Solace Migration Solutions

02/10/2026

Changes to Student visa application rules (subclasses 500 & 590)

Make sure you know how the new rules affect you before making visa, study, travel or relocation plans.

From 2 October 2026, there are new rules for Student visa (subclass 500) and Student Guardian (subclass 590) visas. The rules change who can apply for and be granted a visa while in Australia, and whether family members can be included.

Australia continues to welcome international students. You can still apply for a Student visa if you meet the visa requirements.

The changes may affect you if you are:

applying for a Student visa while in Australia
a Student visa holder applying for another Student visa
thinking about including family members in your Student visa application
considering whether family members can join you later.​
Make sure you know how the new rules affect you before making visa, study, travel or relocation plans. For more information visit Subclass 500 Student visa.

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https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/changes-to-student-visa-application-rules-500-590

https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/Visa-subsite/files/changes-to-student-visa-applications-factsheet.pdf

21/09/2026

📢 Migration Update – New Designated Areas Instrument 2026

The Migration (Designated Areas) Instrument 2026 – LIN 26/004 has been made by the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship on 18 September 2026.

The new instrument replaces the previous Designated Areas 2016/044 and specifies the areas that are considered a “designated area” under regulation 1.03 of the Migration Regulations 1994.

✅ Western Australia – Entire State
✅ Victoria – Entire State
✅ South Australia – Entire State
✅ Tasmania – Entire State
✅ Northern Territory – Entire Territory
✅ Australian Capital Territory – Entire Territory
✅ Norfolk Island – Entire Territory

Certain regional postcode areas of New South Wales and Queensland are also included.

Western Australia

Importantly for applicants in WA, the whole of Western Australia is specified as a designated area under the new instrument.

The instrument will commence the day after it is registered.

This update may be relevant where Australian migration legislation or visa requirements refer specifically to residence, employment, sponsorship or other requirements connected with a designated area.

📩 For advice about how this change may affect your Australian visa options or migration pathway, contact Solace Migration for professional advice based on your individual circumstances.

General information only. Migration requirements depend on the particular visa subclass and individual circumstances.

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https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2026L01255/asmade/text

21/09/2026

Gazette notice: Commissioner of Taxation – Notice of a visa data-matching program 21 September 2026

🚨 **ATO to Match Visa Data with Home Affairs – New Data-Matching Program**

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has announced a new **visa data-matching program** covering the **2026–27 to 2028–29 financial years**.

Under the program, the ATO will obtain visa-related information from the Department of Home Affairs, with records relating to approximately **9 million individuals expected to be obtained each financial year**.

The information may include:

• Visa applicants’ and sponsors’ address and contact history
• Migration agents’ address and contact history
• Visa grant history and visa status at a particular point in time
• Migration agent details linked to visa applications
• International travel movements, including arrivals and departures
• Sponsor details for certain employer-sponsored visas
• Visa subclass information
• Education provider details for Student visa holders

🔎 **Why is the ATO collecting this information?**

The data will be used to help the ATO:

• Identify whether visa holders, businesses, sponsors and migration agents are meeting their **tax and superannuation obligations**
• Detect incorrect reporting, non-lodgment and unpaid tax or super
• Improve compliance and risk-detection systems
• Identify possible fraud or misuse of the visa framework
• Cancel ABNs where holders are not eligible
• Support compliance activities relating to Australian foreign investment rules

⚠️ **What does this mean for visa holders and businesses?**

This is another reminder that information provided to different Australian Government agencies can be cross-checked.

Visa holders, employers, sponsors and businesses should ensure that their **income, employment arrangements, tax returns, superannuation obligations, ABN activities and information provided in visa applications are accurate and consistent**.

The program was published by the **Commissioner of Taxation on 21 September 2026** and operates under Australian privacy and data-matching requirements.

📌 Maintaining accurate records and complying with both immigration and taxation obligations is becoming increasingly important.

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18/09/2026

Australian Government Migration Policy Changes

The Australian Government is committed to attracting the skills Australia needs, supporting economic growth and productivity, and ensuring migration settings work for Australian workers and communities.

The next stage of migration policy changes is designed to deliver the Net Overseas Migration forecasts in the Budget of 245,000 in this financial year and 225,000 in 2027/28.

The Australian Government will do this by:

Strengthening compliance measures to ensure people without valid visas leave the country
Updating Ministerial Direction 119 to ensure the skilled migration program supports priority processing for a range of key sectors, including healthcare, construction, education, law enforcement, defence, resources, agriculture, aquaculture and fishing.
Improving the integrity of student visas by stopping visa hopping and restricting secondary applicants on most student visas
Cracking down on rogue migration agents who knowingly support visa applications without merit
Introducing a No Further Stay condition to all visitor visas to ensure they are only used by genuine visitors and not as a pathway to extending a stay in Australia.
Updating Ministerial Direction 110 to combat hate and criminal behaviour by:
better protecting children who are victims of crime
better protecting victims of domestic and family violence, and
reflecting modern Australia’s commitment to stamping out hatred.
Changing the Working Holiday Maker Program to introduce a ballot system for years two and three where there will be a regional work requirement in support of regional Australia. The government will also stabilise processing times for Working Holiday Maker applications to three months.
These changes have begun to be implemented and will be progressively rolled out over the next 12 months to ensure the integrity of Australia’s migration system is maintained, while treating people with the fairness and decency that Australians expect.

Find out about Australian visas, immigration and citizenship.

18/09/2026

MAJOR AUSTRALIAN MIGRATION CHANGES ANNOUNCED – 17 SEPTEMBER 2026

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has announced a series of migration reforms aimed at reducing Net Overseas Migration (NOM), limiting visa hopping and giving greater priority to skills Australia needs.

According to the latest ABS figures, Australia’s Net Overseas Migration fell to 292,100 in the year ending March 2026, compared with 309,500 in the previous year. Australia’s population reached approximately 27.9 million.

The Government says it is targeting NOM of 245,000 in 2026–27 and 225,000 in 2027–28.

🔹 STUDENT & GRADUATE VISAS

• Secondary applicants will be restricted for most student visas.
• The Government has indicated exceptions for certain cohorts, including postgraduate study and students from Pacific and ASEAN countries.
• Genuine students progressing to a higher qualification will still be able to move through the education system.
• Further restrictions will target “visa hopping” and movements that are inconsistent with the original purpose of the visa.

🔹 VISITOR VISAS – NO FURTHER STAY

A major change announced is that future Visitor visa grants will generally include a No Further Stay condition, aimed at preventing Visitor visas from being used as a pathway to extend a person's stay in Australia through further onshore visa applications.

This is particularly important for people considering travelling to Australia on a Visitor visa before applying for another visa onshore.

🔹 WORKING HOLIDAY VISAS – 417 & 462

The Government will introduce a ballot system for second and third Working Holiday visas, while retaining regional work requirements. Processing arrangements will also be changed as part of the reforms.

🔹 SKILLED MIGRATION & PRIORITY OCCUPATIONS

The Government has announced changes aimed at better targeting skilled migration towards areas of workforce shortage.

Ministerial Direction 119 will prioritise processing across key sectors including:

🏥 Healthcare
🏗️ Construction
🎓 Education
🌾 Agriculture
⛏️ Resources
🐟 Aquaculture & Fishing
🛡️ Defence and Law Enforcement

The Minister also discussed changes to the skilled migration points system, including greater recognition of trade qualifications relevant to areas such as housing construction.

🔹 VISA OVERSTAYERS & COMPLIANCE

The Government has announced stronger compliance action against people remaining in Australia without a valid visa, together with additional compliance and detention resources.

There will also be increased scrutiny of migration agents who knowingly assist with visa applications considered to have no merit.

🔹 CHARACTER – MINISTERIAL DIRECTION 110

Ministerial Direction 110 will also be updated, with the Government stating that the changes will strengthen protections relating to:

• Children who are victims of crime
• Domestic and family violence victims
• Hate-related conduct and criminal behaviour

⚠️ IMPORTANT

These are significant announcements, but the practical effect of individual changes will depend on the final legislation, regulations, Ministerial Directions, commencement dates and transitional arrangements.

People currently holding visas should not assume that every announced change automatically applies to their existing visa.

📌 We will continue to monitor the implementation of these reforms and provide updates as further details become available.

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07/09/2026

Graduate Diploma course cancelled for international students

The Education Services for Overseas Students (Specified Classes of Courses for Automatic Suspension and Cancellation) Instrument 2026 commencing on 5 September 2026, specifies the BSB80120 Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning) (GDML) as a class of courses under subsection 96B(1) of the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000, triggering the automatic suspension and cancellation provisions in sections 96D and 96E of the ESOS Act.

If 30 days after commencement, a provider still has overseas students enrolled in and undertaking the course, its registration for the course is automatically suspended, though enrolled students may continue studying until they complete or withdraw. Suspended providers cannot recruit, enrol or accept new students into the course. Once no students remain enrolled, the provider's registration for the course is automatically cancelled and any Confirmation of Enrolments (CoEs) for future commencement must be cancelled.

Under section 96C, providers cannot apply to register, renew or add the GDML while the Instrument remains in force.

This is the first use of these powers, introduced as part of the integrity reform package passed in November 2025. According to the explanatory statement, the GDML has seen rapid and disproportionate growth in overseas student enrolments, alongside high non-commencement rates, comparatively low completion rates, significant onshore transfer activity, high visa refusal rates and extensive use in packaged course arrangements.

Announcing the Instrument, Assistant Minister for International Education Julian Hill said the action was needed to protect the integrity of Australia's international education sector. According to the Minister's media release, 452 VET providers are registered to deliver the GDML to international students, with 41,033 active CoEs, including 15,772 students currently studying the course.

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29/07/2026

Direction 119 - Order for considering and disposing of nominations and visa applications for certain Skilled Visas nominations and visa applications.

It replaces Direction 105 and applies to both existing undecided applications and new applications from its commencement date.

Processing priority

Applications are generally prioritised in this order:

Onshore applicants/nominees in occupations connected with Australian law enforcement or defence.
Offshore applicants/nominees in law enforcement or defence occupations.
Onshore applicants/nominees in:
healthcare;
teaching; or
construction occupations.
All other onshore applicants/nominees.
All other offshore applicants/nominees.

This means that, for most occupations such as chefs, cooks, retail managers or ICT professionals, an applicant who is in Australia when the application is lodged will generally receive higher processing priority than an offshore applicant

30/06/2026

30/06/2026

🇦🇺 Australian Visa Application Charges Have Increased – Effective 1 July 2026

The Australian Government has updated visa application charges for a number of visa subclasses from 1 July 2026.

If you’re planning to lodge a visa application, it’s important to check the latest fees and ensure your application is prepared correctly before proceeding.

Some of the updated application charges include:
✅ Partner Visas (820/801 & 309/100) – $11,710
✅ Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) – $5,750
✅ Visitor Visa (Subclass 600) – From $250
✅ Parent Visa subclasses – Updated charges now apply

Please note that these are Department of Home Affairs application charges only and do not include professional fees, health examinations, police clearances, biometrics, translations, or other third-party costs that may apply.

📌 You can view the official Department of Home Affairs visa application charges here:
🔗 https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-pricing-estimator

Whether you’re applying for a Student Visa, Partner Visa, Skilled Visa, Employer Sponsored Visa, Parent Visa, Visitor Visa, or need assistance with visa refusals, cancellations, reviews, or appeals, our experienced team is here to help.

📞 Book a consultation today:
🌐 www.solacemigration.com.au
📍 Suite 14, 15–21 Collier Road, Morley WA 6062
☎️ +61 8 6114 6014

Disclaimer: This post provides general information only and should not be considered migration advice. Visa eligibility and applicable charges vary depending on individual circumstances.

29/05/2026

Student Visa reviews on the papers

The Migration Amendment (Administrative Review of Student Visa Refusal Decisions) Regulations 2026 prescribe that most applications for review of a student visa refusal must now be reviewed on the papers, rather than through a hearing.

A summary of the amendments made by the Instrument can be found below.

Student visa refusals are now generally reviewed on the papers under new sub regulation 4.18(1).
A review will not be conducted on the papers if all or part of the reason for refusal was based on the applicant failing PIC 4001, 4003B, 4007, 4010, 4013, 4014, 4017, 4018, 4020, or Special Return Criteria as per new sub regulation 4.18(2)
Under new sub regulation 4.18(3) and (4) for applications reviewed on the papers, the ART must invite the primary applicant to provide written submissions and evidence on whether they are enrolled in a course of study as per clause 500.111.
If a matter ceases to be eligible for review on the papers, any prior invitation issued under s 367G is treated as an invitation under s 359A, with no need for the ART to reissue the invitation.
Response periods for invitations issued by the ART under the Migration Act:
28 days for invitations under s 367F - the consequence for not replying to the invitation issued under section 367F is dismissal of the review by the ART under section 367M of the Migration Act.
14 days for invitations under s 367G - if the applicant does not respond within 14 days, the ART must still consider any information received after the deadline, provided a decision has not yet been made.
Other technical amendments such as Regulation 4.27 being renumbered to 4.17 to accommodate the insertion of the new regulations and amendments to the definition of confirmation of enrolment to align it with the ESOS Act.
Commencement and Transitional Arrangements

The instrument commences on 1 June 2026.

Regulation 4.18 applies to:
an application for review of a student visa refusal lodged on or after 1 June 2026, or
applications lodged before 1 June 2026 where the ART President has not yet constituted the Tribunal under s 37 of the ART Act 2024.
Regulation 4.19 applies to any application that ceases to be reviewed on the papers on or after 1 June 2026, regardless of when the application was lodged.
For applications that become on the paper review applications on 1 June 2026, any invitation previously issued under s 359A is taken to be an invitation under s 367G(1) (and, where relevant, s 367H).