Australia Publishes Full List of 59 Repealed Visas Foreigners Can No Longer Apply For

• Australia's Department of Home Affairs confirmed that 59 visa subclasses have been repealed and are no longer available to new applicants in 2026
• The cancelled visas span multiple categories, including business, skilled migration, student, and temporary work streams
• Australia's official immigration website now lists all affected subclasses, and prospective migrants are urged to verify visa status before applying

Australia's Department of Home Affairs has published a sweeping list of 59 visa subclasses that have been formally repealed and closed to new applications in 2026.

The full catalogue, available on the department's official immigration website, covers a wide range of categories that once served as pathways for business owners, skilled workers, students, medical travellers, and temporary employees seeking to enter or remain in the country.

Australia's repealed visa categories

The cancelled subclasses include several well-known business migration options: the Business Owner (subclass 890), Investor (subclass 891), State or Territory Sponsored Business Owner (subclass 892), and State or Territory Sponsored Investor (subclass 893) visas are all gone. The Business Talent (Permanent) visa (subclass 132) and the Distinguished Talent visa (subclass 124) have also been removed.

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Skilled migration has seen significant cuts. The Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482) across its short-term, medium-term, and labour agreement streams has been repealed, along with the Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 457), which was one of Australia's most widely used work pathways before its earlier transition period ended. Other skilled options that no longer exist include the Skilled Independent visa (subclasses 175 and 885), the Skilled Sponsored visa (subclass 176), and several regionally focused subclasses such as the Skilled Regional Sponsored (subclasses 475 and 487).

The student sector has also been reshaped. Seven education-linked subclasses are no longer available, among them the Higher Education Sector visa (subclass 573), the Postgraduate Research Sector visa (subclass 574), the School Sector visa (subclass 571), the Vocational Education and Training Sector visa (subclass 572), and the Student Guardian visa (subclass 580).

Medical, Religious and Specialist Visas also affected

Travellers who previously relied on Australia's dedicated medical treatment visas will find that both the Medical Treatment (Short Stay) visa (subclass 675) and the Medical Treatment Long Stay visa (subclass 685) no longer exist. The Medical Practitioner visa (subclass 422) has similarly been withdrawn.

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Several niche and specialist subclasses round out the list, including the Religious Worker visa (subclass 428), the Sport visa (subclass 421), the Superyacht Crew visa (subclass 488), the Visiting Academic visa (subclass 419), and the Retirement visa (subclass 410).

The Temporary Graduate (Replacement stream) visa (subclass 485) and the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclasses 121 and 856) are among other notable removals for those who had relied on employer-supported pathways.

The Department of Home Affairs has advised that anyone intending to migrate to or work in Australia should confirm the current status of their intended visa subclass directly through official channels before commencing any application process, as proceeding with a repealed subclass could result in delays or rejection.

Australia Special Purpose Visa: Who qualifies?

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported that the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs published details of who qualifies for the country's Special Purpose Visa.

The visa is free, temporary, and automatically granted, meaning eligible individuals do not need to apply for it

Six categories of people qualify for the visa, with most of them linked to military and airline operations

Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh