Industry updates
The changes that actually affect your decision
Regulations and markets move — visa rules, home-loan rates, stamp duty, international student caps and the NDIS price guide. We track the changes that matter across every category and summarise them plainly, with a link to the official source so you can read the detail yourself.
Migration Agents
Compare migration agents →Skills in Demand (482): Core Skills stream now needs 2 years' experience
From 1 July 2026, the Core Skills stream of the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa requires two years of relevant work experience — up from one year — alongside higher salary thresholds and an increased application fee. It narrows who qualifies for employer-sponsored skilled migration, so eligibility is worth reviewing with a registered agent before lodging.
Source: Department of Home AffairsTemporary Graduate (485) fees jump; tighter age and English rules
From 1 July 2026 the Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa application charge rose to $5,750 for the main applicant. The visa also sits under tighter settings phased in since 2024 — an under-35 age cap (with exceptions to 49 for PhD graduates and Hong Kong/BNO passport holders), shorter stays, and a minimum IELTS 6.5. Post-study migration plans should be checked against the current rules.
Source: Department of Home AffairsNational Innovation Visa replaces the Global Talent and investor visas
Since 7 December 2024 the National Innovation Visa (subclass 858) has replaced both the Global Talent visa and the Business Innovation and Investment Program as Australia's permanent pathway for people with internationally recognised records in innovation, research, entrepreneurship or the arts. It is invitation-based with a small annual allocation and no age limit — a different route for exceptional-talent and investor clients.
Source: Department of Home Affairs
Education Consultants
Compare education consultants →Student visa application charge rises to $2,500
From 1 July 2026 the Student visa (subclass 500) application charge increased to $2,500, with a separate lower tier introduced for standalone ELICOS and non-award courses and a concessional rate retained for ASEAN passport holders. Combined with the roughly $29,710 savings requirement, upfront costs are now a bigger part of planning a study application.
Source: Study Australia (Australian Government)2026 international student planning level set at 295,000 places
The government set the 2026 National Planning Level for international students at 295,000 places — around 25,000 more than 2025 — allocated to individual universities and colleges. A Confirmation of Enrolment now depends on a provider's remaining allocation, and student-visa applicants must still evidence roughly $29,710 in savings, so provider choice and application timing matter more than before.
Source: Study Australia (Australian Government)Ministerial Direction 111 shapes how student visas are prioritised
Under Ministerial Direction No. 111 (from March 2025), student visa applications are processed in priority order based on the applicant's evidence level and whether their institution is within its allocation, with regional study and postgraduate research favoured. Which provider a student chooses now affects how quickly their visa is likely to be assessed.
Source: Study Australia (Australian Government)
Mortgage Brokers
Compare mortgage brokers →RBA holds the cash rate at 4.35%; APRA's 3% buffer stays
The Reserve Bank held the cash rate at 4.35% at its August 2026 meeting, and APRA's 3% serviceability buffer remains in place — so lenders still assess new home-loan applications at around three percentage points above the actual rate. Borrowing power stays constrained, and different lenders assess the same file differently, which is where comparing brokers pays off.
Source: Reserve Bank of AustraliaHelp to Buy shared-equity scheme expands: 2% deposit, higher income caps
The federal Help to Buy shared-equity scheme, which launched in December 2025, expanded from 1 July 2026 with 10,000 new places and higher income thresholds ($110,000 for singles, $180,000 for couples and single parents). Eligible buyers can purchase with a 2% deposit while the government takes an equity share of up to 40% of a new home (30% for an existing one), cutting the loan needed. It runs through a growing panel of participating lenders.
Source: Housing AustraliaMortgage brokers write a record 81% of new home loans
Brokers arranged a record 81% of all new residential home loans in the March 2026 quarter, according to MFAA data — up from around 55% eight years earlier, and placing Australia among only a handful of countries where brokers handle more than 80% of lending. For borrowers, it reflects how central broker advice has become to comparing lenders and their differing credit policies.
Source: Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia
NDIS Providers
Compare ndis providers →NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27: support-worker limit rises to $73.58/hr
The NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27 took effect on 1 July 2026 (renamed from the "Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits"), lifting the standard weekday support-worker price limit to $73.58 an hour and restructuring Supported Independent Living items under a new registration group. Participants and providers should check that plan budgets and service agreements reflect the new limits.
Source: National Disability Insurance AgencyNew NDIS registration rules from 1 July 2026 for SIL and higher-risk supports
From 1 July 2026, providers of Supported Independent Living, NDIS digital platforms and higher-risk supports such as overnight and behaviour support must be registered with the NDIS Commission, and registration renewals now require evidence of digital compliance (auditable rostering, billing and incident records). Broader registration reform continues to roll out through to 2030.
Source: NDIS Quality and Safeguards CommissionNDIS support lists define what's funded; 'foundational supports' on the way
Since 1 October 2024 the NDIS has published lists setting out which supports it will and won't fund, giving participants and providers clearer boundaries. Governments are also standing up "foundational supports" — disability supports outside the NDIS for people who aren't eligible — backed by a $10 billion funding agreement, with eligibility changes flagged from 2028.
Source: National Disability Insurance Agency
Buyer's Agents
Compare buyer's agents →Perth, Brisbane and Darwin tipped to lead capital-city growth in 2026
Where prices rise fastest is expected to vary widely by city in 2026 — KPMG has forecast Perth to lead house-price growth (around 12.8%), followed by Brisbane (~10.9%) and Darwin (~10.5%), with Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra more subdued. For buyers weighing interstate options, the city can matter as much as the timing.
Source: KPMG (via Aussie)2026 house-price forecasts range from about 5% to 8% growth
Forecasters expect Australian dwelling values to keep rising in 2026, but by varying margins — KPMG has tipped around 7.7% national house-price growth while NAB projects a more conservative ~5%. The spread reflects genuine uncertainty about rates and supply, so buyers should treat any single forecast as a guide, not a guarantee.
Source: KPMG / NAB (via Aussie)First Home Guarantee overhauled: no income caps, 5% deposit, no LMI
Since 1 October 2025 the federal First Home Guarantee has had its income caps and 35,000-place annual limit removed and its property price caps lifted, so any eligible first-home buyer can purchase with a 5% deposit and no Lenders Mortgage Insurance. That widens who can buy sooner and changes deposit strategy — worth factoring into a purchase plan.
Source: Housing Australia
Conveyancers
Compare conveyancers →ACT abolishes first-home stamp duty; WA lifts its threshold to $600k
From 1 July 2026 the ACT became the first Australian jurisdiction to abolish stamp duty for all first-home buyers regardless of price or income, with concessions also widened for pensioners and NDIS participants. Western Australia separately raised its first-home stamp-duty-free threshold to $600,000. Both change the settlement costs your conveyancer factors into a purchase.
Source: ACT GovernmentBan on foreign buyers purchasing established homes extended to 2029
Since 1 April 2025 foreign persons have generally been banned from buying established dwellings in Australia (with limited exceptions), and the 2026-27 Budget extended the ban to 30 June 2029. FIRB rules and your conveyancer determine whether a non-resident or temporary-visa buyer is eligible to settle — worth confirming before signing a contract.
Source: Australian Taxation OfficeForeign buyers face higher surcharge duty in NSW and Victoria
Foreign purchasers pay a surcharge on top of standard transfer duty — 9% in New South Wales (plus a 5% foreign-owner land tax surcharge) and 8% in Victoria (plus an absentee-owner land tax surcharge). These surcharges materially change the settlement cost for non-resident buyers, and a conveyancer confirms whether they apply to a given purchase.
Source: Revenue NSW
These updates are general information only, summarised from public and official sources at the time of writing — not personal, financial, legal or migration advice. Rules and figures change; always confirm the current position with the linked source or a licensed professional before acting.