The Department of Home Affairs has expanded the Australian Immi App to an additional 19 countries, bringing the total number of supported locations to 34. This expansion, effective from 24 November 2025. The eligible applicants from the following countries can now use the Australian Immi App: Algeria, Bahrain, Colombia, Egypt, Fiji, France, Greece, Hong Kong (SAR of the People’s Republic of China), Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand (third‑country nationals), Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, Tonga, Türkiye, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, and Vanuatu. Key Features of the Immi App Expansion: A final rollout to all remaining countries participating in Australia’s biometric collection program is scheduled for early 2026, further expanding access to the Immi App and enhancing global access to Australia’s visa system. For more information click here
The Department of Home Affairs has issued a correction regarding the police clearance requirement for Partner visa applicants. This This update provides important information for registered migration agents and legal practitioners who have clients who hold a Partner (provisional) (subclass 309) or Partner (temporary) (subclass 820) visa or have applied for these visas. Applicants are now required to provide a new police clearance if they have been outside of Australia for more than 2 months. This applies regardless of whether the applicant has previously submitted a police clearance, ensuring that all applicants meet current eligibility criteria for processing. The updated requirement helps ensure the integrity of the visa process and maintains compliance with Australian immigration policies.
The Migration Amendment (2025 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2025 introduce important changes to the Migration Regulations 1994, aiming to protect temporary visa holders, modernise penalties, and enhance community safety while addressing recent court decisions to maintain a fair and transparent migration system. These amendments, effective from 12 December 2025, reflect the government’s ongoing efforts to improve Australia’s migration system and ensure fairness and safety in the community. Key Amendments: Part 1 — Prohibited Employers Employers convicted of intentionally underpaying a temporary migrant worker under section 327A of the Fair Work Act 2009 will face a migrant worker sanction. This will prevent them from sponsoring temporary workers under the Migration Act, protecting workers from exploitation. Part 2 — Personal Information Disclosure This amendment allows for the collection and use of personal information by authorities to inform decisions on issuing certificates to individuals affected by the Love v Commonwealth; Thoms v Commonwealth (2020) decision and assess the possibility of offering permanent stay. Part 3 — Modernising Penalties for Infringement Notices Penalties for offences under sections 229 and 230 of the Migration Act will now be based on penalty units rather than specific dollar amounts, aligning penalties with future increases in the value of a penalty unit under the Crimes Act 1914. Part 4 — Strengthening BVR Management Changes to the management of Bridging Visa Remain (BVR) holders, especially for New Zealand YQ cohort (NZYQ), include: Click here: Migration Amendment (2025 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2025
On 2 December 2025, OMARA issued a reminder to all Registered Migration Agent (RMA) members that Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is now compulsory for accessing the OMARA Portal. The full OMARA message is set out below for your reference: Dear Registered Migration Agent The new sign-in system which supports Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) has now been operational for over a month. Thank you to those who have already migrated to the new sign-in system and set up MFA. If you haven’t yet set up MFA For those that have yet to set up MFA, we ask you to log into your account on the OMARA portal and set up MFA as soon as possible. We also strongly encourage you to review the advice below prior to logging into your OMARA Portal account to set up MFA. Prior to attempting to migrate your account, please ensure you have:1. Watched the demonstration – Sign-Up and Sign-In Guide Videos · OMARA Self-Service Portal 2. Read the relevant user guide for migrating – RMA User Guide – Existing users migrating to the new sign-in multi-factor authentication system. A short FAQ can also be accessed on our website here. To ensure you don’t create a new account instead of migrating your exiting account, please follow the instructions provided. This includes logging in as normal to commence your account migration. Do not attempt to sign-in, this could cause un-necessary delays as we will need to lodge a ticket with our IT team to delete your duplicate account.For ease of reference, attached is a summary of steps to be followed in migrating your account.
The Regulatory Reform Omnibus Bill 2025 forms part of the Government’s “tell us once” initiative to modernise service delivery and reduce duplication across Commonwealth programs. A key element is reform to citizenship evidence, enabling more streamlined, digital-first interactions with government. Amendments to the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 and the Electronic Transactions Act 1999 introduce digital notices of evidence of Australian citizenship alongside traditional paper certificates, removing barriers to digital proof. The framework now clearly distinguishes between physical certificates and digital notices. The Bill passed Parliament on 27 November 2025 and received Royal Assent on 4 December 2025. However, currently, the Department of Home Affairs (the Department) can only provide physical citizenship certificates to applicants. The Department is yet to develop a digital solution that will allow for digital evidence of Australian citizenship to be issued to applicants. Overall, the purpose of these amendments was to remove legislative barriers that prevented the future development and provision of digital evidence of Australian citizenship. Click here: Regulatory Reform Omnibus Bill 2025
The Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2025 Measures No. 2) Bill 2025 has updated the Migration Act 1958 and the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 to modernise the collection of facial images as personal identifiers, validate previously collected facial images and related actions, and remove certain residence barriers for citizenship applicants whose work overseas benefits Australia. Schedule 1 amends both the Migration Act and Citizenship Act to ensure facial-image collection powers reflect current biometric technology and align with international practice. It also validates facial images collected or provided before commencement, including any administrative decisions made using those images. Schedule 2 amends the Citizenship Act to lift specific residence barriers for people undertaking activities of benefit to Australia who must spend extended periods overseas. This change applies within the special residence framework in section 22A. The Act received Royal Assent on 1 December 2025. Sections 1–3 and Schedule 2 commenced on 2 December 2025, while Schedule 1 commences by Proclamation or, if not proclaimed earlier, on 1 June 2026. Click here: Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2025 Measures No. 2) Bill 2025
The Department of Home Affairs has updated the SkillSelect Invitation Rounds with the latest State and Territory nomination outcomes for November 2025. The figures below show the number of EOIs nominated by each jurisdiction during the 2025–26 program year to date (1 July 2025 to 30 November 2025), including nominations made between 31 October and 30 November 2025. Visa subclass ACT NSW NT Qld SA Tas Vic WA Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) 207 508 180 17 92 208 359 94 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) – State & Territory nominated 220 329 97 85 70 74 213 72 Click here: State and Territory nominations
The NSW Government has confirmed key operational settings for the 2025–26 Skilled Migration Program, including state nomination allocations, invitation schedules, and the reopening of major regional pathways under subclass 491. NSW will continue to prioritise applicants in occupations critical to state workforce needs. Nominations will only be issued to applicants whose occupations appear on the NSW Skills List (subclass 190) or the NSW Regional Skills List (subclass 491). For the 2025–26 program year, NSW has been allocated: Subclass 190 – Skilled Nominated (Permanent) NSW has advised that three invitation rounds have already been conducted in the current program year. Monthly invitation rounds will recommence from January 2026 and continue until the annual allocation is fully utilised. As of December 2025, NSW has nominated approximately 25% of its 190 allocations to occupations listed on the List. Subclass 491 – Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) NSW will continue offering nomination through three pathways: Pathways 1 and 3 will reopen on 19 January 2026. Applications and Processing Only applications that meet all NSW eligibility requirements at lodgement, supported by valid skills assessments and English test results, will be accepted into the processing queue. NSW finalises nominations within around six weeks after payment, subject to volume. Priority processing is considered only where an applicant faces an imminent visa/document expiry or an age-related points loss that may affect eligibility. Click here: NSW Skills List (190) and NSW Regional Skills List (491)
South Australia has opened its 2025–26 skilled nomination program and Home Affairs tightens SA DAMA variation limits and offers a free FNQ DAMA online session. South Australia 2025–26 Nomination Allocations The South Australian Government has confirmed its 2025–26 skilled nomination allocations. South Australia has received 2,250 nomination places in total, including 1,350 places for the Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa and 900 places for the Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) visa (including interim allocations). Registrations of Interest (ROI) are now open for eligible applicants living and working in South Australia, while offshore applicants do not need to lodge an ROI and may be invited directly from their SkillSelect EOI. Further eligibility details are available on the South Australian Government website. Click here: South Australia’s 2025-2026 allocations South Australian DAMA Update Home Affairs has revised the DAMA variation settings for South Australia. Under the new approach, businesses may request only a single variation per labour agreement each year, and no variation applications will be accepted during the first six months after a new agreement is signed. FNQ DAMA Information Session for Agents and Lawyers The Cairns Chamber of Commerce is hosting a free online information session for Registered Migration Agents and Immigration Lawyers on the Far North Queensland Designated Area Migration Agreement (FNQ DAMA), presented by Migration Manager Geoff Heath. The session will be held on Thursday 4 December 2025, 12:00pm–1:00pm (AEST) via Microsoft Teams (link sent 24 hours prior) and will provide a practical overview of the FNQ DAMA, the latest program updates, and an open Q&A for DAMA-related questions. Attendance is free and delivered entirely online. Click here: FNQ DAMA Information Session for Migration Agents and Immigration Lawyers
The Skilled Refugee Labour Agreement Pilot, which commenced on 1 July 2021, has been extended for a further 12 months under existing arrangements and will now continue until 30 June 2026. The pilot enables approved Australian employers to recruit skilled, job-ready refugees from overseas through a dedicated labour-agreement pathway. The pilot operates through labour agreements endorsed by Talent Beyond Boundaries and provides access to 500 visa places across eligible occupations and employer-sponsored visa programs. Key Information: Click here: Skilled Refugee Labour Agreement Pilot