FCM Travel issues urgent advisory on Europe’s new EES/ETIAS border controls for Australian corporates
Home Affairs vows visa bans and jail for British and Irish backpackers abusing Australia’s protection-visa system
UK passport rule change strands dual-national Australians seeking urgent travel
Latest News
New SkillSelect checklist aims to cut errors in Australian skilled-migration EOIs
Migration firm RACC has issued an updated checklist to help skilled-migration applicants avoid common mistakes in Expressions of Interest for Subclass 189, 190 and 491 visas. Clearer documentation could shorten processing times and assist employers relying on the skilled programme.
Coalition floats 60-hour work-rights cap for Student Visa holders
A Parliamentary Budget Office report confirms the Coalition is considering legislation to let international students work up to 60 hours per fortnight, up from 48. The measure is designed to lift tax revenues and ease labour shortages but has not yet been drafted into law. Providers and employers are split on the educational and workforce impacts, and students must continue obeying the current 48-hour rule.
AU$2,000 study-visa fee slams ELICOS enrolments, 2025 data show
Government data for 2025 confirm that the AU$2,000 student-visa application fee, introduced last July, has cut English-language visa demand by nearly 40 percent and cost the sector thousands of jobs. Peak bodies are urging Canberra to cut or tier the fee before more providers close and the talent pipeline shrinks.
Experts warn Temporary Exclusion Orders could bar Australians overseas indefinitely
The ABC reports that a woman linked to Islamic State has been hit with a Temporary Exclusion Order, and legal experts warn such orders can be renewed indefinitely, effectively stripping citizens of the right to return. Corporates should note the growing use of TEOs when assessing duty-of-care for employees in high-risk areas.
‘Do Not Travel’ warning for North Korea reconfirmed in Smartraveller’s 19 February update
DFAT’s latest Smartraveller bulletin, issued 19 February, keeps North Korea at ‘Do Not Travel’ and highlights arbitrary detention risks and the absence of Australian consular support. Companies must continue to prohibit or tightly control any staff trips into the DPRK.