Compilation No. 289 of the Migration Regulations 1994 reflects the regulations as in force on 2 October 2026.
The updated regulations cover important requirements affecting skilled visa applicants, international students, temporary visa holders, sponsors and employers.
Key updates include:
- Skills in Demand visa (Subclass 482): The visa has three streams: Specialist Skills, Core Skills and Labour Agreement. The income thresholds are $135,000 for Specialist Skills, $73,150 for Core Skills and $79,423 for the Subclass 494 visa.
- Sponsorship obligations: Sponsors must avoid discriminatory recruitment practices and must not pass prohibited sponsorship, nomination or recruitment costs on to visa holders.
- Bridging Visa R (Subclass 070): Conditions generally apply for 12 months from grant. Additional provisions address community safety conditions and orders.
- Student visa (Subclass 500): Primary visa holders generally must apply for a further Student visa from outside Australia, subject to specified exceptions.
- Temporary Graduate visa (Subclass 485): The general age limit is 35 or younger, with exceptions for eligible Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passport holders and certain research master’s and doctoral graduates.
- MATES pathway: Eligible Indian graduates aged 18–30 may access a ballot-based pathway under the Subclass 403 visa.
- Employer penalties: Employers may face penalties for coercing migrant workers or breaching prohibited employer rules, with fines of up to 240 penalty units for body corporate employers.
- Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) fees: Review fees are $3,496 for migration decisions and $2,151 for protection decisions, with annual CPI-linked increases on 1 July.
Applicants, visa holders and employers should review the updated requirements to ensure compliance and confirm the applicable criteria before lodging applications.
Click here: Migration Regulations 1994 – Updated Compilation
