Australia Immigration Updates: Skilled Visa Reforms & 2025-26 State Nomination Allocations Released!

Migration Amendment (Skilled Visa Reform Technical Measures) Regulations 2025

The Regulations clarify provisions for the new Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) visa, ensuring alignment with the existing Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa framework. Key amendments include:

• Updating definitions of primary/secondary sponsored person to include SID visa holders under labour agreements;

• Clarifying when a sponsor’s obligation to pay travel costs ceases for SID visa holders;

• Ensuring refusals of SID visas are reviewable in equivalent circumstances as TSS visas;

• Important: Amendments to subclauses 186.227(1) and (2) now explicitly require that Temporary Residence Transition stream applicants for the Subclass 186 visa must complete their qualifying work experience while employed by an approved work sponsor.

2025-26 State and Territory Nomination Allocations

A total of 20,350 nominations have been allocated for the 2025-26 program year, distributed as follows:

State/Territory	Skilled Nominated (Subclass 190)	Skilled Work Regional (Subclass 491)
ACT	800	800
NSW	2100	1500
NT	850	800
QLD	1850	750
SA	1350	900
TAS	1200	650
VIC	2700	700
WA	2000	1400