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Monday 10am - 6pm Tuesday 10am - 6pm Wednesday 10am - 6pm Thursday 10am - 6pm Friday 10am - 6pm

Loc Migration - Australia, Suite 188/20-40 Meagher Street, Sydney (2026)

16/10/2026

✅ TWO WINS: SPONSOR APPROVED & PARTNER VISA BRIDGING VISAS GRANTED

🎉 Congratulations to our clients on two recent results.

1️⃣ STANDARD BUSINESS SPONSOR APPROVED (14/10/2026)
An Australian small business can now nominate overseas workers for the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) or the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa (subclass 494). Approval is valid for 5 years, until 14/10/2031.

⚠️ Sponsors must meet their obligations for the whole approval period. Sponsor approval does not guarantee a nomination or visa will be approved.

2️⃣ PARTNER VISA 309: BRIDGING VISA A & B GRANTED
Our client held a visitor visa when her Partner (subclass 309) application was lodged. She now holds a Bridging visa A and B, so she can stay lawfully in Australia with her partner while the application is processed, and travel in and out when needed.

❗ Many people believe a 309 applicant cannot get a bridging visa and must wait overseas. That is true in most cases, but not all. In the right circumstances, a 309 applicant can be granted a bridging visa and wait in Australia until the visa is decided.

💬 Planning to sponsor a worker or your partner? Book a consultation with our registered migration agent.

🏢 Migration Consulting Group Pty. Ltd.
Trading as Lộc Di Trú | Loc Migration | The Migration Group -
🇦🇺 Registered Migration Agent | MARN: 2217882 | MIA: 26638
📍 Online immigration assistance
🧑🏻‍💻 Video / phone consultations

☎️ (02) 7255 5177
🌐 www.migrationgroup.au

‼️ Our social media post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

‼️ Only Australian Registered Migration Agents (with a MARN number) and Australian Migration Lawyers (with an LPN number) can lawfully give immigration assistance for a fee in Australia.

09/10/2026

🔍 ATO HAS BEEN MATCHING VISA DATA SINCE 2009

📢 The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has been matching visa data from the Department of Home Affairs since 2009. It will continue to receive this data for the 2026-27 to 2028-29 financial years, covering around 9 million people each year. Data is collected every quarter and kept for 5 years.

📋 DATA THE ATO RECEIVES:
✅ Address and contact history of visa applicants, sponsors and migration agents
✅ Visa subclass, grant history, visa status and visa conditions
✅ The migration agent who prepared each application
✅ All international arrivals and departures of visa holders
✅ Education provider for student visa holders

🔎 WHAT THE ATO CHECKS:
* Incorrect claims of Australian tax residency in tax returns
* Visa holders working on an ABN as contractors when they should be employees
* Whether a visa allows the holder to have an ABN, and cancelling ABNs of people who have left Australia
* Employers of visa holders meeting PAYG withholding and super obligations
* Whether visa holders leaving Australia can access their super
* Foreign persons holding established homes in breach of foreign investment rules
* Fraud and those exploiting the visa framework

🏢 Migration Consulting Group Pty. Ltd.
Trading as Lộc Di Trú | Loc Migration | The Migration Group
🇦🇺 Registered Migration Agent | MARN: 2217882 | MIA: 26638
📍 Online immigration assistance
🧑🏻‍💻 Video / phone consultations

☎️ (02) 7255 5177
🌐 www.migrationgroup.au

‼️ Our social media post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

‼️ Only Australian Registered Migration Agents (with a MARN number) and Australian Migration Lawyers (with an LPN number) can lawfully give immigration assistance for a fee in Australia.

02/10/2026

🚨 STUDENT VISA (500) RULES CHANGED FROM 2 OCTOBER 2026 🚨

🚫 MUST APPLY OFFSHORE
Holders of 485, 482, 457, 400, 407, 408, 417, 462, 600, 601, 602, 651, 771 or 988 visas can NO LONGER apply for a Student visa (500) or Student Guardian visa (590) in Australia. You must lodge AND be granted outside Australia.

🎓 CURRENT STUDENT VISA HOLDERS
Must also apply offshore, unless exempt (e.g. up to 12 more months with the SAME provider, higher AQF level, PhD, school, provider default). Change provider and you lose the 12-month exemption.

👨‍👩‍👧 FAMILY MEMBERS
❌ Most applicants can NO LONGER include their partner or children.
✅ Exempt: students with an ASEAN or Pacific passport, PhD students, DFAT/Defence sponsored students, and students fully funded by a foreign government.
🇻🇳 Good news: Vietnam is an ASEAN country, so Vietnamese passport holders can still include family.
⚠️ Family must apply at the SAME TIME and PLACE as the student. If one must apply offshore, all must. No one can add family after grant.

❌ Lodging onshore when you must be offshore = INVALID application. No Bridging visa for offshore applications.

📌 Applications lodged before 2/10/2026 stay under the old rules.

🏢 Migration Consulting Group Pty. Ltd.
Trading as Lộc Di Trú | Loc Migration | The Migration Group
🇦🇺 Registered Migration Agent | MARN: 2217882 | MIA: 26638
📍 Online immigration assistance
🧑🏻‍💻 Video / phone consultations

☎️ (02) 7255 5177
🌐 www.migrationgroup.au

‼️ Our social media post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

‼️ Only Australian Registered Migration Agents (with a MARN number) and Australian Migration Lawyers (with an LPN number) can lawfully give immigration assistance for a fee in Australia.

01/10/2026

🎉 GOOD NEWS: NO MORE CARD SURCHARGE ON VISA APPLICATION FEES FROM 1 OCTOBER 2026! 🎉

💳 From 1 October 2026, the Department of Home Affairs no longer charges a card payment surcharge when you pay your Visa Application Charge (VAC) in ImmiAccount.

✅ VAC fees are NOT changing. You pay the listed fee, with no extra card fee on top.

📋 WHY THE CHANGE?
The Reserve Bank of Australia has banned card surcharges on eftpos, Visa and Mastercard (credit, debit and prepaid) from 1 October 2026. American Express and UnionPay have also dropped surcharges, and PayPal follows from 5 October.

🛒 WHAT IT MEANS FOR EVERYDAY PURCHASES:
* The advertised price is the price you pay by card
* Applies in-store, online and in apps
* Booking, service and delivery fees, and weekend/public holiday surcharges can still apply
* Businesses can still raise prices, set minimum card spends or offer cash/PayID discounts

⚠️ Still charged a card surcharge? Check what the fee is, ask the business to remove or refund it, then report it to the ACCC or your state/territory consumer agency if needed.

Not sure which visa suits your situation, or whether you're ready to lodge? Book a consultation with our registered migration agent.

🏢 Migration Consulting Group Pty. Ltd.
Trading as Lộc Di Trú | Loc Migration | The Migration Group
🇦🇺 Registered Migration Agent | MARN: 2217882 | MIA: 26638
📍 Online immigration assistance
🧑🏻‍💻 Video / phone consultations

☎️ (02) 7255 5177
🌐 www.migrationgroup.au

‼️ Our social media post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

‼️ Only Australian Registered Migration Agents (with a MARN number) and Australian Migration Lawyers (with an LPN number) can lawfully give immigration assistance for a fee in Australia.

01/10/2026

🎉 GOOD NEWS: NO MORE CARD SURCHARGE ON VISA APPLICATION FEES FROM 1 OCTOBER 2026! 🎉

💳 From 1 October 2026, the Department of Home Affairs no longer charges a card payment surcharge when you pay your Visa Application Charge (VAC) in ImmiAccount.

✅ VAC fees are NOT changing. You pay the listed fee, with no extra card fee on top.

📋 WHY THE CHANGE?
The Reserve Bank of Australia has banned card surcharges on eftpos, Visa and Mastercard (credit, debit and prepaid) from 1 October 2026. American Express and UnionPay have also dropped surcharges, and PayPal follows from 5 October.

🛒 WHAT IT MEANS FOR EVERYDAY PURCHASES:
* The advertised price is the price you pay by card
* Applies in-store, online and in apps
* Booking, service and delivery fees, and weekend/public holiday surcharges can still apply
* Businesses can still raise prices, set minimum card spends or offer cash/PayID discounts

⚠️ Still charged a card surcharge? Check what the fee is, ask the business to remove or refund it, then report it to the ACCC or your state/territory consumer agency if needed.

Not sure which visa suits your situation, or whether you’re ready to lodge? Book a consultation with our registered migration agent.

🏢 Migration Consulting Group Pty. Ltd.
Trading as Lộc Di Trú | Loc Migration | The Migration Group
🇦🇺 Registered Migration Agent | MARN: 2217882 | MIA: 26638
📍 Online immigration assistance
🧑🏻‍💻 Video / phone consultations

☎️ (02) 7255 5177
🌐 www.migrationgroup.au

‼️ Our social media post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

‼️ Only Australian Registered Migration Agents (with a MARN number) and Australian Migration Lawyers (with an LPN number) can lawfully give immigration assistance for a fee in Australia.

21/09/2026

🚨 UPCOMING MIGRATION LAW CHANGES FOR STUDENTS, VISITORS, BACKPACKERS, SKILLED MIGRANTS AND VISA OVERSTAYERS 🚨

📢 On 17 Sep 2026, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced major changes to Australia's migration program.

⚠️ IMPORTANT: These changes are ANNOUNCED ONLY. They will be introduced through ministerial directions and regulation changes. Start dates and transitional arrangements have not been released. Current rules continue to apply until the changes take effect.

🎓 STUDENT AND GRADUATE VISAS (500 and 485)
❌ Most students and graduates will no longer be able to include family members in their visa
✅ Families already in Australia are not affected
✅ Exceptions for Pacific and ASEAN nationals (including Vietnam 🇻🇳) and certain courses such as PhD
🔄 Changing courses will require a new visa, and students can generally only move up to a higher qualification (e.g. Bachelor to Masters)

🧳 VISITOR VISAS
❗️ All FUTURE visitor visas will carry condition 8503 (No Further Stay)
❌ Visitors will not be able to apply for most other visas while in Australia (e.g. onshore partner visas). Protection visas are the exception
✅ Visitor visas already granted are not affected
💑 Offshore partners may find it easier to get longer visitor visas to spend time with their partner in Australia

🎒 WORKING HOLIDAY MAKER VISAS (417 and 462)
🎟️ A ballot will be introduced for 2nd and 3rd year visas:
* 2nd year: capped at 45,000 places, 88 days regional work still required
* 3rd year: capped at 5,000 places, 6 months regional work still required
⏩ UK applicants (who are exempt from regional work under the UK free trade agreement) will continue to be processed slowly

🛠️ SKILLED VISAS
📊 New points test: construction and housing trade qualifications to score close to a university degree
⚡ Ministerial Direction 119 to add agriculture and resources / fisheries to priority processing (alongside health, construction and teaching)

💍 PARTNER VISAS
No plans announced to reduce processing times

🔒 VISA OVERSTAYERS (around 77,000 people)
* 100 more compliance officers and 250 more detention beds
* Return to the pre-2015 approach: short detention, then the person arranges their own departure
* The Minister says this will NOT be like the immigration raids seen in the US. What it will look like in practice is not yet known
* Of the overstayers who left or were removed in 2024-25, about a third had originally arrived on a visitor visa and about 20% on a student visa

⚖️ OTHER COMPLIANCE MEASURES
* Ministerial Direction 110 (character) to be updated, with stronger protections for child crime victims and family violence victims
* Tougher sanctions for migration agents who knowingly lodge applications without merit
* Laws targeting weak protection visa claims are planned but need Parliament's approval

🚦 IF YOU HAVE NO VALID VISA, YOUR VISA IS ABOUT TO EXPIRE, OR PLANNING A NEW APPLICATION
Do not wait. Get advice and make an informed decision now. Rules like these can change with little notice.

🏢 Migration Consulting Group Pty. Ltd.
Trading as Lộc Di Trú | Loc Migration | The Migration Group
🇦🇺 Registered Migration Agent | MARN: 2217882 | MIA: 26638
📍 Online immigration assistance
🧑🏻‍💻 Video / phone consultations

☎️ (02) 7255 5177
🌐 www.migrationgroup.au

‼️ Our social media post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

‼️ Only Australian Registered Migration Agents (with a MARN number) and Australian Migration Lawyers (with an LPN number) can lawfully give immigration assistance for a fee in Australia.

21/09/2026

🚨 UPCOMING MIGRATION LAW CHANGES FOR STUDENTS, VISITORS, BACKPACKERS, SKILLED MIGRANTS AND VISA OVERSTAYERS 🚨

🎓 STUDENT AND GRADUATE VISAS (500 and 485)
❌ Most students and graduates will no longer be able to include family members in their visa
✅ Families already in Australia are not affected
✅ Exceptions for Pacific and ASEAN nationals (including Vietnam 🇻🇳) and certain courses such as PhD
🔄 Changing courses will require a new visa, and students can generally only move up to a higher qualification (e.g. Bachelor to Masters)

🧳 VISITOR VISAS
❗️ All FUTURE visitor visas will carry condition 8503 (No Further Stay)
❌ Visitors will not be able to apply for most other visas while in Australia (e.g. onshore partner visas). Protection visas are the exception
✅ Visitor visas already granted are not affected
💑 Offshore partners may find it easier to get longer visitor visas to spend time with their partner in Australia

🎒 WORKING HOLIDAY MAKER VISAS (417 and 462)
🎟️ A ballot will be introduced for 2nd and 3rd year visas:
* 2nd year: capped at 45,000 places, 88 days regional work still required
* 3rd year: capped at 5,000 places, 6 months regional work still required
⏩ UK applicants (who are exempt from regional work under the UK free trade agreement) will continue to be processed slowly

🛠️ SKILLED VISAS
📊 New points test: construction and housing trade qualifications to score close to a university degree
⚡ Ministerial Direction 119 to add agriculture and resources / fisheries to priority processing (alongside health, construction and teaching)

💍 PARTNER VISAS
No plans announced to reduce processing times

🔒 VISA OVERSTAYERS (around 77,000 people)
* 100 more compliance officers and 250 more detention beds
* Return to the pre-2015 approach: short detention, then the person arranges their own departure
* The Minister says this will NOT be like the immigration raids seen in the US. What it will look like in practice is not yet known
* Of the overstayers who left or were removed in 2024-25, about a third had originally arrived on a visi

Loc Migration - Australia

16/10/2026

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02/10/2026

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21/09/2026

21/09/2026

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