Dublin Australian Visa Consultations 12th-14th August – Book Now!

Thames Migration will be visiting Dublin, Ireland offering Face-to-Face Australian Visa Consultations.

Planning your move to Australia?

We’re pleased to be offering exclusive face-to-face consultations in Dublin from 12–14 August.

Whether you’re exploring:
• Skilled Migration
• Employer Sponsorship
• Partner & Family Visas
• Business & Investor Pathways
• Australian Citizenship

Receive tailored advice from an experienced Registered Australian Migration Agent (MARN 0426562) to help you understand your options and map out the best pathway.

In addition to tailored migration advice, we’ll discuss the current Australian employment market, highlighting occupations experiencing skill shortages, recruitment trends, and where opportunities are strongest. This is a great opportunity to better understand your prospects and how your skills align with Australia’s workforce needs.

Our Dublin consultations are more than just a discussion about visas. They are an opportunity to sit down face-to-face with a Registered Australian Migration Agent to explore your migration options, gain insight into Australia’s current employment market, and better understand where genuine skill shortages are creating opportunities for Irish professionals.

Whether you’re ready to make the move or simply considering your options, you’ll leave with practical, tailored advice to help you plan your next steps with confidence.

LOCATION: Hilton Dublin

DATES: 12th–14th August (also available Monday 17th August Consultations)

To BOOK: By appointment only

Book your consultation today:

www.thamesmigration.com
info@thamesmigration.com

Your Australian journey starts with the right advice.

1 July 2026 – Australian visa application charges

From 1 July 2026, the Australian Government has increased visa application charges across a range of visa categories, including:

✔️ Partner Visas
✔️ Skilled Independent (189) Visas
✔️ Skilled Nominated (190) Visas
✔️ Skilled Work Regional (491) Visas
✔️ Employer Sponsored (482 & 186) Visas
✔️ Student and Graduate Visas

For many applicants and families, these increases represent a significant additional cost. Ensuring your application is correctly prepared from the outset has never been more important.

With over 20 years of Australian immigration experience, Thames Migration assists individuals, families and employers to navigate the visa process with confidence. A well-prepared application can help minimise delays, requests for further information, and potentially costly mistakes.

Planning your Australian migration journey? Speak with a Registered Migration Agent before lodging your application.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this post is general information only and does not constitute migration advice. Eligibility and visa outcomes depend on individual circumstances.
Professional advice should be obtained before making any migration decisions.

☎ Australia: 1300 799 877
☎ UK: +44 (0) 208 996 0120

Australian Federal Budget 2026-27 Edition – Migration Update

Migration Program Planning level / Net Overseas Migration

The Government has left the 2026–27 permanent Migration Program planning level at 185,000 places, while maintaining the approximate 70% Skilled / 30% Family program number split.

Across both programs the Government will prioritise applications from onshore migrants, allocating 129,590 places to migrants already living in Australia (also 70%). The remaining 55,110 offshore places will predominately be allocated to high‑skilled migrants to assist in addressing Australia’s long‑term skill needs. This is intended to place downward pressure on net overseas migration.

Net Overseas Migration (NOM) is forecast to drop to 245,000 in 2026–27 and decline further to 225,000 in 2027–28. Arrivals of New Zealand citizens are also expected to remain strong, reflecting Australia’s relatively favourable labour market conditions.

Points test

The permanent migration Points Test will be optimised to better select more highly educated, higher-skilled and younger migrants overall, who drive productivity and Australia’s long term prosperity. Currently almost two thirds of permanent skilled migrants are selected through points tested visas. No further details of these changes have been announced in the Budget.

Recognition of overseas qualifications / skills / skills assessments

The Government will invest $85.2 million to deliver faster skills assessments for migrant trades workers and to accelerate occupational licensing, with the aim to facilitate an additional 4,000 skilled trades workers into the workforce per year.

These funds will be allocated to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations to be used in following way:
• $75.1 million over four years from 2026–27 for a new, modern skills assessment system for Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) to facilitate the integration of occupational licensing. This includes working with states and territories to pilot streamlined assessment to licensing pathways for priority trades such as electricians and plumbers.
• $5.6 million over three years from 2026–27 for TRA to deliver a new program of skills assessments for onshore visa holders, ensuring their existing qualifications and practical trade experience is recognised for the purposes of gaining employment and meeting workforce shortages.
• $4.5 million over four years from 2026–27 to strengthen the regulatory oversight of Assessing Authorities to drive better performance, greater transparency and clearer accountability, including by requiring every Assessing Authority to publish an annual Assessing Authority Performance Report from 2027.

The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations will also consult on requirements for a skills migration commissioner

National Credit Recognition Framework – the Australian Tertiary Education Commission will develop the Framework to strengthen the recognition of VET qualifications and reduce unnecessary repetition. University students with relevant vocational education and training (VET) qualifications will have the length and cost of their study reduced SOURCE | Budget Paper

To learn more contact us today;

Online facility makes application easy for Parent visas

Parent Visa Applications Going Online from 22 April 2026

Big news for families planning to bring parents to Australia.

From 22 April 2026, applications for four permanent Parent visa subclasses will transition to online lodgement via ImmiAccount, marking a major step toward a more modern and efficient application process.

What this means

If you are preparing a paper Parent visa application, it may be worth considering whether to wait and lodge online from 22 April 2026, where appropriate.

Online lodgement is expected to offer benefits such as:

• Faster and easier document uploads
• Improved application tracking
• Simpler communication with the Department
• More efficient processing workflows
• Greater convenience for applicants and sponsors

Why this matters

Parent visa applications often involve complex eligibility requirements including:

• Balance of Family Test
• Sponsorship criteria
• Health and character checks
• Queue and processing considerations
• Long-term migration planning

A well-prepared application remains critical, whether lodged online or by paper in some circumstances.

At Thames Migration, we assist families across all Parent visa pathways including strategic advice, eligibility assessments, and complete application management.

If you are considering bringing your parents to Australia, now is an excellent time to review your options.

Japan Migration Consultations

Our Director (Australian Registered Migration Agent no 0426562), Hannibal Khoury, will be in Japan. He will be covering the current trends in Australia, what is takes to get a visa, and the work/life opportunities that are available for all seeking a stable and positive labour market. This is a great opportunity to learn what the process entails whilst gaining an insight on the lifestyle, jobs and opportunities in Australia. Don’t miss out on the chance to speak about your aspirations to live in Australia. Hannibal has been a registered migration agent for over 20 years. He is able to can offer you an insight on your migration options, pathways and how you can position your application to obtain a favourable outcome.

The 1 hour face to face consultation will enable you to ask all the hard immigration questions, discuss the process, as it applies to you, in depth.

Date: Tuesday, 5th May 2026 until Monday, 11th May 2026

Venue: TBA

Time: 9.00am – 4 pm (by appointment only)

We will be offering individual one-to-one consultations in Japan (Tokyo, Osaka and Nagano) for would be migrants. Please contact us with your details to book an individual consultation.

Important Update: Salary Requirements for 482 and 186 Visas Increasing from July 2026

From 1 July 2026, the Australian Government will increase the minimum salary requirements for certain employer-sponsored visas. This may affect applications for:

Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand visa)
Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme)

What is changing?

There are two minimum salary levels that employers must meet when sponsoring a worker:

1. Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT)
Applies to:

Subclass 186 visa
Subclass 482 Core Skills stream
Current: $76,515
From July 2026: $79,499

2. Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT)
Applies to:

Subclass 482 Specialist Skills stream
Current: $141,210
From July 2026: $146,717

If your employer lodges your nomination on or after 1 July 2026, the new higher salary amount must be met, even if you started preparing your Nomination application earlier.

If your nomination is lodged before 1 July 2026, the current lower salary thresholds will apply.

FAQs

What does this mean for you?

If you are planning to apply for a 482 or 186 visa, timing is important.
The salary offered must meet the required threshold at the time the nomination is lodged.
If the salary does not meet the new threshold after July 2026, the nomination cannot be approved.

What should you do?

If you are considering an employer-sponsored visa, it may be beneficial to start the process as soon as possible.

Starting early allows time for:

Eligibility assessment
Document preparation
Employer approvals
Lodging the nomination perhaps before the increase takes effect

Early planning may help you avoid needing to meet the higher salary requirements.

If you would like us to review your situation and advise on the best timing and strategy, please get in touch.

Subclass 482 (Skills In Demand) visa

These visas are for people who have an offer of employment from an eligible Australian employer or an approved overseas business.

Through our Australian office we have developed extensive contacts with employers and recruitment agencies and can therefore offer assistance to our clients to help then to find employment in Australia. Although we are not a recruitment agency, our Australian office is ideally placed to help your prospective employer obtain the sponsorship approval, whilst our U.K. office can deal directly with you to ensure a smooth transition.

Skills In Demand (Subclass 482) (Temporary) visa

In order for an employer to sponsor you for this type of visa they must first be approved as a sponsor and the occupation must be on the specification of occupations list. Once those conditions are met the employer may then put forward a nomination to employ you and once granted then the visa application can proceed.

Features

The Subclass 482 visa is a work visa for Australia. It allows employees to work for up to 4 years via sponsorship of their employer.

The 482 application process is 3 stages:

There are three aspects to the subclass 482 program – these are the Standard Business Sponsorship, the 482 nomination application and the 482 visa application

The occupations available for sponsorship are on the Core Skills List.

Step 1. Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS)

The standard business sponsorship application requires demonstrating that the business is lawfully operating in Australia or overseas.

In the way of documents required, the SBS application requires registration documents, financial documents and an overview of the business and it’s organisational structure.

If the application is positively finalised, the business will be an approved standard business sponsor for 5 years and will be able to lodge multiple nominations against this sponsorship within reason.

Step 2. Nomination by an Employer

The most important aspect of the nomination application is Labour Market Testing (LMT). Currently, the Department requires businesses who wish to nominate a skilled migrant to have posted 2 ads within the last 4 months. These ads must contain the job title, clarify the position is full-time, the business’ name and the annual salary or salary range for the position.

We offer a range of services for applicants considering the 482 visa pathway, including job opportunities in Australia.

Step 3. Visa application – Subclass 482 -Skills In Demand (SID)

Before we begin preparing a nomination or visa application, we first request documents from the visa applicants to determine their eligibility to apply for a 482 visa

All 482 visa applicants must have:

Relevant qualifications, skills and work experience for their occupation when assessed against the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO)
At least 1 year of verifiable full time work experience in their nominated occupation (or equivalent part time experience). Casual/Contract work experience may count towards this requirement pro rata (please see advice from Thames Migration before proceeding).
English language ability

We undertake an assessment of these factors and if the applicant is eligible we proceed to preparing the nomination and visa applications

Mandatory Skills Assessments – Some visa applicants are a part of a class of persons who are required to undergo a mandatory skills assessment. This process must be commenced before lodgement of their visa application. Thames Migration will confirm before proceeding.

While we work with the employer to prepare the nomination application, we simultaneously prepare the visa application with the nominee or their agent

Thames Migration work to ensure most of the documentation needed for the visa application is gathered in the initial eligibility assessment in order to lodge a “decision ready” application.

The only thing that has to be done post-lodgement is medical examinations (if required) which the applicant organises themselves.

If you would like to know more about the Subclass 482 Skills In Demand visa, please call us on 0208 996 0120 or complete our assessment.

Online Assessment

State & Territory Sponsorship Update

South Australia

The South Australian government has issued nomination invitations for Sc 190 and Sc 491 in February 2026. This includes:

227 nomination invitations for a Sc 190 visa
137 nomination invitations for a Sc 491 visa

The total number of nomination invitations issued in the 2025-26 program year are the following:

837 nomination invitations for Sc 190 visa
458 invitations for Sc 491 visa

The South Australian government will continue to issue invitations monthly with the next invitation to occur in early March 2026.

Members can find this information as well more specific information on the number of nomination invitations issued for the ANZSCO sub major groups on the South Australian government website.

ACT

ACT held a skilled migration nomination invitation round on 29 January 2026. As part of this invitation round there was a total of 246 x Sc 190 nominations issued and 237 x Sc 491 nominations issued. A breakdown of the invitations provided can be found below:

Matrix nominating Doctorate Streamlined Pathway

190 nominations: 26 x invitations
491 nominations: 1 x invitation

Canberra residents

Matrix nominating Small Business Owners
190 nominations: 17 x invitations (minimum matrix score 105)

491 nominations: 16 x invitations (minimum matrix score 95)

Matrix nominating 457 / 482 visa holders
190 nominations: 49 x invitations

491 nominations: 20 x invitations

Matrix nominating Critical Skill Occupations
190 nominations: 123 x invitations

491 nominations: 140 x invitations

Overseas applicants
Matrix nominating Critical Skill Occupations
190 nominations: 31 x invitations

491 nominations: 60 x invitations

The tentative invitation round schedule for the remainder of the 2025-26 program can be found below:

4th round – in the week of 23 February 2026
5th round – in the week of 23 March 2026
Final round – in the week of 27 April 2026

Members can find this information on the ACT Government website.

Tasmania

The Tasmanian Government updates its nomination invitation information on a weekly basis. The latest update was on 5 February 2026. On 5 February 2026, the following number of ROIs were invited to apply for nomination:

Subclass 190 – 35 ROIs invited
Subclass 491 – 26 ROIs invited

There are currently the following number of nomination places available as part of the 2025-26 program year:

Subclass 190 – 698 places
Subclass 491 – 486 places

Members can find this information and further nomination invitation statistics on the Tasmanian government website.

Festive season office closure

As the holiday season approaches, we’d like to inform you that our offices will be closed from Friday 19th December 2025 to Monday 5th January 2026. We will reopen and resume regular business hours on Monday 5th January 2026.

During this period, our team will be taking a well-deserved break to celebrate the season with loved ones, and we look forward to returning refreshed and ready for an exciting new year ahead!

From the Thames Migration team, we wish you and yours a joyous holiday season and a Happy New Year!

State Sponsorship Update

State Updates

NSW Skilled migration allocations

The NSW Government has confirmed that it has received its skilled migration allocation for the 2025-26 program year.

NSW has been allocated 3600 places, divided as follows:

2100 places for the Skilled Nominated (Sc 190) visa
1500 places for the Skilled Work Regional (Sc 491) visa

ACT Skilled migration allocations

The ACT Government has confirmed that it has received its skilled migration allocation for the 2025-26 program year.

The ACT has been allocated 1600 places, divided as follows:

800 places for the Skilled Nominated (Sc 190) visa
800 places for the Skilled Work regional (Sc 491) visa

The ACT Government is in the process of scheduling its next invitation round, this information will be displayed on the ACT website once it is finalised.

WA interim skilled migration allocations

The WA Government has not yet announced its final skilled migration allocation for the 2025-26 program year but has advised that it has been provided with an additional interim allocation which will be used to conduct a November invitation round.

The number of places provided as part of the interim allocation has not been released.

Members can find this announcement on the WA Government website.

Tasmania interim skilled migration allocation

The Tasmanian Government has not yet announced its final skilled migration allocation for the 2025-26 program year but has advised that it has been provided with an additional interim allocation of 450 places which are divided as follows:

300 places for the Skilled Nominated (Sc 190) visa

150 places for the Skilled Work regional (Sc 491) visa

The program opened to new Registrations of Interest on 14 October 2025, initially limited to Gold Pass holders. With the interim allocation, weekly invitation rounds will begin, with invitations expected across Gold, Green and Orange Pass categories.

Migration Tasmania will publish weekly updates on the number of ROIs invited, lowest scores, nomination places available and Registrations of Interest (ROIs) on hand on its website.

The final allocation for Tasmania is expected to be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Members can find this announcement on the Tasmanian Government website.

South Australia interim skilled migration allocation
The South Australian government has not yet announced its final migration allocation for the 2025-26 program year but has advised that it has been provided with an additional interim allocation. The number of places provided to South Australia as part of the interim allocation has not been released.

The South Australian Government will continue to invite applicant’s that contribute to the state’s workforce requirements, including the ROIs that were submitted in the 2024-25 program year.

Find this announcement on the South Australian Government website.

Northern Territory Skilled migration allocations

The Northern Territory (NT) Government has confirmed that it has received its skilled migration allocation for the 2025-26 program year.

The NT has been allocated 1650 places, divided as follows:

850 places for the Skilled Nominated (Sc 190) visa
800 places for the Skilled Work regional (Sc 491) visa

This is an increase of 50 places from the previous program in 2024-25.

The NT nomination program will open on 24 November 2025, to new applications for all onshore and offshore streams.

You can find this information and the eligibility criteria on the NT Government website.

Victoria, and Queensland skilled migration allocations not updated

Victoria & Queensland have not yet released details of their final or interim skilled migration allocations. Thames Migration will share updates as soon as information becomes available. In the meantime, members are encouraged to monitor the websites of these States and Territories for the latest announcements.

☎ Australia: 1300 799 877 ☎ UK: +44 (0) 208 996 0120