Five legislative instruments registered on 30 June 2026 changed Australian migration rules from 1 July. If you only read one summary of them, read one that quotes the instruments rather than someone else's summary. That's what this is. The short version: the temporary skilled migration income threshold (TSMIT) is now $79,423 and written into the Migration Regulations themselves, the standard working holiday age ceiling has moved to 35, application fees have gone up (with new concessions for Pacific-regional passport holders), and the subclass 417 and 462 country arrangements have been remade. Additionally, the government announced the end of the paper incoming passenger card.

All three skilled income thresholds went up

From 1 July 2026, every income threshold that governs employer-sponsored skilled visas has increased:

Read that table carefully, because the three thresholds do different jobs and people mix them up. The CSIT is the salary floor for the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) Core Skills stream and for Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) nominations. The SSIT is the higher floor for the 482 Specialist Skills stream. The TSMIT applies to the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa (subclass 494) and the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 187). The CSIT and TSMIT happen to sit at the same dollar figure this year, $79,423, but they are separate thresholds attached to different visas.

The new figures apply to nomination applications lodged on or after 1 July 2026. A nomination lodged before 1 July keeps the previous threshold.

For employers the practical point is the same across all three: check the guaranteed annual earnings in any nomination you haven't lodged yet. A salary that cleared the threshold in June may not clear it now.

ART review fees increased

The Administrative Review Tribunal's application fees were indexed on 1 July 2026. The main migration review fee is now $3,727, and the fee for review of a protection visa refusal is $2,293. Watch the timing rule: the new fees apply to fees paid on or after 1 July 2026, even where the application was lodged earlier. A 50 per cent reduction of the migration review fee remains available on financial hardship grounds. If you are weighing up a review application, the fee is one more reason not to leave the decision to the last days of your review period.

The working holiday age ceiling is now 35. Not for everyone, though.

The age rule for both subclass 417 (Working Holiday) and subclass 462 (Work and Holiday) has been rewritten. The standard rule is now at least 18 and no more than 35, unless a younger ceiling applies to your passport country.

For subclass 417, the ceiling stays at 30 for a number of countries. Here's the split as registered:

There's also a new formal process for invited 417 applicants: Form 1150, emailed together with the written notice within 7 calendar days after the notice is sent. The subclass 462 arrangements were remade at the same time, restating the country, age and educational qualification requirements for Work and Holiday applicants.

If you're between 30 and 35 and hold a passport from the first row, a 417 just became possible for you. Check your country's row on the official list before you plan around it.

Fees went up, and Pacific concessions arrived

First-instalment visa application charges rose across a wide range of visa classes. And there's something new: applicants holding a valid passport from a Pacific-regional country (Fiji, PNG, Samoa, Tonga, Timor-Leste, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu or Vanuatu) now pay a lower base application charge for several family and business visa classes. One example: the Child (Migrant) visa base charge for an orphan relative with a Pacific-regional passport is $2,030, against $4,040 for an applicant with no concession.

Citizenship fees rose as well, for applications made on or after 1 July 2026. Several $370 fees moved to $380, and the $575 fee moved to $595.

Some travellers now pay no visa application charge

A new instrument sets out classes of people who pay no visa application charge at all. The list includes people connected with the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (subclasses 400, 600 and 408), applicants under the Workplace Justice visa arrangement, and participants in the 2027 Men's Rugby World Cup under subclass 408.

The paper passenger card is on the way out

On 13 July 2026 the government announced a $56.1 million investment to roll out the Australia Travel Declaration, a digital replacement for the orange incoming passenger card. The pilot has been running with Qantas since October 2024, and more than 450,000 passengers on eligible flights into Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne have used it. The pilot extends to Perth and Adelaide before the end of 2026, and the declaration will then be phased into every Australian international airport and seaport over the following 12 to 18 months, first as a webform and later through airline apps. Nothing changes for travellers today; the paper card still works. But if you advise clients who travel often, expect the arrival process to look different over the next year and a half.

What to do with all this

Employers with sponsorship plans on foot should re-check nomination salaries against the right threshold before lodging: $79,423 for the 482 Core Skills stream and the 186, $146,576 for the 482 Specialist Skills stream, and $79,423 for the 494 and 187. Working holiday hopefuls aged 30 to 35 should check their country on the official list, not a travel blog. Anyone considering an ART review should budget $3,727 and remember the fee is set by payment date. And anyone pricing a visa application lodged from 1 July should use ImmiAccount rather than an older guide, because the old figures now do not apply.

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FAQ

What is the TSMIT from 1 July 2026?

$79,423. It applies to Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (subclass 494) and Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 187) nominations made on or after 1 July 2026.

What are the CSIT and SSIT from 1 July 2026?

The Core Skills Income Threshold is $79,423 (subclass 482 Core Skills stream and subclass 186). The Specialist Skills Income Threshold is $146,576 (subclass 482 Specialist Skills stream). The Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold is $79,423 (subclass 494 and subclass 187). All apply to nominations lodged on or after 1 July 2026.

How much is an ART review application now?

The migration review fee is $3,727 and the protection visa refusal review fee is $2,293, for fees paid on or after 1 July 2026. A 50 per cent hardship reduction can apply to the migration fee.

Is the paper incoming passenger card gone?

Not yet. The digital Australia Travel Declaration rolls out nationally over 12 to 18 months from the 13 July 2026 announcement. Paper cards remain in use during the transition.

Did the working holiday age limit change in 2026?

Yes. From 1 July 2026 the standard ceiling for subclasses 417 and 462 is 35, unless the relevant instrument sets 30 for your passport country.

Which countries can apply for a 417 up to age 35?

Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom, under the arrangements that took effect on 1 July 2026.

When do the new visa fees apply?

To applications made on or after 1 July 2026.

Not sure how the 1 July changes touch your matter? Book a consultation