Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) will host its national Roadshow across Australia in October and November 2026, bringing together government, industry and community stakeholders to discuss the latest labour market trends and workforce challenges. Read more: The Roadshow offers attendees the chance to hear directly from JSA, state and territory governments, industry leaders and local experts through presentations and panel discussions, covering the latest evidence shaping Australia’s jobs, skills and training landscape. This year’s event coincides with Jobs and Skills Month, a JSA-led collaborative initiative. Roadshow locations and dates: Speaker announcements will be released closer to each event, and an online option will be available for those unable to attend in person. Interested parties can subscribe to JSA’s latest news updates to be notified when registrations open. Click here: Jobs and Skills Australia Roadshow 2026
VETASSESS will undertake scheduled technical maintenance on Saturday, 10 October 2026, during which clients and agents will be temporarily unable to access certain portal functions. The maintenance will take place from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm (AEDT). During this window, clients and agents will be unable to: VETASSESS has advised applicants and agents to plan around this downtime accordingly and has apologised for any inconvenience caused while the essential maintenance is completed. Click here: VETASSESS
Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Tony Burke has announced a package of migration reforms structured around who arrives, who stays, and who leaves, aimed at reducing Net Overseas Migration (NOM) while better targeting the program to Australia’s economic and workforce needs. Migration numbers: Who arrives (new arrivals into Australia): Who stays (people already in Australia): Who leaves (departures and compliance): Click here: Department of Home Affairs
Tasmania issued its latest round of skilled migration invitations on 10 September 2026, extending 40 invitations under subclass 190 and 26 under subclass 491. Invitations issued (10 September 2026): Current processing summary: Category Subclass 190 Subclass 491 Lowest score invited 502 points 74 points ROIs on hand 890 603 Nomination places available 1,018 732 Applications lodged, not yet decided 8 13 Invitations issued, application not yet lodged 66 58 The oldest lodged application still awaiting case officer allocation dates back to 9 September 2026. Lowest score required for nomination (rolling 3-month average): Nomination is granted once all claimed priority attributes are verified and the information provided in the ROI and nomination application is confirmed to be true and correct. Applications may be declined where attributes cannot be verified and the resulting score falls below the required threshold, or where attributes appear to have been claimed to artificially inflate a score. Gold pass holders who do not satisfy the relevant Gold priority attribute will be declined, irrespective of their overall score. Click here: Migration Tasmania
The Department of Home Affairs has updated the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) program page, reflecting a record number of Working Holiday Makers currently in Australia. With WHM applicant numbers at a record high, the Department is prioritising onshore visa applications, meaning some offshore applications may take several months to finalise. Applicants are advised to monitor their application status via ImmiAccount and avoid booking travel, work or study commitments until their visa has been granted. Click here: Working Holiday Maker (WHM) program
The Australian Government has released the Industry Data Classification Framework (IDCF), a new voluntary tool to help organisations understand, manage and protect the value of their data. The IDCF provides a consistent way for organisations to classify, protect and share data, aligning with existing standards and designed to suit businesses of all sizes, from small enterprises to large corporations. It helps organisations understand the value of their data, identify and manage data risks, apply appropriate protections, and share data securely and with greater confidence. Developed in partnership with CSIRO, the framework is a key deliverable of the 2023–2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy, drawing on extensive research and consultation with industry across Australia. It has been designed to be flexible and accessible, suiting organisations at any stage of their data security maturity. Under Horizon 2 of the Strategy, the Department of Home Affairs will continue working with industry to support adoption of the IDCF and ensure it remains responsive to Australia’s evolving cyber threat landscape. Department of Home Affairs First Assistant Secretary for Counter Foreign Interference, Cyber and Technology, Greta Doherty, said the IDCF was an important outcome of the Strategy that would help organisations strengthen their data governance, share data with confidence, and unlock new opportunities for innovation and collaboration. Click here: Industry Data Classification Framework | Horizon 2: Expanding our reach (2026-2028)
The Department of Home Affairs has advised that TOEFL iBT English language testing services are currently unavailable in Iran, affecting applicants who require an approved English language test for Australian visa purposes. English Testing Services (ETS) has confirmed the disruption to TOEFL iBT testing in Iran. Applicants based in Iran who need an approved English language test result for their Australian visa application are encouraged to consider approved testing options available in other countries in the meantime. Further details on approved English language tests and providers can be found via the Department’s English language visa requirements page. Click here: English language testing services in Iran
The new legislative instrument has been made setting out updated requirements for how Child(Migrant), Child (Residence) and Extended Eligibility (Temporary) visa applications must be lodged, replacing the previous 2016 arrangements. The Migration (Arrangements for Child Visa Applications) Instrument 2026 was made on 31 August 2026 by the Assistant Minister for Immigration, Matt Thistlethwaite, and takes effect the day after registration. It repeals and replaces the Arrangements for Child Visa Applications 2016/051 instrument. Key changes include: Applications that were already lodged at an address valid under the previous 2016 instrument will not be affected by the change. Click here: Migration (Arrangements for Child Visa Applications) Instrument 2026
LEGENDcom has released its latest policy stack updates for both the migration and citizenship portfolios, effective from 04 September 2026. Policy – Migration regulations – Schedules: Policy – Migration Act Citizenship policy and procedures:
The latest round of invitations for Tasmanian skilled migration nominations was issued on 20 August 2026, with 20 invitations for subclass 190 (17 Gold, 3 Green) and 25 for subclass 491(1 Gold, 24 further invitations). Due to the high volume of Gold pass ROIs received for subclass 190, only a limited number of additional invitations were issued this round, with just three non-Gold ROIs invited due to oversubscription over the past two weeks. Gold pass ROI numbers are expected to decline in the coming weeks, allowing for larger invitation rounds ahead. Current processing summary: Category Subclass 190 Subclass 491 Lowest score invited 544 points 91 points ROIs on hand 906 572 Nomination places available 1,050 748 Applications lodged, not yet decided 10 5 Invitations issued, application not yet lodged 36 39 Oldest lodged application awaiting case officer allocation was on 25 August 2026. Lowest score required for nomination (rolling 3-month average): Nominations are approved where all claimed priority attributes are verified. Applications may be declined if attributes cannot be verified and the score falls below the required threshold, or if attributes are found to have been claimed to artificially inflate a score. Gold pass holders who do not meet the relevant Gold priority attribute will be declined, regardless of total score. For more information visit: Migration Tasmania