Summary of what changed in Australia for Brazilians and Latinos — with sources and before/after comparisons.
💵 Visa fees rise ~25% across almost all categories
From 1 July 2026, the Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2026 adjusted fees for practically every visa category — most by around 25%.
| Visa | Before | From 1 July |
|---|---|---|
| Training (subclass 407) | A$430 | A$535 (+24.4%) |
| Citizenship fees | — | CPI adjustment |
| Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) appeals | — | Above-CPI adjustment |
If you're planning to lodge any visa in the coming months, confirm the current fee directly on ImmiAccount before paying — the amount you saw a few months ago has probably changed.
👷 Employer Sponsored gets the biggest quota increase in years
The Employer Sponsored category in the 2026-27 permanent migration program jumped from 44,000 to 58,040 places — a 32% rise, the biggest increase of any category in the program (which keeps its overall cap of 185,000 places).
Why this matters even though it doesn't guarantee anything
More places in the program year reduce the chance of the Department "locking" grants near the end of the financial year due to lack of quota — which historically pushes pending decisions to after 1 July. It doesn't speed up your individual process, but it tends to keep the flow of grants more stable throughout the year.
🛂 New law allows restricting entry for temporary visas by category
On 13 March 2026, the Migration Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Act came into force — a law giving the Minister power to temporarily suspend travel to Australia for specific temporary visa categories, for people who are outside the country, in situations of "elevated migration risk".
How it works:
- The Minister can make an "arrival control determination" — valid for up to 6 months at a time.
- Requires written agreement from the Prime Minister and the Minister for Foreign Affairs before it applies.
- Has fixed family-unity protection exceptions: it doesn't apply to a parent of a child under 18 in Australia, spouse/de facto partner/dependent child of a citizen or permanent resident, or holders of a protection or humanitarian visa.
Already in use: since 26 March 2026, visitor visa (subclass 600) holders from Iran who are outside Australia are barred from travelling to the country — a restriction valid for 6 months, expected to end around 26 September 2026.
This is a new and largely untested tool. If you hold a passport or have ties to a country that could enter a future determination, it's worth checking the Home Affairs website before buying a ticket — the restriction applies even with an already-approved visa, as long as you're still outside Australia when it takes effect.
✈️ Working Holiday: more countries get access up to age 35
The maximum age for the Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) had already risen from 30 to 35 for most eligible countries. From 1 July 2026, that extension now also applies to Cyprus, Finland, Germany and South Korea.
The Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) also received a new legislative instrument in force from the same date, updating the program's administration rules.
🎓 Visa 407 (Training): no longer possible to apply in parallel
Since 11 March 2026, the 407 (Training) visa application can only be made after the sponsorship and nomination have already been approved — it's no longer possible to lodge all three together at the same time.
Alongside this change, the Australian Border Force launched a 4-month national enforcement operation specifically targeting the 407 program, to identify employers involved in fraudulent schemes.
🎓 Visa 485 rises again — 2nd increase in 4 months
The 485 visa (Temporary Graduate) had already doubled in price in March 2026 (from A$2,300 to A$4,600). On 1 July, it rose again.
| March 2026 | From 1 July 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Main fee | A$4,600 | A$5,750 (+25%) |
Anyone graduating and planning to apply for the 485 to keep working after their course needs to factor in this higher fee — the visa that was already the most expensive of its kind in the world got even more expensive. The age rules (35-year limit for most) and English requirement (IELTS 6.5, 1-year validity) remain the same as previous changes.
💑 Partner and family visa — new processing priority + higher fee
Two changes on 25 July 2026 affect anyone on the partner or family visa pathway.
Ministerial Direction 117 changes the processing order: whoever is already inside Australia at both application and grant time now gets the highest priority — ahead of those outside the country. The priority order is now:
- Administrative Review Tribunal decisions with Ministerial substitution
- Partner and child visa
- Orphan relative
- Contributory parent visa
- Carer visa
- Parent, aged parent, remaining relative and aged dependent relative
Anyone outside Australia waiting on a partner or family visa should expect longer timeframes — Direction 117 processes those already on Australian soil first. The subclass 870 (Temporary Sponsored Parent) and 461 (New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship) are exempt from this change.
Alongside this, the partner visa fee (820/801) rose to A$11,710 from 1 July.
👷 Skilled sponsored visa — new processing priority (Direction 119)
Also on 25 July, Ministerial Direction 119 replaced Direction 105 and changed how Home Affairs decides which skilled sponsored visa application to process first.
- Top of the queue: public safety occupations (sponsored by federal or state police) and defence (Australian Defence Force or AUKUS-related roles)
- Second tier: health, education and construction
- Location matters more: those already in Australia get priority over those offshore — regardless of occupation
- Applies even to applications already in progress before the change — queue position can shift even for those who already applied
🏛️ Migration tightening proposal under discussion — NOT yet law
On 7 August, it emerged that Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke delayed the announcement of a package of changes that had been expected in August — due to lack of agreement within Cabinet.
What's under discussion (nothing decided yet):
- Revoking work rights for people on a bridging visa with a refused protection claim — there are currently around 413,000 people on bridging visas (up from 130,450 in 2017)
- Tightening Working Holiday (backpacker) rules — the number of active visas grew from 146,340 (2017) to 225,650 (2026)
- Stricter family reunion rules
Sectors like mining and agriculture have already spoken out against it, citing labour shortages. There's still no date or final text — but if any of these categories affects you, it's worth following before making big decisions (like buying a ticket or changing jobs).
🏠 Rentals: vacancy stays at rock bottom
| June 2026 | July 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| National vacancy rate | 1.3% | 1.3% (stable, but still very low) |
| Asking rent (12-month change) | — | +7.2% |
Perth and Brisbane lead the growth, both up 6.7% over 12 months. Sydney remains the most expensive capital to rent, with a combined median of A$824/week. Housing supply remains below what's needed — no sign of relief in the short term.
📌 What took effect on 1 July
- Visa fees rise ~25% across most categories
- Employer Sponsored: quota rises from 44,000 to 58,040 places
- Working Holiday (417): age extension to 35 now also applies to Cyprus, Finland, Germany and South Korea
- Work and Holiday (462): new legislative instrument
- Partner visa (820/801): fee rises to A$11,710
📌 What took effect on 25 July
- Visa 485: fee rises from A$4,600 to A$5,750 — 2nd increase in 4 months
- Partner and family visa: new processing priority (Direction 117) — those already in Australia go first
- Skilled sponsored visa: new processing priority (Direction 119) — public safety and defence at the top, then health/education/construction; location outweighs occupation
📌 Already in force since March — and still active
- Entry restriction law (arrival control) — in use against Iranian visitors until ~26 September 2026
- Visa 407: requires sponsorship and nomination approved before visa application + active ABF enforcement until November 2026
📌 Under discussion — not yet law
- Migration tightening package (bridging visa, Working Holiday, family reunion) — announcement delayed on 7 August, no date or final text
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