Biometrics collection will commence in Singapore from 24 April 2015. All
applicants irrespective of their nationality who are physically in
Singapore will be required to provide biometrics, unless excluded or exempt
under policy.
Visa applicants residing in Singapore and who attend the
Australian Visa Application Centre (AVAC) in Singapore to lodge their
applications, will be asked to provide their biometrics at the same time.
Where applications are posted to the Australian High Commission or
the AVAC in Singapore, a letter...
Thursday, 23 April 2015
Migration scam warning
SCAMWatch reports the ACCC and the Department of Immigration and
Border Protection (DIBP) have been getting reports of scammers claiming to be
government officials. The scammers call migrants and temporary visa holders and
threaten them with deportation supposedly because of problems with their
immigration paperwork or visa status.
Scammers are demanding up-front fees of around $1,000 to resubmit
forms. These scam phone calls appear to be targeting people from India and
Pakistan. The ACCC has received 150 reports of this scam since February...
Monday, 20 April 2015
New visa arrangements for people working in Australia’s offshore oil and gas industry
From 31 March 2015,
new visa arrangements came into effect for non-citizens other than permanent
residents intending to work in Australia's offshore oil and gas industry.
People intending to
work on resources installations should hold either a Subclass 457 Temporary
Work (Skilled) visa or a Subclass 400 Temporary Work (Short Stay Activity)
visa.
People who are
participating in, or supporting, an offshore resources activity from a vessel
will be granted the Special Purpose Visa (SPV) by operation of la...
485 visa and 476 visa - changes to English language requirements
From 18
April 2015, minimum English language test scores for the Skilled – Recognised
Graduate (subclass 476) and Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visas changed.
If you
lodge an application for either of these visas on or after 18 April, you must
provide evidence of having achieved one of the following in a test taken in the
three years immediately prior to lodging your visa application:
an overall score of at
least 6, with nothing below 5 in each of the four test components (speaking,
reading, listening and writing) in an International...
Sunday, 19 April 2015
457 visa - changes to English language requirements
As
of 17 April 2015 the following language tests are
acceptable evidence for 457 visa applications:
(a)
International
English Language Testing System (IELTS test);
(b)
Occupational
English Test (OET);
(c)
Test of English
as a Foreign Language internet-based test (TOEFL...
Monday, 13 April 2015
SA Supplementary Skilled List adds CSOL occupations and replaces the South Australian Graduate List
The South
Australian Graduate List for state nomination has been replaced by
the Supplementary Skilled
List. This new list offers all
the occupations on the DIBP Consolidated Sponsored Occupation List (CSOL)
that are NOT on the SA State Occupation List.
The State
Occupation List contains 171 occupations and the Supplementary Skilled List
the remaining 480 occupations.
This now give the opportunity for skilled workers in one of the
three following categories to meet the criteria for state sponsorship:
...
Chinese Travellers visitor visa extended to three years with multiple entries
Minister Andrew Robb has announced that approved Chinese
travellers will now be able to apply for online visitor visas
with three-year validity and multiple entries. This extension follows the
introduction of three year, multiple entry Chinese business visas in 2014.
This follows the success
for the online visitor visa pilot for Chinese visito...
Fair Work Australia - Inquiry into 417 Working Holiday visa wages and conditions
The Fair Work Ombudsman is sending a specialist Overseas Worker Team to the Northern Rivers, Tweed Coast, Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay
regions of NSW and Queensland. The Team will engage with key stakeholders
in Byron Bay, Lismore, Gympie and Maroochydore as part of its enquiry into
allegations of working holiday visa holder exploitation by unscrupulous
employers.
Deliberate exploitation of backpackers seeking to extend
their visas by undertaking 88 days specified work in a designated regional area
has been identified...
Thursday, 9 April 2015
UPDATE to the Significant Investor Visa (SIV) - suspension period
Further information has been released about the temporary suspension of the Significant Investor Visa (SIV) programme from 24 April 2015
to 30 June 2015:
all new nominations will be
suspended;
prospective SIV applicants can
still lodge Expressions of Interest after 24 June, but they will only be
able to be nominated from 1 July 2015 and will be subject to the new
complying investment framework;
the new complying investment
framework is still being finalised
those who have already been
invited...
Tuesday, 7 April 2015
Significant Investor Visa - suspension period
New Significant Investor Visa (SIV) applications are to be suspended from 24 April 2015 until
30 June 2015 due to changes to the complying investment framework.
Applicants who have been invited to apply AND have lodged their
applications prior to that date will be assessed under the current regulations.
Applicants may continue to lodge expressions of interest during
this period, but no invitations will be issued until after 1 July 201...
Child visa lodgement changes
From 18 April 2015, child visa applications in Australia must be
lodged at the Perth
office in Western Australia – marked Attention
to Child and Other Family Processing Centre.
This change will apply to all applications for Child visas
(subclass 802)
and Orphan Relative visas (subclass 837)
lodged from 18 April 2015. Applications for Dependent Child visas (subclass 445) in Australia must
also be lodged at the Perth offic...
Wednesday, 1 April 2015
Fiji added to Seasonal Workers Visa Program
Fiji has been added to the list of countries whose citizens are
eligible to apply to be part of the Seasonal Workers Program in Australia.
The Seasonal Workers Program allows applicants from approved
countries the opportunity to work in the horticultural, hospitality and tourism
industries in Australia for up to 7 months.
The Department
of Employment co-ordinates the program and provides
further information on its website Seasonal Worker Program
page. The
website provides an interesting video explaining the requirements...
Draft National Strategy for International Education
https://internationaleducation.gov.au/International-network/Australia/InternationalStrategy/Pages/National-Strategy.aspx
SOURCE: Australian Government - Department of Education and Traini...
ACT closes subclass 190 overseas nominations
ACT nominations for overseas
Subclass 190 visas are closing for 2014/15 for overseas
applicants.
As at 5pm AEST Friday 3 April 2015, all overseas applications
for ACT nomination of a visa subclass 190 will be closed. The ACT program
targets for the Skilled Nominated Visa (190) have been met for the 2014/15
financial year.
If applicants are living overseas, they are not able to apply
for ACT nomination of a Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) until the program
reopens on 1 July 2015.
Applicants living in Canberra and working...
Amendments to Migration Regulations - Migration Amendment (2015 Measures No.1) Regulation 2015
Migration Amendment (2015 Measures No.1) Regulation 2015 amends the Migration
Regulations to:
Foreign air crew:
limit the number of domestic flights that foreign aircrew are permitted to
work on while holding a Special Purpose visa. The amendments provide
a limit of two connecting domestic flights for foreign air crew and one
connecting domestic flight for positioning foreign air crew (persons
forming crew on departure). This ensures that opportunities for
Australian workers on domestic flights...
The Migration Amendment (Protection and Other Measures) Bill pass Senate
The Migration Amendment (Protection and Other Measures)
Bill was passed on 25 March 2015.
According to Assistant Immigration Minister The Hon
Senator Michaela Cash, the amended bill would crack down on fraud and
streamline visa processes to reduce cost. However, the changes have been
criticised for making it easier for decision-makers to deny protection to
people who don't have genuine claims and making it harder for people who do
have genuine claims to access the protection they deserv...
457 - Senate establishes new inquiry into use of temporary working visas
Following the findings and recommendations of the Independent
Review into the Integrity of the 457 visa programme, the Senate has established
a new inquiry into the use of temporary work visas and reported abuse and
exploitation of 'foreign' workers.
The inquiry will look at the broader range of temporary working
visas and will investigate issues regarding the extent of exploitation and
mistreatment of people on temporary work visas and the impact the programme has
had on employment opportunities, skills and training development for
A...
Productivity Commission Inquiry into the use of charges to determine the intake of migrants
The Treasurer, Joe Hockey, and the Minister for Immigration and
Border Protection, Peter Dutton, have announced that the Productivity
Commission will commence an inquiry into the migrant intake into Australia.
This inquiry will look into:
The benefits and costs of
permanent migration.
The scope to use alternative
methods for determining the intake of permanent migrants and the effects
these would have. This should include examination of a specific scenario
in which entry charges for migrants are the primary basis...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)