Australian Immigration News – September 2025
Welcome to the latest edition of Australian Immigration News from Work Visa Lawyers. In this article, we cover the key updates for September 2025. September 2025 has been one of the busiest months in immigration news for some time, with major announcements on visas, testing, allocations, and labour agreements.
This month brings significant developments, including updates on the 2025–26 Migration Program, interim allocations, English test changes for the 482 visa, the latest Subclass 189 invitation round, and more.
Immigration Back in the Headlines
From the federal election in May until mid-August 2025, immigration news was relatively quiet. During this period, the newly appointed Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke, had not made any major announcements on skilled visas.
This changed dramatically in late August, with several immigration-related stories making headlines:
- On 31 August 2025, anti-immigration rallies were held across Australia, with participation from extremist groups including neo-Nazis.
- The Federal Labor Government quickly condemned the rallies and reaffirmed its support for migration.
- Liberal Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price made controversial comments suggesting “large numbers” of Indian people were migrating to Australia because the Indian community votes for Labor. Following backlash, she lost her place on the Liberal front bench.
Soon after these events, the immigration planning levels for 2025–26 were officially announced, bringing migration back into national focus.
The Australian Government Confirms 2025–26 Migration Program
The big headline this month: the Australian Government has confirmed the permanent migration intake for 2025–26 will remain at 185,000 places. The Australian Government has previously released this number during the announcement of the 2025-2026 National Budget.
This is the same as last year, so there’s no increase or decrease in the overall program size.
Program Breakdown:
Skilled visas:
- 44,000 Employer Sponsored – the largest category. However, with so many Subclass 482 visa holders waiting to transition, we may see longer PR processing times.
- 16,900 Skilled Independent (Subclass 189 Visa) – very competitive, with hundreds of thousands of EOIs chasing limited invitations.
- 33,000 Regional visas (Subclass 491 and Subclass 494).
- 33,000 State Nominated (Subclass 190 Visa).
- 4,300 Talent and Innovation visas, which includes the new National Innovation Visa (subclass 858) as well as the old Global Talent and Distinguished Talent visas (which are now closed to new applications). With more places allocated, we expect to see more NIV invitations.
- We offer a free NIV assessment to evaluate your eligibility — you can find the link in the description.
- 1,000 Business Innovation and Investment visas – these places are just to clear the backlog, as no new applications are being accepted.
On the family visa side:
- 40,500 Partner visas.
- 8,500 Parent visas (though parent visas continue to experience very long wait times).
What does this mean?
Skilled visas such as the 189, 190, and 491 will remain highly competitive.
While the Federal Government have not provided the allocations for the 190 and 491 visas to the states and territories at this stage, some states have already received small interim allocations.
Interim Allocations Explained
Interim allocations are small, temporary visa quotas provided to states and territories. They allow limited invitations while states wait for their full annual allocation to be released by the Federal Government.
This is not the first time interim allocations have been used. A similar process occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–21, and it is happening again now.
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State and Territory Interim Allocations
Northern Territory Interim Allocations
- A limited number of interim allocations for Subclass 491 visas.
- These are only for onshore applicants with urgent deadlines before 31 December 2025, including:
- Applicants with visas expiring this year who cannot apply for a graduate visa.
- Applicants turning 45 before the end of the year.
- Applicants whose upcoming birthday would reduce their points score below 65.
South Australia Interim Allocations
- South Australia has also received interim allocations.
- However, it is not open for new ROIs (Registrations of Interest).
- Invitations are only being issued to applicants who already lodged last year.
Tasmania Interim Allocations
Tasmania has each received 165 interim allocations.
This interim allocation will only be used for those who were provisionally approved but could not be nominated with the 2024-2025 nomination before all the places were used.
Sc-190 applicants with visas expiring soonest or those currently holding a Bridging Visa will be prioritised.
Australian Capital Territory Interim Allocations
ACT has each received 165 interim allocations.
Western Australia Interim Allocations
Western Australia has received a small interim allocation for 2025–26, which will be used to finalise pending 2024–25 applications. The new program year will only open once the Government provides the full allocation.
Queensland Interim Allocations
Migration Queensland has received an interim allocation of 250 places, with the full quota expected by the end of September. Applicants must lodge a new ROI for the 2025–26 program to be considered for nomination.
Migration Queensland announced that Queensland Skilled Migration Program for 2025-26 will open for Registration of Interest (ROI) on 19 September 2025.
As part of Migration Queensland 2025-2026 program, they have introduced a few changes such as:
- revised onshore and offshore occupation lists
- new onshore pathway for Building and Construction workforce
- changes to work experience requirements
- changes to certain selection factors
Victoria and New South Wales didn’t publish the interim allocations yet.
Once the Federal Government releases full allocations, states are expected to publish their updated nomination criteria and reopen fully.
Subclass 189 Invitation Round
After nine months without invitations, a new Skilled Independent Subclass 189 visa invitation round was finally held on 21 August 2025. The previous round had taken place in November 2024.
This round brought positive news for many applicants, with invitations issued across construction, health, and teaching sectors. Occupations invited included carpenters, painters, engineers, nurses, doctors, and teachers.
The Department of Home Affairs released the full list of invited occupations and points.
Key Outcomes:
- Over 6,800 invitations were issued across more than 130 occupations.
- Construction trades such as carpenters, electricians, and bricklayers were invited at only 65 points.
- Health roles were also strong — many doctors and nurses were invited around 80 points.
- Education professionals included university lecturers at 85 points and childcare managers at 90 points.
- Unfortunately, accountants and chefs did not receive invitations in this round.
The Department has indicated that invitation rounds will be held quarterly, with the next expected before December 2025.
Subclass 491 Family Sponsored Stream Returns
Another important highlight of the August round was the return of invitations for the Subclass 491 Family Sponsored stream.
It had been a long time since we last saw invitations in this category, making this great news for people who already have family in Australia and are seeking a pathway to settle here.
- Total invitations issued: 150 EOIs.
- Occupations invited included:
- Trades: Bricklayer, General Electrician, Gasfitter
- Health: Cardiologist, Midwife, Registered Nurse
- Education: Early Childhood Teacher
This marks a significant reopening of the 491 Family Sponsored option. Hopefully, more invitations will follow in future rounds.
English Test Changes for the Subclass 482 Visa
There has also been big news for skilled workers applying for the Subclass 482 Visa – Skills in Demand (SID) Visa.
From 13 September 2025, the English test requirements for the PTE have been reduced.
New PTE Requirements:
- Listening: 33
- Reading: 36
- Writing: 29
- Speaking: 24
This is a major drop, especially in speaking, compared to the old requirement of 36 in each band. For English tests taken before 13 September, applicants are still required to meet the old requirements.
Other key updates include:
- IELTS remains the same at a minimum of 5 in each component.
- One Skill Retakes are now allowed, which will help many applicants who struggled with just one test area.
- Three new English tests are now accepted for the 482 visa:
- LanguageCert Academic Test
- Michigan English Test (MET)
- CELPIP General
Altogether, the government now accepts nine English language tests for Australian Migration. This makes the visa more accessible for many skilled workers around the world.
Labour Agreement Updates
Labour Agreements have continued to grow rapidly. According to information shared at a Migration Institute of Australia (MIA) meeting with the Department of Home Affairs, Labour Agreements have increased by 53.4% in the past year.
This means more employers are sponsoring skilled workers through customised agreements.
One of the key benefits of Labour Agreements is that they can provide concessions, such as allowing applicants up to 55 years of age to obtain permanent residency in Australia.
At Work Visa Lawyers, we have produced several resources about Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMAs) and tips on how to find a sponsor in Australia. You can find these on our YouTube channel and website.
Core Skills Occupation List Review
Jobs and Skills Australia will soon begin consultations to review the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL).
Work Visa Lawyers plans to recommend the following occupations be added back to the list:
- Café and Restaurant Manager
- Customer Service Manager
- Biotechnologist
If you think an occupation should be added, let us know in the comments on our YouTube September Immigration News — and explain why. Community input can help shape these recommendations.
The consultation details will be published by Jobs and Skills Australia. We will also share updates on our social media channels as soon as more information becomes available.
Bridging Visa B Update
There are currently delays in Bridging Visa B processing.
The Department of Home Affairs now recommends lodging applications 2 to 4 weeks before your intended departure date.
A Bridging Visa B is necessary if you hold a Bridging Visa A and plan to travel overseas. Without it, you cannot re-enter Australia.
How Work Visa Lawyers Can Help
Since 2011, Work Visa Lawyers has been assisting thousands of individuals, families, and employers with their Australian visa applications. We provide:
- Expert legal advice tailored to your circumstances
- Support with skills assessments, EOIs, visa lodgements, administrative Review Tribunal (ART) reviews, and Federal Court appeals
- Guidance on complex matters, including DAMAs and employer sponsorship
For personalised advice, book a consultation with Work Visa Lawyers today.
