OMARA has issued a communication to all Registered Migration Agents (RMAs) advising of a refresh of Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) program guidelines aimed at improving clarity, accessibility and customer experience across all TRA assessment programs. The full correspondence from OMARA is set out below: “Please be advised that Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) has launched a refresh of their program guidelines to improve clarity, accessibility, and customer experience across all its assessment programs. There are no changes to policy, eligibility criteria, or assessment outcomes. The refresh is purely a usability and design improvement. The update focuses on simplifying language, improving structure, and aligning content to the customer making it easier for applicants to understand requirements and complete their applications correctly the first time. The updated guidelines are expected to reduce customer confusion, improve application quality, and lower enquiry volumes.”
The 2026-27 Pacific Engagement visa ballot for Pacific island and Timor-Leste nationals opens on 1 July 2026 and closes on 29 July 2026. Random ballot selections for the 2026-27 program year will occur after the ballot has closed. To be eligible to apply, citizens of participating countries must first register in the ballot and be randomly selected and invited to apply for the visa. Countries participating in the PEV ballot include: Prospective applicants are encouraged to review the eligibility requirements and ensure they complete their ballot registration before the closing date. Click here: Pacific Engagement visa (subclass 192) – Pacific Engagement stream – Ballot registration
The ACT Government and the Cairns Chamber of Commerce have released important updates relating to skilled migration nominations and the Far North Queensland Designated Area Migration Agreement (FNQ DAMA) Information Session and Temporary Processing Pause. ACT Skilled Migration Invitation Round The ACT Government has released the results of its latest skilled migration nomination invitation round, held on 11 June 2026. During this round, invitations were issued to eligible applicants seeking ACT nomination for the Skilled Nominated (Subclass 190) and Skilled Work Regional (Subclass 491) visas. The invitation outcomes were as follows: Matrix nominating Categories Subclass 190 Subclass 491 Doctorate Streamlined Pathway 8 5 Canberra Residents – Small Business Owners 3 (minimum matrix score is 110) 0 (minimum matrix score is 0) Canberra Residents – Critical Skill Occupations 66 0 Overseas Applicants – Critical Skill Occupations 0 0 Total Invitations Issued 77 5 The ACT Government also confirmed that, as of 12 June 2026, only 82 nomination places remained for the 2025–26 allocation year, including 74 (Subclass 190) nominations and 8 (Subclass 491) nominations. Click here: Canberra Matrix – Invitation Round FNQ DAMA – Information Session & Temporary Processing Pause The Cairns Chamber of Commerce Migration Manager Geoff Heath invites Registered Migration Agents and Immigration Lawyers to a free online information session on the Far North Queensland Designated Area Migration Agreement (FNQ DAMA) on 5 August 2026. The FNQ DAMA is a skilled migration program tailored to meet the unique workforce needs of Far North Queensland, offering a greater range of occupations and various concessions for employers and employees. The session will cover a general overview of the FNQ DAMA, program updates, and an open Q&A regarding any FNQ DAMA related issues. The session will be held via Microsoft Teams on Wednesday 5 August 2026 from 11:30am to 12:30pm AEST. Registration is free and a Teams link will be sent upon registration. Click here: FNQ DAMA Information Session for Migration Agents and Immigration Lawyers Temporary Processing Reduction The Cairns Chamber of Commerce has also advised that processing of FNQ DAMA decisions will be temporarily reduced during the week of 6–10 July 2026. Agents and employers may continue to submit endorsement requests and direct enquiries via email during this time. Full operations are expected to resume from Monday 13 July 2026.
The Department of Home Affairs has introduced important amendments to Australia’s humanitarian visa pathway under the Community Support Program and Australia’s passport refusal and cancellation frameworks to address state-sponsored terrorism offences. State-Sponsored Terrorism – New Passport Provisions The Australian Passports Amendment (State Sponsors of Terrorism) Determination 2026 amends the Australian Passports Determination 2015 to bring newly created state-sponsored terrorism offences under Part 5.3A, Divisions 111-113 of the Criminal Code are included within the existing passport refusal and cancellation frameworks. The instrument took effect from 13 June 2026. Click here: Australian Passports Amendment (State Sponsors of Terrorism) Determination 2026 Community Support Program – Key Amendments The Migration Amendment (Realigning the Community Support Program) Regulations 2026 introduce a series of amendments to the Migration Regulations governing Subclass 202 (Global Special Humanitarian) visa applications lodged with a proposal from an Approved Proposing Organisation (APO). The key changes are as follows: The regulations take effect from 1 July 2026 and apply to applications lodged on or after that date. However, the APO transfer provision operates retrospectively, extending to applications lodged but not finally determined prior to 1 July 2026. Click here: Migration Amendment (Realigning the Community Support Program) Regulations 2026
TRA (Trades Recognition Australia) has updated its program guidelines to make them clearer and easier to navigate for applicants and their representatives. There are no changes to the assessment process, eligibility criteria or assessment outcomes as a result of this update. The revised guidelines feature simpler language, step-by-step processes and greater consistency across programs. The updates apply across TRA’s full suite of assessment programs, including the Migration Skills Assessment, Job Ready Program, Temporary Skills Shortage, Provisional Skills Assessment, Migration Points Advice and Offshore Skills Assessment Program. The changes are presentational only and are intended to improve accessibility and readability for applicants throughout the assessment process. Those assisting clients with TRA skills assessments are encouraged to review the updated guidelines prior to lodging any new application Click here: Trades Recognition Australia – Policy and Forms
The Australian Government has determined the maximum number of Contributory Parent, Parent and Other Family visas that may be granted during the 2025–26 financial year, through a legislative instrument commencing 12 June 2026. The Migration (Granting of Contributory Parent Visas, Parent Visas and Other Family Visas During Financial Year 2025–26) Instrument 2026 sets the visa caps applicable from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026 inclusive, under section 85 of the Migration Act 1958. These caps are established annually to manage demand across the Parent and Other Family visa categories, which consistently exceeds the number of available places. The maximum number of visas that may be granted across each category for the 2025–26 financial year is as follows: Visa Category Maximum Number of Visas Contributory Parent Visas 6,800 Parent Visas 1,700 Other Family Visas 500 Applications that exceed the allocated cap will be carried over to the next program year. The instrument will self-repeal on 1 July 2026, as it applies solely to the current financial year. Click here: Migration (Granting of Contributory Parent Visas, Parent Visas and Other Family Visas During Financial Year 2025-26) Instrument 2026
Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) has released two new publications – the Australian Labour Market for Migrants report for April 2026 and the 2025 Skills in Demand Report – offering insights into Australia’s labour market conditions, migration trends and the employer-sponsored temporary visa program. Australian Labour Market for Migrants – April 2026 The Australian Labour Market for Migrants report for April 2026 offers an overview of current labour market conditions, migration trends and workforce outcomes across Australia. The report is designed to support prospective migrants, visa holders, employers and migration professionals in navigating Australia’s evolving labour market landscape. While the Australian economy and labour market continue to demonstrate resilience overall, the report notes signs of further softening, with trend employment declining over the 12 months to February 2026 in Wholesale Trade, Manufacturing, and Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing. Key findings include: 2025 Skills in Demand Report The Skills in Demand (SID) Report is prepared in response to the Australian Government’s Migration Strategy. The report analyses the employer-sponsored temporary SID visa program – across the Specialist Skills, Core Skills and Labour Agreement streams – for the period from December 2024 to 30 September 2025, providing data and analysis relevant to migration practitioners and employers operating within the program.
The Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) is conducting an independent client experience survey, inviting selected applicants and representatives to provide feedback on their experience with the Tribunal. The survey targets applicants and representatives whose matters were finalised between December 2025 and March 2026. Eligible participants will receive an email invitation from the ART containing a link to the survey, which is being conducted by Portable – an independent research company engaged by the ART to gather and analyse responses. Participation is entirely voluntary and all responses will be treated confidentially. The survey will remain open until 9:00 am (AEST) on Monday, 22 June 2026.
The Western Australian Government has announced the transition of the Goldfields Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) to the broader Western Australian DAMA framework, providing continued access to skilled migration pathways for employers across the Goldfields region. The Goldfields Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) will end on 30 June 2026. From 1 July 2026, employers located within the Goldfields region will be able to access the WA DAMA, ensuring ongoing access to employer-sponsored migration concessions and skilled workforce solutions. Goldfields employers should be aware of the following key dates: Click here: Goldfields DAMA transition
LEGENDcom has released Migration stack updates for 2 June and 5 June 2026, covering amendments to the Migration Regulations and updates to several Policy and Procedural Instructions (PIs). 2 June 2026 The stack update reflects amendments to the Migration Regulations 1994 made on 1 June 2026 by the Migration Amendment (Administrative Review of Student Visa Refusal Decisions) Regulations 2026 (F2026L00640), which prescribe that most applications for review of a student visa refusal must now be determined on the papers rather than through an oral hearing. 5 June 2026 The following PIs have been updated across the Migration stack: Policy — Migration Regulations Schedules Policy — Migration Act Policy — Refugee and Humanitarian Policy — Migration Regulations