coming to skilled migration in Australia 🇦🇺

If your business relies on visa workers under the Kimberley DAMA, here’s what you need to know:

📅 1 July 2026 — Salary thresholds increase to ~$79,499. Lodge before this date to lock in current rates.

📋 Kimberley DAMA expires March 2027

Labour Agreements approved before then can still run for up to 5 years. Start planning now to secure your occupations and concessions.

🔄 WA DAMA is coming — A statewide model will replace regional DAMAs across WA. Final details are still being confirmed.

Don’t wait until the deadline is on your doorstep. Get ahead of these changes and protect your workforce pipeline.

📩 Contact the Crossing Borders team for tailored guidance.

VisaUpdates KimberleyBusiness MigrationLaw HRStrategy SmallBusiness

26/05/2026

The Department of Home Affairs provides an online reporting service which allows members of the public to report suspicious or unlawful activity related to immigration, visas, customs, trade and maritime matters.

The Border Watch form includes a range of reporting categories, such as migration scams or unregistered migration agents, criminal or character concerns, domestic and family violence, employer or sponsor misconduct, visa overstayers, and vulnerable visa holders.

If you become aware of a person or business giving immigration advice or assistance without being a registered migration agent or Australian lawyer, you can report this conduct to the Australian Border Force (ABF) through Border Watch.

Reports can be made anonymously. While the ABF may review and investigate the information provided, people who make a report should be aware that they are unlikely to receive updates about the outcome of any investigation.

Home Affairs brings together Australia's federal law enforcement, national and transport security, criminal justice, emergency management, multicultural affairs, settlement services and immigration and border-related functions, working together to keep Australia safe.

22/05/2026

Tasmanian Skilled Migration State Nomination Program Update - May 2026

Registrations of Interest closing 3 June 2026 for the 2025-26 program year

Registrations of Interest for all pathways and passes of the Tasmanian Skilled Migration State Nomination Program will close 5pm Wednesday, 3 June, 2026, following strong demand for nomination.

The last invitation round for the 2025-26 program year will take place on Thursday 4 June 2026.

Migration Tasmania will resume accepting ROIs from all eligible candidates when the 2026-27 program commences.

Further information regarding the 2026-27 program will be published on the Migration Tasmania website and in their newsletter when it becomes available.

Migration Tasmania will continue to assess applications for nomination and new applications will be able to be lodged. However, with few nomination places remaining, not all applicants will be nominated this program year.

Once all nomination places are used, any applications approved will be nominated after Tasmania receives its nomination allocation for the 2026-27 program year.

ROIs that are not invited to apply for nomination before the end of the program will continue to be held in the Application Gateway for six months and considered for an invitation to apply for nomination when the 2026-27 program opens.

Processing times and remaining nomination quota are updated weekly on the Migration Tasmania website:

22/05/2026

UPDATE: FNQ DAMA - TSMIT Indexation - Key Dates

Employers planning to submit new labour agreement requests, variation requests, or nomination applications with proposed salaries currently at or near the applicable TSMIT/CSIT threshold (or 90% concession threshold where available under the FNQ DAMA) should note the following key dates.

To allow sufficient time for assessment prior to 1 July 2026, any endorsement requests intended to rely on the current TSMIT/CSIT levels must be received by the Cairns Chamber of Commerce no later than COB on the 15th of June 2026.

Key dates/timings:

• The applicable TSMIT/CSIT for endorsement requests is generally determined by the date the labour agreement request is lodged with the Department of Home Affairs in ImmiAccount (for initial labour agreements) or sent to Department of Home Affairs by the Cairns Chamber of Commerce (for variations to existing agreements).

• The applicable TSMIT/CSIT for nomination applications is determined by the date the nomination is lodged in ImmiAccount. Specifically, any nomination applications lodged on or after 1 July 2026 will be assessed against the new indexed TSMIT/CSIT requirements, regardless of when the endorsement request or labour agreement variation was submitted.

• Endorsement requests received by the Cairns Chamber of Commerce after 15 June 2026 may not be assessed in time prior to the indexation changes and may therefore need to meet the new TSMIT/CSIT requirements.

Note that variation requests generally require longer processing timeframes than initial endorsement requests, as businesses must wait for the Department of Home Affairs to execute the varied labour agreement and update the nomination ceiling before nomination/s can be lodged.

If interested the next FNQ DAMA Face to Face Information session for FNQ Employers is coming up on June 3rd, 2026. You can register here:

Cairns Chamber of Commerce Migration Manager Geoff Heath invites FNQ Employers to this free, in-person information session on the Far North Queensland Designated Area Migration Agreement, otherwise known as the FNQ DAMA. The FNQ […]

22/05/2026

Kimberley (WA) DAMA Update:

There is currently a lot happening across the DAMA and skilled migration space, with upcoming salary threshold increases, changes to variation processes, and the continued transition toward the new WA DAMA model. To help businesses plan ahead and understand how these changes may impact existing and future applications, we have provided a summary of the latest updates and key dates below.

Skilled Migration Salary Threshold Increase – From 1 July 2026

Each year, the Australian Government adjusts minimum salary requirements for skilled visa workers to keep wages aligned with market conditions.

From 1 July 2026, the TSMIT/CSIT salary thresholds will be indexed to approximately $79,499 (pending confirmation from the Department).

For businesses: The salary threshold that applies depends on when your application is lodged and the key date is when the application is submitted to the Department.

1. Labour Agreement Requests (including DAMA Endorsements / Variations)
• If your Labour Agreement request is lodged with the Department, or your Deed of Variation is lodged by the DAR, before 1 July 2026 then the current TSMIT / CSIT applies.
• If either are lodged on or after 1 July 2026 then the new indexed (higher) TSMIT / CSIT applies.
2. Nomination Applications
• The applicable TSMIT/CSIT amount for the assessment of LMT in nomination applications is determined by the date the nomination application is lodged with the Department.
• If the nomination application is lodged before 1 July 2026, LMT will be assessed based on the current TSMIT/CSIT.
• If the nomination application is lodged on or after 1 July 2026, LMT will be assessed based on the new indexed TSMIT/CSIT.

Multiple Deed of Variation (DoV) Requests

The Department of Home Affairs is encouraging businesses to plan workforce needs in advance, with the aim of limiting submissions to one Deed of Variation (DoV) per business each year where possible.

We understand that forward workforce planning is not always straightforward. The East Kimberley Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EKCCI) will continue to work closely with businesses on an individual basis to help identify anticipated workforce needs and determine the most suitable approach for your circumstances.

WA DAMA Transition arrangements:
Kimberley DAMA:

The Kimberley Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) is scheduled to expire on 27 March 2027. As you know, the Australian Government is progressing toward a statewide Western Australia DAMA (WA DAMA) model. While final transition arrangements are still being confirmed, the following information reflects current advice and what businesses should begin planning for now.

Important points:
• Labour Agreements can be approved up until 27 March 2027. There will be a cut-off date for submitting endorsement / variations requests to allow time for the Government to process the requests. This will likely be the end of January 2027.
• No new Labour Agreements or variation requests can be granted after this date under the Kimberley DAMA Head Agreement.
• Any Labour Agreements approved before March 2027 will continue for up to five years, even though the Head Agreement itself expires earlier.
• Existing Kimberley DAMA PR pathways will be honoured through Grandfathering arrangements.

Businesses can still secure workforce arrangements that extend well beyond the life of the Kimberley DAMA and should start planning for this now, to ensure occupations and concessions are locked in under the current Kimberley DAMA settings.

The WA DAMA:
The WA DAMA will replace regional DAMAs across Western Australia, including the Kimberley. At this stage:
• Final occupation lists, concessions and settings for the WA DAMA are still being determined.
• Transition arrangements are expected to become clearer following the transition of existing DAMAs into the WA model, over the next few months.
• Existing Labour Agreements already in place are expected to continue for their approved duration.

We will provide further updates as soon as formal transition arrangements are confirmed by the Department of Home Affairs.

18/05/2026

2026–27 Migration Program Planning Levels

As noted in the Federal Budget on 12 May 2026, the Government has confirmed that the 2026–27 permanent Migration Program will be set at 185,000 places. The overall planning level, as well as the skill‑to‑family split, remains unchanged from the 2025–26 program.

Across both the Skill and Family streams, the Government will continue to prioritise applications from onshore migrants, allocating 129,590 places to applicants already living in Australia. The remaining 55,110 offshore places will focus on high‑skilled migrants who can boost productivity, address long‑term skill needs and complement Australia’s working‑age population.

The Department has now updated its website with the detailed planning levels for each stream and key changes outlined below.

Program composition for 2026-27

Skill stream: 132,240 places (approximately 71% of the program)
Family stream: 52,460 places (approximately 28% of the program)
Special Eligibility stream: 300 places

Key Changes for the Skilled stream in 2026–27
The 2026–27 program includes several significant adjustments to planning levels across skilled visa categories when compared with 2025–26. Key changes include:

Skilled Independent: increased from 16,900 places to 21,090 places
Talent and Innovation: decreased from 5,300 places to 3,500 places
Employer Sponsored: increased from 44,000 places to 58,040 places
Regional state/territory nominated: decreased from 33,000 to 14,010
State/Territory Nominated: increased from 33,000 places to 35,500 places.

Key Changes for the Family stream 2026–27

Only minor amendments have been made to the Family Stream for 2026–27, with modest adjustments across the main visa categories, these are noted below:

Child visas: increased from 3,000 places to 3,500 places
Parent visas: decreased from 8,500 places to 7,060 places
Other Family visas: decreased from 500 places to 400 places.

Find out about Australian visas, immigration and citizenship.

18/05/2026

Legislative Updates:

ART 'on the papers' review commenced today (18 May 2026) - ART Amendment Rules 2026

What This Means For You

If you have a matter before the ART—especially a student visa refusal—your written submissions and documentation have become the most critical part of your appeal. Because the tribunal can decide your case strictly on paper without giving you the opportunity to present your arguments face-to-face, ensuring your written evidence is robust, clear, and comprehensive is vital.

13/05/2026

🚨 NSW Skilled Migration Update | Read This Before You Plan Your Next Move

If you’re waiting on a state nomination from New South Wales, here’s what just changed and what it means for you.

🔴 Subclass 190 — Skilled Nominated Visa
NSW has officially filled its 190 nomination allocation for 2025–26.

That means:

❌ No further invitations will be issued

⏳ The next round won’t open until the 2026–27 program year begins

If you were counting on a NSW 190 nomination this year that door is now closed until the new
allocation drops.

🟡 Subclass 491 — Skilled Work Regional Visa
(Pathway 2)

There’s still movement here. NSW ran an invitation round last week and will continue inviting EOIs until the allocation is reached.

✅ If you have a strong 491 Pathway 2 EOI — now is the time to make sure everything is in order.

💡 What should you do now?
Whether your pathway just closed or you’re still in the running, this is the moment to get proper advice not guess.

At Crossing Borders, principal migration lawyer Sally Jackson works with skilled migrants every day to assess their options, strengthen their EOIs, and pivot when state programs shift.

There may be more options available to you than you think. 👇

📞 Call: 1300 796 462

🌐 Visit: www.crossingborders.com.au

📩 DM us to book your consultation

13/05/2026

✨ Meet Sally the powerhouse behind Crossing Borders.

With over a decade of experience in Australian Immigration Law and a background that spans engineering, property, wills & estates, and family law, Sally brings a rare depth of knowledge to every client she serves.

From complex visa appeals to citizenship applications, she’s navigated it all and her strong ties to Middle Eastern and Latin American communities mean she truly understands the journey her clients are on.

Sally didn’t just build a career. She built a firm rooted in real experience, genuine connection, and a passion for helping people find their place in Australia. 🇦🇺