Australian Immigration – July 2026
Australian Immigration – July 2026
Australian Immigration – July 2026
July has come to an end, and it delivered a lot for the Australian migration world! Visa fees jumped, income thresholds climbed, and state and territory programs across the country have been shuffling their allocations like a game of musical chairs. On the brighter side, there’s good news for Pacific nation passport holders and some welcome flexibility for ENS applicants tripped up by the Indian passport office closures.
Grab a coffee, here’s everything worth knowing this month.
- CSSIT, SSIT, TSMIT & FWHIT have increased! (reminder)
- Inreased Department of Home Affairs Fees (reminder)
- 2026-27 Permanent Migration Program Continues
- Skilled Migration – State Updates
- NT Skilled Migration
- ACT Skilled Migration
- TAS Skilled Migration
- QLD Skilled Migration
- NSW Skilled Migration
- WA Skilled Migration
- SA Skilled Migration
- VAC Concessions – Pacific Nation Passport Holders
- Good News for Some ENS Applicants Affected by Indian Passport Office Closures
CSIT, SSIT, TSMIT & FWHIT have increased!
(In effect as of 1 July 2026)
As a reminder, the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT), Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT), Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) and Fair Work High Income Threshold (FWHIT) increased from 1 July 2026 in line with annual indexation requirements.
These updated thresholds apply to relevant employer-sponsored visa applications lodged on or after 1 July 2026, including the:
- Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)
- Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186)
- Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa (subclass 494)
💼 Updated Income Thresholds
- CSIT: increased from $76,515 to $79,423
- SSIT: increased from $141,210 to $146,576
- TSMIT: increased from $76,515 to $79,423 (applies to subclass 494)
- FWHIT: increased from $183,100 to $190,100
📌 What This Means for Employers & Applicants
For businesses sponsoring skilled workers, and applicants preparing employer-sponsored pathways, these changes are now in effect.
Applications lodged before 1 July 2026 were assessed against the previous thresholds, while applications lodged on or after this date must meet the new indexed amounts.
It is also important to remember that nominated salaries must continue to meet market salary requirements (the Annual Market Salary Rate) in addition to the minimum threshold requirements.
If you have an employer-sponsored application in progress or planned, now is a good time to confirm salary arrangements against the current thresholds and ensure documentation reflects the correct figures.
Increased Department of Home Affairs Fees
(In effect as of 1 July 2026)
Visa Fees Have Gone Up! Here’s what you need to know.
If you’re planning a visa application, budgeting just got a bit more important.
On 1 July 2026, the Department of Home Affairs increased visa application charges across almost every visa category, and this wasn’t the usual small annual adjustment. In past years, fees typically rose by 2–5% each July in line with inflation. This year, most visa application charges jumped by around 25%, with a handful of visa types rising by 200% or more.
Some examples of what’s changed:
- Student visas (subclass 500): up from $2,000 to $2,500
- Temporary Graduate visas (subclass 485): up from $4,600 to $5,750 (its third increase in about a year)
- Skills in Demand visas (subclass 482): up from $3,210 to $4,015
- Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186): up from $4,910 to $6,140
- Resident Return visas (subclass 155/157): up from $490 to over $1,400
- Bridging Visa B (subclass 020): up from $190 to $575
Related costs have also increased, including fees for merits review at the Administrative Review Tribunal and filing fees for judicial review matters.
Fees vary by visa subclass, stream, and applicant circumstances. Get in touch with our team for guidance specific to your situation.
2026-27 Permanent Migration Program Continues
The Australian Government has confirmed the 2026–27 Permanent Migration Program will remain at 185,000 places, maintaining the approximately 70% Skilled / 30% Family split.
A notable policy emphasis this year is the continued prioritisation of onshore applicants, with almost 130,000 permanent places allocated to migrants already living in Australia. This reflects the Government’s ongoing focus on retaining skilled workers already contributing to the Australian economy.
NT Skilled Migration
The NT Government’s skilled migration nomination allocation for 2025–26 has been fully exhausted. Applications already in the queue will continue to be processed, and applications meeting nomination requirements will be considered once further allocations are received for 2026–27.
ACT Skilled Migration
The ACT Government has now met its 2025–26 program allocation, approving 1,600 nominations and refusing 229 (111 under subclass 190, 128 under subclass 491). Most approvals came through the ACT Occupation List pathway (1,244), followed by the PhD Streamlined pathway (133), Small Business Owner pathway (124), and the Sc 482 Streamlined pathway (109).
Looking Ahead to 2026–27
- The ACT Nominated Migration Program occupation list is under review, with an update expected early in the new program year that remains broadly aligned with current ACT labour market needs.
- Nomination guidelines will receive minor clarifications, including a new priority-processing framework, with finalisation targeted for late July (subject to change).
- The first 2026–27 invitation round has not yet been scheduled and will occur no earlier than one month after launch, subject to Home Affairs allocations.
TAS Skilled Migration
Migration Tasmania has confirmed it has now received its nomination allocation for the 2026–27 program year, following the closure of the 2025–26 program.
By the numbers
Tasmania has been issued a total of 2,050 nomination places for 2026–27, comprising:
- 1,250 places for the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)
- 800 places for the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491)
Program reopening
Tasmania’s Skilled Migration State Nomination Program will reopen to new Registrations of Interest (ROIs) in the coming weeks, with full details, including the 2026–27 program settings and guidelines to be announced shortly. Applicants should watch for these updates closely, as settings and eligibility criteria may change from the previous program year.
What this means for existing applicants
- Applications lodged but not yet decided: These will continue to be assessed against the requirements that were in place at the time of lodgement. If approved, applicants will be nominated in SkillSelect as normal.
- Subclass 491 applicants wanting to switch to subclass 190: A pending subclass 491 nomination application will not automatically be considered for subclass 190. Applicants wishing to pursue subclass 190 nomination instead will need to withdraw their current application and submit a new Registration of Interest for subclass 190 once the 2026–27 program opens. Any new invitation will depend on demand and the pro-rata places available at that time.
QLD Skilled Migration
Queensland’s State Nominated Migration Program (SNMP) has also closed for new expressions of interest, with all nomination places for the year now filled.
What this means for you:
- If you’ve already been invited and lodged your application, it will continue to be assessed and finalised once new places are allocated — no further action needed.
- Queensland is currently awaiting confirmation from the Federal Government on next year’s program settings and allocation numbers. We’ll pass on updates as soon as they’re released.
NSW Skilled Migration
The NSW Government has advised that applications for the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) are closed for the current program year, with all available nomination places fully allocated.
Applications already submitted will continue to be assessed and finalised once new nomination places are allocated by the Department of Home Affairs. Applicants are not required to take any further action at this time.
The NSW Government has confirmed it is currently reviewing program settings and eligibility criteria for the next program year, with updated information to be published on the NSW website in due course.
WA Skilled Migration
The WA State Nominated Migration Program (SNMP) is currently open and actively issuing invitations. After a pause earlier in the 2025–26 program year while WA waited on its allocation from the Federal Government, regular monthly invitation rounds resumed in December 2025 and have continued since.
Latest invitation round
The most recent round was held on 20 May 2026, focused on priority trade occupations. It resulted in 209 invitations being issued:
- 167 invitations for the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) — General stream
- 39 invitations for the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) — Graduate stream (higher education and vocational graduates combined)
- No subclass 491 invitations were issued in this particular round
What this means for you
- If you’re already registered with an Expression of Interest (EOI) for WA, you remain in the pool and will be automatically considered in future rounds. No action is needed unless your circumstances change.
- WA is currently prioritising applicants who are already living in Western Australia, along with occupations in building and construction, healthcare, hospitality, and education. If you’re applying from offshore or another state, competition is tougher this year, so it’s worth making sure your EOI reflects the strongest possible points score.
- Invitations are expected to continue on a roughly monthly basis. We’re monitoring each round and will let you know as soon as there’s a development relevant to your application.
SA Skilled Migration
South Australia’s Skilled Migration State Nomination Program has closed to new Registrations of Interest (ROIs) as of 9am Tuesday, 2 June 2026, with the last formal invitation round held on 21 May 2026. Some further invitations may still occur before year end as SA works through its remaining nomination places.
What this means for you
- If you already have an ROI submitted: Skilled and Business Migration (SBM) will reopen to all eligible candidates once the 2026–27 program begins, with further details published on their website in due course.
- If you’re planning to apply for nomination: SBM will continue assessing applications, and new applications can still be lodged. However, with few places remaining this program year, not everyone who applies will be nominated before the cut-off.
- If your application is approved but no places remain: Nomination will simply be deferred until SBM receives its 2026–27 allocation. If this applies to you, SBM will be in touch directly.
VAC Concessions – Pacific Nation Passport Holders
Following the broad increase to visa application charges (VAC) that took effect on 1 July 2026, the Australian Government has confirmed a continuing concession for applicants holding a passport from Pacific Island nations and Timor-Leste, reflecting Australia’s ongoing commitment to its regional partnerships.
Who qualifies
The concession applies to primary applicants holding a valid passport from:
Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
Where the concession applies
- Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485): While the standard first-instalment charge increased significantly from 1 March 2026 (rising to $5,750), eligible Pacific and Timor-Leste passport holders continue to pay the lower, pre-increase rate.
- Student visa (subclass 500): Eligible applicants pay a concessional rate of $2,050, rather than the new standard charge of $2,500 that applies from 1 July 2026.
- Skilled, employer-sponsored and other student visa categories: A new “Pacific-regional country” concession applies across these streams from 1 July 2026, with eligible applicants paying materially lower charges, often $1,000 to $2,000 or more below the standard rate, with proportionately reduced charges for accompanying family members.
Good News for Some ENS Applicants Affected by Indian Passport Office Closures
If you’re applying for an Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa and were caught out by the recent closure of the Indian Consular Application Centres in Australia, there’s some flexibility available to you.
What happened
The Indian Consular Application Centres in Australia were closed for around three weeks, from 1–23 July 2026, and have now reopened. During that time, anyone needing to renew their Indian passport couldn’t do so which caused problems for some ENS applicants, since a current passport is generally needed both to lodge an application online and to sit an English language test.
This has particularly affected people applying under the Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream, where there’s a strict requirement to have held a subclass 482 visa for at least 2 of the 3 years before applying. If your eligibility window closed during this period and the passport office closure stopped you from lodging on time, you may have missed out through no fault of your own.
What the Department is offering
The Department of Home Affairs has agreed to consider these cases individually. If you were directly affected between 1 and 23 July 2026, get in touch with us to see how we can assist.
Final Thoughts – From Us to You
July has brought a wave of change to the migration landscape, with increased visa application charges, higher employer-sponsored income thresholds, and shifting nomination allocations across the states and territories all taking effect. For employers and applicants alike, staying on top of these updates is more important than ever.
For businesses sponsoring skilled workers, this means ensuring nominated salaries continue to meet the new thresholds and market salary requirements, while keeping a close eye on sponsorship compliance obligations, which remain under increasing scrutiny. For applicants, it means factoring higher fees into your planning, understanding how state nomination allocations may affect your pathway, and knowing what flexibility measures, such as those recently introduced for ENS applicants affected by the Indian passport office closures, might apply to your circumstances.
Whether you’re preparing an employer-sponsored application, exploring a state nomination pathway, or making sure your business meets its sponsorship obligations, early preparation and informed decision-making remain key.
💡 How We Can Help
We know the migration process can feel overwhelming, especially when policies shift and programs evolve.
At First Class Migration Australia, our experienced team is here to guide you through the process with up-to-date advice, tailored support, and a deep understanding of the Australian immigration system.
