Australis Immigration Strategies

21/09/2026

Minister Burke Outlines Major Migration Changes: What They Mean for You

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke used his 17 September 2026 address to the National Press Club to outline a package of proposed and forthcoming changes to Australia's migration program. The stated aims are to reduce Net Overseas Migration (NOM), limit visa-hopping, and better target migration to areas of economic need.

No commencement dates have been announced yet. Implementation details will follow as regulations and ministerial directions are released.

Net Overseas Migration

NOM was 292,100 for the year to March 2026. That is down from 309,500 the previous year and 47% below the post-pandemic peak. The Government is targeting 245,000 in 2026–27 and 225,000 per year from 2027–28.

Student and Graduate visas

Most future student and graduate visa applicants will no longer be able to include secondary applicants. People already in Australia with secondary applicants will not be affected.

Exceptions remain for students from Pacific and ASEAN nations and for postgraduate study, including PhDs. Students progressing to a higher qualification (for example, Bachelor to Master) can still apply for a new visa.

Transfers to lower-tier providers will require a new visa application.

Working Holiday Maker visas

A ballot will apply to second and third-year visas, and applicants must still meet the existing regional work requirements.
The Year Two ballot is capped at 45,000 places and the Year Three ballot at 5,000.

Processing returns to normal speed for applicants who have completed the regional work requirements.

UK applicants will continue to face slower processing because of the significant growth in UK Working Holiday Makers in Australia.

Visitor visas

A No Further Stay condition will be imposed on future Visitor visa grants. This will stop most holders from lodging further onshore visa applications, though Protection visa applications remain an exception.

Visitor visas already granted, and people already in Australia on Visitor visas, are not affected.
The Government says this should make it easier for genuine visitors to satisfy temporary stay requirements. It may also help offshore partners seeking Visitor visas while a Partner visa application is processed.

Skilled migration

The Points Test will give greater weight to housing and construction trade qualifications. Qualified tradespeople in high-demand areas will receive points broadly comparable to those for university qualifications.

Processing priorities will be adjusted. Agriculture, resources and fisheries will be prioritised alongside construction, teaching and healthcare.

Protection visas

The Government intends to address non-genuine Protection visa claims, but Mr Burke indicated significant changes would require legislation. He also confirmed that removing work rights from rejected applicants is not currently on the agenda.

Visa overstayers

The Government will strengthen enforcement against the estimated 77,000 overstayers in Australia. The proposed approach is detention followed by voluntary departure, backed by 100 new compliance officers and 250 additional detention beds. Mr Burke said the Government does not intend to adopt raid-style enforcement and wants to avoid holding simple overstayers alongside serious offenders awaiting deportation.

Character and conduct requirements

Ministerial Direction 110 will be updated to strengthen protections for child victims of crime and family violence victims, and to reflect stronger action against conduct involving hatred.

Family visas

No specific changes were announced to address Partner visa processing times.

What happens next

These announcements do not yet have dates of effect. We will update this page as regulations and ministerial directions are released. If you or your family may be affected, contact us before making lodgement decisions.

This article is general information only and is not migration advice. Your circumstances will affect how these changes apply to you. Contact Australis Immigration Strategies (MARN 0601736) to discuss your situation.

28/05/2024

Increase to the Temporary Skilled Migration Threshold

The Department of Home Affairs is set to increase the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold from $70,000 to $73,150 as of 1 July 2024. This increase applies to the Temporary Skill Shortage subclass 482 visa, Employer Nomination Scheme subclass 186 visa, Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme subclass 187 visa, and the Skilled Work Regional subclass 491 visa.

This won’t apply to any existing visa holders or any new applications lodged before 1 July 2024.

https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/news-media/archive/article?itemId=1205 #:~:text=From%201%20July%202024%2C%20the,lodged%20before%201%20July%202024.

Find out about Australian visas, immigration and citizenship.

28/11/2023

All Temporary Skill Shortage visa holders now have a pathway to permanent residence

The legislation creating an employer nominated permanent residence pathway for all Temporary Skill Shortage visa holders has now commenced. Changes to the program include the following:

* all Temporary Skill Shortage visa
holders regardless of occupation are eligible to apply under the temporary
residence transition stream
* the qualifying period under the
temporary residence transition stream is now reduced to working for two of the
previous three years sponsored by the business on a Temporary Skill Shortage
visa
* applicants aged 45 years of age or over
who meet the age exemption requirements ie earning at least the Fair Work High
Income Threshold have now also had the qualifying period reduced to two of the
previous three years
* definition of regional medical
practitioner applicant changed to reduce the period they are required to
have been employed as a medical practitioner in a regional areas to two years
* businesses who have sponsored Temporary Skill Shortage visa holders under a work agreement can also access this stream

These changes will apply to anyone lodging an Employer Nomination Scheme subclass 187 or Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme application from 25 November 2023 onwards.

Additionally, Temporary Skill Shortage visa holders with an occupation on the Short-Term stream are no longer limited as to how many subsequent applications they can make in Australia. This is certainly a welcome move to create better outcomes for employers and skilled migrants.

Think you might be eligible or have any questions? Get in touch!

19/11/2023

Urgent advice for Afghan refugees with an approved Australian visa or who have applied for a visa

The Government of Pakistan has issued an ‘Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan’. This tells people residing without a valid visa for Pakistan to leave voluntarily by 1 November 2023 or face deportation.

Afghan visa applicants and visa holders who are residing in Pakistan without a valid visa for Pakistan are subject to these new exit permission requirements. This may impact their ability to travel to Australia regardless of if they are granted an Australian visa.

Pakistan’s new exit permission requirements will not impact people residing lawfully in Pakistan, and who maintain their lawful status.

Any person who believes they meet the requirements for a humanitarian visa, and wishes to seek Australia’s assistance, can apply. People should be aware that they may be subject to Pakistan’s exit permit requirements if they are residing unlawfully in the country. This could impact their ability to travel to Australia.

The Australian Government is working to provide letters of assurance urgently to the following categories:

* those hold an Australian visa
* those who have applied for a Humanitarian visa which is under active consideration by the Department and close to being finalised, or a Family or Partner visa, or
* are certified as Afghan Locally Engaged Employees (LEE)

To help the Department, those impacted should make sure their contact details are up to date In ImmiAccount.

People who have been certified as an Afghan LEE and have not applied for an Australian visa should apply for a visa with the Department of Home Affairs as soon as possible.

Details available here:

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.

08/11/2023

In a landmark ruling, the High Court has found that indefinite immigration detention is unlawful.

This puts an end to detaining non-citizens potentially for the rest of their lives. It’s expected this decision will trigger the release of 92 people with several hundred more potentially in doubt as a result of this decision.

Whilst the use of immigration detention has always been asserted by successive Governments to be administrative, rather than punitive in nature, this decision pulls this position apart.

The High Court has today ruled that it is unlawful and unconstitutional for the Australian Government to detain people indefinitely in immigration detention. The Human Rights Law Centre and UNSW’s Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law appeared as amici curiae – friends of the court – to ...

01/11/2023

It looks like we now have a date for the long awaited changes to the employer sponsored program, 25 November 2023. To recap from the previous announcements from the Department of Home Affairs, the changes we are expecting to see include the following:

🔵Simplifying the process for subclass 482 (TSS) visa holders to transition to the Employer Nomination Scheme subclass 186 visa under the temporary residence transition stream, even for those with occupations on the Short-Term Skilled Occupation List.
🔵 Shortening the eligibility duration from three years down to two years under the temporary residence transition stream (including for applicants 45 years of age or older claiming the age exemption)

We also know labour market testing is set to be abolished for the program, although its unclear whether this will be brought in with the slated 25 November changes. Stay tuned!

20/10/2023

Since the direct pathway for Australian citizenship was opened for New Zealanders on 1 July 2023, over 30,000 have applied.

Not sure of your eligibility or how to apply?

Send us a message.

13/10/2023

"Our voice is the most powerful tool we have, but it is only powerful if someone is there to listen."

On October 14, vote Yes to giving future generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people a voice in the policies and decisions that affect Indigenous communities.

12/10/2023

The Australian Government has secured two initial assisted-departure flights for Australians affected by the crisis in Israel and Gaza.

The flights from Ben Gurion Airport to London will start Friday for Australians who don’t already have plans to leave through commercial options.

These two initial flights will be operated by Qantas free-of-charge.

Our priority is to ensure Australians who want to leave are able to do so – but we’re working on options for Australians who need onward support from London.

We will continue to monitor the situation closely.

Australians who want to leave via Australia’s assisted-departure flights should register via https://crisis.dfat.gov.au/crisisportal/s/ or by calling the Australian Government’s 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305 (from overseas) or 1300 555 135 (from within Australia).

31/08/2023

408 Pandemic Event visas are closing to all new applications as of February 2024 and from Saturday 2 September 2023 only existing 408 Pandemic Event visa holders.

Short version, if you don't currently hold a 408 Pandemic Event visa you need to have your application lodged by tomorrow!

Contact us if you need assistance:

Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Emergency Management.​​​