The Education Services for Overseas Students (Suspension of Applications for Registration to the National VET Regulator) Determination 2026 temporarily halts applications made under sections 9 and 10H of the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act). The suspension will remain in place for 12 months from 19 May 2026. The suspension has been introduced in response to integrity concerns in the VET sector, including the entry of low-quality or non-genuine providers and concentrated growth in certain course areas. During this period, the Regulator will focus on clearing its existing application backlog, conducting deeper integrity checks and monitoring market behaviour. The suspension does not apply to government schools, state or territory owned or controlled VET providers, or Table A providers. Applications to add a new delivery location for an already-registered course, or to add a superseding course where the provider holds existing approval, are also exempt. Click here: Education Services for Overseas Students (Suspension of Applications for Registration to the National VET Regulator) Determination 2026
The Department of Home Affairs has updated State and Territory nomination figures for April 2026, covering Subclass 190 and Subclass 491 visas. The number of EOIs that have received nominations from state and territory governments from 1 July 2025 to 30 April 2026 are following: Visa Subclass ACT NSW NT Qld SA Tas VIC WA Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) 604 1,894 741 1,254 911 988 2,237 1,443 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) – State and Territory Nominated 653 1,049 438 630 594 367 656 1,067 Click here: Skill Select – Invitation rounds outcomes
LEGENDcom has released its latest Migration and Citizenship stack updates for 8 May 2026, covering amendments to several Policy and Procedural Instructions (PIs) across Migration Regulations, the Migration Act, and Citizenship policy. Migration The following PIs have been updated under the Migration stack: Policy – Migration Regulations – Divisions Policy – Migration Regulations – Schedules Policy – Migration Act Deletions Citizenship The following policy has been updated under the Citizenship stack:
The Criminal Code (Prohibited Hate Group — White Australia) instrument specifies the organisation — known by various names including White Australia, WA, WAP, and White Australia Party — as a prohibited hate group under the Criminal Code. This listing marks the second designation made under the prohibited hate group provisions, which were introduced into Australian law through the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Act 2026. The instrument commenced on 16 May 2026 and carries implications across both criminal law and migration frameworks established under the 2026 Act. Click here: Criminal Code (Prohibited Hate Group—White Australia) Regulations 2026
The prohibited hate group provisions were introduced into Australian law through the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Act 2026. Under these provisions, the relevant legislative instrument listing Hizb ut-Tahrir as a prohibited hate group commenced on 6 March 2026. The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security subsequently conducted a review of the listing instrument as part of its oversight function. Having completed that review, the Committee found no grounds on which to disallow the listing. As a result, the designation of Hizb ut-Tahrir as a prohibited hate group under the Criminal Code remains in full force. The listing carries significant implications in both the criminal law and migration contexts, given the intersection of the Criminal Code provisions with the Migration Act under the framework introduced by the 2026 Act.
Administrative Review Tribunal’s (ART) powers to determine matters without an oral hearing will come into effect on 18 May 2026, following the commencement of the Administrative Review Tribunal and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2026. The Act broadens the circumstances in which the ART may decide a matter “on the papers” that is, without holding a formal oral hearing. This approach is permitted where the issues in dispute can be adequately resolved on the available material, where it is reasonable in the circumstances to proceed without a hearing, and where all parties have been given a reasonable opportunity to make written submissions which the ART has duly considered. In the migration context, the amendments introduce a specific requirement that certain visa review applications must now be determined on the papers. This obligation applies to reviews of decisions relating to temporary visas prescribed under the Migration Regulations. It is worth noting that no temporary visas have been prescribed for this purpose to date. Importantly, permanent visa and protection visa matters are not affected by these changes and will continue to be dealt with in the usual manner. For more information Click here
The Department of Home Affairs has refreshed the auto – reply for the Employer Sponsored Program Division (ESPD) mailbox. The revised response introduces structured subject line requirements to help the Department triage enquiries more efficiently and provides stakeholders with current processing timeframes and guidance on common issues including bridging visas. To assist the Department in directing enquiries to the right team promptly, all emails to the ESPD mailbox should include three elements in the subject line: “For example: SID – BV required – BCC2026/XXXXXX” As of 4 May 2026, the ESPD is working through the following backlogs: Bridging visa guidance The Department is managing a high volume of bridging visa applications. Where urgency is claimed, supporting documentary evidence is required – follow-up requests without documentation will not be actioned. Practitioners should also note that submitting multiple bridging visa applications for the same matter will not accelerate processing.
Engineers Australia has announced a 3–4% increase to its Migration Skills Assessment (MSA) fees from 1 July 2026. The adjustment aligns with movements in the consumer price index, wage price index, and producer price index, and has been approved by the Department of Home Affairs. All skilled migrants seeking an Engineers Australia skills assessment for visa purposes will be subject to the revised fees. This includes applicants lodging under international accord pathways (Washington, Sydney, or Dublin Accord), Australian accredited engineering qualifications, or a Competency Demonstration Report (CDR), as well as those accessing additional services such as fast-track processing, overseas PhD assessments, and reviews or appeals. For the complete updated fee tables — covering all assessment types and additional services visit Assessment fees and additional services.
Several states and territories have provided updates on their skilled migration nomination allocations for the 2025–26 program year. Some programs have now reached capacity and closed to new applicants, while others continue to issue invitations ahead of the 2026–27 year. New South Wales Skilled Nominated visa (Subclass 190) NSW has now issued sufficient invitations to meet its Subclass 190 nomination allocation for the 2025–26 program year. No further invitations will be issued under this subclass until the Australian Government confirms a new allocation at the commencement of the 2026–27 program year. Skilled Work Regional visa (Subclass 491) — Pathway 2 An invitation round for Subclass 491 Pathway 2 was conducted last week. NSW will continue to issue invitations under this subclass until the remaining nomination allocation for the current program year is exhausted. South Australia South Australia has issued nomination invitations in May 2026, comprising 295 invitations for the Subclass 190 visa and 214 invitations for the Subclass 491 visa. The total number of nomination invitations issued in the 2025–26 program year to date stands at 1,606 for Subclass 190 and 1,009 for Subclass 491. South Australia will continue to issue invitations, with the next round expected in mid to late May 2026. Further details, including a breakdown by ANZSCO sub-major group, are available on the South Australian Government website. Northern Territory The Northern Territory Government has received sufficient applications to fully utilise its General Skilled Migration nomination allocation for the 2025–26 program year. The NT nomination portal is now closed to new applications. Applications submitted prior to the closure will continue to be assessed, with updates provided through the online portal. The portal will reopen once the Australian Government confirms the Northern Territory’s nomination allocations for the 2026–27 program year. Further information is available on the Northern Territory Government website.
The income thresholds for the Subclass 482 (Temporary Skill Shortage) and Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) visa programs will increase from 1 July 2026 following the annual indexation process under regulation 5.42A of the Migration Regulations. Each year, the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) and Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT) are automatically adjusted based on the Average Weekly Ordinary Time Earnings (AWOTE) data published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). As this indexation occurs under the Regulations, no separate legislative instrument is required. Indexed thresholds for the 2026–27 program year: A key practical consideration relates to Labour Market Testing (LMT). Sponsors must complete LMT including the mandatory 28-day advertising period before a Subclass 482 nomination can be lodged. Any advertising commenced close to 1 July 2026 must reflect the new CSIT and SSIT amounts, as advertising that references the current lower thresholds may not satisfy requirements once the updated figures take effect.