let's talk!

Dear Clients and Readers,

The first half of 2025 has delivered mixed outcomes for the Australian migration sector. While Labor's decisive election victory in May secured the policy certainty stakeholders have needed, processing delays continue to create significant operational challenges for employers and visa applicants alike.

In this update, we: assess trends across key visa categories, identify where bottlenecks persist, and most importantly, provide actionable insights to help you optimise your migration outcomes despite current constraints.

Kind regards,

Linda McCreath
Principal Lawyer & Director
Abacus Visa & Migration Services

Post-election trends and immigration priorities

Processing delays: The current challenge

Skills in Demand visa: High demand, limited resources

Training visa (Subclass 407): New review procedures

Importance of seeking professional advice from registered agents

Additional program updates: Family visas, National Innovation visa

Looking ahead

Post-election trends and immigration priorities

With 94 seats in the House of Representatives, the highest number ever won by any party, Labor now has a decisive parliamentary mandate. For immigration planning, this generally translates to policy frameworks that will remain relatively consistent for at least another three years. Labor’s priorities include:

• Strengthening employer-sponsored pathways through the Skills in Demand (SID) visa program, prioritising business-driven migration over independent applications
• Enhancing permanent residence pathways for temporary skilled workers, allowing all sponsored employment to count toward residency eligibility
• Establishing predictable annual adjustments to income thresholds and fees, providing certainty for long-term workforce planning
• Tightening international student visa integrity through higher student fees, stricter financial requirements, and genuine student requirements

Despite clear policy direction, significant processing challenges are affecting the practical implementation of these immigration priorities.

Processing delays: The current challenge

While the Department of Home Affairs (DoHA) continues to communicate their commitment to processing improvements, substantial delays are affecting every visa category. The situation is further complicated by higher than anticipated demand for new visas, particularly the SID visa.

Employers are finding that workforce planning cycles must now accommodate significantly extended visa processing periods, while individuals are facing uncertainty in their migration timelines that affects employment, housing, and family decisions.

Visa applications undertaken with early planning and comprehensive documentation have become essential rather than advisable. Quality applications that avoid requests for additional information – also known as ‘decision ready’ applications – provide significant advantage in an increasingly constrained processing environment.

Key takeaways

• Ensure all supporting documentation is complete before lodgement
• Engage experienced registered migration agents to avoid further information requests
• Budget for potential delays in workforce planning
• Consider temporary solutions while awaiting visa outcomes

Skills in Demand visa: High demand, limited resources

We previously covered the SID visa’s three-stream framework and its improved pathways to permanent residence, including how it might impact employers and skilled workers.

Six months into the SID’s launch, high application volumes are creating processing backlogs alongside existing Temporary Shortage Skill (TSS) legacy cases, with demand exceeding departmental capacity levels and contributing to extended timeframes. Resource reallocation to support SID processing is planned following completion of TSS cases in the coming months.

Applications that require requests for additional information face significantly extended processing times, making comprehensive preparation and professional guidance essential for timely outcomes.

From 1 July 2025, skilled visa income thresholds will increase by 4.6% in line with annual indexation, bringing the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) to AUD76,515 and the Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT) to AUD141,210. These annual adjustments are now a permanent feature that employers will need to take into account on an ongoing basis.

Key takeaways

• Expect longer processing times than initially anticipated due to high demand, and consider timing applications to align with business needs and processing realities
• Lodge complete, decision-ready applications to avoid processing delays
• Factor higher salary thresholds into recruitment budgets
• Take advantage of enhanced permanent residence pathways for visa holders
  

Training visa (Subclass 407): New review procedures

The Subclass 407 Training visa has experienced an extraordinary surge in applications, going from a modest program processing approximately 4,000 applications annually to handling 20,000 applications by May 2025. Most decided applications continue to receive approval, though refusal rates have increased due to more lower quality applications.

To address processing challenges, the DoHA implemented new review procedures in April 2025. A two-week gap is now provided between nomination decisions and visa determinations to preserve applicant review rights and provide response opportunities. This two-week period allows applicants to withdraw visa applications, lodge new nominations, or seek Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) review of nomination refusals. Importantly, applicants receive a second two-week period if they lodge another nomination, but no further extensions are provided beyond the second attempt.

Unfortunately, applications lodged before the April 2025 procedural changes have limited review options. These applicants must explore alternative arrangements if their applications are unsuccessful. The DoHA is looking to reform the Subclass 407, particularly as review rights for certain applicants are quite limited.

Key takeaways

• Expect significant processing delays due to a dramatic increase in applications
• Ensure nominations are high-quality and genuine to avoid refusal
• Take advantage of new two-week gap policy if nomination is refused
• Be aware that applications lodged before April 2025 have limited review rights

Importance of seeking professional advice from registered agents

The immigration sector is experiencing increased activity from unregistered and fraudulent migration advisers, creating heightened risks for visa applicants and employers. This concern comes at a critical time, with key legislative instruments governing migration agents scheduled to sunset on 1 April 2026, prompting a review of the regulatory framework.

Strict regulation of Registered Migration Agents (RMAs) provides essential safeguards for consumers. Their Code of Conduct obligations ensure ethical practice and professional accountability, while mandatory professional indemnity insurance offers financial protection that unregistered advisers cannot provide. When issues arise, clients have access to formal complaint mechanisms through the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA), creating structured resolution pathways and regulatory oversight that protect both individual consumers and system integrity.

Key takeaways

• Always verify migration agent registration with OMARA before engaging services
• Be aware that unregistered agents pose significant risks to your application
• Understand that RMA regulation provides essential consumer protections and choose registered agents for professional accountability and complaint mechanisms

Additional program updates

Family visas

Processing times for partner visas have been slightly reduced but remain significant.

• Subclass 309 visas: Reduced from 13 to 12 months
• Subclass 820 visas: Reduced from 15 to 14 months

Bridging visa delays for partner applications still persist, with the Department deploying additional resources to address processing constraints.

National Innovation visa

With 6,400 applications received and 130 invitations issued by May 2025, the National Innovation visa (NIV) maintains its highly selective approach, emphasising the competitive nature of this pathway.

Looking ahead

So far, Australian immigration in 2025 has been characterised by relative policy stability undermined by significant processing delays. Labor's strong electoral mandate indicates future incremental system improvements rather than wholesale policy restructuring.

Abacus Visa's extensive migration experience positions us to guide you through the current environment effectively. We understand current processing realities, stay ahead of regulatory changes, and know how to prepare decision-ready applications that avoid costly delays. We acknowledge the valuable support provided by the Migration Institute of Australia (MIA) through their ongoing consultations with the DoHA, which ensures we remain at the forefront of industry developments.

If you have questions about how you might be impacted or need tailored guidance on your next steps, please do not hesitate to reach out to our team today.

This newsletter provides general information only and should not be considered as legal advice. Immigration requirements can change rapidly, and individual circumstances vary. Always consult with a registered migration agent for advice specific to your situation.