Blog
Deadline changes, policy updates, and application news, as they happen.
- August 15, 2026
What the Genuine Student Test Actually Asks (and How It's Different From the Old GTE Rule)
Australia replaced the Genuine Temporary Entrant requirement with a Genuine Student test in 2024. Two years on, plenty of applicants are still confused about what actually changed.
- July 2, 2026
Australia's Student Visa Fee Jumped 25 Percent on 1 July 2026. Here's What Changed
The subclass 500 student visa application charge rose from AUD $2,000 to AUD $2,500, with a separate lower tier for ELICOS and non-award applicants.
- March 18, 2026
What we're watching: pressure to overhaul the points test
The Migration Strategy flagged the points test as outdated. What a redesign might reward, and why we are not expecting it soon.
- February 2, 2026
What we're watching: the next 189 round and where the cut-off lands
Our read on the timing and likely points cut-off of the February to March 2026 subclass 189 round. Analysis, not official.
- August 22, 2025
The 189 invitation rounds are now quarterly, not monthly
For the 2025-26 program year the Department shifted subclass 189 invitation rounds to a roughly quarterly cycle, with larger batches each time.
- July 15, 2025
2025-26 state nomination allocations: 20,350 places for the 190 and 491
The Department confirmed 12,850 places for the subclass 190 and 7,500 for the 491 across all states and territories for the 2025-26 program year.
- December 9, 2024
The Skills in Demand visa has replaced the TSS 482
From 7 December 2024 the employer-sponsored 482 became the Skills in Demand visa: one year of experience instead of two, and every stream now counts toward PR.
- July 1, 2024
The 485 graduate visa age limit has dropped to 35
The Temporary Graduate visa age cut-off fell from 50 to 35 for most applicants, with exceptions for research graduates and some passport holders.