More than 600 small-business owners logged in to a Department of Home Affairs webinar on 27 October 2025 that explored visa pathways for overseas talent and the rising cyber-security risks facing regional employers. Co-organised with Regional Development Australia Riverina, the hour-long session walked participants through employer-sponsored visas, the new Skills-in-Demand framework and updates to Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO).
Officials urged employers to adopt the “Check Twice, Submit Once” campaign to curb document errors that slow sponsorship approvals—processing times can stretch to 90 days for incomplete files. The webinar also previewed imminent migrant-worker reforms that will widen the PALM scheme’s occupational list from January 2026, giving agribusinesses and aged-care providers access to semi-skilled labour.
The second half shifted to cyber-security, with the National Office of Cyber Security outlining the top five attack vectors targeting small firms that recruit offshore staff, including phishing emails masquerading as visa invoices. Participants received a draft incident-response checklist and were encouraged to enrol in the Australian Cyber Security Centre’s free “Exercise in a Box” program.
RDA Riverina will circulate recording links and slide decks, while Home Affairs promised follow-up clinics for businesses preparing labour-agreement requests ahead of the holiday-harvest surge.
Officials urged employers to adopt the “Check Twice, Submit Once” campaign to curb document errors that slow sponsorship approvals—processing times can stretch to 90 days for incomplete files. The webinar also previewed imminent migrant-worker reforms that will widen the PALM scheme’s occupational list from January 2026, giving agribusinesses and aged-care providers access to semi-skilled labour.
The second half shifted to cyber-security, with the National Office of Cyber Security outlining the top five attack vectors targeting small firms that recruit offshore staff, including phishing emails masquerading as visa invoices. Participants received a draft incident-response checklist and were encouraged to enrol in the Australian Cyber Security Centre’s free “Exercise in a Box” program.
RDA Riverina will circulate recording links and slide decks, while Home Affairs promised follow-up clinics for businesses preparing labour-agreement requests ahead of the holiday-harvest surge.
