The Australian Government has formally responded to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee’s report on the Administrative Review Tribunal (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2024 that was tabled on 31 October 2024. The Government’s response was tabled on 7 May 2026 — over a year after the Act received Royal Assent on 20 February 2025. The Bill, which passed Parliament on 12 February 2025, amended 52 Commonwealth Acts to update references from the former Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) to the new Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), and introduced technical amendments to support efficient Tribunal review operations. Click here: Government response to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee report on the Administrative Review Tribunal (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2024

Victoria’s 2025-26 state-nominated skilled visa program is now closed to new Registrations of Interest (ROIs). The government will continue to assess all submitted ROIs for the remaining nomination places in this program year. The program remains active only for candidates who have already submitted their applications. Applicants who withdraw their ROI will not be able to submit a new one until the 2026-27 program opens. Information on the 2026-27 program will be published once available. Click: Victoria’s skilled visa nomination program 2025-26

The ballot for the Pacific Engagement Visa (subclass 192) under the Tuvalu Treaty Stream is now officially open, offering a limited number of 280 visa places for the 2026 program year. To participate, applicants must first complete the registration for the ballot. A random selection process will then determine who will be invited to apply for the visa. This visa offers eligible citizens from Tuvalu an opportunity for permanent residency in Australia. Applicants who are selected will have the freedom to live, work, and study anywhere across Australia, without any minimum skill requirements, job limitations, or English language proficiency criteria. Click here: Pacific Engagement visa (subclass 192) – Treaty stream – Ballot registration

OMARA has issued a reminder to all Registered Migration Agents (RMAs) regarding their responsibilities under Section 26 of the Code of Conduct. This includes the obligation to ensure that all promotional materials are truthful and not misleading. The full communication can be found below: “Subject: Reminder – false or misleading statements in business promotion (section 26) Dear Registered Migration Agent The Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) reminds registered migration agents (‘RMAs’) of their duties under section 26 of the Migration (Migration Agents Code of Conduct) Regulations 2021 (‘the Code of Conduct’), which places a duty on RMAs to not make false or misleading statements when promoting their business, services or qualifications. This duty applies to all forms of promotion, including websites, social media, advertising and other marketing material. Section 26 of the Code of Conduct requires RMAs to ensure that statements about their qualifications, professional status and experience are accurate and not misleading. OMARA has identified instances in which some RMAs have promoted themselves in a way that may imply they are qualified legal practitioners. Individuals who are not appropriately qualified and admitted to practise law, must not represent or suggest that they are a lawyer, solicitor or legal practitioner. RMAs must also avoid using terminology or descriptions that could mislead others about their professional status or create an incorrect impression of their professional standing. RMAs are encouraged to review their promotional materials to ensure they clearly and accurately reflect their status as RMAs. Any false or misleading statements may give rise to concerns about whether an RMA has complied with their duties under the Code of Conduct and may be subject to investigation by the OMARA. OMARA’s approach is to support RMAs in understanding and fulfilling their professional obligations while proactively addressing issues at an early stage.Further information about the Code of Conduct is available on the OMARA website at this link: Code of conduct.

A new interactive platform, the JSA Atlas, has been launched by Jobs and Skills Australia, offering a comprehensive view of labour market data across occupations, industries, and regions in Australia. It brings together government-sourced data into a single platform, allowing users to explore employment trends, job vacancies, skills needs, and training pipeline activity at national, state, and regional levels. It also enables comparison across regions and occupations to better understand workforce demand and emerging trends. This tool can support skilled migration work in several ways, including: Click here: Jobs and Skills Atlas

The Pilot Work and Holiday Visa Arrangement between Australia and the Czech Republic has been reopened and extended, following its previous closure. This update restores access to the programme for eligible applicants. The programme continues to operate with an annual cap of 500 places, consistent with existing arrangements. Czech applicants can lodge their applications online through ImmiAccount, reflecting the standard digital application process.

LEGENDcom has released Migration and Citizenship stack updates on 3 April 2026, introducing revisions to several Policy and Procedural Instructions (PI) and Citizenship Policy Instructions (CPI). The Migration update includes changes to the following Policy and Procedural Instructions: In addition, Regulations 5.41A and 5.41B (Surcharges) have been deleted. The Citizenship update includes revisions to:

The Department of Home Affairs has introduced the Migration (Arrangements for Parent Visa Applications) Instrument 2026. This instrument replaces the LIN 18/079 arrangements and updates the process for lodging Parent visa applications, with a stronger emphasis on online lodgement. Most Parent visa applications must now be submitted online using Form 47PA for the following visa classes: Paper-based applications are no longer the standard method and will only be accepted where the Department has provided explicit written authorisation via the Immi Technical Support Form. There is no substantive change to the application arrangements for the following temporary Parent visa subclasses:                 This instrument will commence on 22 April 2026. Applications lodged prior to this date will continue to be assessed under the previous arrangements. Click here: Migration (Arrangements for Parent Visa Applications) Instrument 2026

The Migration Amendment (Combatting Migrant Exploitation) Act 2026 received Royal Assent on 6 April 2026 and is now in effect. This confirms that the legislative changes introducing the public register of approved work sponsors have officially commenced. The register will include standard business sponsors and accredited sponsors who nominate skilled workers for entry into Australia. Click here: Migration Amendment (Combatting Migrant Exploitation) Act 2026

The Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA) has launched its 2026 Small Business Perspectives Survey, focusing on businesses in regional, rural and remote areas. The survey aims to understand the current challenges faced by small businesses outside metropolitan areas including workforce shortages, housing and childcare access, rising costs, and regulatory pressures. Insights gathered will help inform advocacy efforts and policy development aimed at improving support for regional businesses—particularly those experiencing ongoing challenges in attracting and retaining skilled workers. Open to businesses in regional, rural and remote Australia, the survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. All responses are confidential and independently managed. The survey will close on 30 April 2026. For Participation Click here