Australia Updates Specified- Country List for Visa Health Criteria

What changed

Australia has changed how applications are handled for the Subclass 600 Visitor visa, specifically for the Approved Destination Status (ADS) stream. The 'Migration (Arrangements for Visitor (Class FA) visa applications) Amendment Instrument 2026' (departmental reference LIN 26/060) has replaced the previous list of approved ADS travel agents in China. This document was created on 24 September 2026, officially recorded on 28 September 2026, and became active on 29 September 2026, which was the day after its registration.

What changed

The U.S. Department of State has implemented a new policy to restrict visa issuance for individuals impeding the prompt resolution of international parental child abduction cases. This measure, announced on 28 September 2026, applies to foreign government officials, judicial personnel, law enforcement officials, and others, including their immediate family members, who are responsible for or complicit in obstructing the return of children to the United States or their country of habitual residence. The primary consequence is the denial of U.S. visas for those identified under this policy, serving as an accountability tool to encourage compliance with international obligations.

What changed

The U.S. State Department has set up a new policy for visa restrictions, starting straight away. This policy focuses on foreign nationals and their immediate family members who undermine democratically elected governments in the Western Hemisphere through corruption or drug trafficking. This rule is put into practice under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. It also supports promises made at the Doral Summit and confirmed again in the Shield of the Americas leaders' statement. The policy allows the U.S. to quickly put visa restrictions in place. We've already seen this happen with actions against people from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, as well as the public naming of Bolivia's Attorney General, Roger Mariaca, for serious corruption.

What changed

The Australian Department of Home Affairs has reissued an official rule, the 'Migration (Visas that Preclude a Person from Lodging a Student Visa Application in Australia) Instrument 2026'. This rule keeps the existing policy about which types of visas stop a person from applying for a Student visa while they are in Australia. This helps to keep the student visa programme fair and continues to be based on the authority of the Migration Regulations 1994.