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From 1 July 2026, the Australian Government will introduce significant changes to employer-sponsored visas, affecting salary thresholds, visa costs and occupation classifications. Businesses that sponsor overseas workers must act now to stay compliant. This article outlines the key changes and provides practical guidance on how employers can prepare for these developments.

From 22 January 2026, Australia’s new Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Act 2026 creates serious criminal liability for anyone who funds, supports, or promotes prohibited hate groups. Businesses are not exempt. The Act’s broad definitions of ‘support’ and ‘funding’ mean that ordinary commercial activity, from charitable donations to supplier contracts, can now carry criminal risk.

Most prospective franchisors are focused, reasonably enough, on the beginning; the first territory, the first franchisee, the first year of trading. The exit is, at best, a distant abstraction. But the decisions made at the outset of a franchise system shape the value of that system more than almost any other factor, and by the time a founder is actively preparing for sale, most of the choices that will determine the valuation have already been made. The exit is not an event at the end of the journey. It is a design principle that either runs through the system from day one, or does not.