Australia Immigration News September 2026: Visa Refusals and How to Still Get PR

In September 2026, Australia is tightening migration controls — student visa refusals and skilled nomination refusals are rising, the 462 Working Holiday visa has been paused, and processing priority now goes to onshore applications, but the 400 visa and the National Innovation visa 858 are still processed quickly from abroad.

In short

• The Australian government aims to lower net migration from 306,000 to 225,000 — this explains the rise in student and skilled visa refusals.
• Since July 2026, around 81% of visa 407 nominations have been refused, and both appeals together cost USD 7,454.
• Directions 117 and 119 give priority to applications lodged onshore in Australia — including visas 189, 190, 491, and employer-sponsored visas.
• Visa 400 requires no English test and is processed in 9–39 days, but requires an employer invitation.
• Student visa appeals to the AAT succeed roughly half the time — a refusal shouldn’t be treated as final.

The net migration target and why refusals are rising

Net Overseas Migration (NOM) — the difference between the number of people arriving in and leaving Australia — is counted for those who spend 12 months out of 16 in the country. For the 2024–2025 financial year, NOM was around 306,000 people. The government has set a budget target to cut this figure to roughly 225,000 — and this goal explains almost every recent change: from student visa refusals to Working Holiday cuts to processing priorities for skilled visas.

Student visa refusals are currently at their highest level in years. According to available data, in July 2026 the approval rate was around 63.6% for applicants outside Australia and around 75.6% for those applying while already in the country (exact official Home Affairs statistics have not yet been published). In addition, the government has closed the Graduate Diploma of Management program to new international students: those already enrolled will finish their studies, but no new intake of international students is happening for this program.

Visa 407 (Training): 81% refusal rate and the cost of appeal

For visa 407 (Training visa), since July this year, according to the Migration Institute of Australia, around 6,500 nomination applications out of 8,000 assessed have been refused — a refusal rate of around 81%. Anyone waiting on a decision for a visa 407 nomination should factor in a high likelihood of refusal.

If the nomination is refused, the employer can appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT). If the visa itself is then refused, a separate appeal is required at that stage. Each appeal costs USD 3,727, and both together cost USD 7,454.

Each appeal costs USD 3,727, and both together cost USD 7,454.

This level of refusals on visa 407 is tied to the government’s broader goal of lowering net migration: by refusing a large number of training visas, the government pushes some applicants to leave Australia.

Pause on the 462 Work and Holiday visa and tourist visas

Australia has paused the 462 Work and Holiday visa for most countries — a move meant to lower net migration, but one that creates risk for the agricultural sector. Australian farmers rely heavily on workers under this program and backpackers: they’re the ones picking fruit and doing other farm work. A similar situation already played out during COVID, when borders closed and backpackers couldn’t enter the country: crops were left in the fields to rot, and farmers couldn’t find enough workers. If no replacement labour is found this time either, farmers and shoppers could end up paying the price for the migration cuts — through reduced supply and rising grocery prices.

crops were left in the fields to rot, and farmers couldn’t find enough workers

The second change concerns tourist visas. They used to be issued for 1 or 3 years; now they’re issued for 3 to 6 months. A shorter period means these visitors don’t count toward net migration statistics, which helps the government bring the figure down.

Priority for onshore applications: Directions 117 and 119

The Department of Home Affairs is now processing onshore applications (lodged within Australia) first, with offshore applications processed on a residual basis. The goal is to reduce the number of new arrivals and lower net migration.

Two ministerial directions have been introduced to implement this approach. Direction 117 covers family visas, and Direction 119 covers skilled visas. Under Direction 119, regional areas no longer get priority in processing — previously, applications tied to a region were processed faster than others.

For applicants already in Australia on temporary visas, this opens a window of opportunity: any skilled visa lodged onshore now gets priority processing — whether it’s a points-based visa 189, 190, 491, or an employer-sponsored visa. States are unlikely to want to wait years for candidates invited from overseas to relocate, so for visas 190 and 491 they will likely favour those already in the country.

A separate reform of the points test for visas 189, 190, and 491 is also in the works — unofficially expected no earlier than mid-2027, though the exact date has not been officially confirmed.

Priority processing for skilled visas within Australia

The logic behind state priority is simple: states don’t benefit from waiting months for a candidate invited from overseas to sort out paperwork and arrive. For anyone currently on a temporary status within the country, now is the time to prepare an application — whether for visas 189, 190, 491, or an employer-sponsored visa.

Visa 400: specialised work with no English requirement

One option that can still be applied for from abroad with fast processing is visa 400 — a specialised work visa.

• Who it suits: highly specialised work that can’t be filled from within Australia — for example, installing equipment or providing expert support in construction, manufacturing, or the resources sector.
• Language requirement: no English test is needed.
• Mandatory condition: an invitation from an employer is required — the visa is aimed at Australia’s corporate and business sector.
• Processing times: 50% of applications are processed within 9 days, and 90% within 39 days.

For comparison, offshore applications for visa 482, which falls under Direction 119, take around 11 months to process — as noted earlier in this article.

National Innovation visa 858: a direct path to PR

The National Innovation visa (858) does not fall under Direction 119 — visas in this category (including Global Talent and Distinguished Talent) are governed by a separate ministerial direction, MD120, introduced at the same time as MD119. The visa works through an expression of interest system: the government itself selects and invites suitable candidates rather than processing applications in queue order.

Visa 858 is designed for highly skilled specialists, athletes, artists, and entrepreneurs. Processing takes 3–7 months — the same whether applying from abroad or from within Australia — and leads directly to permanent residency (PR), bypassing intermediate work visas.

Another open path is skilled work visas in industries currently prioritised: healthcare, construction, and education. The usual condition is an age limit of 45, though limited exceptions apply for some visas. Those already in Australia get priority processing across all skilled visas in these industries.

Visa pathways: speed and requirements

Table scrolls sideways

Criterion	Visa 400	Visa 858 (National Innovation)	Visa 482 offshore (Direction 119)
Processing	9–39 days	3–7 months	around 11 months
English requirement	not required	—	-
Leads to PR	no	yes, directly	no
Employer needed	yes	no, government selection	yes

Data is based on the article’s text; a dash means the information isn’t stated in the text.

Student visas: where refusals are highest and whether to appeal

Offshore refusal rates for student visas for vocational courses in certain countries, including India, have reached 87%. Applications lodged onshore — by those already in Australia — are refused less often. Onshore applicants have the right to appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT), and success there is not just a formality: according to available data, the success rate for student visa appeals is around 50%. In other words, roughly every second appeal ends with the decision being overturned in the applicant’s favour. The gap between offshore and onshore lodging is so large that appealing after a refusal looks like a rational move, not a waste of time.

Offshore refusal rates for student visas for vocational courses in certain countries, including India, have reached 87%.

What the government is preparing in the coming weeks

According to several media outlets, the federal government is preparing a major migration policy announcement for the coming weeks. Officially, the changes have not yet been confirmed, but signals point to significant measures in the works. Among the points under discussion:

• tighter rules for student visas;
• restrictions on family members accompanying applicants to Australia;
• limits on changing study courses while on a student visa;
• restrictions on lodging visa applications while already in Australia;
• further cuts to tourist visas — already partly implemented;
• changes affecting participants in the working holiday program.

Against this political backdrop, the One Nation party, which campaigns for a significant reduction in migration, won a seat in the Western Australia state election that Labor had held for almost 40 years. This was a state election, not a federal one, but migration remains a hot topic for Labor, the coalition, and One Nation ahead of the federal election expected in late 2027 or early 2028.

Separately, authorities have asked the Department of Home Affairs to help Nepalese nationals in Australia stay longer on a temporary visa, after a natural disaster in Nepal left some of them unable to return home. No response from the department has been issued yet.

Frequently asked questions

Can I change my course of study while already in Australia on a student visa?

This isn’t currently banned, but the government is discussing limits on changing study courses on a student visa as part of an upcoming policy package. The changes haven’t been officially confirmed, so exact conditions or an effective date aren’t available yet — but anyone planning to switch courses should watch for an announcement in the coming weeks.

What happens to a visa 407 application if the nomination appeal is lost but the visa itself is later approved?

Appeals for the nomination and for the visa itself are two separate stages: losing the nomination appeal doesn’t automatically mean the visa will be refused, but it also doesn’t guarantee approval. If the visa is refused as well, a separate appeal is required at that stage, with its own USD 3,727 fee.

What happens to farmers and food prices if Working Holiday workers aren’t replaced by other labour?

By analogy with the COVID period, when backpackers couldn’t enter the country and crops were left in the fields, a shortage of seasonal workers could lead to reduced supply and rising grocery prices. This is a risk, not a fact that has already happened — the article describes it as a possible consequence of the 462 visa pause, not as an event that has already occurred.

Can a Nepalese citizen currently in Australia on a tourist visa expect an extension because of the natural disaster?

Authorities have already asked the Department of Home Affairs to help Nepalese nationals stay longer in the country on a temporary visa specifically because of the natural disaster that prevented them from returning home. However, no response from the department has been issued yet, so there is currently no official decision or extension procedure in place.