Immigration updates
Policy changes, invitation rounds, processing times and practical guidance — written by a registered migration agent.
Most students now have to leave Australia to get the next student visa
From 2 October 2026 most student visa holders must apply for their next student visa from outside Australia, and be outside when it is granted. Lodging from the wrong place makes the application invalid. What changed, who is exempt, and what is still not law.
6 Oct 2026
What Tony Burke’s speech actually changes
Several widely reported details about the 17 September announcement are wrong. Here is what the transcript actually says about student and graduate family visas, the qualification scale, the backpacker ballot and the code for migration agents.
18 Sep 2026
One sentence closed the Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning)
A single sentence in a legislative instrument closed BSB80120 to new international students. Here is what it says, the date that actually matters, and what it means depending on where you stand.
5 Sep 2026
Your 485 is a clock, not a pathway
The graduate visa does not lead to permanent residence. It gives you a window. Here is how long yours is, what usually goes wrong, and how to plan the time properly.
3 Sep 2026
What the NT allocation for 2026/27 actually means
The Northern Territory has 1,850 nomination places this year, up from 1,650. All of the increase went into the provisional 491, and one of the main offshore streams is already closed.
24 Aug 2026
What Australian visas cost in 2026-27: every charge, checked
The 2026-27 visa application charges read straight off the Department of Home Affairs pricing table, including the additional applicant charges most fee guides leave out.
19 Aug 2026
ACT nomination 2026-27: new portal, new fees, what to do now
The ACT migration portal was replaced in July 2026. Matrix fees are now split, transferred submissions cannot be edited, and the 2026-27 allocation is pending.
17 Aug 2026