Australian Immigration Daily News

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:

The Migration (English Language Requirements for Subclass 485 (Temporary Graduate) Visas) Instrument 2025 (LIN 25/089), made under clause 485.212 of Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994, specifies the English language proficiency requirements for applicants seeking a Subclass 485 visa in either the Post-Vocational Education Work or Post-Higher Education Work streams. The instrument repeals and replaces LIN 24/021, effective 7 August 2025.

The instrument outlines:

• Approved English Language Tests: Including IELTS, PTE, TOEFL iBT, OET, CELPIP, LANGUAGECERT, MET, and Cambridge Advanced.

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The Migration (English Language Tests and Evidence Exemptions for Subclass 500 (Student) Visas) Instrument 2025 (LIN 25/090) is a legislative instrument made under subclause 500.213(3) of Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994. It repeals and replaces the previous instrument (LIN 24/022) and commences on 7 August 2025.

The purpose of the instrument is to specify:

• Approved English language tests for Subclass 500 (Student) visa applicants.

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This legislative instrument, referenced as LIN 25/016, is issued under various provisions of the Migration Regulations 1994. It replaces the earlier instrument IMMI 15/005 and commences on 7 August 2025. The instrument specifies the English language proficiency requirements for visa applicants across four categories: vocational, competent, proficient, and superior English.

The instrument:

• Specifies approved English language tests and required minimum scores for each proficiency level.

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