News & updates

The government has quietly paused working holidaymaker visa applications from 24 countries subject to annual caps — less than six weeks after the 2 July opening.

From 5 October 2026, Parent Resident Visa expressions of interest move to a hybrid selection model — about 90% selected in date order and 10% by random ballot, with the annual cap remaining at 2,500.

The Department of Home Affairs has introduced a new processing order for skilled visa applications, including employer sponsored and Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visas — with priority now based on both occupation and applicant location.

From 3 August 2026, Immigration New Zealand removed Hepatitis B and C from the list of high-cost health conditions used when assessing whether resident visa applicants have an acceptable standard of health.

This week Global Health Source highlights the beautiful Gippsland region of Victoria. With over a dozen medical imaging roles available, there's no better time to explore all that the region has to offer.

Immigration New Zealand is reviewing the Parent Category visa settings.

From 24 August 2026, most SMC applicants will only need to meet one SMC wage threshold, rather than one rate for their work experience and a higher rate when they apply for residence. Applicants will still need to meet a wage threshold when they apply for residence, however that wage threshold will generally be the one in effect when they started accruing skilled work experience.

OET is an English language test commonly used by applicants working in the health sector. From midnight 12 July 2026 NZST, Immigration New Zealand will only accept in-person tests for applications where OET is used as the English language test. This change means that all parts of the English test must be completed in person at a supervised testing facility.

From 1 July 2026, Australian Immigration fees and financial thresholds were significantly increased. The annual updates affect visa applicants and employers sponsoring workers.

From 7 December 2024, the Skills in Demand (SID) visa replaces the Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visa, with a three-tiered system.

Summer months are busy for Immigration NZ, with a surge in visa applications from people wanting to explore or spend Christmas with loved ones.

NZ visa immigration fees increased on 1 October. Plan applications accordingly.