What was announced?
On 4 November 2026, DEWR announced conditions for approved skilled migration assessing authorities, applying from 1 January 2027. The accompanying General conditions on the approval of Assessing Authorities describes conditions imposed under regulation 2.26B of the Migration Regulations 1994.
What applicants should look for
The conditions require impartial, evidence-based assessments and reasonable opportunities to answer adverse information before a decision. They also address accessible services, timely and accurate information, and reasonable, transparent fees. These obligations concern how authorities deliver assessments; applicants must still satisfy their occupation's applicable assessment requirements.
Oversight and accountability
Authorities must cooperate with departmental assurance, provide requested data and compliance information, and publish de-identified annual performance reports in the specified manner and timeframe. Governance, financial viability, industry links and fit-and-proper-person requirements are also covered. DEWR says non-compliance may result in approval being revoked.
Practical implications
Retain application records and correspondence, check the authority's published procedures and identify any adverse-information response deadline. The conditions should not be read as a new universal assessment fee, guaranteed turnaround time or automatic right to a visa. Any claimed remedy for an individual assessment requires separate advice.