Australian Immigration News

Monday, 27 November 2023
Covid Concession Period Ends
Immigration has brought the 'concession period' introduced on 1 February 2020 to an end.

Monday, 27 November 2023
New Permanent Visa Requirements
Thousands of Subclass 482 Temporary Skills Shortage visa holders now have a pathway to permanent residency under new legislation implemented on 25 November 2023.

Friday, 10 November 2023
Major Changes to Employer Sponsored Visa Pathways
Changes to the employer-sponsored visas planned for 25 November mean a pathway to PR for almost all 482 visa holders.

Friday, 01 September 2023
Closure of Subclass 408 COVID Pandemic Event Visa
Immigration has confirmed a closure date for the popular Subclass 408 COVID Pandemic Event visa.

Saturday, 15 July 2023
May 2023 Skillselect Round Data
Healthcare and Education occupations are again the focus of the latest invitation round.

Monday, 24 April 2023
New Pathway to Citizenship for New Zealand Citizens
From 1 July 2023, New Zealand Citizens who have lived in Australia for at least 4 years as the holder of a Special Category Visa will be able to apply directly for Australian Citizenship, without first needing to apply for permanent residency.

Tuesday, 10 May 2022
SkillSelect Update April 2022
A big increase in invitations for the April round.

Friday, 18 March 2022
Pathway to Permanent Residency for Short-Term 482 visa holders
Immigration has announced a new pathway to permanent residency for a cohort of Subclass 482 Short-Term visa holders, in response to labour demand and declining numbers of temporary visa holders.

Thursday, 20 January 2022
Working Holiday Makers: 6 Month Rule is Gone!
WHM holders no longer have a 6-month work limitation to contend with

Thursday, 20 January 2022
Changes to Student Visa Work Restrictions
A temporary change allows Student visa holders unlimited work rights

Tuesday, 23 November 2021
The End of Travel Restrictions for Certain Visas
UPDATED: From 15 December 2021, eligible visa holders who have been fully vaccinated will be free to travel to and from Australia without the need to first apply for a Travel Exemption.

Wednesday, 17 November 2021
October SkillSelect Round
Small invitation numbers and high points mean long waits in SkillSelect.

Friday, 12 November 2021
New Options for Migrants with Visa Refusal or Cancellation
From 13 November, migrants who have had a visa refused or cancelled while in Australia have access to additional onshore visa options.

Wednesday, 18 August 2021
Travel Exemption Options for Fiancés
Border Force has now added Subclass 300 Prospective Marriage visa holders to the list of those who can apply for a Travel Exemption to enter Australia.

Tuesday, 10 August 2021
First SkillSelect Round for 2021-2022
Limited information on the July 2021 invitation round has been released, making it difficult to predict future trends.

Thursday, 29 July 2021
Pharmacists added to the PMSOL
From 27 July, three Pharmacist occupations have been added to the PMSOL for priority processing.

Tuesday, 22 June 2021
Huge Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List Update
Minister for Immigration announces a huge update to the PMSOL, giving priority processing to a wider range of occupations now in high demand in Australia.

Friday, 21 May 2021
Final SkillSelect Round for 2020/2021 Financial Year
Results have now been released for the final invitation round of the 2020/2021 financial year, with some big jumps in invitation numbers for certain occupations.

Monday, 17 May 2021
Updated Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (PMSOL)
A priority skills list effective from 11 May 2021, giving speedier processing and travel exemptions to select occupations.

Tuesday, 11 May 2021
Tourism and Hospitality Added to Critical Sectors
Subclass 408 COVID-19 Pandemic Event visa applicants and Student visa holders in the hospitality and tourism sectors are now able to access new work arrangements following changes introduced by the Minister for Immigration.

Monday, 08 March 2021
January SkillSelect Round Results
The first invitation round for 2021 had some interesting outcomes, with over three times the number of invitations and some new occupations receiving invites for the first time.

Monday, 15 February 2021
Family Visa Concessions - Offshore Visas Granted Onshore
Immigration has now confirmed concessions allowing certain offshore Family visas to be granted while the applicant is in Australia

Thursday, 11 February 2021
Five Key Considerations for a Successful GTI Application
The GTI program offers a streamlined permanent pathway that may be an attractive alternative for highly skilled professionals and employers looking to entice significant talent. Our blog will guide you through five key points to consider and address for a successful application under this program.

Friday, 29 January 2021
Immigration Updates and Information for January 2021
As we end the first month of the new year, join us for a look at the latest news and developments in the world of Australian Immigration.

Friday, 29 January 2021
State Migration Program Updates for January 2021
UPDATED 4 FEBRUARY 2021 A wrap-up of the latest news from each of the State and Territory Governments on their visa nomination programs.

Thursday, 17 December 2020
Amendments Compilation December 2020
The Australian Government has been busy over the last month, announcing a number of amendments across a wide range of visa types. In addition, State Migration programs have slowly begun to reopen, there are changes to PTE English test score levels, and the introduction of a new Australian Values Statement. 

Wednesday, 09 December 2020
Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (PMSOL)
*Updated list* - Priority processing is available for select occupations under employer-sponsored pathways.

Wednesday, 25 November 2020
Regional Labour Agreements
With international border closures reducing the number of Working Holiday makers in Australia, and with demand for Australian made and grown goods on the increase, farmers may be finding it difficult to source skilled workers. A labour agreement may be the answer.

Monday, 16 November 2020
Immigration Amendments November 2020
Released quietly last week, the Department of Home Affairs introduced a number of amendments to Working Holiday, Distinguished Talent, and permanent Skilled Regional Visas.

Thursday, 05 November 2020
Minimum Points Score, but Minimal Invitations
Only 65 points were required to receive an invitation in the October round, but only a tiny number of invitations were issued to select occupations.

Monday, 02 November 2020
Medical Focus for September Round
Focusing almost entirely on medical-related occupations, the September round delivered no surprises in light of the current pandemic situation.

Thursday, 22 October 2020
The Top 10 Partner Visa Tips
Preparing to lodge a Partner visa application? Acacia has 10 top tips on how to start.

Wednesday, 14 October 2020
Federal Budget Analysis 2020-21
The release of the 2020-21 Budget has revealed a number of planned changes to the Department of Home Affairs and the migration program, with significant changes to the General Skilled, Family, and Global Talent categories.

Tuesday, 06 October 2020
New Labour Market Testing Requirements
Immigration has advised of a mistake in the newly released Labour Market Testing (LMT) legislation, and confirms the new requirements are just as onerous as first announced.

Monday, 21 September 2020
Concessions For Visa Applicants Affected By COVID-19
Concessions were introduced on 19 September 2020, allowing for offshore lodgements, extension of eligibility, and further pathways for certain temporary visa holders.

Thursday, 03 September 2020
Employer Sponsored Visas - New Priority and LMT Requirements
Certain employer-sponsored visa applicants and holders will be eligible for priority processing and travel exemptions under a new occupation list. Changes to Labour Market Testing requirements are being introduced.

Thursday, 27 August 2020
August SkillSelect was for the Health Professionals
The latest SkillSelect round was small but concise, targeting health and medical professionals and few (if any) others.

Thursday, 20 August 2020
New Financial Year - New SkillSelect Information
Data on the first round for 2020-2021 was been released, revealing a targeted set of occupations in the new financial year. Immigration has also quietly amended the occupation ceilings, with some significant changes.

Monday, 27 July 2020
SkillSelect Update for May and June 2020
The long-awaited invitation round data has finally been released by Immigration, showing a very specific type of occupation is attracting the most invites.

Monday, 20 July 2020
Student and Graduate Visa Changes
Updated 28 August 2020 - The Australian Government has announced intended changes to the Student and Graduate visa programs to support International Students affected by COVID-19.

Monday, 06 July 2020
International Students to Return to Australia
Rumours that International Students will be able to return to Australia this month have flown around internet sites and chat rooms, but it's not good news for everyone.

Monday, 22 June 2020
State Migration Update - End 2020
*Updated 29 June* As we near the end of the 2019-2020 financial year, the Australian States and Territories are swiftly updating their Nomination programs for the Subclass 190 and 491 visas.

Thursday, 11 June 2020
Graduate Visa Questions - Do you know the answers?
The 485 visa appears straight-forward, however, it has a lot of time-critical and lodgement-critical requirements that, if missed, have devastating effects on an application. Lets explore some of the more common issues.

Wednesday, 22 April 2020
Tough Times for SkillSelect
The April SkillSelect resulted in a tiny 100 invitations shared between 189 and 491 Family Sponsored visa applicants. So who was invited, and what score did they need?

Wednesday, 15 April 2020
State Migration Update
Australia's State and Territory Governments have continued to process and nominate visas for migrants, though ongoing developments with COVID-19 have meant changes to their priorities. We take a quick look at the latest announcements.

Monday, 06 April 2020
Temporary Work Visas and the Coronavirus - FAQ
UPDATED 6 APRIL - Questions frequently asked by Temporary Work 457 and 482 visa holders on how they could be affected due to government restrictions.

Monday, 06 April 2020
COVID-19 - Temporary Visa Work Arrangements
The Minister for Immigration has announced a number of changes affecting temporary visa holders in Australia, including Students, Working Holiday Makers, and Tourists.

Wednesday, 01 April 2020
Third Quarter 2019/2020 SkillSelect Update - March Round
A look at the March SkillSelect round and the percentage of occupation quotas met at the end of the third quarter of this financial year.

Tuesday, 31 March 2020
February SkillSelect Update
Chefs have doubled their invitation numbers this round, while IT occupations continue to remain on top of the invite list.

Wednesday, 25 March 2020
Government Bans Departure of Australian Citizens and Permanent Residents
The Australian Government has introduced emergency legislation banning Australians from travelling overseas during the Coronavirus pandemic .

Thursday, 19 March 2020
PM Announces Australia to Close Borders
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announces the closure of Australia's borders from 9pm Friday 20 March 2020.

Tuesday, 17 March 2020
Coronavirus Travel Update
The latest information on Australia's travel restrictions addressing the Coronavirus

Tuesday, 18 February 2020
Bushfires and Backpackers
The Australian Government has announced changes to the Working Holiday Maker visas allowing holders more time to work in Australia on the bushfire recovery efforts.

Wednesday, 12 February 2020
IT Dominated Occupation Round - January SkillSelect
IT occupations were the biggest winners in the January 2020 round, receiving the majority of SkillSelect invitations.

Monday, 03 February 2020
Temporary Travel Ban Due to Coronavirus
The Australian Government has introduced temporary restrictions for travellers from mainland China.

Thursday, 30 January 2020
End of Year - December 2019 SkillSelect Analysis
Details on the last invitation round for 2019, including an analysis of where the invitations went.

Monday, 20 January 2020
State Nominations for Subclass 491 Visas
We take a look at the current State Nomination requirements from each State/Territory of Australia for the Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional visa.

Friday, 13 December 2019
Red, Orange, and Green: What these colours mean for skilled migration
The Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business has released their Traffic Light Bulletin on potential changes to the skilled occupation lists for Immigration purposes. A number of interesting changes have been proposed, including the removal or down-grading of a few occupations.

Tuesday, 03 December 2019
Rollercoaster Round: SkillSelect November
What goes up... must come down. With a decrease in the November round quota, we look at who received invitations.

Friday, 15 November 2019
State Nomination Update
Brace yourself; The 491 Visa is coming! We round up the latest news from the different States and Territories of Australia on their plans after 16 November.

Wednesday, 13 November 2019
New Regional Postcodes Released!
Immigration has now released the list of postcodes that make up 'Regional Australia' for migration purposes.

Friday, 01 November 2019
Further Information on the new Regional Visas
Immigration has released further information on the requirements for the new Subclass 491 and 494 visas.

Friday, 01 November 2019
October Skillselect Brings Good News
The October Skillselect round data brings good news for migrants waiting for an invitation.

Wednesday, 30 October 2019
Regional Visa Holders Eligible for Medicare
Holders of the new Regional Provisional visas will be eligible for Medicare, following an announcement from the Department of Health.

Monday, 28 October 2019
Perth and Gold Coast to be regional
Perth and the Gold Coast are set to be classified as 'regional areas' once new Immigration changes are introduced in November this year.

Wednesday, 23 October 2019
Student Visa Costs Increase
Immigration has announced an increase in the financial obligations for Student and Student Guardian visa applicants.

Friday, 27 September 2019
September SkillSelect Surprises
The September SkillSelect invitations continue to surprise, with low invitation numbers and an interesting spread of occupations this round.

Thursday, 26 September 2019
Regional Flavour - Part Two
There are a number of beautiful places in Australia for migrants interested in the new Subclass 491 and 494 Regional Provisional visas. In part two, we look at the central and western states of Australia.

Tuesday, 17 September 2019
Regional Flavour - Part One
There are a number of beautiful places in Australia for migrants interested in the new Subclass 491 and 494 Regional Provisional visas. In part one, we look at some of the eastern states of Australia.

Monday, 26 August 2019
August SkillSelect Shocker!
The August SkillSelect round results are out, and they are a bit of a shock with a massive drop in invitation numbers for this round.

Friday, 26 July 2019
State Nomination Update July 2019
The Australian States and Territories have been slowly reopening their visa nomination schemes over the last month, with a number of interesting changes.

Wednesday, 24 July 2019
SkillSelect Update July 2019
The first round of the new financial year has started what is sure to be a trend for the rest of the SkillSelect program until June 2020, with a small number of invitations issued in the 189 visa category.

Tuesday, 02 July 2019
Working Holiday Visa Update 1 July 2019
Immigration introduced a number of changes to the Subclass 417 Working Holiday and Subclass 462 Work & Holiday visa schemes on 1 July 2019

Wednesday, 05 June 2019
Visit us at our new Melbourne Office!
The Melbourne team has moved, and we are celebrating our new office space

Monday, 03 June 2019
Immigration Update - SkillSelect
The Department of Immigration has provided an update on their management of SkillSelect and Skilled visa applications for the remainder of the 2018/2019 program year.

Friday, 24 May 2019
Post-Election Immigration Update
Following the Australian Federal Election last weekend, we provide an update on the upcoming Immigration updates and some interesting reports on the 457/TSS visas.

Wednesday, 22 May 2019
May 2019 SkillSelect Update
Further disappointing news in the May 2019 SkillSelect round, with only a small number of invitations issued for the second month in a row.

Friday, 10 May 2019
Countdown to 1 July
Our top 5 tips for applicants to consider in the lead up to 1 July, in order to plan your migration pathway.

Tuesday, 23 April 2019
SkillSelect Update April 2019
The April SkillSelect invitation round information has just been released and the figures are sure to shock many, with a dramatic fall in numbers and a big increase in the minimum points scores.

Tuesday, 23 April 2019
Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional Visa
Details on the new regional employer-sponsored visa are now available, in anticipation of the changes on 16 November 2019.

Wednesday, 17 April 2019
Visa Application Fee Increases 1 July 2019
Immigration has announced visa fee increases from 1 July 2019.

Friday, 12 April 2019
Regional Skilled Visas and New Points Test
From 16 November 2019 the Regional Skilled (Provisional) visa will be opened, and the new Points Test will be available for GSM applications. We break down the released legislation here.

Wednesday, 10 April 2019
Family Visa Sponsorship Changes Confirmed
The Australian Government has announced that Family Visa sponsorship changes will be implemented from 17 April 2019, with the introduction of the Migration Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Act 2018.

Thursday, 04 April 2019
Immigration and the Budget
The 2019/2020 budget announcement on 2 April has revealed a number of upcoming changes in the Immigration portfolio, including an increase to application fees and new points for the Skilled Points Test.

Wednesday, 27 March 2019
New Regional Visas Proposed
Immigration has proposed introducing three new regional visas in an effort to encourage migrants to settle in regional Australia, effective from November 2019.

Friday, 22 March 2019
Third year for Working Holiday Makers announced
From 1 July 2019, working holiday makers will be able to apply for a third year visa following further specified regional work.

Tuesday, 19 March 2019
Partner Visa Sponsorship - Changes are coming!
A reminder that changes to Partner visas are coming very soon, introducing a separate application for sponsors.

Thursday, 14 March 2019
SkillSelect February 2019 Update
Immigration has released the February 2019 SkillSelect Round data, showing a small number of invitations issued, and higher points scores for pro-rata occupations.

Monday, 11 March 2019
Skilled Occupation List Changes March 2019
Immigration introduced a number of new occupation lists on 11 March 2019, affecting General Skilled and Employer-sponsored migration.

Tuesday, 26 February 2019
SkillSelect Update for the December 2018 Round
The December Skill Select Invitation Round data is the latest information available from the Department of Home Affairs, showing over 1800 fewer invitations were issued for the final month of 2018.

Wednesday, 20 February 2019
Government Fundraising or Money Grab? Millions Collected from Australian Businesses
A recent FOI report implies a staggering $7 million dollars has been collected by the Australian Government for Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) nomination applications that were never approved.

Friday, 18 January 2019
Changes to the Partner Visas and an Important Message for International Students
Changes to the Partner Visa process will take effect sometime before 10 June 2019 and will impact many prospective partner applicants. At the same time, many international student visas are coming to an end with most visa holders looking for the next step in their migration journey. The Temporary Graduate 485 visa is a great option but, can come with unknown complexities and negative outcomes. This article highlights the partner visa changes, critical deadlines for both and recommendations for the next steps.

Tuesday, 13 November 2018
Permanent Residence for 405 Investor Retirement and 410 Retirement Visa Holders
New legislation due to commence on 17 November 2018 will now provide a pathway to permanent residence for subclass 405 Investor Retirement and subclass 410 Retirement visa holders in Australia.

Tuesday, 19 June 2018
SkillSelect Update June 2018
As the 2017-2018 migration program comes to an end, we take a look at the common trends over the last 12 months and what we might expect to see from 1 July 2018.

Monday, 19 March 2018
Abolition of 457 and Introduction of Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) Subclass 482 Visa - Frequently Asked Questions
The 457 visa is abolished as of 18 March 2018 and is being replaced by the Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) Subclass 482 visa. This will be a change which affects all employers who sponsor staff, and the changes to the legislation are extensive. We have summarised the information which is most important for employers to know about the new TSS visa.

Friday, 01 December 2017
Top 5 Reasons to Use an Expert Migration Agent
Many people are unsure whether they should use a Migration Agent to lodge their visa application.

Using an agent is an additional expense - is it really worth it?

This article goes through the top 5 reasons why you might consider using an expert migration agent to assist with your application.

Monday, 14 August 2017
Partner Visas - 10 Little Known Facts
The overall concept of partner visas is relatively simple - however, the applicable legislation is complex and there are many subtleties that most applicants will not be aware of. This article goes through 10 of the lesser known facts about partner visas.

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