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Certain personal and sensitive information is no longer required for TRA skills assessments. The Trade Recognition Australia (TRA) has updated its Applicant Guidelines to clarify that visa applicants and their authorised representatives should not submit certain sensitive personal information when applying for a skills assessment. Specifically, personal details such as Australian Tax File Numbers (TFNs) found in payslips, tax notices, or employment documents, as well as non-salary related bank transactions, should be removed or obscured before submitting supporting documents to TRA or a TRA-approved Registered Training Organisation. For questions about removing sensitive information, contact: traenquiries@dewr.gov.au Click here- TRA Website Applicant guidelines

Skills assessments are now open for 19 newly added FNQ DAMA occupations. VETASSESS has confirmed it is now accepting skills assessment applications for 19 additional occupations recently added to the Far North Queensland Designated Area Migration Agreement (FNQ DAMA). Its eligibility tool and assessment processes have been updated to reflect these changes. Eligible Occupations Now Open for Assessment:

Applicants who have lodged offshore partner visa applications and are now in Australia may face delays if biometrics are requested, as there is currently no facility to complete this requirement onshore. Visa applicants who have lodged offshore partner visa applications and are subsequently granted entry into Australia should be aware of a critical processing step — biometrics. If the Department of Home Affairs requests biometrics after the applicant has entered Australia, they must still arrange to provide them at an overseas location. Currently, there is no facility available for biometrics collection within Australia for offshore visa applicants. The Department has also indicated that it is unlikely to waive the biometrics requirement, even if the applicant is in Australia. This means that failing to provide biometrics offshore may lead to significant delays in visa processing or prevent the application from being finalised altogether. Applicants and advisers should plan accordingly and consider the implications of entering Australia before the biometrics requirement is fulfilled.

Updated fee structure applies to both online and paper applications. From 1 July 2025, the Department of Home Affairs has introduced new citizenship application fees. For online applications, the new fees apply to any submission made on or after 1 July 2025. ImmiAccount will automatically calculate the correct fee, regardless of when the application was started. For paper applications, the new fee will apply if the application is received by the Department on or after 1 July 2025 — not the date it was posted. Applicants should allow for postage time.

South Australia’s Designated Area Migration Agreements extended with key concessions retained and important changes effective 1 July 2025. The two South Australian Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMAs) have been extended until 30 June 2026. The extension maintains access to: A significant improvement has also been made to the permanent residency pathway. Clients holding the Skills in Demand (SID) Subclass 482 visa can now apply for the Subclass 186 visa after just two years of holding the 482 visas. From 1 July 2025, occupations listed under specific Industry Labour Agreements will no longer be eligible under the SA DAMA program if they also appear on an Industry Labour Agreement list. The South Australian Government is also planning to negotiate a new five-year statewide DAMA with the Commonwealth Government during the 2025–26 period. Click here: South Australian Government Website – DAMA Updates

Tehran Biometric Collection Centre resumes operations from 29 June 2025. The Australian Biometric Collection Centre in Tehran, Iran officially reopened on Sunday, 29 June 2025. Applicants in Iran can now attend appointments for the collection of biometric data as part of their visa application process. Members are encouraged to check the VFS Global Iran website for the latest operating hours, updates, and any further announcements regarding services and scheduling.

New biosecurity entry rules reflect modern screening systems including ATD and SmartGate. The Biosecurity (Entry Requirements) Determination 2025 came into effect on 3 July 2025, revoking and replacing the 2016 Determination to align with current screening systems used at Australian ports and landing places. The updated Determination incorporates the use of the Australia Travel Declaration (ATD) and SmartGate systems in both initial and secondary yellow fever screening processes. These systems were not available when the original 2016 Determination was made. As with the previous instrument, travellers must continue to inform officials if they have been in Africa, South America, Central America, or the Caribbean within six days prior to entry. The updated Determination allows this information to be provided in one of three ways: The 2025 Determination also introduces updated definitions for key terms, including:ATD, ATD pass, authorised system, Home Affairs Minister, passenger card, and SmartGate. Click here: Biosecurity (Entry Requirements) Determination 2025

Visa processing operations at the Australian Embassy in Berlin ceased on 30 June 2025. On 30 June 2025, the Department of Home Affairs officially ceased operations at its visa processing office in the Australian Embassy in Berlin, Germany. This change does not impact visa or citizenship applicants in Europe, as applications continue to be lodged and processed via digital platforms. There is no requirement for clients to attend the embassy in person to submit an application. Going forward, immigration matters across Europe will be jointly managed by the Home Affairs offices in Belgrade and London, as required. The Home Affairs website will be updated to reflect these changes from 1 July 2025. As always, visa applications from Europe may be processed anywhere within the Department’s global immigration network.

The Subclass 462 visa ballot for China, India, and Vietnam opened on 24 June 2025 and will remain open until 15 July 2025. The first random selection will occur on 16 July 2025. As part of the 2025–26 program year, the Department of Home Affairs has opened ballot registrations for the Subclass 462 (Work and Holiday) visa for applicants from China, India, and Vietnam. Registrations are open from 24 June to 15 July 2025. The first random selection will take place on 16 July 2025. Additional selections will occur throughout the year until 30 April 2026. The Department will announce the dates of future draws after each selection. Click here- Subclass 462 Ballot Process – Home Affairs

VETASSESS is now the official Skills Assessing Authority for selected occupations under the Far North Queensland DAMA. Skills assessments for these roles will be available soon via VETASSESS. VETASSESS has been confirmed as the Skills Assessing Authority for several occupations listed under the Far North Queensland Designated Area Migration Agreement (FNQ DAMA). Skills assessments for these roles are expected to be available within two weeks, once the occupations are added to the VETASSESS system. The FNQ DAMA Occupation and Concessions List has also been updated on the Cairns Chamber of Commerce website to reflect this change. Click here-FNQ DAMA – Cairns Chamber of Commerce                   VETASSESS