Global immigration news round-up
This week, the Global Immigration team at Smith Stone Walters would like to highlight the following recent updates from Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States.
Australia: Annual indexation of skilled visa income thresholds
The Department of Home Affairs has issued a reminder that, from 1 July 2025, skilled visa income thresholds will increase by 4.6%. This is in line with changes to the annual Average Weekly Ordinary Time Earnings (AWOTE), and was originally announced in March 2025.
From 1 July 2025, indexation changes will apply to the following visas:
The Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT)
This will increase from AUD 73,150 to AUD 76,515. This will impact nomination applications for the Core Skills stream of the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) and the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visas.
The Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT)
This will increase from AUD 135,000 to AUD 141,210. This will impact nomination applications for the Specialist Skills stream of the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa.
The Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT)
This will increase from AUD 73,150 to AUD 76,515 in alignment with the CSIT. This will impact nomination applications for the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (SESR) (subclass 494) and the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) (subclass 187) visas.
From 1 July 2025, new nomination applications must meet whichever is higher of either the new relevant income threshold, or the annual market salary rate.
This change will not apply to existing visa holders and nominations lodged before 1 July 2025.
Canada: Update on field of study requirement for post-graduation work permits
Effective 25 June 2025, the government has updated the list of eligible fields of study for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) to reflect the 2025 Express Entry priorities.
As a result of these changes, there are now 920 fields of study eligible for a PGWP:
- 119 new fields of study in key sectors like health care and social services, education and trades were added.
- 178 fields of study no longer linked to occupations in long-term labour shortages were removed.
Students who applied for a study permit before 25 June 2025, will still be eligible for a PGWP if their field of study was on the list when they applied for their study permit even if it has since been removed.
Background
To be eligible for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP), international students in non-degree programs (programs other than bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degrees) must complete a program in an eligible field of study linked to jobs in long-term shortages, such as those being prioritized under Express Entry. This rule applies to students who applied for a study permit on or after 1 November 2024.
Hong Kong: Immigration Department to revise fees
On 25 June 2025, a government spokesperson announced that, from 8 September 2025, the Immigration Department will revise fees for some services including the issuing of visas, entry permits and travel documents and despatch services for delivering travel documents to places outside Hong Kong.
The proposed legislative amendments related to the fee revisions will be tabled at the Legislative Council for negative vetting on 2 July 2025. The fee revisions will take effect after completion of the necessary legislative procedures. A table setting out the existing and revised fees is here.
Ireland: Reminder of Student Finance requirements from 30 June 2025
The Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration has issued a reminder that, effective 30 June 2025, the amounts for proof of financial support for non-visa required nationals will increase to align with visa required nationals. The increase was announced in March 2025.
This is the third increase in a series of adjustments, which will now bring the financial requirements for visa required and non-visa required nationals into alignment.
Non-visa required nationals:
Those who do not need a visa to come to Ireland must prove that they can support themselves financially during their course of study.
From 30 June 2025, for courses of study that are one year in duration, they must demonstrate that they have access to EUR 10,000.
For courses that result in a stay of six to eight months in duration, the new monthly financial requirement will be EUR 833 per month. This equates to EUR 4998 for a six-month stay, or EUR 6665 for an eight-month stay. This applies to both visa and non-visa required students.
Visa Required nationals:
Those who need a visa to come to Ireland do not need proof of finances on registration of their student permission, as their ability to support themselves during their period of study is checked during the visa application process.
They must show evidence that they have immediate access to at least EUR 10,000 for courses of study that are one year in duration and ready access to the same level of finances for each subsequent year. This is the estimated cost of living in Ireland for a student for one academic year.
From 30 June 2025, for courses that result in a stay of six to eight months in duration, the new monthly financial requirement will be EUR 833 per month. This equates to EUR 4998 for a six-month stay, or EUR 6665 for an eight-month stay. This applies to both visa and non-visa required students.
United States: Expanded screening and vetting for student visa applicants
On 18 June 2025, the State Department announced that overseas posts would soon resume scheduling F, M and J nonimmigrant visa applications. However, under new guidance, the department will conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting, including online presence, of all student and exchange visitor applicants in these visa classifications.
To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to “public.”
An internal State Department cable of the same day, reviewed and reported by Reuters, among other news outlets, instructed US consular officers to conduct a “comprehensive and thorough vetting” of all student and exchange visitor applicants to identify those who “bear hostile attitudes” toward the United States. Limited access to social media profiles and online presence, including search engine history, may be construed as an effort to evade or hide certain activity.
Consular posts were reportedly warned that they may need to schedule fewer F, M and J visa cases than previously, considering the resource demands of increased vetting. They were also asked to prioritize J-1 physicians, as well as student applicants for US universities where international students make up less than 15% of the total.
On 27 May 2025, a State Department cable reportedly instructed US embassies and consulates to pause the scheduling of all new interviews for student or exchange visitor (F, M and J) visa applications, in preparation for an expansion of required social media screening and vetting.
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