The Albanese-led Labor government will maintain its existing immigration policies with an emphasis on skilled migration and gradual reduction in net migration. Key reforms, such as raising the salary thresholds for skilled visa categories and increasing student visa fees are set to move forward, according to The Economic Times.

Australia’s Indian community is now the second-largest migrant group and has grown rapidly over the past decade. New restrictions are to reduce visa approvals for Indian nationals to tackle record-high net migration. According to forecasts, net migration is expected to drop to 2.35 lakh in 2026-27.

As part of the reforms, Australia introduced the ‘Skills-in-demand’ visa in 2023. This system includes three visa streams: specialist, core, and essential skills. The salary threshold for specialist and core skills are to increase to AUD 141,210 (from AUD 135,000) and AUD 76,515 (from AUD 43,150).

A hike in student visa fees is about to appear. From the current fee of AUD 1,600 for student visa, the reformed visa fee is to go to AUD 2,000, bringing an AUD 400 increase.

As Australia reforms its migration policies, both employers and visa applicants must remain aware and plan ahead.