Australia · advice by a registered migration agent
Australian visas, explained honestly.
This is the one destination where we advise, prepare and lodge. Every piece of Australian advice comes from Sukh Sandhu, Registered Migration Agent, MARN 1384130, under a written service agreement.
Sukh Sandhu, Registered Migration Agent, MARN 1384130. Registration is personal to Sukh and held with OMARA. Staff who help with documents and bookings do not give visa advice. Everything on this page is general information; your own options depend on your circumstances.
Student visas (subclass 500)
The Student visa rules changed on 2 October 2026. Most people who already hold a temporary visa in Australia, including most Student visa holders, can no longer lodge a new Student visa or Student Guardian visa application while they are in Australia. Applications lodged before 2 October 2026 are assessed under the old rules.
Limited exemptions apply, for example students who need up to 12 more months with the same provider, students sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or Defence, PhD students, school students, students moving up to a higher qualification level, and students affected by a provider default.
From the same date most Student visa applicants can no longer include family members, and family members cannot be added after the visa is granted. The exceptions are PhD students, DFAT or Defence sponsored students, foreign government scholarship holders, and eligible Pacific or ASEAN students.
What the Department looks for
- Genuine Student requirement. Since 23 March 2024 you must show you are a genuine student whose main purpose is study.
- Financial capacity. Living costs of A$29,710 a year for the student, plus course fees and travel. An alternative based on parental or partner income is set at A$87,856 (A$102,500 where family is included and still allowed).
- English. From 7 August 2025, accepted tests are C1 Advanced, CELPIP General, IELTS Academic and General Training, LanguageCert Academic, MET, OET, PTE Academic and TOEFL iBT, taken at a secure test centre. Online at-home tests are not accepted.
Offshore Student visa applications are processed in an order set by a Ministerial Direction that applies to applications lodged from 14 November 2025, based on each provider's share of its allocation.
If we help you choose a course and we receive a commission or fee from the education provider, we tell you in writing, with the amount or an estimate, before you choose. Since 1 April 2026, commissions for moving students already in Australia from one provider to another are banned.
Sources: Home Affairs: changes to Student visa application rules; Student visa (subclass 500); Study Australia: charge increase.
Skilled and employer sponsored
Skilled migration has two broad routes: an employer sponsors you, or you are invited to apply for a points-tested visa through SkillSelect.
Skills in Demand
Temporary employer sponsored visa with Specialist Skills, Core Skills and Labour Agreement streams. In place since 7 December 2024. Core Skills uses the Core Skills Occupation List.
Employer Nomination Scheme
Permanent employer sponsored visa. Direct Entry also uses the Core Skills Occupation List.
Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional
Provisional visa for sponsored work in regional Australia.
Points-tested visas
Skilled Independent, State or Territory Nominated, and Skilled Work Regional. The current points table and the 65 point pass mark apply.
Income thresholds for nominations lodged from 1 July 2026
| Threshold | 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 |
|---|---|
| Core Skills income thresholdSkills in Demand Core Skills and subclass 186 | A$79,423 |
| Specialist Skills income thresholdSkills in Demand Specialist Skills | A$146,576 |
| Temporary skilled migration income thresholdSubclass 494 | A$79,423 |
The salary must also match the annual market salary rate for the role, and non-monetary benefits are not counted. The market salary check does not apply to salaries of A$250,000 or more.
Processing order
From 19 September 2026 two new Ministerial Directions set the order in which skilled applications are processed: one for Skills in Demand, one for permanent and provisional skilled visas. Occupations in construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, resources, law enforcement and defence come first, then applicants in Australia. Processing order is set by the Minister. No agent can buy or arrange a faster decision.
Planning levels for 2026-27
The permanent Migration Program is 185,000 places. Employer Sponsored has 58,040 places, State and Territory Nominated 35,500, Skilled Independent 21,090, and the Regional category falls from 33,000 to 14,110.
The Government announced in 2026 that it will redesign the points test. No new table, pass mark or start date has been published, so the current rules still apply. We will not quote predicted figures until the law changes.
For employers
Sponsors have legal obligations, including telling the Department within 28 days when a sponsored worker's employment ends or their duties change. Since 1 July 2024 it is a criminal and civil offence to coerce or pressure a temporary visa holder into breaching their work conditions, and the Department can bar employers who do so from sponsoring more temporary visa holders. A law in force from 8 October 2026 also allows the Department to publish certain details about approved work sponsors once regulations prescribe them.
Sources: Skills in Demand visa; salary requirements; planning levels; sponsor obligations.
Partner and family
Partner visas (subclasses 820 and 309) can be granted whether you are in or outside Australia, and the Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) can also be granted in or outside Australia since 1 July 2024.
Processing order. From 25 July 2026 a new Ministerial Direction for family visas gives the highest priority to applications made in Australia for visas that can be granted in Australia. In plain words: where you lodge, and which visa you apply for, can affect where your application sits in the queue. It does not change the criteria you must meet.
Parents. Parent visa applications that used to be made on paper must now be lodged online through ImmiAccount. The 2026-27 Parent planning level is 7,060 places, so many parent categories have long queues. We explain the options and the waiting times honestly before you commit to fees.
Sources: Home Affairs: family migration latest news; planning levels.
Visitor visas
Visitor visas (subclass 600) are for tourism, visiting family or short business visits. Two points matter more than they used to:
- Since 1 July 2024, visitors cannot apply for a Student visa while in Australia, and from 2 October 2026 most temporary visa holders cannot. Plan study from outside Australia.
- Since 14 March 2026 the Minister can, for up to six months at a time, stop specified groups of temporary visa holders who are outside Australia from travelling here. A granted temporary visa does not always mean you can travel, so check before you book.
Working Holiday Maker visas are separate and depend on your passport. Some countries have ballots and caps, and the rules for several countries changed on 1 July 2026.
Sources: Working Holiday Maker latest news; Study Australia: onshore application changes.
Temporary Graduate (subclass 485)
Since 1 July 2024 the 485 has two main streams: Post-Vocational Education Work and Post-Higher Education Work. The maximum age is 35 for most applicants (under 50 for Masters by research and PhD graduates, and for Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passport holders).
- Bachelor and coursework masters graduates: up to 2 years.
- Research masters and PhD graduates: up to 3 years.
- Post-Vocational Education Work: up to 18 months.
- Indian nationals may receive longer stays under the Australia India trade agreement.
A 485 holder cannot apply for a new Student visa in Australia, so think about your next step before your Student visa ends.
Other visas and closed programs
- National Innovation visa (subclass 858). Since December 2024, by invitation only, after an Expression of Interest. It is for people with an internationally recognised record of exceptional achievement, and it is very selective.
- Business innovation and investment visas closed permanently to new applications on 31 July 2024. We do not lodge new applications in these programs.
- Citizenship by conferral. The application charge rose to A$595 from 1 July 2026.
Sources: National Innovation visa; skilled migration recent changes.
Refusals, reviews and appeals
If your visa is refused or cancelled, read the decision letter straight away. It tells you whether you can apply for review and how long you have. Review time limits are short and strict.
- Review at the Administrative Review Tribunal. Sukh can advise on review rights, prepare review applications and represent you at the Tribunal. Most migration review applications cost A$3,727 from 1 July 2026.
- Appeals to a court. Court proceedings about a migration decision need an Australian legal professional with a current practising certificate. If your matter needs a court, we tell you plainly and refer you, and you engage that professional directly.
- A new application. Sometimes a fresh application, with the problem fixed, is the better path. We explain the trade-offs in writing.
Sources: Home Affairs: using a migration agent; review charges as reported for 1 July 2026, check the Tribunal's current fee before you lodge.
Questions about Australia
Can my partner and children come with me on my Student visa?
For applications lodged from 2 October 2026, most Student visa applicants can no longer include family members, and family cannot be added after grant. There are exceptions, including PhD students and some sponsored and scholarship students. Your family may need to consider a different visa.
Which English tests are accepted?
From 7 August 2025: C1 Advanced, CELPIP General, IELTS Academic or General Training, LanguageCert Academic, MET, OET, PTE Academic and TOEFL iBT, taken at a secure test centre. Tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 can still be used for some time depending on the visa.
How long will my visa take?
Processing times are set by the Department and change often. We point you to the official processing time tool and never promise a date. No agent can arrange a faster decision.
Can I get advice on the phone before I sign anything?
Yes. An initial consultation can happen without a service agreement. We tell you Sukh's MARN and any fee before it starts. Further work only begins after a written service agreement and the OMARA Consumer Guide are given to you.