We specialize in Student, Partner, Business, Work and Australian Permanent Residency Visas.
12/03/2025
Changes To Australian Visa Rules in 2025!
Australia’s migration did significantly change about the regulation to address the issues in temporary skilled migration, international education standards to cover shortage of manpower. In 2025, these are some changes that will impact in visa processing.
Permanent Migration Adjustment
As Australian government did revision about permanent migration program that will be launched in 2025, here are some changes about key allocations compared with 2024.
o Skilled Migrants: There are 132,200 spot places for this visa category that takes 71% of the total number of available migrations. This indicates significant portion available to skilled worker. The breakdown as following:
Employer-Sponsored Visa takes 44,000 places raise up from 36,825.
Skilled Independent Visa takes 16,900 places.
Regional Visa takes 33,000 places.
State/Territory Nominated Visa takes 33,000 places slightly increasing from 30,400.
o Business and Innovation Visa: Provided 5,000 places allocated in 2025 down from the previous year 2024, there was 6,900 places allocated.
This changes purpose to address labor demands issues while maintaining the quota of immigrants.
Student Visa Adjustment
By end 2024, Australia government launched a new approach to organise numbers of international student, by proposed enrolment cap with Ministerial Direction 111. This implementation made priority based on processing system as following:
High priority applications that cover up to 80% of provider indicate international student allotment.
Standard priority applications that cover remaining applicants.
With some additional changes as following:
Eligibility restrictions to some Temporary visa holders, such as graduate, visitor, or maritime crew visas are banned to apply student visas while the applicant onshore.
Fees increasing to $1,600 as previous one $710.
Financial capacity requirement adjusted to 75% of the national minimum wage.
English language standards adjusted to strengthened requirements that kicked in March 2024.
These amendments have purpose to improve quality of international education and reduce exploitation to applicants.
Temporary Graduate Visa Adjustment
This are keys adjustment:
Streamlining previously four become to three streams:
o Post-vocational Education work.
o Post-Higher Education work.
o Second Post-Higher Education work.
Age restrictions now up to 35 years, with Master’s & PhD holders extending to 50 years.
Stay period:
o Bachelor’s degree up to 2 years
o Master by coursework up to 2 years
o Master by research or PhD up to 3 years
Temporary Short Skill visa changes to new Skill in Demand Visa
SID visa comes with three streams:
🔹 Core Skills – Targeting occupations on the Core Skill Occupation List (CSOL) with income thresholds starting at $73,150.
🔹 Specialist Skills – Aimed at high-earning migrants in non-trade roles, with thresholds at $135,000.
🔹 Labour Agreement Stream – Continuing current agreements, with room for expansion!
Global Talent Visa replacing by National Innovation Visa that targeting high profile professionals, researcher, and investors. Applicants must submit an Expression of Interest and receive invitation from Department of Home Affairs.
Visa Ballot Processes for high-demand visa programs including:
Work & Holiday Visas – Now available for applicants from China, India, and Vietnam.
MATES (Mobility for Talented Early-Professionals Scheme)– Provided up to 3,000 temporary visas for Indian graduates in key fields.
Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) – Offering 3,000 permanent spots annually for Pacific nationals.
This amendment purpose to ensure fairness and transparency in visa processing.
Australia’s migration trends and projections will be focusing on Net Overseas Migration (NOM), which refers to the difference between the number of people come in and out from Australia.
As 2024-2025, NOM will be expected to 340,000.
As 2025-2026, NOM will be stable at 255,000.
These adjustments will bring balance number of migrations and addressing issues of workforce shortages in the future.
