Abstract: In December 2025, as the legacy TSS (Subclass 482) visa officially exits the stage, Australia's new 'Skills in Demand Visa' and its accompanying three-tiered processing system have been in operation for a full year. Simultaneously, the new Skilled Migration Points Test, based on an 'economic contribution' model, has reshaped the invitation landscape for 189/190 visas. This article provides an in-depth analysis of the 'winners and losers' of 2025, the dynamic adjustment mechanism of the JSA occupation lists, and the new compliance challenges facing high-income applicants.
1. Introduction: The Era of "Precision Targeting" in Skilled Migration
December 8, 2025 — Looking back at this year, Australia's skilled migration system has undergone a quiet but earth-shattering revolution. With the full implementation of the Migration Amendment (Skills in Demand Visa) Regulations 2024, the familiar "482 Employer Sponsored Visa" has become history, replaced by the more flexible—but also more utilitarian—Skills in Demand Visa (SID).
At the same time, the "Golden Ticket"—the Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP)—has seen its quotas further slashed, with the government shifting its focus entirely to talent that is "highly skilled, high revenue-generating, and younger," selected through the New Points Test.
Standing at the end of 2025, Immigix, based on thousands of real-world cases, reveals the rules of survival under this new system: in this era of "precision targeting," mediocre applications no longer have a foothold.
2. The Three-Tier System of the SID Visa: Who Are the Real Winners?
The core design of the SID Visa lies in its Three-Tier System, which has produced significant "streaming effects" in its execution throughout 2025.
Tier 1: Specialist Skills Pathway
- Target Group: High-earning skilled professionals (excluding trade workers) with an annual income above $135,000 AUD (the new 2025 threshold).
- 2025 Reality: This group is the biggest winner of the year. The Department of Home Affairs delivered on its "7-day processing" promise. As long as the employer has good standing and the salary meets the standard, there is no need for cumbersome Labour Market Testing (LMT).
- Legal Pitfalls: While approval is fast, Post-grant Monitoring is extremely strict. We handled multiple cases where employers were sanctioned and visas cancelled because the actual salary paid was lower than the promised amount (even by a few hundred dollars). The ATO's Single Touch Payroll (STP) system now shares real-time data with Immigration, leaving no place to hide "cashback" schemes or inflated salary claims.
Tier 2: Core Skills Pathway
- Target Group: Occupations on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) with an annual salary between TSMIT (73,150)and135,000.
- 2025 Reality: This is the main battlefield for the majority of applicants. The biggest variable this year has been the dynamic adjustments to the CSOL by Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA).
- Impact of Dynamic Adjustments: Unlike the static lists of the past, JSA implemented quarterly fine-tuning in 2025. Some junior IT roles and marketing positions were suddenly removed from the list mid-year, catching many applicants off guard. This serves as a warning: Under the SID system, the occupation list is no longer a static guarantee, but a dynamic risk.
Tier 3: Essential Skills Pathway
- Target Group: Sectors with critical shortages but salaries below TSMIT (e.g., Aged Care, Disability Services).
- 2025 Reality: This pathway is subject to strict quota limits and Union oversight. Although the threshold is low, processing times are long, and refusal rates are higher, primarily because employers fail to prove they "genuinely cannot recruit locally."
3. The New Points Test: From "Scraping Points" to "Proving Merit"
2025 marked the first full year of the New Points Test replacing the old system. The core logic of the reform is: Valuing economic contribution potential while reducing the advantage of age alone and regional study.
A. Restructuring Age Weighting
Previously, turning 33 resulted in a "cliff-edge" drop in points. Under the new system, mature skilled workers aged 30-40 have become the main force. The government views this group as having richer work experience and being able to contribute back to society faster through high tax payments.
B. The Decisive Role of English and Partner Skills
- English: IELTS 7.0 (PTE 65) across all bands has become the "entry-level" requirement with no bonus points. Only Superior English (8.0/PTE 79) earns critical points.
- Partner Skills: This is the most brutal filter of 2025. Single applicants no longer enjoy an automatic "single bonus" advantage but face strong competition from applicants with "highly skilled partners." If a spouse can pass a skills assessment and achieve Competent English, the family unit's score will significantly outrank single applicants.
C. Introduction of Earnings Capacity
In pre-invitations for some State Nominations (190/491), if you are currently working in Australia, your current salary level has become a direct weighting factor for ranking. An applicant earning 100kisprioritisedoveroneearning60k, even if their total points are identical.
4. The Reality of the "180-Day Job Search" Clause
A highlight of the SID Visa is granting holders 180 days to find a new employer after leaving a job (compared to 60 days under the old 482), with work rights during this period.
2025 Legal Observation:
This clause has indeed given employees greater bargaining power, no longer bound by "bad employers." However, the Immigix team found this double-edged sword brings new compliance risks:
- The "Stopgap" Trap: Many applicants use these 180 days to engage in casual work unrelated to their nominated occupation (e.g., driving Uber or food delivery).
- Enforcement Red Lines: While the law allows work during the search for a new sponsor, the Department has clarified that the intent of these 180 days is to find skilled work. If discovered working long-term in low-skilled jobs without evidence of active job seeking (e.g., interview records, applications), the Department has the power to cancel the visa on grounds of "non-genuine intention."
5. Tightening Standards of Assessing Authorities
In alignment with the new visa system, Assessing Authorities have also tightened their standards in 2025.
- VETASSESS: For versatile occupations like "Management Consultant" or "Marketing Specialist," detailed organisational charts and third-party verified payment evidence are now mandatory to eliminate "sham positions."
- ACS (IT Sector): Places greater emphasis on the "cutting-edge" nature of work. Experience in maintaining legacy systems or low-end coding is often discounted in assessments.
- TRA (Trades): The frequency of Site Visits for onshore applicants has increased significantly.
6. Conclusion: The Way of Survival in 2026
The changes of 2025 tell us that Australian skilled migration has bid farewell to the wild era of "point scraping" and "loophole exploitation," entering an elite selection era where "Merit is King and Data Compliance is Key."
For those planning to lodge applications in 2026, Immigix offers the following advice:
- Secure High Income: Whether under the SID Visa or the Points Test, a high-paying Job Offer is the best pass.
- Monitor JSA Trends: Closely watch quarterly labour market reports to anticipate changes in occupation lists; do not cling to sunset industries.
- Partner Planning: If your spouse has not yet done a skills assessment or met English standards, this could be the weak link that filters you out. Whole-of-family planning is more important than fighting alone.
In this era of interconnected data and strict rules, professional legal planning is no longer just icing on the cake, but a necessary bridge across the border.