Assent Migration Lawyers

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...

21/05/2026

Tasmanian Skilled Migration State Nomination Program Update - 21 May 2026
Registrations of Interest closing 3 June 2026 for the 2025-26 program year

Registrations of Interest for all pathways and passes of the Tasmanian Skilled Migration State Nomination Program will close 5pm Wednesday, 3 June, 2026, following strong demand for nomination.

The last invitation round for the 2025-26 program year will take place on Thursday 4 June 2026.

Migration Tasmania will resume accepting ROIs from all eligible candidates when the 2026-27 program commences.

Further information regarding the 2026-27 program will be published on the Migration Tasmania website and in our newsletter when it becomes available.

Migration Tasmania will continue to assess applications for nomination and new applications will be able to be lodged. However, with few nomination places remaining, not all applicants will be nominated this program year.

Once all nomination places are used, any applications approved will be nominated after Tasmania receives its nomination allocation for the 2026-27 program year.

ROIs that are not invited to apply for nomination before the end of the program will continue to be held in the Application Gateway for six months and considered for an invitation to apply for nomination when the 2026-27 program opens.

If you have questions regarding this or any other Tasmanian nomination issue, please contact Migration Tasmania at [email protected].

Processing times and remaining nomination quota are updated weekly on the Migration Tasmania website

20/05/2026

Insight: Administrative Review Tribunal streamlining “On the Papers” decisions — the 2026 Amendment Rules change the ART Rules to support efficient “on the papers” reviews for certain temporary visa matters. Read more: https://wix.to/iagDik8

Australia’s migration and administrative law framework continues to evolve with the introduction of the Administrative Review Tribunal Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Rules 2026 (Amendment Rules). These amendments make targeted but significant changes to the Administrative Review Tribunal Rules 20...

18/05/2026

The Australian Government has set the 2026–27 permanent Migration Program at 185,000 places, maintaining a ~70:30 Skilled to Family split. A key shift: priority for onshore applicants, with 129,590 places reserved for migrants already in Australia.

On 12 May 2026, the Australian Government announced that the 2026–27 permanent Migration Program will be set at 185,000 places, with an approximate 70:30 split between the Skilled and Family Programs. The overall planning level and the Skill and Family split of the program are unchanged from 2025-...

05/05/2026

Facing a student visa refusal and now at the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), a short blog that outlines the ART process and practical steps you can take to prepare your case.

https://www.assentmigration.com/post/student-visa-refusal-at-the-art

Australia remains one of the most sought-after destinations for international education. With rising application volumes has come increased scrutiny. The Department of Home Affairs recently published data on their decisions shows about 20 to 25% refusal rate across all visa lodgements. About 50% of....

30/04/2026

Coalition’s immigration policy announcement — breakdown of proposed measures to reduce migration, introduce mandatory social media checks and expand security vetting.

Earlier this month Opposition Leader Angus Taylor announced the Coalition’s immigration policy that focuses on reducing overall migration levels, implementing strict ‘Australian values’ tests, and increasing security vetting.The Coalition is the Liberal-National Coalition an alliance of conser...