The start of the financial year marks the beginning of a new program year for Australian immigration, introducing several changes from 1 July 2024:

Several pieces of legislation commenced last weekend to introduce the new Skills in Demand (SID) and National Innovation Visas, which are now in effect.

The Department of Home Affairs has extended the Goldfields Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) by 6 months, with the agreement now remaining in effect until 31 December 2026.

The 2025 Skills in Demand Report released by Jobs and Skills Australia in May 2026 provides a data-driven assessment of the reformed 482 visa program since it was established in December 2024.

The visa process for skilled migrants earning above $120,000 (or potentially as high as $150,000+) could soon be fast tracked to a matter of days or weeks, as part of the Government's overhaul of the

Does your business hire Working Holiday Makers (otherwise known as Subclasses 417 and 462 Visa holders) but find the six-month work condition limiting?

Australia’s 2026/27 Federal Budget indicates a shift towards prioritising onshore visa applicants and reforms that target highly skilled and qualified migrants in the medium to long term.

Just how broken is Australia's migration system? One of the government's focus areas in 2023 has been to address worker exploitation in the migration system, as recently seen in an increase in sponsorship audit requests of sponsor companies.

Skilled migration initiatives are now available to boost WA's building and workforce capacity and help employers attract and engage skilled workers from overseas.

As part of Australia's Migration Strategy released in 2023, the Government committed to reviewing regional visa and migration settings.

In Australia, the Home Affairs Minister has the power to issue a ministerial direction outlining the order the Department of Home Affairs should process specific visas. On 25 July 2026, Ministerial Direction 117 commenced, changing the way in which the government prioritises partner and family visa applications.

Is your team waiting on a 482 Visa outcome from the Department of Home Affairs?

The Australian government has announced several major skilled visa changes that will make it easier for highly paid skilled professionals to enter and start working in Australia.

DAMAs (Designated Area Migration Agreements) provide concessions to standard visa criteria, including English, salary, experience, and age requirements and broader occupation lists to sponsor workers.

Although the Opposition’s proposals reflect political positioning rather than formal policy, these debates—and the broader public conversation on immigration—offer early signals of potential shifts to workforce planning and access to skilled talent.

Applying for a partner visa is still possible during the pandemic – Australian partner visas in the COVID-19 era.

Australia’s Regional Visa programs, such as DAMAs (Designated Area Migration Agreements), are designed to support regional employers when standard employer-sponsored migration pathways are limited.

Australia's state and territory nominated visa options to migrate without an employer sponsor have become more competitive due to the government significantly reducing its 2023-24 allocations for these visas.

The start of the financial year marks the beginning of a new program year for Australian immigration, introducing several changes from 1 July 2024...

The WA Government has launched a state-wide Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA), providing WA regional and metropolitan employers greater flexibility to engage migrant workers for occupations not usually available through standard skilled migration programs.