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The Department of Home Affairs announced that the Australian Immi App has expanded access to another 13 countries, making the app available in a total of 47 countries as of March 24, 2026.
Key takeaways:
Eligible applicants from the following countries can now use the Australian Immi App to apply for an Australian visa:
The Australian Immi App allows eligible applicants to submit their facial biometrics and passport information digitally, typically removing the need to visit a biometric collection center.
Continued expansion is expected in 2026 across Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, Mekong and South Asia regions.
This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.
Copyright © 2026 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.
Australia’s skilled visa income threshold will increase by 3.75%, effective July 1, 2026, to align with changes in the annual Average Weekly Ordinary Time Earnings.
Income threshold increases
The Core Skills Income Threshold will increase from AU$76,515 to AU$79,499. The Specialist Skills Income Threshold will increase from AU$141,210 to AU$146,717.
Impacted skilled visa categories
Impacted skilled visa categories include the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) Visa and Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) Visa.
Exemptions
Only nominations lodged on or after July 1 will be impacted by the new thresholds. These changes do not apply to existing visa holders or nominations lodged before July 1. Applications lodged prior to July 1 (but that remain pending) will continue to be considered based on the Temporary Skilled Migration Immigration Threshold in place “at the time of lodgement.”
Additional Information: The thresholds are indexed annually to ensure parity with Australian workers’ wages. An overview of the Australian government’s requirements for nominating workers for subclass 482, 494, 186 and 187 with income thresholds can be found here.
The Australian government announced changes to Training (subclass 407) visa application requirements, requiring sponsorship and nomination to be approved before applying for the visa.
Key highlights:
Effective March 11, 2026, sponsors of Training visa applicants must be approved as a temporary activities sponsor and have an approved Training visa nomination for the applicant before the applicant can submit a valid Training visa application.
Sponsors are recommended to lodge the sponsorship and nomination applications well in advance of the proposed training start date.
Applicants already in Australia must have a valid visa while waiting for the sponsorship and nomination to be processed. A Bridging visa will only be available after a valid Training visa application is submitted.
The Department of Home Affairs has expanded access to the Australian Immi App to eligible visa applicants from 34 countries, effective Nov. 24, 2025.
Key Points:
Copyright © 2025 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.
The Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-Professionals Scheme (MATES) program has opened ballot registration for the 2025-26 program year.
Australia’s Department of Home Affairs announced the launch of a new online support service to resolve immigration status for individuals in Australia with expired visas.
The Department of Home Affairs announced that individuals who hold certain Partner visas can submit their information for the permanent stage of their visa if it has been two years since they applied for the visa.
Australia’s Department of Home Affairs announced that more English Language Tests (ELTs) are now accepted for Australian visa purposes and that ELT requirements will be updated for the Skills in Demand (SID) visa.
The Department of Home Affairs announced that the 2025-26 Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) ballots are open for Pacific Island and Timor-Leste nationals.
Australia’s ImmiAccount now supports online services for Child, Other Family, Former Resident and New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship paper-based visa applications.
Additional Information: ImmiAccount is an online platform provided by the Australian Department of Home Affairs for managing visa and citizenship applications.