Australia

Australia hikes skilled visa salary threshold to Rs 96 lakh from July 1

Planning to work in Australia? New salary thresholds for Subclass 482 visas from July 2026 may affect eligibility and employer hiring plans

World leaders welcome US-Iran ceasefire, calls for lasting peace in region

From UN chief Antonio Guterres to European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas, UK PM Keir Starmer, and several other leaders welcomed US-Iran ceasefire and push for de-escalation

Australia student visa: 40% Indians rejected, applications up 36% in 2026

Australia student visa: India moved to high-risk category as visa refusals rise and scrutiny tightens for students applying to Australia

Australia puts Indian students under highest visa risk tier: Impact decoded

Indian students may face stricter checks and longer processing times as Australia moves India to Evidence Level 3 under its visa risk framework

Meta, YouTube, others not fully complying with child account ban: Australia

Australia's online safety watchdog said Tuesday it was considering court against Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube alleging they are not doing enough to keep Australian children younger than 16 off their platforms. Experts say the Australian courts could decide what steps the platforms can reasonably be expected to take under the laws that took effect on Dec. 10 banning young children from holding accounts. eSAfety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant on Tuesday released her first compliance report since those laws took effect demanding 10 platforms remove all Australian account-holders younger than 16. While 5 million Australian accounts had been deactivated, a substantial number of Australian children continued to retain accounts, create new accounts and pass platforms' age assurance systems, the report said. Inman Grant said in a statement her office had "significant concerns about the compliance" of half of those 10 platforms. Her office was gathering evidence against

Australia to halve tax on fuel, underwrite spot cargoes driven by Iran war

Halving the tax would reduce the cost of fuel by 26.3 Australian cents per litre, PM Albanese said

Australia halts entry of 7,000 Iranian visa holders amid West Asia conflict

Australia blocks around 7,000 Iranian visitor visa holders from entry amid conflict. Who is affected, exemptions, and how the rules will work

Australia launches new visa system to speed student, work visa approvals

Australia visa update: Australia rolls out a new visa processing system from March 25, 2026, aiming to cut wait times and speed up approvals across key visa categories

Australia, EU sign free trade pact after eight years of negotiations

The deal follows intensified talks amid sharply higher US tariffs under the Trump administration and growing Western concerns over China's dominant position in rare earths and other critical minerals

Iranian strike hits Al Minhad base in UAE, Australian PM confirms damage

The facility, which has hosted a continuous "Australian Defence Force (ADF)" presence for many years, was hit during the early hours of the day

Trump seeks allies' help in Strait of Hormuz. UK, Japan, Australia say no

US President Donald Trump has called on allies to send naval escorts to protect vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. However, key allies have declined Trump's request

Australia training visa rules: Applicants now need sponsor approval first

Australia now requires sponsor and nomination approvals before a Training visa (subclass 407) application can be filed from March 11, 2026

Australia grants humanitarian visas to five Iranian female soccer players

Five players sought asylum after refusing to sing Iran's national anthem during a tournament in Australia

Australia to send spy aircraft, missiles to help UAE against Iranian attack

About 115,000 Australians are in the West Asia, including roughly 24,000 in the UAE, fueling unprecedented consular challenge

Trump calls on Australia to give asylum to Iranian women's soccer team

The Iranians' campaign in the Australian-hosted Asian Cup tournament started just as the US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran, killing the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei

Australia visa shock: Temporary Graduate fee jumps 100% to Rs 3 lakh

Australia has doubled the Temporary Graduate visa fee to AUD 4,600, drawing criticism from students and education groups over the sudden rise

Canada, Australia urge war de-escalation, but agree Iran can't get nukes

The Canadian and Australian prime ministers on Thursday called for a de-escalation of the Iran war but added the Iranians must never gain a nuclear weapon. Canada's Mark Carney and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese discussed the war during their meeting in Australia's capital, Canberra. The meeting came after news that a US submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean and Turkiye said NATO defences intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran before it entered Turkiye's airspace. "We want to see a broader de-escalation of these hostilities with a broader group of countries than just the direct belligerents involved," Carney said at a press conference with Albanese. "We stress that that cannot be achieved unless we're in a position that Iran's ability to acquire a nuclear weapon, develop a nuclear weapon, and to export terrorism, is ended. So that process must lead to those outcomes," Carney added. He said the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, which were

Former New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern joins Kiwi exodus to Australia

After spending much of her time overseas since her 2023 resignation, Ardern and her family now plan to base themselves in Australia

How $40-a-pack cigarettes pushed Australians to the black market

Tax hikes made cigarettes in Australia the most expensive in the world. They have also helped fuel a multibillion-dollar criminal enterprise in bootleg tobacco