Carer visa news and changes in 2026 so far are eight dated events. The most far-reaching is Ministerial Direction 117 on 25 July 2026, which changed the Family visa processing order but not the Carer visa's queue-date order.
Each entry gives the date, what changed for the carer and the relative who needs care, the government source, and the page of this guide that now carries the change. The newest entries come first.
What changed for the Carer visa in 2026?
Eight things changed for the Carer visa in 2026: the health tests, the processing direction, the queue release point, the application charges, the review fee, the citizenship fee, the 2025–26 cap and the 2026–27 planning level.
| Date | Change | What it means for a Carer visa | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 September 2026 | The Department's list of visa health tests now includes serum creatinine/eGFR for applicants aged 15 and over. | The test is part of the carer's visa medical: before the queue date for an 836, and after release for a 116. | What health examinations you need, updated 21 September 2026 |
| 25 July 2026 | Ministerial Direction 117 replaces Direction 102. It was signed on 24 July 2026 and commenced the next day. | Family applications made and grantable in Australia now rank above offshore ones, and carers sit fifth of six groups. For capped Other Family visas, Direction 103 prevails, so 836 and 116 applications still leave one queue in queue-date order. | Family Migration latest news, 10 August 2026; Direction 117; Direction 103 |
| 9 July 2026 | Queue release update, as at 31 May 2026: Carer queue dates up to 31 December 2023 released. | The estimate for a new Carer application stays at 12 years. Remaining Relative and Aged Dependent Relative: queue dates to 30 June 2013, and 22 years. | Other Family visas queue page, updated 9 July 2026 |
| 1 July 2026 | First instalments rise by 25%: main applicant A$2,175 to A$2,720; each additional applicant 18 or over A$1,090 to A$1,365; under 18 A$545 to A$680. | The second instalment stays at A$2,065 per person. A Pacific Island and Timor-Leste rate of A$2,230 / A$1,120 / A$560 applies. The Bridging visa B charge rises by 200% to A$575. | Explanatory Statement, F2026L00874; current visa pricing, 1 July 2026 |
| 1 July 2026 | Administrative Review Tribunal application fee: A$3,727 for most migration decisions. | This is the fee to seek review of a Carer visa refusal. It is indexed each 1 July. | ART immigration and citizenship |
| July 2026 | Form 1298i (design date 07/26) lists A$595 for a citizenship application on Form 1300t and A$365 on Form 1290. | This fee applies after the Carer visa, when the holder applies for citizenship. The Department's web pages still show older figures. | Form 1298i |
| 10 June 2026 | LIN 26/042 caps Other Family visas at 500 for 2025–26. | The cap was made three weeks before the year ended and repealed itself on 1 July 2026. | F2026L00724 |
| 12 May 2026 | The 2026–27 planning level for Other Family visas is set at 400, down from 500, within a 185,000-place permanent program. | It is a planning level, not a legal cap. No 2026–27 cap instrument was on the Register as at 24 September 2026. | Planning levels, updated 21 September 2026 |
The 25 July 2026 change is explained, with its limits, on the page on Ministerial Direction 117.
On 1 July 2026, Bupa Medical Visa Services also raised its carer-assessment fee to A$429.20 for an in-centre appointment. That figure comes from Bupa's own fee schedule, not a government source.
What changed for the Carer visa in 2025?
Three things changed for the Carer visa in 2025: the 2025–26 planning level, ImmiAccount access for paper applications and the time limit for review.
| Date | Change | What it means for a Carer visa | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 September 2025 | The 2025–26 Migration Program is announced, with Family levels unchanged. | Other Family places stay at 500. | LIN 26/042 Explanatory Statement |
| 23 July 2025 | Paper Other Family applications (subclasses 114, 115, 116, 835, 836 and 838) can be imported into ImmiAccount. | Carers can upload documents and update details online. Offshore applications made before 25 June 2020 cannot be imported. | Carer visa (subclass 116), 1 July 2026 |
| 21 February 2025 | The Administrative Review Tribunal (Miscellaneous Measures) Act 2025 amends section 347 of the Migration Act. | Review of a refusal must be sought within 28 days of notification (14 in detention), and the Tribunal cannot extend the time. | Migration Act 1958, compilation 171, endnotes |
The 2024–25 cap instrument (LIN 25/018, made 13 March 2025) also set 500 Other Family places.
What changed for the Carer visa in 2024?
Three things changed for the Carer visa in 2024: the paper change-of-details form, the review tribunal and the assessment provider.
| Date | Change | What it means for a Carer visa | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 November 2024 | Paper Form 929 (change of contact or passport details) is withdrawn. | Queued carers update addresses and passports in ImmiAccount or through the Department's web forms. | Change in your situation |
| 14 October 2024 | The Administrative Review Tribunal replaces the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for migration review. | Carer visa refusals are reviewed by the new Tribunal. | Migration Act 1958, endnotes |
| 12 September 2024 | Bupa Medical Visa Services is re-specified as the provider of carer medical assessments (LIN 24/040, replacing IMMI 14/085). | The Carer Visa Assessment Certificate still comes from Bupa. | LIN 24/040 |
Is the Carer visa closing?
The Carer visa is not closing. No announcement closing it was found on the Department's pages as at 24 September 2026, and the 2026–27 planning level still allots 400 places to the Other Family category that includes it.
- The planning table. The planning levels page still lists Other Family at 500, 500 and 400 for 2024–25 to 2026–27.
- Migration Strategy. No action specific to Carer visas was found.
- What this does not tell you. It is a statement about the Department's pages on 24 September 2026, not a forecast.
What Carer visa changes are expected next?
The Carer visa changes expected next are dated events already built into the system: the 2026–27 cap instrument, the next queue-release update, the yearly estimate review and the 1 July fee changes.
- The 2026–27 cap instrument. The last two were made on 13 March 2025 and 10 June 2026.
- The next queue-release update. The Department updates the queue page "when the latest final processing dates are available".
- The processing estimate. It is reviewed "generally … on a yearly basis at the end of each program year".
- The Tribunal fee. It is indexed each 1 July.
- Visa charges. They change only when amending regulations are registered.
- Planning levels. The next announcement usually comes with the May Budget.
This log adds each change on the day its government source is published, newest first. Entries are never deleted; a correction is added as a dated note.
Which Carer visa pages did these changes update?
These changes updated four parts of this guide.
- Charges. The 1 July charge rise is applied on the page on the Carer visa second instalment and the full cost.
- The queue. Queue releases, caps, planning levels and Direction 117 are applied on the page on the Carer visa queue date.
- Review. The Tribunal's fee and time limit are applied on the page on common refusal grounds.
- The homepage. The three latest headlines, with dates and no figures, appear on Carer Visa Australia.
A registered professional makes a grant more likely
A change in charges, caps or directions applies from a fixed date, and an application prepared on last year's rules is refused on this year's. A registered migration agent or an Australian legal practitioner checks each change against your own file and dates, which makes a grant more likely, though never certain.
Ask about your caseRead next
Ministerial Direction 117 and the Carer visa: what it changes and what it does notDirection 117 ranks onshore applications first, but the Carer queue still moves by date.
Carer visa processing time: the queue, the cap and your likely yearHow the cap and the queue decide the wait, and where your queue date sits.
How much does a Carer visa cost? Charges, second instalment and a worked totalTwo instalments, a waiver for hardship, and every other cost added up.