Department of Home Affairs Newsletter

Department of Home Affairs Newsletter – Update for Community [SEC=OFFICIAL]

Department of Home Affairs Newsletter - Update for Community

Update for Communities

Dear community representatives,

Thank you for your ongoing support and contributions to the community.

In this edition, you can find information on the following:

Services Australia’s New Audio – Help to manage your payments and services

Department of Home Affairs Newsletter - Update for Community 02

Services Australia recently published the ‘Help to manage your payments and services’ audio which covers:

what is a representative or nominee?
who can be a representative
how to set up an acting arrangement
how to cancel an acting arrangement.

It’s available in 8 languages: Arabic, Assyrian, Mandarin, Cantonese, Dari, Kurdish (Kurmanji), Persian (Farsi) and Vietnamese.

You can find this video at servicesaustralia.gov.au/help-to-manage-your-payments-and-services-audio-translation webpage or search QC 81294. You can find it via servicesaustralia.gov.au/yourlanguage webpage or search QC 25811 on the agency website and select the language.

Australian of the Year Nominations

Help! Spread the word! See them. Hear Them. Nominate Them – 2026 Australian of the Year Awards

The Australian of the Year Awards celebrate extraordinary Australians who make a profound impact on lives, communities and society. The National Australia Day Council (NADC) has released their social media toolkit (attached) for the 2026 Australian of the Year Awards Nominations Campaign.

This toolkit also includes a link to a YouTube video with the tagline ‘See them. Hear Them. Nominate them’. Please help in promoting this opportunity with your network.

Please note nominations are open and will close on 31 July 2025.

National Innovation Visa – Webinars

The National Innovation Visa (NIV) is a small, exclusive program with an increased focus on high-calibre talented migrants. The NIV is aimed at established and emerging leaders to ensure Australia attracts migrants from across the world who will help create jobs and drive investment in key sectors of the Australian economy.

The Department of Home Affairs would like to invite those interested to attend a webinar on the NIV. The two webinars will be identical and will cover the following topics:

NIV program priorities;
expression of interest;
nomination and application process

There will also be an opportunity for questions with subject matter experts following the presentation.

Webinar details:

Tuesday, 15 July 2025 at 1100 – 1200 AEST (NSW, ACT)
Thursday, 17 July 2025 at 1400 – 1500 AEST (NSW, ACT)

To register for an online information session, visit the event page.

We encourage you to share this invite and promote it to with your community.

Online lodgement for Class XB Refugee and Humanitarian Visas

From 1 July 2025, applicants applying for a Subclass 202 visa under the Special Humanitarian Program (SHP) or a Refugee visa under split family provisions must lodge their application online via ImmiAccount.

These applications include both a Form 681 – Refugee and Special Humanitarian Proposal and Form 842 – Application for an Offshore Humanitarian Visa.

Online lodgement for Class XB Refugee and Humanitarian Visas

ImmiAccount:

New applications for a Subclass 202 visa under SHP and a Refugee visa under split family provision via ImmiAccount must include both a Proposal and Application.

The Proposal form must be submitted in ImmiAccount before the related Application form.
Once a Proposal is submitted the Proposer receives a Transaction Reference Number (TRN).
The Proposal TRN is used to link the related Application in ImmiAccount

The Proposal and Application forms are listed under the “My applications” tab and the “New applications” heading in ImmiAccount (screenshot above)

Proposers: select ‘Global Special Humanitarian Proposal (202)’ to complete their proposal
Applicants: select ‘Global Special Humanitarian Visa (202)’ to complete their application

Grants – Multicultural Grassroots Initiatives – Round 2

The Australian Government has committed $30 million for future rounds of the Multicultural Grassroots Initiatives (MGI) grants program. Round 2 is anticipated to open for applications in late 2025.

The core purpose of the MGI is to enhance the capacity of multicultural community led grassroots organisations to foster a cohesive multicultural Australia by:

· enhancing the capacity of multicultural community led grassroots organisations to foster a cohesive multicultural Australia

· increasing understanding of racial, religious and cultural diversity

· fostering integration through increased levels of social participation by culturally and linguistically diverse Australians

· fostering a sense of community and belonging among culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

Applications submitted under Round one will not be revisited; organisations will need to submit a new application when future Rounds open for applications.

Further information regarding this grant opportunity will be published on the Department of Home Affairs website, as well as on GrantConnect, as it becomes available.

Support to sit the Australian Citizenship Test

Australian citizenship by conferral is the most common pathway to Australian citizenship, available to permanent residents who meet the relevant eligibility requirements. As part of those requirements, most applicants must sit the Australian Citizenship test.

The attached factsheet provides an overview of the recent updates and improvements to the citizenship test as well as general information on preparing and sitting the test. Topics include:

· Updates to the Australian citizenship practice test questions

· Citizenship modules on AMEPOnline

· Increasing awareness of support available to all applicants sitting a test

· Assisted Test for eligible applicants

· Resources to prepare for the test

· Re-sitting and rescheduling test appointments

· Test exemptions on the basis of permanent or enduring physical or mental incapacity, impairment and age.

Temporary Migrant Worker Research – Survey Link

The Australian Government is conducting a research into temporary migrant workers in Australia. We are looking for temporary migrant workers and employers to take part in a short, online survey as part of this important research. We ask that you please share the survey link with your communities:

https://WTR00144.cloudssi.com.au/CL/cgi-bin/ciwweb.pl?studyname=WTR00144L&UID=8990

The survey is anonymous and takes between 15 to 20 minutes to complete. It is available in 12 different languages.

The survey link is open until midnight AEST Monday 30 June.

Useful information in your language

Migrant worker protections (homeaffairs.gov.au)

Important Protection visa information

Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP)

Domestic and family violence and your visa

Foreign interference in the community | Australian Federal Police (afp.gov.au)

Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) – easy-to-follow cyber security information and resources

MyAus App – authoritative and consistent information about systems and services in Australia

Scamwatch – how to protect yourself from scams

Translated resources | Find your nearest Medicare Urgent Care Clinic | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

Multilingual information | Embrace Multicultural Mental Health

Family and domestic violence financial assistance |Red Cross

Find a health service | healthdirect

Translated information – Australian Electoral Commission

Accessible aged care services for Australians | My Aged Care

Coronavirus (COVID-19) translated information | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)

Law For You – a short guide to the law for new migrants living in South Australia

Services Australia

Parenting SA – Parent Easy Guides

Fair Work Ombudsman – understand your workplace rights and obligations in Australia

eSafety Commissioner – be safe online

Australian Taxation Office – understand tax and superannuation (super) in Australia

Australian Centre To Counter Child Exploitation

Translated Resources New | Kidsafe SA

Contact us

Thank you for helping to keep your communities safe and informed. We hope you find our updates useful and encourage you to share it with your community members, family, friends and colleagues, so that important and current information can reach as many people as possible. We also welcome your ideas on what you would like us to include in future editions.

Ensuring we remain connected with your communities continues to be a high priority for the Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Government. Your feedback is vital to the Department and informs policy, decision making and government messaging.

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