Intelligence

Under the program, the ATO will obtain visa-related information from the Department of Home Affairs for approximately 9 million individuals each financial year to closely monitor reporting and regulatory obligations.

The government has acted swiftly to realign skilled visa processing priorities with migration reforms announced by the Home Affairs Minister on 17 September 2026.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke yesterday announced migration reforms that will expand skilled visa priority processing to the agriculture, resources, and fisheries sectors. The minister also indicated that the construction and teaching sectors will be added for priority processing. Eligible onshore skilled visa applicants in construction and teaching already receive high-priority processing under Ministerial Direction 119, behind defence and law enforcement.

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The below timeframes reflect general processing times published on the government’s Global Visa Processing Times page on 4 September 2026.

Boards are accustomed to overseeing cyber security and workplace safety as material risks requiring director-level attention. Immigration compliance is now joining that list, driven by expanded enforcement powers, personal liability provisions for officers, and a regulatory shift from complaint-driven oversight to proactive audits.