Australian Immigration Daily News

The AusCheck (Major National Event – 2026 Asian Football Confederation Women’s Asian Cup) Declaration 2025 has been made under subsection 5A(1) of the AusCheck Act 2007. This declaration designates the 2026 Asian Football Confederation Women’s Asian Cup (WAC26) as a major national event.

The declaration enables the Department of Home Affairs to conduct and coordinate criminal, security, identity, and work rights background checks in connection with the accreditation of individuals working or volunteering at the tournament. Background checks will include electronic identity verification through the Document Verification Service.

Two supporting notifiable instruments have also been established. The first designates Football Australia as the organising body for WAC26. The second specifies the matters to be assessed in background checks, including criminal history, security assessments, citizenship or residency status, and identity verification.

The Migration (English Language Test Requirements for Subclass 482 Visas) Instrument 2025 (LIN 25/082) commences on 13 September 2025 and repeals the 2024 instrument. It establishes the approved English language tests, required scores, validity periods, and exemptions for applicants in both the Specialist Skills and Core Skills streams of the Subclass 482 visa.

Approved tests now include IELTS Academic and General, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, OET, CELPIP General, LANGUAGECERT Academic and the Michigan English Test. The instrument also introduces recognition of the Single Skill Retake pathway, which permits applicants to re-sit a single test component where necessary. Test results must be no more than three years old at the time of application.

Exemptions apply to citizens of the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand, as well as applicants who have completed at least five years of full-time study in English. Further exemptions include licensed professionals who have already met equivalent English requirements, high earning intra-company transferees earning at least AUD 96,400 annually, and those working in diplomatic or consular roles.

The Department of Home Affairs has registered the Migration (Arrangements for Visitor (Class FA) visa applications) Amendment (Approved Destination Status) Instrument 2025, which commences on 12 September 2025.

This amendment revises the list of approved travel agents for the Approved Destination Status (ADS) stream of the Visitor (subclass 600) visa. The ADS stream facilitates group travel from the People’s Republic of China to Australia.

The updated instrument:

The Australian Government has announced that the Permanent Migration Program for 2025–26 will be maintained at 185,000 places, consistent with the 2024–25 Program.

This outcome follows consultation with states and territories, which recommended that both the size and composition of the Program remain unchanged, with an ongoing emphasis on skilled migration. The Department of Home Affairs has confirmed that visa processing has already been conducted at this level, ensuring continuity and no disruption to program delivery.

For practitioners, employers, and stakeholders, this provides certainty and stability in the year ahead. With skilled migration continuing to form the foundation of the Program, migration professionals should anticipate sustained demand across employer-sponsored, skilled independent, and state and territory nominated visa categories.

The Migration (International Trade Obligations Relating to Labour Market Testing) Amendment (CEPA) Determination 2025 updates Australia’s migration law to recognise the new Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the United Arab Emirates.

Normally, employers who want to sponsor overseas workers must show they tried to hire Australians first (labour market testing). But under trade agreements, Australia sometimes agrees not to apply this rule.

This amendment: