Active Migration Australia Pty Ltd

08/04/2025

Salary Threshold increases from 1 July 2025 for the 482, 494 and 186 visas

Nominations lodged after June 30 2025 will be subject to the new increases.

CSIT (Core Skills Income Threshold) from $73,150 to $76,515
SSIT (Specialist Skills Income Threshold) from $135,000 to $141,210
These figures exclude superannuation contributions.

It is important to keep these dates in mind and either

Begin Labour Market Testing (LMT) early covering the new salary range, or
Lodge your sponsorship or nomination applications before 1 July to avoid additional costs

03/12/2024

The Australian Government announced the release of the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL).

https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/Documents/core-sol.pdf

The CSOL is a single consolidated list that provides access to temporary skilled migration for 456 occupations.

The CSOL will apply to the Core Skills stream of the new Skills in Demand visa, which will replace the Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visa on 7 December 2024. The CSOL will also apply to the Direct Entry stream of the permanent Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa.

More details on other reform taking place on 7 December 2024, including the Skills in Demand visa and National Innovation visa, will be announced shortly.

01/11/2024

Coming Soon.

The new Skills in Demand visa Sc 482

Temporary skilled worker visa with up to 4 years validity with a clear pathway to permanent residence
Will have 3 streams - Specialist Skills, Core Skills and Labour Agreements

Specialist Skills stream: Will be for highly skilled migrants earning at least $135,000 in any occupation except trades workers, machinery operators, drivers and labourers

Core Skills stream: Will be for skilled employees and there will be a new Core Skills occupation List and a Core Skills Income Threshold

Labour Agreement stream: The TSS Labour Agreement stream will be renamed the Skills in Demand Labour Agreement stream
Work experience requirement reduced to one year

As the TSS visa will be replaced by the SID visa existing short-term and medium-term streams of the TSS visa will close to new applications.

The Department are currently working on this, and it will commence in 2024.

05/07/2024

Launch of the Western Australia Designated Area Migration Agreement Program

The Western Australian Government has successfully negotiated the establishment of a Western Australian Designated Area Migration Agreement (WA DAMA) with the Commonwealth Government.

The WA DAMA will be the fifth DAMA for WA, complementing the existing Goldfields, Kimberley, Pilbara and South West DAMAs.

30/06/2024

GREAT NEWS for migrants wanting to move to Western Australia.

The federal government has buckled to WA's request for 10,000 state nomination invitations for the 190 and 491 visa program.

16/05/2024

The Government will reduce the work experience requirement for the Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visa from two years to one year for all applicants from 23 November 2024 onwards. This will be huge advantage for applicants on student visas and 485 graduate visas with sponsors now being able to keep their skilled workers.

26/04/2024

Changes to the Temporary Graduate (Sc 485) visa proposed 1 July 2024

The Department have updated their website to outline the changes to the Temporary Graduate (485) visa program as announced as part of the Migration Strategy. The changes to the 485 should take effect from 1 July 2024, subject to the passage of legislative amendments. The changes are the following:

Graduate Work Stream

Renamed to the Post-Vocational Education Work Stream
The maximum eligible age will be reduced to 35 years of age or under. Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders will continue to be eligible provided they are under 50 years of age.
Applicants must hold an associate degree, diploma or trade qualification, closely related to their nominated occupation on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL).Applicants with a degree level qualification or higher will no longer be eligible for this stream.
The stay period will remain up to 18 months, with Hong Kong or British National Overseas passport holders eligible to stay for up to 5 years.

Post- Study Work Stream
Renamed to the Post-Higher Education stream.

The maximum eligible age for Post-Higher Education Work stream applicants will reduce to 35 years of age or under. Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders will continue to be eligible provided they are under 50 years of age
The ‘select degree’ 2 year extension will cease.
Stay periods will change to the following:
Bachelor degree (including honors) – up to 2 years
Masters (coursework and extended) – up to 2 years
Masters (research) and doctoral degree (PhD) – up to 3 years.
Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders may be able to stay for up to 5 years.
Stay periods for Indian nationals, as agreed in the Australian Indian – Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA), remain as:
Bachelor degree (including honours) – up to 2 years
Bachelor degree (with first class honours in STEM, including ICT) – up to 3 years
Masters (coursework, extended and research) – up to 3 years
Doctoral degrees (PhD) – up to 4 years.

Second Post- Study Work stream
Renamed to Second Post-Higher Education Work Stream
There are no other changes to this stream.

Replacement stream
This stream will cease and no longer be available.

https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/temporary-graduate-485/changes

21/12/2023

Working Holiday Makers
Condition 8547 - Extension of work rights past 6 months

The Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs has made the decision to continue the previous exemption process relating to visa condition 8547, from 1 January 2024, while consultation on the Working Holiday program settings and reform process is underway in line with the recently released Migration Strategy.

01/11/2023

We have a date - 25th of November all 482 holders will have access to the 186 transitional stream if they have held the 482 for 2 years. We have not yet seen the legislation so we don't truly know how it will work but we are a step closer....

26/03/2022

Western Australia 190/491 Update.

The Department of Home Affairs has provided Western Australia with additional allocations for the State Nominated Migration Program for the remainder of the 2021-22 program year.

Since an additional allocation of nominations has become available, Migration Services will finalize the State nomination applications currently in process. Applicants will be contacted as necessary.

Application for State nominations is now open, and the next invitation round will likely take place in the first week of April 2022.

17/02/2022

Great news for 485, 489 491 and 494 visa holders affected by Covid. Replacement visas will be available and it is not just a media release. There is actual legislation. We hope this is just the beginning. To see how we can help you email [email protected]

F2022L00151

01/02/2022

Western Australia has met their quota of places for the State nomination program for 2021-22.

Migration Services is continuing to process applications for State nomination, however, any applications which meet the requirements to be approved will be placed on hold.

On 4 August 2021, the Premier Mark McGowan wrote to the Commonwealth Department of Home Affairs requesting an additional 5,000 places under the State nomination program.