If you or your friends and family are looking to travel to Australia from Thailand, several changes have been made that may impact your ability to secure a visa, even a simple Australian Tourist Visa. After the most recent election in Australia, which extended the rule of the Labor Party, the government has announced plans to make good on campaign promises regarding immigration reform.
This article will examine the changes made to Australian visas and application processes in 2025, as well as planned changes not yet in effect, to help you understand how they may affect you as an applicant and what you can do to adapt to the situation.
Higher Income Thresholds for Employment Visas
A significant change has been made to Australian visas aimed at foreign workers, most notably the Skills in Demand Visa, subclass 482. This is a newer visa option allowing you to live and work in the country, provided you have skills that are highly sought after by the Australian government, and also puts you on a pathway to permanent residency.
From July 1, 2025, entry requirements for the visa will be increased, making it harder to qualify for the visa. The changes are as follows:
- Increase in the income threshold for Temporary Skilled Migration and Core Skills streams from 73,000 AUD to 76,500 AUD each year.
- Increase in the income threshold for the Specialist Skills stream from 135,000 AUD to 141,000 AUD.
- The list of eligible occupations will be reviewed, meaning this visa will no longer be granted to workers in certain sectors.
The income threshold is the minimum salary your job has to pay to qualify you for this visa. If your employer pays less than the new amount, you can’t get this visa.
As this plan is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2025, your best course of action would be to submit your application before that date. Doing so would allow you to apply under the current rules before any changes take place.
Continuing Delays on Visa Applications
Visa applications have been experiencing continuous delays recently, leading to fewer visas being granted every month. While it previously took you only 7-14 days on average to obtain your visa, nowadays you’re expected to wait between 40-90 days or longer.
According to the government, there are several reasons for the delays, including:
- An incomplete application backlog
- An increase in the number of applicants
- Stricter background checks
- Applications are subject to higher levels of scrutiny
Because of this, you’ll need to prepare yourself for longer wait times and a higher possibility of your visa application getting rejected. If you’re looking to obtain an Australian visa, it’s best not to make plans based on the perceived processing times, as these are not completely accurate. In addition, you should carefully review your application to ensure there are no mistakes to minimize the risk of further delays.
Higher Fees and Lower Quotas for the Australian Student Visa
Australian Student Visa applications are experiencing various changes throughout the year that may make it more challenging for you to obtain them. This is a result of the government requesting an increase in student visa fees and a decrease in the number of new international student enrollments.
While the conservative party that proposed these measures lost the election, the Labor Party has still decided to drive up the fees and reduce the quota, albeit by smaller amounts.
- Currently, the student visa costs 1,600 AUD. The Labor Party has requested that the fee increase to 2,000 AUD.
- The Labor Party plans to set the quota for international students to 270,000, about half the number admitted in 2024.
These plans have not yet been enforced, however. If you are thinking of obtaining an Australian student visa for yourself or a family member, you should apply for it as soon as possible before the proposed changes have been finalized and approved. This allows you to pay the current fees and gives you a higher chance of being accepted into the student visa program.
Increase in Immigration Related Scams
Australia has experienced an uptick in immigration-related scams in 2025, due partly to the tightening of immigration policies. Applicants are growing increasingly uncertain of their chances of immigrating to Australia, making them easy prey for fake visa agents.
One of the most common ways scammers do this is by promising that you are guaranteed a visa if you apply through them, but in reality, they collect your fee and disappear. These immigration scams are commonplace on the internet, where scammers operate fake websites or try to contact you through social media platforms.
To stay safe, here are some red flags to watch out for that may indicate a fake visa agent is trying to scam you:
- The visa agent has no physical address
- The agent is not willing to let you consult them via video call
- The visa agent has no established reputation or genuine customer testimonials
Impact of Policy Changes on Australian Businesses
The resulting changes to Australian visa policies in 2025 not only affect applicants, but they also impact Australian business owners. If you’re an Australian business owner looking to recruit from Thailand, you might need to wait longer for applicants to receive their visa, as certain applications will be receiving longer processing times.
Additionally, you may need to accommodate applicants securing certain Australian employment visas and pay them a higher salary. This is especially important for certain visas that are affected by the higher minimum income threshold, such as the Skills in Demand Visa.
Before making concrete plans to sponsor foreign workers, consider speaking to an expert on current Australian immigration policies to ensure you can avoid costly mistakes.
Professional Assistance With Your Australian Visa
If you’re looking to secure or sponsor an Australian Visa in Thailand, reach out to Siam Legal International for professional assistance with your application. As a full-service law firm and visa agency operating in Thailand for over 20 years, our foreign visa consultants have the expertise to help you obtain your visa quickly and efficiently.
We’ll handle your application for you so you have peace of mind in preparing for your trip to Australia. From helping you gather all the right documents for your application packet to communicating with the authorities on updates regarding your application to even submitting everything on your behalf, we make sure you can fulfill your dreams of traveling to Australia without issues.
Contact Siam Legal today and book a consultation to get your Australian visa swiftly with minimal hassle and stress.
