News & Insights

Training visa (subclass 407) lodgement moves offshore from 12 November, while partner, student and working holiday backlogs reshape employer hiring plans.

Jobs and Skills Australia lists 279 of 1,021 occupations in national shortage. SA partly reopens nominations, and offshore student visas get priority.

Victoria has its own points test for state nomination. First 189 round minimums ran from 65 for carpenters and lawyers to 90 for early childhood teachers.

The Liberal Party proposes net migration of 100,000 but keeps 185,000 permanent places. From July 2027 many students must apply offshore for a new visa.

Reforms announced on 2 October 2026 stop most temporary visa holders applying for a student visa onshore, and tighten rules for changing providers.

Construction, healthcare and teaching move to priority group 1 for 482 visas under Direction 121. How onshore and offshore order affects sponsors.

Directions 121 and 122 put priority sectors and onshore applicants first. Second-year working holiday places fall to 45,000; visitors get Condition 8503.

New 191 visa guidelines confirm no residency requirement and a zero income threshold, and clarify Condition 8579 for 491 and 494 visa holders.

Offshore 482 visas now take over eight months. A Perth builder's 162 Filipino tradespeople have no visas, and a WA meatworks missed its start date.

Research finds age, English and education best predict migrant success. One proposed model lifts PhD points from 20 to 35; the other adds an income stream.