Updates & Versioning

How Visa Snapshots are issued

Each Visa Snapshot is issued as a point-in-time analytical document.

It reflects how an immigration system operates as at the date of publication, based on:

  • publicly available legislation and policy

  • system structure and authority design

  • known decision and reassessment mechanics

Snapshots are not live documents and do not update automatically.

Why snapshots are not continuously updated

Immigration systems are:

  • policy-volatile

  • discretion-driven

  • frequently reinterpreted without formal notice

Automatically updating previously issued documents would:

  • obscure what version of the system you actually reviewed

  • blur historical context

  • create false confidence about system stability

For this reason, each snapshot is deliberately versioned and time-anchored.

Versioning explained

Every snapshot includes:

  • Jurisdiction identifier

  • Version number

  • “As at” date

  • Status marker (e.g. Current / Superseded)

This allows you to understand:

  • which system state the analysis refers to

  • when it was accurate

  • whether a newer snapshot exists

Versioning is intentional. It is part of the analytical integrity of the product.

What counts as a system change?

A new snapshot may be required when there are material changes such as:

LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS

SIGNIFICANT POLICY RECONFIGURATION

CHANGES TO DESCISION AUTHORITY OR DISCRETION POSTURE

STRUCTURAL CHANGES TO COMPLIANCE, REVIEW, OR ENFORCEMENT

SUSTAINED SHIFTS IN SYSTEM BEHAVIOUR

Minor operational adjustments or short-term processing fluctuations do not automatically trigger a new version.

When purchasing a Visa Snapshot, you may choose one of the following:

Standard Snapshot
$59

Includes one issued snapshot

No update entitlement

Suitable if you need a single system orientation

Snapshot + Updates
$79

Includes your issued snapshot

Includes 6 months of update access for that jurisdiction

If a materially updated snapshot is released within that period, you receive it without repurchasing

  • Updates are not minor edits.

    Each updated snapshot requires:

    • reassessment of system structure

    • revalidation of discretion and authority mapping

    • confirmation that analytical assumptions still hold

    Charging separately for updates ensures:

    • analytical discipline

    • version clarity

    • sustainable accuracy

    This is a deliberate design choice, not a limitation.

  • Update access does not include:

    • alerts for every policy announcement

    • real-time monitoring

    • personalised notifications

    • interpretation of changes against your individual situation

    It provides access to newly issued snapshots when material system changes warrant them.

  • A newer snapshot does not mean an earlier one was “wrong”.

    It means:

    • the system has shifted

    • discretion has moved

    • structural assumptions have changed

    Snapshots are best understood as system briefings, not predictions.

  • If you want:

    • a clear, grounded understanding of a system now → Standard Snapshot

    • continuity across policy movement → Snapshot + Update Access

    Both options provide the same analytical depth at time of issue.

Visa Snapshots are designed to help you:

  • understand the system you are dealing with

  • avoid early misinterpretation

  • frame better questions before taking action

They do not remove uncertainty - they help you see where it comes from.