Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke cancels Press Club speech on migration changes amidst cabinet pushback

What changed

The United States Department of Justice has published a notice. It proposes to change and extend the information collected for two important immigration forms. These are the Application for Cancellation of Removal for Certain Permanent Residents (Form EOIR-42A) and the Application for Cancellation of Removal and Adjustment of Status for Certain Nonpermanent Residents (Form EOIR-42B). 'Cancellation of removal' is a legal process that stops a person from being removed from the country. 'Adjustment of status' is a legal process to change a person's immigration status to that of a permanent resident (to get a 'Green Card'). The department invites the public to comment on these proposed changes. The notice was published on 20 August 2026. The comment period will end on 19 October 2026. This gives people 60 days to give feedback. This notice does not include the details of the changes themselves. Its main purpose is to ask for public comments.

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 Tasmanian Skilled Migration State Nomination Program for 2026-27 will start accepting new Registrations of Interest (ROIs) on 17 August 2026. Invitations will begin weekly on 20 August 2026. This programme year has 2,050 nomination places. This includes 1,250 places for subclass 190 and 800 places for subclass 491. Key changes are: new priority attributes with clearer words and scoring. This scoring better recognises people who contribute to Tasmania for a longer time. The TSE Gold attribute now requires working at least 30 hours per week. Income attributes now match Australian median and average earnings. The service fee for nomination applications has increased to $387.00, or $425.70 including Goods and Services Tax (GST). The Subclass 491 Overseas Skilled Occupation Profiles - Invitation Only Pathway is stopped for this year.

What changed

The Department of Justice has published a new rule. This rule explains how to submit petitions for rulemaking and how the Department will review them. This rule starts on 31 July 2026. It covers general rules, what petitions must include, and how the Department will process them.