Assent Migration Lawyers

18/08/2026

Australia's Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa program is in the headlines, with 24 partner countries now showing a "paused" status on the Department of Home Affairs website — and the Opposition seizing on the move as evidence of broader migration mismanagement.
https://www.assentmigration.com/post/work-and-holiday-visa-subclass-462-country-cap-pauses-spark-political-dedbate

29/07/2026

Navigating visa options for Iranian nationals affected by Middle East conflicts

The ongoing military conflict in the Middle East has disrupted travel plans for many, especially Iranian nationals holding Visitor (Subclass 600) visas who are currently outside Australia. The situation remains volatile, with risks of attacks and escalation, making travel uncertain and complicated.....

06/07/2026

Policy update: Australia’s National Planning Level (NPL) for international student commencements will remain at 295,000 in 2027, unchanged from 2026. This decision provides predictability for education providers, recruiters, and prospective international students navigating admissions and enrollment planning. Learn more about the implications and current trends: https://wix.to/k6e3MLk

The Australian Government has announced that the National Planning Level (NPL) for international student commencements will remain unchanged in 2027, providing certainty for education providers and prospective international students.The 2027 planning level will remain at 295,000 international studen...

01/07/2026

https://www.assentmigration.com/post/working-holiday-visa-program-changes-from-1-july-2026

Australia has introduced changes to its Working Holiday Maker program from 1 July 2026, including a substantial increase in visa application charges for young travellers seeking to live and work in Australia.The base application charge for both the Working Holiday (subclass 417) visa and the Work an...

01/07/2026

Alert for applicants and employers: The Australian Government has raised visa application charges and citizenship fees (some increases align with CPI). Employers sponsoring overseas workers and individuals planning applications should review the updated fee schedule and budget accordingly.

https://www.assentmigration.com/post/australian-visa-and-citizenship-fees-increase

Today, the Australian Government has introduced a range of increases to visa application and citizenship application fees without any warning as to Australian citizenship application fees have increased in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to reflect the increasing cost of processing applicat...

11/06/2026

High Court ruling: Abdel‑Hady v Commonwealth (2026 HCA 17) — the Court rejected a proposed defence for Commonwealth officers in cases of unlawful immigration detention, leaving open remedies for false imprisonment. Our blog explains the judgment’s reasoning and implications for legal practice and government conduct. Read more: https://wix.to/Ju4xBiY

The High Court has rejected a proposed common law defence that would have shielded Commonwealth officers from liability for false imprisonment during a period of unlawful immigration detention.

09/06/2026

We are now starting to see remittal decisions being issued in student visa review matters determined solely on the papers. This is an encouraging sign for applicants who may have been concerned about the removal of oral hearings.

Since the introduction of paper-based student visa reviews, many applicants and practitioners have been wondering whether the changes would affect the chances of success at the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART).While it is still early days, we are now starting to see remittal decisions being issu...

29/05/2026

The next Skilled Independent (Subclass 189) visa invitation round will take place on 4 June 2026. Ensure your EOI in SkillSelect is current and all details are accurate — points and eligibility are decisive. Review your profile now and consult a migration advisor if needed. Full details: https://wix.to/J9cSAdd

The next invitation round for the Skilled Independent visa (Subclass 189) is scheduled for 4 June 2026. This visa is highly sought after by skilled workers who want to live and work permanently in Australia without employer sponsorship.What Applicants Need to Know • Ensure your Expression of Inter...

29/05/2026

The Australian Border Force has launched a four-month national operation focusing on compliance within the Training (Subclass 407) visa program. With 100+ site visits in month one, the operation aims to identify fraudulent training providers and exploitative employers. Essential reading for sponsors, employers and migration professionals: https://wix.to/uJNmpu4

The Australian Border Force (ABF) has launched a national operation targeting compliance issues within the Training (Subclass 407) visa program. This four-month operation, led by the Department's Sponsor Monitoring Unit, aims to identify and address fraudulent training programs and exploitative prac...

21/05/2026

The latest federal budget focuses on reforming permanent migration to attract younger, more highly skilled workers to addresses work shortages with $85.2M for faster skills assessments and licensing. Our brief explains the likely repercussions for migrants, employers and the labour market. Read more: https://wix.to/asmAJiu

In the announcement of changes to migration by the federal government in its budget speech the focus was on proposed reforms to the permanent migration system to gain better educated, younger and higher skilled migrants in an effort to address worker shortages in the existing landscape.The governmen...