Mei Guo, Head of Migration Law at Brightstone Migration, was recently invited for an exclusive interview with Australian mainstream media SBS. In the interview, she outlined expert insights into the 2025–26 skilled migration allocations, invitation trends, and strategic advice for applicants.
With the Federal and State governments releasing the 2025–26 skilled migration allocations and resuming the 189 invitation round, this SBS feature comes at a timely moment and has drawn significant attention from skilled migration applicants.
Throughout the interview, Mei shared with SBS audiences a comprehensive analysis of Australian migration policy changes, market competitiveness, and future migration trends, demonstrating Brightstone Migration’s expertise and influence in the migration law sector.
Australia’s Skilled Migration Policies Are Tightening, Competition Intensifies
Mei Guo noted that Australia’s skilled migration policies have tightened in the new financial year due to:
- Federal reductions in permanent migration allocations, especially for the Subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa
- State and Territory nomination requirements significantly raised
- Large applicant backlogs, pushing invitation scores even higher
According to the Department of Home Affairs, only 6,887 invitations for the 189 visa were issued on 21 August, a sharp decrease from 15,000 invitations issued in November last year. This highlights the rapidly intensifying competition.
High Scores for Popular Occupations, Shortage Fields Maintain Advantage
The SBS interview highlighted that occupations such as IT, engineering and accounting continue to require 90 points or higher for invitations.
In contrast, shortage occupations, particularly healthcare, nursing and teaching, have stronger invitation prospects due to high national demand.
Say ‘No’ to Shortcuts, Unlawful Practices Carries Serious Consequences
Mei cautioned applicants attempting to circumvent strict migration thresholds through purchased employer sponsorship or sham marriages:
“This is unlawful. The Department uses highly advanced verification methods, including cross-checking tax records, bank statements, and social media. Any form of deceit carries serious consequences.”
SBS also highlighted this warning, reminding applicants to avoid high-risk, non-compliant behaviours.
Future Trends: Flexibility and Regional Pathways
Mei Guo predicted that strong competition in popular fields will continue over the next one to two years. Australia is also expected to align more closely with other advanced immigration countries, such as Canada, by strengthening pathways for high-income, highly skilled and top-tier talent.
She advised applicants to adopt flexible strategies:
- Consider regional visas and state nomination opportunities
- Enhance competitiveness through study pathways plus local work experience
- Plan early to reduce the impact of policy changes
For the full interview in Chinese, visit the SBS website:
“New Financial Year Migration Allocations Announced, A Professional Lawyer’s Perspective”.
Our Expertise Recognised by Media
This SBS interview highlights Mei Guo’s deep understanding of Australian migration policies, and reaffirms Brightstone migration’s reputation for professional excellence and trusted expertise in migration law.
We continue to provide:
- Accurate and timely migration policy updates
- Tailored and strategic migration advice
- High-quality, compliant and reliable visa application services
If you are planning to apply for a skilled visa, state nomination, partner visa or employer sponsored visa, book a professional consultation with our team for personalised guidance.
This article was prepared and written by our immigration lawyer team at Brightstone Migration and reviewed by Mei Guo, Partner Solicitor and Head of Immigration (Legal Practitioner Number: 5512368), to provide professional insights and commentary. The content is for reference only and does not constitute specific legal advice.
Last updated: 3/12/2025
