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Important changes have been introduced to improve identity processes and provide more flexibility in citizenship rules for certain applicants. The updates strengthen how facial images are collected for identification purposes, ensuring the system aligns with modern biometric technology and international standards. Facial images collected before these changes will remain valid, and any decisions already made using those images will continue to stand. The changes also make citizenship residence requirements more flexible for people who need to spend extended periods overseas while undertaking work that benefits Australia. This adjustment applies under the special residence provisions for eligible applicants. These changes commenced from 2 December 2025. Click here: Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2025 Measures No. 2) Bill 2025

The Department of Home Affairs has expanded the Australian Immi App to an additional 19 countries, bringing the total number of supported locations to 34. This expansion, effective from 24 November 2025. The eligible applicants from the following countries can now use the Australian Immi App: Algeria, Bahrain, Colombia, Egypt, Fiji, France, Greece, Hong Kong (SAR of the People’s Republic of China), Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand (third‑country nationals), Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, Tonga, Türkiye, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, and Vanuatu. Key Features of the Immi App Expansion: A final rollout to all remaining countries participating in Australia’s biometric collection program is scheduled for early 2026, further expanding access to the Immi App and enhancing global access to Australia’s visa system. For more information click here

The Regulatory Reform Omnibus Bill 2025 forms part of the Government’s “tell us once” initiative to modernise service delivery and reduce duplication across Commonwealth programs. A key element is reform to citizenship evidence, enabling more streamlined, digital-first interactions with government. Amendments to the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 and the Electronic Transactions Act 1999 introduce digital notices of evidence of Australian citizenship alongside traditional paper certificates, removing barriers to digital proof. The framework now clearly distinguishes between physical certificates and digital notices. The Bill passed Parliament on 27 November 2025 and received Royal Assent on 4 December 2025. However, currently, the Department of Home Affairs (the Department) can only provide physical citizenship certificates to applicants. The Department is yet to develop a digital solution that will allow for digital evidence of Australian citizenship to be issued to applicants. Overall, the purpose of these amendments was to remove legislative barriers that prevented the future development and provision of digital evidence of Australian citizenship. Click here: Regulatory Reform Omnibus Bill 2025

The UK Government has introduced new entry requirements for individuals who hold both British and Irish citizenship. From 25 February 2025, dual British and Irish citizens must travel to and enter the United Kingdom using: Entry into the UK will no longer be allowed if you are travelling only on a passport from another nationality. While this change does not affect Australian migration law, it may be relevant if you: We recommend checking your travel documents before departure to ensure you meet the updated UK entry requirements. View the full guidance on the UK Government website.

The Tasmanian government has implemented minor adjustments to its skilled migration program settings. These changes aim to improve clarity and ensure that the program aligns with the region’s economic needs. These adjustments will not affect any existing Registrations of Interest (ROIs), and the new criteria will apply only to new ROIs submitted after the changes. Key Changes: Subclass 491 Tasmanian Skilled Employment Pathway Orange-plus Attribute Update: The score for the employment-related attribute has been increased from 30 to 35 points. This change aims to better recognize longer-term employment in roles that are relevant to the skills assessment. Updated Criteria: Orange Attribute Update: To avoid confusion with the Orange-plus attribute, the criteria for the Orange attribute have been amended. Updated Criteria: Impact: Subclass 190 and 491 Tasmanian Skilled Graduate Pathways Orange-plus Attribute – Graduate Program Offer: The requirement for the graduate program offer has been updated to remove the restriction on whether the program has commenced. Updated Criteria: Subclass 190 Tasmanian Established Resident Pathway Minimum Requirements Clarification: The wording for the business operation requirement has been updated for clarity. Updated Criteria: Click here: Subclass 491 Tasmanian Skilled Employment Pathway Subclass 190 Tasmanian Established Resident Pathway Subclass 190 and 491 Tasmanian Skilled Graduate Pathways

The NSW Government has announced that Pathway 1 and Pathway 3 for the Skilled Work Regional Visa (Subclass 491) have already reached their limit for the 2025/26 program year. These pathways opened on 19 January 2026, but because so many people applied on the first day, NSW received more applications than the number of places available. As a result, both pathways closed on the same day and are no longer accepting new applications. What happens now? Expedited (faster) assessment requests NSW will only consider urgent processing if the applicant has 10 business days or less before: For more information click here.

Administrative Review Tribunal Update: New Rules Effective 19 December 2025Important changes have been introduced to the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) processes, effective from 19 December 2025. These updates are intended to make Tribunal procedures more efficient, flexible, and easier to manage for applicants. Key Updates Include: The Tribunal President can now authorise registrars and staff members to carry out additional powers and functions. This will help the Tribunal progress cases more efficiently before they are formally heard by a Tribunal member. Instead of having certain limitations written directly into the Tribunal rules, these will now be set by the Tribunal President through specific authorisation instruments. This allows greater flexibility in managing Tribunal operations. The updates also expand the list of decisions that do not require an application fee. This change follows recent reforms in the aged care sector and may benefit applicants seeking review of certain aged care-related decisions.

Australia’s migration regulations are being updated with new measures aimed at protecting temporary visa holders, strengthening penalties for migration offences, and improving community safety. These amendments, effective from 12 December 2025, reflect the government’s ongoing efforts to improve Australia’s migration system and ensure fairness and safety in the community. Key Amendments: Part 1 — Prohibited Employers Employers who are convicted of deliberately underpaying temporary migrant workers will face sanctions. This means they may be banned from sponsoring temporary visa workers in the future, helping protect migrants from exploitation. Part 2 — Personal Information Disclosure The changes allow authorities to collect and use personal information when making decisions about individuals affected by the Love v Commonwealth; Thoms v Commonwealth (2020) High Court decision. This helps assess whether permanent stay options may be available. Part 3 — Updates Penalties for Infringement Notices Penalties for certain migration offences will now be calculated using penalty units instead of fixed dollar amounts. This ensures fines remain up to date as penalty unit values change over time. Part 4 — Strengthening BVR Management New rules apply to some Bridging Visa R holders, including the New Zealand YQ cohort (NZYQ). These changes include: Click here: Migration Amendment (2025 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2025

From 1 January 2026, VETASSESS will introduce a new requirement for Pathway 1 applicants. Applicants will need to complete and submit a Language, Literacy, Numeracy, and Digital Skills (LLND) assessment as part of their Documentary Evidence Assessment application. This requirement will apply to applicants in trade occupations who do not currently hold an Australian qualification or an occupational licence. The LLND assessment is designed to help ensure that applicants have the necessary skills to meet the demands of the Australian workforce. To submit the LLND assessment, applicants must: In addition, VETASSESS will release updated video guides for each occupation, effective 1 January 2026. Before preparing video evidence, please ensure that you download the latest version of the relevant video guide from the official VETASSESS website to meet the updated requirements. For more information click here

The Department of Home Affairs has updated the Subclass 500 Student visa program to reflect changes to the evidence levels for several countries in South East Asia, effective 8 January 2026. These changes are being introduced to address emerging integrity risks while continuing to support genuine international students who wish to study in Australia. Evidence levels determine the financial capacity and English language evidence requirements that Student visa applicants must provide. They are calculated using a weighted average of indicators, based on the total number of international students—both visa applicants and current visa holders—who hold a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) for their main course of study with an Australian education provider. These updates form part of the Department’s broader approach to maintaining the integrity of the student visa program while ensuring that Australia remains accessible to genuine students seeking a quality education Click here: Subclass 500 Student Visa and Evidence framework