Australia Implements Major Changes From July 1 For Skilled Migration Programs
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Explore the latest update by the Australian government as they introduce new changes to the Subclass 475 and other skilled immigration Australia visas.
The Australian government has announced a range of significant updates to its corporate immigration and skilled visa programs, effective from July 1, 2025. These changes impact the Subclass 475 visa and several other skilled migration Australia categories, reshaping how high skilled foreign workers are sponsored and managed
Key Changes to Visa Programs
- Occupation Lists Updated: The Medium and Long Term Strategic Skills List (MLTSST) and the Short Term Skill Occupation List (STSOL) have been revised with several occupations removed entirely. The list moving further will now undergo updates every 6 months to align with labour market needs
- Accredited Sponsorship: To qualify as an aggregated sponsor under the Subclass 475 visa, Standard Business sponsors must meet strict criteria - low volume users with 90% Australian staff while high volume sponsors with at least 75% local employees, government agencies or Australian Trust Trades
- Mandatory Police Clearances: All Subclass 475 visa applicants including accompanying family members aged 17 and above are now required to provide PCC from any country where they have resided for 12 months or more in the past decade.
- Revised English Language Requirements: The previous exemption from English testing for applicants earning AUD 96,400 has been removed. All applicants must now meet Vocational English standards unless on Intra Company Transfers (ICT) with the specified salary. Also, applicants under the Employer Sponsored Skilled Visa programs would need to score a minimum of 6 IELTS bands unless exempted.
- Training Benchmarks: While the full replacement of the training benchmark system with the Skilling Australians Fund which took effect in March 2018, Interim changes clarify eligible training sessions expenses benchmark a requires 2% of payroll spent on training funds, while benchmark B mandates 1% spent on training Australian staff.
Also Read: Australia releases new salary benchmarks for foreign skilled workers
Additional Australia Skilled Immigration Visa Changes 2025
- Lower Age Limit For Skilled Visas: The maximum age limit for point tested visas like subclass 189, 190 and 489 has been reduced from 50 to 45. The same age limit also applies to Direct Entry applicants for Subclass 186 and 187 visas.
- Increased Age Limit For Working Holiday Visas: In consideration to the bilateral agreement, the upper age limit for subclass 417 and 462 (Working Holiday and Work and Holiday visas) will rise from 30 to 35.
- Visa Fees Hike: Visa application charges (VAC) have been increased across multiple categories, including the subclass 475 visa
- New Visa Stream For New Zealanders: A new PR pathway has been introduced under Subclass 189 visa for eligible New Zealand citizens who have lived in Australia since before 19 February 2016 and meet the income thresholds
- Digitalization Of Business Travel And Departure Processing: Applications for the APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) can now be made online. Additionally, travellers leaving Australia will no longer need to submit outgoing passenger cards, as data will be collected digitally
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