The Department of Home Affairs has quietly issued the Migration (Arrangements for Visitor (Class FA) visa applications) Amendment Instrument 2026 (LIN 26/060), registered on 28 September 2026. The instrument overhauls Schedule 1 of the existing 2021 ADS determination by repealing the old table of approved Chinese travel agents and replacing it with an updated list of 78 agencies across 13 mainland provinces and municipalities. Under the China-Australia Approved Destination Status (ADS) Memorandum of Understanding, only tour groups organised by an agent named in the schedule may lodge subclass 600 Visitor (Tourist stream – ADS) visa applications as a package. The scheme is critical to the $3.2 billion Chinese leisure-travel market because it streamlines group processing, caps financial securities and allows pre-authorised itinerary control by Australian Border Force (ABF). The updated schedule reflects China’s rapidly consolidating outbound-tour industry. Major state-owned giants such as China International Travel Service, CYTS and Spring Tour retain their places, but 19 regional operators—mostly second-tier city agencies—have been removed after compliance reviews, while 12 newly accredited firms appear for the first time. Several codes have also been rationalised so that ABF officers can more easily match visa files to tour manifests. For Australian hotels, attractions and inbound tour operators the refresh means some long-standing wholesale relationships will end abruptly, while new distribution channels will need to be established before the mainland’s week-long National Day holiday rush in early October. Corporate travel managers with frequent Chinese delegations should confirm whether their appointed agency remains on the ADS list; otherwise delegates will have to switch to individual Visitor (Business Visitor stream) visas, adding cost and processing time. The instrument commences the day after registration—29 September 2026—so any applications lodged from that date must quote the new travel-agent codes. Migration agents who continue to submit with superseded codes risk invalid applications and potential PIC 4020 integrity findings. Industry bodies such as ATEC recommend proactively auditing all pending ADS files to avoid last-minute refusals.
Source: Federal Register of Legislation
