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Soft Landing Migrations

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Helping individuals, families and businesses navigate Australia's migration system with confidence.

14/10/2026

SPONSORSHIP, NOMINATION & VISA – WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

When it comes to employer sponsored migration, these three terms are often used together, but they each play a different role in the process.

Whether you're an employer considering sponsoring an overseas worker or an individual exploring your visa options, understanding the difference is a great place to start.

👇 We've broken it down in today's graphic!

At Soft Landing Migrations, we're here to help make the migration process easier to understand and navigate.

📩 Get in touch with our team if you'd like to discuss your sponsorship or visa options.

05/10/2026

Significant changes to Australia's Student visa program came into effect on 2 October 2026.

🎓 Student Visa rules have tightened

The changes include:

• Many temporary visa holders, including Working Holiday and Skills in Demand (482) visa holders, can no longer apply for a Student visa while in Australia
• Where an applicant is required to lodge offshore, they must generally also be outside Australia when the Student visa is granted
• Tighter rules now apply when moving from one Student visa to another
• Restrictions have been introduced around adding partners and children as dependents
• Most non-school students must now remain with their principal provider for 12 months before transferring, subject to limited exceptions

Further changes are coming from 1 July 2027, including a new Student visa transfer stream and tighter rules around changing education providers.

📢 Subclass 189 Invitation Round Update

Home Affairs has updated its advice and now states that the next Skilled Independent (Subclass 189) invitation round is expected to be held by 31 October 2026, after previously indicating it was expected by 30 September.

If you are considering changing your course, education provider or visa pathway, it is important to understand how these new rules may affect your options.

Contact the Soft Landing Migrations team if you would like advice about your circumstances.

Visa eligibility and requirements depend on individual circumstances.

02/10/2026

Planning a holiday or family visit to Australia?

A strong Visitor visa application should show not only why you want to visit Australia, but also why you intend to return home.

Evidence may include employment and approved leave, family ties, property or assets, studies or other ongoing commitments.

It’s also important to provide clear evidence of your travel plans and sufficient funds for your stay.

Tip: Don’t assume you’ll be asked for missing documents — your application may be assessed on the information you provide.

General information only. Requirements depend on individual circumstances.

22/09/2026

The Australian Government has introduced the new Migration (Designated Areas) Instrument 2026 (LIN 26/004), replacing the previous 2016 instrument.

📍 The following are now listed as designated areas in their entirety:

• Western Australia
• Victoria
• South Australia
• Tasmania
• ACT
• Northern Territory
• Norfolk Island

Parts of New South Wales and Queensland are also included based on specific postcodes.

⚠️ Important: A “designated area” is not the same as a “designated regional area”, so this does not mean all these locations are considered regional for every visa pathway.

Not sure if this update affects you or your visa options?
Contact our team and we can help you understand how the requirements apply to your circumstances.

21/09/2026

New skilled visa processing priorities came into effect on 19 September 2026, replacing the processing priorities under Ministerial Direction 119.

MD 121 applies to the Skills in Demand (Subclass 482) visa, while MD 122 applies to a range of provisional and permanent skilled visas, including the 186, 189, 190, 191, 491 and 494.

Highest processing priority is now given to applications relating to key sectors including construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing and resources, as well as Australia’s law enforcement and defence interests.

Importantly, applications relating to these priority sectors receive this priority whether the applicant was in Australia or overseas when the application was lodged.

⚠️ Priority processing does not change visa eligibility requirements or guarantee a particular processing timeframe. Home Affairs notes that processing times can vary for a range of reasons.

Want to know how these changes may affect your visa pathway? Contact Soft Landing Migrations.

18/09/2026

The Australian Government has announced a number of proposed changes to the migration program, with a focus on ensuring the visa system better supports Australia’s skills and workforce needs.

Some of the key areas announced include:

🔹 Changes to the skilled migration points system
🔹 Greater recognition and priority for certain skilled occupations and industries
🔹 Changes to visa processing priorities
🔹 Changes affecting Student and Graduate visa holders and their families
🔹 Changes aimed at limiting “visa hopping”
🔹 Changes affecting future Visitor visas
🔹 Changes to the Working Holiday visa program
🔹 Increased compliance measures across the migration program

While these announcements provide an indication of the Government’s direction, not all changes are necessarily in effect yet, and commencement dates, eligibility requirements and transitional arrangements may differ depending on the measure.

If you are concerned about how any of these announcements may affect your current visa, future application or migration pathway, we recommend seeking advice based on your individual circumstances.

We will continue to share updates as further details are released.

11/09/2026

Do I need a job offer before I can migrate to Australia?

Not always - it depends on the visa pathway.

If you’re looking at an employer-sponsored visa, you’ll generally need an eligible Australian employer willing to nominate or sponsor you.

Other skilled migration pathways work differently and may not require employer sponsorship.

Your possible options will depend on things like your occupation, age, qualifications, work experience, English ability and skills assessment, as well as any state, regional or points requirements that may apply.

So before assuming you need to find an employer, it’s worth first understanding which migration pathways you may actually qualify for.

09/09/2026

What is a skills assessment?

You’ll often hear us talking about skills assessments when discussing Australian migration, but what are they?

Put simply, a skills assessment looks at whether your qualifications, skills and/or work experience meet the Australian standard for your nominated occupation.

Depending on your occupation and the visa you’re applying for, you may need an assessment from the relevant Australian assessing authority.

They may look at things such as your qualifications, employment history, references and practical experience.

Not every occupation or visa pathway has the same requirements, which is why it’s important to establish early on whether you need a skills assessment and which assessing authority applies to you.

It can save a lot of time later in the process.

04/09/2026

Can I include my family in my visa application?

This is one of the questions we’re asked regularly, particularly by families planning their move to Australia together.

Depending on the visa, you may be able to include your spouse or de facto partner and dependent children in your application.

Things can become a little more complicated when children are older, as additional requirements may apply to show that they are still dependent.

Each family member will also need to meet the requirements relevant to the visa, including health and character requirements where applicable.

If you’re planning a move as a family, it’s always a good idea to consider everyone’s circumstances from the beginning rather than looking at the main applicant in isolation.

31/08/2026

The Northern Territory has received 1,850 skilled migration nomination places for the 2026–27 program year an increase of 200 places from last year.

The allocation includes:

🔹 850 places – Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated visa
🔹 1,000 places – Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional visa

The additional 200 places have all been allocated to the Subclass 491 program, creating further opportunities for skilled migrants considering the Northern Territory.

📩 Want to know what this update could mean for you?

Contact the Soft Landing Migrations team to discuss your circumstances and potential migration pathways.

Eligibility criteria apply and each applicant's circumstances must be assessed individually.

Address

397 Warnbro Sound Avenue
Port Kennedy, WA
6172

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+61895268156

Website

https://www.softlandingmigrations.com.au/

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