The 2026-27 Permanent Migration Program, which runs from 1 July 2026, is set at 185,000 places, unchanged from 2025-26, with an approximate 70:30 split between skilled and family places. Planning levels are 132,240 places for the Skilled Migration Program, 52,460 for the Family Program and 300 for Special Eligibility. Within the skilled program, planning levels include 58,040 Employer-Sponsored, 21,090 Skilled Independent, 35,500 State/Territory Nominated and 14,110 Regional places. The Government states it will prioritise onshore applicants, with 129,590 places allocated to migrants already living in Australia.
The Department has updated its guidance on adequate health insurance for visa applicants and holders and published a new Adequate Health Insurance Factsheet. It notes that most temporary visa holders and visitors are not eligible for Medicare and may be responsible for all healthcare costs during their stay. Depending on the visa held, appropriate private health insurance may also be needed to meet visa conditions.
The Department advises that the Community Support Program (CSP), which has a set number of visa places each year, is over capacity and that processing may take up to 8 years. It has limited how many applicants each Approved Proposing Organisation can lodge from expressions of interest received before the lodgement pause, and has asked Approved Proposing Organisations to pause accepting expressions of interest from new applicants.
From 1 July 2026, eligible Papua New Guinea citizens can use a streamlined 'Apply again' option in ImmiAccount when applying for a Visitor visa (subclass 600) in the Business Visitor or Tourist stream. The option is available to Papua New Guinea citizens with a history of immigration compliance who have had a subclass 600 visa in either of those streams finalised in the previous five years. Further details are published by the Australian High Commission in Papua New Guinea.
The Department reminds permanent visa holders that a permanent visa does not allow re-entry to Australia without a valid travel facility, which is usually valid for one or five years. Before departing, permanent residents are advised to check their travel facility and passport link in VEVO and to apply early for a Resident Return visa (subclass 155 or 157) if the facility will expire before they return. Airlines cannot board a permanent resident without a valid travel facility or Resident Return visa linked to the passport used. The Department warns against returning on a Visitor visa or ETA instead, citing possible effects on citizenship eligibility, permanent residence status and entitlements.
Fans and supporters travelling to Australia for the Rugby League World Cup 2026 must hold a valid Australian visa. The suitable visa depends on length of stay, whether multiple entries are needed, passport nationality and planned activities. The Department notes it is processing a high number of applications. People transiting Australia to or from New Zealand or Papua New Guinea may need a transit visa, and travellers to those countries need the relevant New Zealand or Papua New Guinea visa.
The Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Program (CRISP) became a permanent program from 1 July 2026, following a four-year pilot in which communities supported more than 900 refugees. Under the model, volunteer Community Supporter Groups help newly arrived refugees with housing, education, employment and social connections. The Department has announced that Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia will administer the permanent program.
From 2 October 2026, new rules apply to Student (subclass 500) and Student Guardian (subclass 590) visas. The rules change who can apply for and be granted these visas while in Australia, and whether family members can be included in a Student visa application. The changes may affect people applying for a Student visa in Australia, Student visa holders applying for another Student visa, and applicants who want to include family members or have them join later. The Department has published a fact sheet, an infographic and decision trees explaining the new rules.
English Testing Services has advised that TOEFL iBT testing is currently unavailable in Iran. The Department notes that applicants in Iran who need an approved English language test for an Australian visa may consider approved test options available in other countries. The list of approved tests and providers is on the Department's English language visa requirements page.
The Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2026 (F2026L00874) were registered on 30 June 2026 and commenced on 1 July 2026. Schedule 1 increases a range of Australian citizenship application fees. Schedule 2 sets the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold in the Migration Regulations 1994 at $79,423, with annual indexation from 1 July 2027. Schedule 3 restates visa application charges in Schedule 1 of the Migration Regulations 1994, including a separate first-instalment rate for applicants holding a passport from a listed Pacific-regional country. The changes apply to applications made on or after 1 July 2026. Current amounts are on the Department's visa pricing pages.
From 1 July 2026, skilled visa income thresholds increased by 3.8% in line with Average Weekly Ordinary Time Earnings. The Core Skills Income Threshold rose from AUD 76,515 to AUD 79,423 (Core Skills stream of subclass 482 and subclass 186 nominations). The Specialist Skills Income Threshold rose from AUD 141,210 to AUD 146,576 (Specialist Skills stream of subclass 482). The Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold rose from AUD 76,515 to AUD 79,423 (subclass 494 and 187 nominations). New nomination applications lodged from 1 July 2026 must meet the new threshold. The Department states the change does not apply to existing visa holders or to nominations lodged before 1 July 2026.
The 2026-27 Pacific Engagement visa (subclass 192) ballot for Pacific island and Timor-Leste nationals opened on 1 July 2026 and closed on 29 July 2026. The Department advises that random ballot selections for the 2026-27 program year will occur after the ballot has closed.
On 25 July 2026, three new Ministerial Directions came into effect for the processing of Skilled and Family visa applications. The Department states the directions support the Government's policy of prioritising applications from onshore migrants across the Skilled and Family programs and reducing Net Overseas Migration. Current processing order for each visa is published on the Department's visa processing priorities page.
Following a high volume of Working Holiday Maker visa applications (subclasses 417 and 462), the Department advises it is normalising processing timeframes for most applications and expects the average processing time to be around three months. Applicants are advised not to book flights or make travel, work or study commitments until the visa is granted.
The Department advises there are processing delays for some Temporary Activity (subclass 408) visa applications in the Research Activities stream. Applicants do not need to follow up unless their circumstances have changed or the Department asks for more information. The Department states it will contact applicants when the application is decided or if further action is required.
Home Affairs updated the processing priority notice. Priority sector applications lodged up to March 2026 and onshore applications lodged up to January 2026 are now being processed.
The Department advises that Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa applications are now prioritised under Ministerial Direction 121. Applications in the construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing and resources sectors, or in Australia's law enforcement and defence interests, are processed first, followed by the Specialist Skills stream, then applicants who were in Australia at lodgement, then applicants outside Australia. The Department notes that published allocation dates and processing timeframes may fluctuate, and some may temporarily increase, while applications are reprioritised.
Home Affairs updated the processing priority notice under Ministerial Direction 122. Priority sector applications lodged up to July 2025 are now being processed.