Australian Immigration Daily News

The Australian Government has registered the Migration (Designated Areas) Instrument 2026 (LIN 26/004).

The instrument was registered on 21 September 2026 and commences on 22 September 2026. It replaces Designated Areas 2016/044 (IMMI 16/044), which was scheduled to sunset on 1 October 2026.

Purpose of the instrument

Government Moves to Suspend and Cancel Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning) for Overseas Students

The Australian Government has introduced the Education Services for Overseas Students (Specified Classes of Courses for Automatic Suspension and Cancellation) Instrument 2026.

The Instrument specifies the BSB80120 Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning) for the purposes of section 96B of the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000.

A new legislative instrument governing the lodgement of certain Child visa applications has been registered.

The Migration (Arrangements for Child Visa Applications) Instrument 2026 (LIN 26/081) repeals and replaces the Arrangements for Child Visa Applications 2016/051, which was due to sunset on 1 October 2026.

The new instrument commences on 2 September 2026 and specifies the approved form, manner and place for applications for:

Australia's Registered Migration Agent regulator has finalised 135 complaints in six months, combining firm sanctions for serious misconduct with education and proportionate intervention in less serious matters.

New data released by the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) provides a positive picture of an active regulator taking a measured and increasingly transparent approach to professional standards.

OMARA's Migration Agent Activity Report for 1 July to 31 December 2025 shows that the regulator finalised 135 complaints during the six-month reporting period.

The Department of Home Affairs provides dedicated information and support for people experiencing domestic and family violence through its website. These pages are regularly reviewed and updated and translated into different languages: Domestic and Family Violence Information 

The website includes a downloadable information sheet that RMAs may provide to clients, where appropriate. This resource was developed in consultation with the International Organization for Migration and is attached below.

The website also hosts the Temporary visa holder domestic and family violence contact form, which is the Department's preferred point of contact for clients and RMAs seeking information or support regarding visa status or other DFV-related immigration matters.