New Visa Rules in Australia: What Started in 2026 and What Has No Date Yet
Updated: Sep 28
Published 21 September 2026 | Last updated 28 September 2026
Australia's new visa rules for 2026 come in two groups. Some have already started. Others were announced but have no start date yet.
Already in force:
higher visa charges and income thresholds (from 1 July 2026)
a new processing order for skilled visas (from 19 September 2026)
a new character direction, Ministerial Direction 123 (starts 31 October 2026)
Announced, no start date yet: the migration package from 17 September 2026. It covers students, working holiday makers, visitors, the points test and overstayers.
The Department of Home Affairs says these measures will be rolled out progressively over the next 12 months. As of 28 September 2026, we found no published start date for any of them.
Key takeaways
1 July 2026: base visa application charges for many main visas rose by about 25%. Employer-sponsored income thresholds also went up.
19 September 2026: Ministerial Direction 121 (482 visa) and Ministerial Direction 122 (ten other skilled visas) replaced Direction 119.
31 October 2026: Ministerial Direction 123 replaces Direction 110 on character decisions.
Announced 17 September 2026, no date yet: limits on student family members, a working holiday ballot, a No Further Stay condition for visitor visas, and a new points test.
Some online summaries present announced measures as already in force, or old rules as new. See the section on common mistakes below.
Which new visa rules are already in force?
These changes have a confirmed start date. Most of them have already started.
Start date | What changed | Who it affects |
1 July 2026 | Base visa application charges rose, by about 25% for many main visas | Anyone lodging a visa application on or after 1 July 2026 |
1 July 2026 | Income thresholds increased: CSIT and TSMIT to $79,423, SSIT to $146,576 | Employers nominating 482, 186, 494 and 187 visa applicants |
19 September 2026 | Ministerial Directions 121 and 122 replaced Direction 119 | Applicants for 482, 186, 187, 189, 190, 191, 489, 491, 494, 887 and 888 visas |
31 October 2026 | Ministerial Direction 123 replaces Direction 110 | People whose visa is considered on character grounds |
Visa charges from 1 July 2026
Base charges for many main visas went up by about 25%. For example, the base charge for a 482 primary applicant went from $3,210 to $4,015.
Some groups received smaller, indexed increases instead.
Check the exact price for your visa in the Home Affairs visa pricing table before you lodge. Our 482 visa cost guide breaks down the full cost for that visa.
Income thresholds from 1 July 2026
Three thresholds apply to nominations lodged on or after 1 July 2026:
Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT): $79,423. Applies to the 482 Core Skills stream and the 186 visa.
Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT): $146,576. Applies to the 482 Specialist Skills stream.
Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT): $79,423. Applies to 494 and 187 nominations.
See the Home Affairs indexation notice of 1 July 2026 and our CSIT guide for details.
New skilled visa processing order from 19 September 2026
Ministerial Direction 121 now sets the processing order for the 482 visa. Ministerial Direction 122 sets it for ten other skilled visa subclasses.
Direction 119 no longer applies. Section 3 of Direction 121 revoked it. The Department of Home Affairs confirms both new directions took effect on 19 September 2026.
The section on processing order below explains how the tiers work.
What did the government announce on 17 September 2026?
On 17 September 2026, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced a wider package in his National Press Club address.
The government linked the package to net overseas migration forecasts of 245,000 this financial year and 225,000 in 2027–28.
None of the measures below had a published start date as of 28 September 2026.
Student and graduate visas
Family members: international students and graduate visa holders will no longer be able to add family members to their visa.
Exceptions: PhD students, and some students from Pacific and ASEAN countries.
People already here: the Minister said families already in Australia on a visa will not be separated.
Changing courses: students will only be able to move up the qualification scale, for example from a bachelor's degree to a master's.
Read our migration overhaul article for more on the student changes.
Working holiday visas
A ballot will decide who gets a second or third year.
Second year: 45,000 places. About 57,000 people stayed for a second year last year.
Third year: 5,000 places. About 31,000 people stayed for a third year last year.
Regional work: the requirements stay the same (88 days for a second year, six months for a third).
UK citizens: not affected, because of the Australia–UK free trade agreement.
See our working holiday visa guide.
Visitor visas
A No Further Stay condition will be added to visitor visas. This will generally stop visitors from applying for another visa while they are in Australia.
Points test
A new points test will give housing and construction trade qualifications the same points as a university qualification.
Compliance and migration agents
The government announced 100 additional compliance officers and 250 new detention beds.
It also plans to act against migration agents who knowingly support applications without merit.
Do not assume a measure applies to you, or that it does not, until the Department publishes its start date. Check the Home Affairs migration policy changes page before you act.
Which claims about the new visa rules are wrong or misleading?
Several online summaries, including AI-generated answers, mix up announced measures, rules already in force and older rules. Here is what the official sources actually say.
Claim you may see | What the sources say |
"Students are now banned from bringing family members." | This was announced on 17 September 2026 but has no start date. It has exceptions, and the Minister said families already in Australia will not be separated. |
"Second-year working holiday places drop from 57,000 to 45,000." | There was no previous cap. About 57,000 people stayed for a second year last year. The ballot, when it starts, will cap places at 45,000. |
"Visitor and graduate visa holders can no longer switch to a student visa onshore." | This is not new. It has applied since 1 July 2024. The 2026 announcement adds rules on course progression. |
"Overstaying by more than 28 days now triggers a 3-year ban." | This is not a 2026 change. The three-year exclusion period under Public Interest Criterion 4014 of the Migration Regulations 1994 has applied for many years. |
"Most visa fees rose by 25%." | Base charges for many main visas rose by about 25% from 1 July 2026. Some groups received smaller indexed increases. Check the pricing table for your visa. |
"TSMIT of $79,423 applies to the 482 and 186 visas." | The 482 Core Skills stream and the 186 visa use the CSIT. TSMIT applies to 494 and 187 nominations. Both are $79,423. |
How does the new skilled visa processing order work?
Directions 121 and 122 rank skilled visa applications in tiers, and tier 1 is considered first. RACC labels the levels tier 1 to tier 5. The directions themselves use paragraphs (a) to (e).
Tier | Direction 121 (482 visa) | Direction 122 (ten other skilled visas) |
1 | Primary applicant in a priority occupation | Primary applicant in a priority occupation |
2 | Skills in Demand application in the Specialist Skills stream | Primary applicant in Australia when they applied |
3 | Primary applicant in Australia when they applied | Primary applicant outside Australia when they applied, application not combined with another person's |
4 | Primary applicant outside Australia when they applied, application not combined with another person's | All other applications |
5 | All other applications | Not applicable |
Key points for both directions:
Priority occupations cover construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, resources, law enforcement and defence.
Tier 1 has no location condition. A primary applicant in a priority occupation sits in tier 1 whether they applied in or outside Australia.
Combined applications take the same tier as the primary applicant's application.
Offshore applicants with family: an offshore primary applicant who includes a partner or child does not meet the "not combined" tier. Unless the application sits in tier 1, or in tier 2 under Direction 121, it falls to the last tier.
Existing applications: both directions apply to applications lodged before 19 September that had not been finally determined.
Nominations: neither direction mentions nomination applications.
Search your occupation on our skilled occupation list to check if it is a priority occupation. The MD 121 guide and the MD 122 guide explain each tier in detail.
Two other directions did not change:
Ministerial Direction 114 still covers the closed 188 and 132 business visas.
Ministerial Direction 120 still covers subclass 858 visas, including Global Talent and National Innovation.
Our guide to Ministerial Directions lists every current direction.
Which RACC guide covers your visa?
Find your visa below. Open the visa guide first, then the direction guide that sets its processing order.
Visa | RACC visa guide | Direction that sets its order |
482 (Skills in Demand and Temporary Skill Shortage) | ||
186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) | ||
189 (Skilled Independent) | ||
190 (Skilled Nominated) | ||
191 (Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional)) | ||
491 (Skilled Work Regional (Provisional)) | ||
494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional)) | ||
187, 489, 887 and 888 | No RACC guide linked here |
Planning to move from a 482 visa to a permanent visa? Read our 482 visa to permanent residency guide.
Is Ministerial Direction 123 part of the new visa rules?
Yes, but it does not change processing order. Direction 123 is about character decisions under section 501 of the Migration Act. It tells decision-makers how to decide whether to refuse or cancel a visa on character grounds, or restore a visa after a mandatory cancellation.
Directions 121 and 122 | Direction 123 | |
What it covers | Order in which skilled visa applications are processed | How character refusals, cancellations and revocations are decided |
Signed | 18 September 2026 | 18 September 2026 |
Starts | 19 September 2026 | 31 October 2026 |
Replaces | Direction 119 | Direction 110 |
Changes your processing tier? | Yes | No |
Home Affairs describes the update as a change to "combat hate and criminal behaviour". It includes better protection for children who are victims of crime and for victims of domestic and family violence.
Read our Ministerial Direction 123 guide for what changes from Direction 110.
What should you do now?
Check whether your visa is affected by a rule already in force, or only by an announced measure.
For skilled visas, open the matching direction guide: MD 121 for the 482 visa, MD 122 for the other ten subclasses.
Check if your occupation is a priority occupation on our skilled occupation list.
If you plan to lodge soon, check the current charge in the Home Affairs pricing table.
For announced measures, watch the Home Affairs migration policy changes page for start dates.
Read our visa processing times guide for current timing.
If you are unsure how the changes affect your plans, book a consultation with our registered migration agents.
This page is general information. It is not legal or migration advice.
Frequently asked questions
What are the new visa rules in Australia in 2026?
The rules already in force are higher visa charges and income thresholds from 1 July 2026, and a new skilled visa processing order from 19 September 2026. Ministerial Direction 123 on character decisions starts on 31 October 2026.
Measures announced on 17 September 2026, including student family limits and a working holiday ballot, have no start date yet.
Have the student visa family restrictions started?
Not as far as we can find. The Minister announced them on 17 September 2026. Home Affairs says the measures will be rolled out over the next 12 months, and no start date had been published as of 28 September 2026.
The Minister said families already in Australia will not be separated.
When does the working holiday visa ballot start?
No start date had been published as of 28 September 2026. When it starts, the ballot will cap second-year places at 45,000 and third-year places at 5,000.
UK citizens are not affected because of the Australia–UK free trade agreement.
Did visa fees go up in 2026?
Yes. From 1 July 2026, base visa application charges for many main visas rose by about 25%. For example, the 482 primary applicant charge went from $3,210 to $4,015.
Check the Home Affairs pricing table for your visa before you lodge.
Is Ministerial Direction 119 still in force?
No. Section 3 of Ministerial Direction 121 revokes Direction 119, which is dated 24 July 2026.
Direction 119 no longer governs any application, including applications lodged before 19 September 2026. Directions 121 and 122 apply to visa applications that had not been finally determined by then.
Does Ministerial Direction 123 change the skilled visa processing order?
No. Direction 123 replaces Direction 110 from 31 October 2026 and covers character refusals, cancellations and revocations. It does not change the tiers in Directions 121 and 122.
Disclaimer
The information in this article provides general guidance only. It does not constitute migration or legal advice.
Migration policies, nomination allocations, and visa requirements may change and may vary depending on each applicant's circumstances.
Applicants should seek advice from a MARA-registered migration agent or qualified immigration professional before making migration decisions.
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