Australia indexes Skills in Demand income thresholds

What changed

New Zealand's Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has announced final changes to the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Resident Visa and Work to Residence visas. These changes start on 24 August 2026. Most people applying for an SMC Resident Visa will now only need to meet one wage rule. This rule will be set at the wage they earned when they started their skilled work experience, or when their work visa was granted if they started work within five months. This gives them more certainty. People applying for Work to Residence visas (Care Workforce and Transport) will also use the wage rule from their work visa grant date. New evidence rules include needing a bachelor's degree to support some Level 8 or 9 qualifications. Points for bachelor's degrees and accredited qualifications will increase from 3 to 4. The rule that required 120 credits for overseas Trades and Technician qualifications has been removed. Self-employment will no longer count as relevant work experience for the new Trades and Technician and Skilled Work Experience pathways. The meaning of 'genuine employment' for all skilled residence visas has been made clearer. It now means job offers must be 'available and ongoing' and show a 'genuine need to be based in New Zealand'.

What changed

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) wants to add a fee of $103,265 for all H-1B cap-subject petitions. This includes petitions for people with advanced degrees that are exempt from the usual cap. This new fee was announced on 24 August 2026. You would pay it when you file the petition, along with other fees you already pay. DHS believes this fee will raise about $8.8 billion each year. This money would help cover the federal government's costs to run the legal immigration system. The fee will apply to employers and people who file H-1B cap-subject petitions. It will not apply to petitions that are not subject to the cap. Examples include petitions from non-profit research groups and universities, which are exempt.

What changed

The U.S. State Department changed its Travel Advisory for Australia. The new status is 'Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions'. This means Australia is generally safe for travellers. Before this, a security block prevented access to any travel advice. The new advice is for U.S. citizens who plan to visit Australia. They should read the 'Travel Guidance for Australia' to help them travel safely.

What changed

The Department of Justice Criminal Division has announced a 30-day public notice. This notice is about a new way it plans to collect information. This new collection is called 'Requests for DOJ Certification Letters for T Visa Holders'. The Department of Justice will send this plan to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The notice was published on 17 August 2026. People can send comments about this plan until 16 September 2026. This plan affects people who need a Department of Justice Certification Letter for their T visa application.