A number of our team members are attending the Law Council of Australia Immigration Law Conference 2026 in Brisbane this week, where we have received an update from the Department of Home Affairs and the Administrative Review Tribunal on current migration trends and processing pressures.
Department of Home Affairs Update
Key insights include:
- From 1 July 2025 to 31 December 2025, over 5 million + visa applications across all categories lodged, with December 2025 lodgements the highest since 2019
- 59% of all applications were Visitor visas, with a record high in November 2025
- 5 million applications finalised during the same period
- 792,000 applications currently on hand awaiting finalisation
On Permanent Residence application through the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS):
- 39,000 ENS applications lodged between 1 July and 31 December 2025
- As at 31 December 2025, 75,000 ENS applications remain on hand — a 72% increase year-on-year
- Average processing time for ENS visas at 31 December 2025 approximately 14 months but this is increasing
Administrative Review Tribunal Update
We also received an update from the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), which highlighted a significant increase in appeals relating to the Subclass 407 (Training) visa, with lodgements rising by approximately 591%.
This sharp increase appears to be linked to recent changes to the 407 visa program, which came into effect earlier this month. These changes now prevent the lodgement of 407 visa applications without an approved sponsor and nomination in place, tightening eligibility requirements and impacting application strategies.
What this means
These updates reinforce the continued high demand across the migration program, particularly in visitor and employer-sponsored pathways, alongside increasing pressure on processing times and review mechanisms.
The surge in 407-related appeals also signals practical impacts of recent regulatory changes, highlighting the importance of ensuring applications are correctly structured prior to lodgement.
We will continue to monitor developments and share further insights from the conference.
If you would like to discuss how these updates may affect your business or visa strategy, please feel free to contact our team.
Ajuria Lawyers
The post Ajuria Lawyers – some updates from the Immigration Law Conference Update (Brisbane 2026) first appeared on Ajuria Lawyers – Leaders in Immigration.