Australia May Expand Power to Refuse Passports for IS-Linked Travellers
New Health-Criteria Instrument Redefines Temporary Visa Classes
Virgin Australia Tops On-Time Performance Charts, Boosting Corporate Confidence
Latest News
Updated SkillSelect Checklist Targets EOI Errors in Skilled-Migration Stream
A refreshed EOI checklist published 20 February 2026 by migration agency RACC Australia highlights the documents and evidence now required for competitive SkillSelect submissions under visa subclasses 189, 190 and 491. The guidance aims to reduce invalid EOIs and help employers and skilled candidates avoid costly processing delays.
AFP Arrest Highlights Enforcement of Visa-Curfew Breach Rules
AFP officers arrested a Congo-born visa holder in Perth on 20 February 2026 for allegedly violating residential-curfew conditions attached to his visa. The case highlights the government’s stepped-up enforcement of migration-compliance measures and serves as a warning to sponsors and visa holders about the serious penalties for condition breaches.
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.