July 2026 Visa Changes: What Employers Should Check Now

From 1 July 2026, several migration costs and sponsorship settings are expected to change across Australia’s visa system. While some updates involve standard annual indexation, others may affect employer budgeting, salary planning and the overall cost of sponsoring overseas workers.

For employers preparing sponsorship applications or workforce planning for the new financial year, the practical impact may come down to timing. Applications lodged before and after 1 July can attract different government charges and compliance settings.

This article provides a quick overview of the upcoming changes and highlights the areas employers and applicants should review before lodging.

Visa application charges are increasing from 1 July

Most visa application charges are expected to increase from 1 July 2026 through annual indexation.

For many visa subclasses, the increase is expected to be around 3%. That may sound modest, but it can still add up quickly for families, employer-sponsored applications and applicants already managing related costs such as health checks, police clearances, English testing, skills assessments and professional fees.

This is relevant for applicants preparing visa applications close to the end of June, particularly where the application includes multiple applicants or already carries a high base charge.

Visa costs are generally assessed based on when the Department receives the application. Starting an application before 1 July is not the same as lodging it before 1 July.

Applicants and employers should confirm the correct visa application charge before lodgement, especially where a matter is being prepared close to the financial year change.

What Roam is seeing from employer-sponsored clients

Jackson Taylor, Principal Lawyer at Roam Migration Law, says many employers try to bring lodgements forward before 1 July where a matter is ready.

“Most employers try and push these things forward to get applications lodged before the change. That does two things. It gives them the lower visa charges, and it grandfathers the current income threshold.”

This is especially relevant where the sponsored worker is being paid close to the current Core Skills Income Threshold.

Jackson explains:

“If you have an employee earning the current minimum, which is $76,515 plus superannuation, lodging before 1 July means the nomination is assessed against that salary setting. If you lodge after 1 July, the salary will need to increase to the new minimum.”

From 1 July 2026, the Core Skills Income Threshold will increase from $76,515 to $79,499. The Specialist Skills Income Threshold will increase from $141,210 to $146,717.

These changes affect relevant new employer-sponsored applications lodged on or after 1 July 2026, including key pathways such as the Skills in Demand visa and the Employer Nomination Scheme.

For employers, this means a nomination lodged from 1 July must meet the new threshold or the annual market salary rate, whichever is higher.

You can read our detailed breakdown here.

Do not rush an incomplete application

The obvious question for many employers is whether they should lodge before 1 July to avoid higher visa charges or salary thresholds.

Jackson’s view is clear: only if the application is genuinely ready.

“Employers need to think very carefully about lodging an incomplete application because it increases the level of risk.”

The Department of Home Affairs has recently promoted its Check twice, submit once guidance, encouraging applicants to submit decision-ready applications with the correct information and supporting documents.

Jackson says incomplete applications can create refusal risk.

“If the Department picks it up and something is missing, they may just refuse it. We would typically not lodge an application in that scenario. We would say it is too risky to lodge without that information.”

This does not mean every missing document carries the same level of risk. Some supporting material may be capable of being provided after lodgement. But where the missing information is central to the application, the risk profile changes.

The message for employers is straightforward: lodgement timing should be considered, but accuracy still comes first.

The fee increase is part of a broader cost environment

For employers, the visa fee increase is only one part of the picture.

Jackson says the larger issue is the combination of higher visa charges, increased salary thresholds, annual salary reviews and broader employer cost pressures arriving at the same time.

“It is not just the government fees going up. Most businesses in Australia run salary reviews around this time of year, so there will be additional pressure in July.”

He also points to other changes affecting employers from the same date, including payday super.

From 1 July 2026, employers will need to pay superannuation contributions at the same time as they pay employees’ wages, rather than paying super quarterly.

Jackson says this adds another layer of cashflow pressure for employers.

“Businesses that were previously putting the money together and paying super quarterly will now need to have that money on hand at the time they pay people. Immigration is one factor, with increased visa charges and increased salaries, but it is one of many additional burdens employers will face at this time of year.”

For employers sponsoring overseas workers, this makes early review even more important. Visa charges, salary thresholds and internal budget settings should all be checked before applications are lodged.

Which employers are likely to feel the change most?

Not all employers will feel the 1 July changes in the same way.

Jackson says the impact will be greater for employers and industries where sponsored workers are paid close to the income threshold.

“Hospitality and manufacturing are the ones that tend to pay closest to the income threshold. An IT company paying software developers $150,000 is not going to be directly impacted in the same way.”

Small and medium businesses may also feel the change more sharply, particularly where they are sponsoring multiple workers or managing tighter recruitment budgets.

Healthcare and aged care may be affected differently. Jackson notes that healthcare roles often sit above the relevant thresholds, while some aged care arrangements may be shaped by labour agreement settings.

The key group to review is any employer with upcoming 482 or 186 nominations where the salary is close to the current threshold.

What employers and applicants should check before 1 July

Before 1 July, employers and applicants should review:

• applications ready to lodge before 30 June;
• updated visa application charges and total costs for family members;
• payment limits and employer sponsorship budgets;
• salary levels for upcoming 482 or 186 nominations; and
• current timing and cost expectations for applicants.

Applications should not be rushed simply to avoid a fee increase. But where an application is ready, lodgement timing should be reviewed before the new charges apply.

A quick note on other 2026 visa cost changes

Some visa cost changes have already taken effect in 2026, including the significant increase to the Temporary Graduate visa application charge from 1 March 2026. You can read our separate article on that change here.