As October begins, there are further changes to Australian migration policy and visa processing. This week’s highlights include the September Subclass 189 invitations being delayed until the end of October, the ACT’s announcement of its first state nomination round for the new financial year, the removal of card payment surcharges on visa fees from 1 October, and significant progress in processing onshore non-priority skilled migration applications following the introduction of new ministerial directions.
Meanwhile, new Australian student visa policies have been taking effect progressively. Onshore renewals, student visa secondary applicants, Subclass 485 secondary applicants, changing education providers, and switching from different temporary visas to student visas all warrant particular attention.
1. September Subclass 189 invitations postponed to October
2. Canberra’s first round due in mid-October; Tasmania’s Subclass 190 cutoff falls again
3. Card payment surcharges on Australian visa fees removed from 1 October
4. Major progress for onshore non-priority applications after the new policy takes effect
5. This week’s visa grants, invitations and skills assessment results
New Australian student visa policies: changes to onshore renewals, secondary applicants and provider transfers
Recent Australian student visa reforms have been taking effect progressively. Current student visa holders, those preparing to renew their visas, and applicants planning to add a partner as a secondary applicant need to pay close attention to the new lodgement requirements.
Applying for a student visa onshore
If you currently hold a student visa, whether as a primary or secondary applicant, you generally need to leave Australia to lodge another student visa application and wait offshore for the decision.
Some circumstances remain exempt from the offshore lodgement requirement. These include Defence students, Foreign Affairs students and school students; applicants seeking to undertake a doctoral programme; applicants whose original student visa will not cover them through to graduation because of failed subjects or similar reasons, who remain at the same provider and expect to complete their course within the next 12 months; and applicants who, after completing one course, progress to a higher AQF level course, or move from a course without an AQF level to one with an AQF level.
For onshore renewals, the two conditions that need particular attention are remaining at the same provider and completing the course within the next 12 months.
Restrictions on secondary applicants will also apply to Subclass 485
The Assistant Minister for International Education recently confirmed that the policy restricting secondary applicants will also extend to the Subclass 485 Graduate visa.
Exemption arrangements exist for some applicants already in Australia. A particular question is whether family members already covered by the same student visa arrangements can continue to apply together for a Subclass 485 visa. However, if a partner is not currently included on the same student visa, there remains considerable uncertainty about whether they will be able to join as a subsequent entrant after the primary applicant is granted a Subclass 485 visa.
If your partner plans to become a Subclass 485 secondary applicant, we therefore recommend addressing the relevant application arrangements promptly.
Applicants preparing for their first Subclass 485 visa or a second regional Subclass 485 visa should also check their secondary applicant arrangements early. Eligible regional graduates can, in principle, apply for a second visa after their first Subclass 485 visa is granted, without waiting until the first is close to expiry.
A second Subclass 485 visa involves regional residence and work requirements. During the visa period, holders need to live and work in eligible areas in accordance with the relevant conditions.
Restrictions on student visa secondary applicants
Under the new student visa policy, both secondary applicants lodging with the primary applicant and subsequent entrants will generally be subject to restrictions.
Exemptions remain available for Defence students, Foreign Affairs students, applicants holding a passport from a Pacific regional country or an ASEAN member country, and doctoral students.
Applicants eligible for an exemption also need to note that partner secondary applications generally need to be lodged at the same time and in the same place. If the previous student visa included a partner, the partner included in the new student visa application must be the same person. Once the primary applicant’s student visa has been granted, a partner cannot join as a subsequent entrant.
In addition, holders of Subclass 407, 482, 417, 462 and 457 visas will also face restrictions on switching to a student visa onshore.
The 28-day grace period for student visas will also be removed.
Provider transfer rules will change further from 1 July 2027. Under the new transfer stream, students who apply for a new student visa will need to wait for it to be granted before starting their new course. The new visa will generally retain the original student visa’s expiry date.
The new rules will also restrict transfers to a lower AQF level and the addition of more packaged courses through a transfer.
From now until 30 June 2027, students can transfer only after completing 12 months of their original course. From 1 July 2027, the rule allowing a transfer after completing six months will return.
Department of Home Affairs updates parent migration waiting times: further delays for Subclass 143
The Department of Home Affairs updated parent migration processing times this week.
Subclass 143 parent visa processing has been delayed further, with official figures now showing a wait of around 18 years.
Although the contributory parent visa page theoretically covers both Subclass 143 and 864, other processing data show a clear difference in their actual progress. Subclass 864 applications are now being processed considerably faster than Subclass 143 applications, with recent requests for further documents on Subclass 864 applications lodged in August 2021.
The current 18-year wait for Subclass 143 therefore does not mean Subclass 864 also requires an 18-year wait.
For queued parent visas, Subclass 103 and 804, the estimated wait has also risen further from just over 30 years to around 42 years.
1. September Subclass 189 invitations delayed until the end of October
The planned new round of Subclass 189 skilled independent invitations ultimately did not arrive in September.
In an update on 1 October, the Department of Home Affairs stated that the next Subclass 189 invitation round is expected on or before 31 October. Its website continues to use the wording “is expected to”.
Some agents who attended MIA meetings have also learnt that the next round may take place in mid-October, but the final timing remains subject to the Department of Home Affairs’ official announcement.
Applicants who previously did not have enough time to prepare now have a little more time. Those waiting for a Subclass 189 invitation can use it to check that the skills assessment, English results, work experience and other points claims in their EOI remain valid.
2. Canberra’s first round due in mid-October; Tasmania’s Subclass 190 minimum score falls further
The ACT announced its state nomination arrangements for the new financial year in late September. Its first invitation round is planned for the week beginning 12 October, and this round will issue Subclass 190 invitations only.
The ACT has also tentatively scheduled further rounds for the weeks beginning 25 January, 22 March and 24 May. Based on its pattern in the 2025–26 financial year, invitations are usually issued on the Thursday and Friday of the relevant week.
However, the ACT Government also said it had not received its final allocation when it announced these arrangements. The invitation dates may therefore be adjusted once the final allocation is known.
Strictly speaking, Tasmania remains a relatively consistently operating state nomination programme at present.
Tasmania issued 38 Subclass 190 invitations this week: seven Gold and 31 Green. The minimum invitation score fell further from 352 last week to 331. The Subclass 491 round issued 34 invitations with a minimum score of 71, compared with 72 last week.
One of our clients also received a Subclass 190 pre-invitation through the Established Resident pathway this week.
As Subclass 190 invitation numbers increase, the number of applications awaiting processing has also risen. There are currently 62 Subclass 190 applications and 51 Subclass 491 applications awaiting processing, which has now reached nomination applications lodged on 21 September. The ROI pool contains around 900 applications awaiting a Subclass 190 invitation and around 591 awaiting Subclass 491. Remaining allocations are approximately 979 for Subclass 190 and 704 for Subclass 491.
3. Card payment surcharges on Australian visa fees removed from 1 October
From 1 October, the previous card payment surcharge no longer applies when paying Australian visa application fees by bank card.
Previously, the card payment surcharge on visa fees was usually around 1.4%. As visa application fees have risen in recent years, the surcharge alone could approach A$100 for some more expensive applications.
Some applicants therefore previously chose to pay by BPAY. However, BPAY payments may take time to arrive. Where a visa application has a firm deadline, a payment that does not arrive in time may affect the application’s validity, so particular care is needed when time is tight.
4. Major progress in onshore non-priority skilled migration processing after the new policy takes effect
Following the replacement of Ministerial Direction 119 with the new MD 121 and MD 122, the Department of Home Affairs updated its actual skilled visa processing progress under the new directions for the first time this week.
Several changes are apparent. More occupations now fall within the first priority, increasing the number of priority occupation applications, so the processing dates for some priority occupations have temporarily moved backwards. Meanwhile, grants have begun for offshore priority occupations. Onshore non-priority occupations continue to be processed under the new second priority, with significant progress in the relevant Subclass 189 and 190 queues. Subclass 491 processing, however, has slipped back somewhat because of reduced allocations.
Subclass 189
Priority occupations are currently being processed up to around November 2025, a shift backwards of about seven months. Other onshore occupations have reached around June 2026, an advance of about five months.
Offshore applications without secondary applicants are currently being processed up to around November 2025, with essentially no progress. Other offshore applications have also reached around November 2025.
Subclass 190
Priority occupations are currently being processed up to around May 2025, a shift backwards of about 15 months. Other onshore occupations have reached around January 2026, an advance of about nine months.
Offshore applications without secondary applicants are currently being processed up to around February 2025, with essentially no progress. Other offshore applications have also reached around February 2025.
Subclass 491
Onshore priority occupations are currently being processed up to around March 2025, a shift backwards of about 14 months. Other onshore occupations are being processed up to around February 2025.
Offshore applications both with no secondary applicants and in other offshore categories are currently being processed up to around February 2025, with no significant overall progress.
For detailed processing changes affecting Subclass 482, 186 and other employer-sponsored categories, see our earlier article, “First Department of Home Affairs update after the new policy: major progress for onshore non-priority applications, with grants beginning for offshore priority occupations”.
5. This week’s visa grants, invitations and skills assessment results
State government invitations
There were no new formal state government invitation cases this week.
Subclass 189 skilled independent migration
A Subclass 189 Hong Kong Stream application lodged on 8 April 2026 was granted on 30 September 2026.
Subclass 190 state nomination
A Subclass 190 application lodged on 30 May 2025 was granted on 30 September 2026.
Subclass 491 regional state nomination
There were no new Subclass 491 visa grant cases this week.
Subclass 191 and 887 regional permanent residency
There were no new Subclass 191 or 887 visa grant cases this week.
Employer sponsorship
A Subclass 482 Massage Therapist application lodged on 30 June 2026 was granted on 29 September 2026.
A Subclass 482 Chef application lodged on 18 December 2025 was granted on 29 September 2026.
A Subclass 186 Direct Entry Accountant application lodged on 20 December 2024 was granted on 1 October 2026.
Another Subclass 186 Direct Entry ICT application had its nomination approved on 30 June 2026 and its visa granted on 28 September 2026.
Investor visas and GTI
A Subclass 888 application lodged on 19 December 2025 was granted on 29 September 2026.
Partner migration
A Subclass 820 application lodged on 13 June 2024 received simultaneous Subclass 820 and 801 grants on 30 September 2026.
Parent visas
There were no new parent visa grant cases this week.
Child visas
There were no new child visa grant cases this week.
Subclass 485 Graduate visa
A Subclass 485 application lodged on 15 June 2026 was granted on 30 September 2026.
A Subclass 485 application lodged on 28 September 2026 was granted on 1 October 2026.
Another Subclass 485 application lodged on 14 September 2026 was granted on 1 October 2026.
Subclass 500 Student visa
Two Subclass 500 Student visa applications lodged on 6 August 2026 were both granted on 29 September 2026.
Subclass 600 Visitor visa
An onshore application lodged on 12 August 2026 was granted on 2 October 2026.
An application lodged on 21 September 2026 was granted on 29 September 2026.
An application lodged on 18 September 2026 was granted on 29 September 2026.
Subclass 602 Medical Treatment visa
A Subclass 602 application lodged on 7 March 2025 was granted on 30 September 2026.
Skills assessments
A VETASSESS skills assessment application lodged on 25 September 2026 received its result on 1 October 2026.
