Australian states can nominate skilled international workers for certain types of visas to allow these individuals to work in a particular region or state. As of July 2017, The Northern Territory and Tasmania have expanded their applicant pool for state-nominated visas. They are now giving nominations to international students with one and two years of […]
The Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme visa is a permanent residence visa for skilled workers. It applies to regional Australia, which excludes the following: Gold Coast, Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney, Wollongong and Melbourne). First and foremost, the applicant requires nomination by an Australian employer. This employer has to meet the following requirements to nominate someone: actively and […]
There’s no doubt that Australia is one of the most popular immigration destinations in the world. With 200,000, migrants from around the globe making their way into the country annually, the government has to play a delicate balancing act between accepting skilled migrants seeking visas into the country without seriously unsettling the labour sector. Presently […]
It has been reported that some education agents are luring international students to enrol in tertiary institutions by exaggerating the chances they have of obtaining permanent residency in Australia. Sadly this is far from the truth. The fact is there is no guarantee for permanent residency in Australia because immigration laws change all the time. […]
Restaurateurs are warning that the Federal Government’s move to overhaul the 457 visa program will put their businesses at great risk as it will only worsen the serious skills shortage problem currently faced by the hospitality industry. The changes, which were announced in April, plan to do away with the pathway to permanent residency for key […]
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has introduced legislation giving him powers to ban phones and other items he deems to be a “risk” in detention centres. This follows a court ruling in February which blocked detention centre guards from confiscating phones from detainees. Dutton claimed that phones were being used to facilitate criminal activity within the centres, including […]
In April the Australian Government through its Prime Minister announced a decision to overhaul its citizenship laws following the introduction of the Australian Citizenship Legislation Amendment Bill 2017 in the lower house. The Bill will, however, require support from both sides of the house to pass and has been sent to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs […]
Consider this scenario: a law enforcement agency provides evidence to the Immigration Department on condition that the material is treated as confidential. However, in a twist of events, the Minister responsible uses the evidence when deciding on whether to cancel a visa by a questionable character on the part of the visa holder. Would the […]
The Skilled Migration Program is designed to encourage highly employable people to migrate to Australia and apply for an Australian work visa. This is one of the most common ways of migrating to Australia which includes several skilled migration options. In this article we look at four namely: 1. Skilled Independent Subclass 189 This is a […]
The government has introduced a faster option for having your visa processed for Indians wishing to travel to Australia. Starting 1st July, all Indian passport holders will be able to lodge their Visitor visa applications online and even monitor the progress of their application. Applicants can also make online payments for the visa application through […]
As a migrant, spouse or international student who is new to Australia, it is important to have the means to commute from home to work or university; especially for those who do not have convenient access to a public transport service. The need to have a driver’s license is therefore quite crucial. The following list […]
Starting from 1st July, all Australian visas will cost more to reflect changes in inflation. Treasury minister Scott Morrison, while unveiling the budget, declared that visa fees would be pegged to the Consumer Price Index in a move that is expected to generate $410 million over the next four years. The visa fees will be indexed […]
Secretary of the Immigration department Michael Pezzullo says The DIBP has cancelled over 27,000 visas in the first half of the current financial year. While addressing an Estimates Hearing, he said the DIBP also discovered approximately 8,000 illegal aliens of whom 1,000 were in illegal employment. He said the immigrants had voluntarily sought the department’s […]
Jenny Weight, the Program Manager at RMIT University, says she recently resigned from her job as an academician because she could no longer stand how Australian universities handled international students. Ms Weight says she has witnessed firsthand the suffering of international students for years, but her attempts to mitigate the problem were “stymied at every […]
The Turnbull government’s move to abolish the 457 visa program has raised jitters among Australian technology businesses, especially within the start-up community who now face the prospect of acute staff shortages. Liz Kaelin founder of Caitre’d, an online platform that serves the hospitality industry is already feeling the pinch. She could lose her Dutch marketing […]
While getting a partner visa may seem straightforward enough, the guiding legislation is complex, and there are many underlying factors most applicants may not be aware of. To make your application faster and simpler, we have pointed out some of the drawbacks you may encounter as well as opportunities you can use to your advantage. […]
If you have found a suitable partner in Australia and would like to settle down with them, then you may require a Partner visa. The Partner visas (subclasses 820 and 801) allow you to live in Australia as the partner or spouse of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. This […]
Applying for an Australian work visa can be a trying process especially since you have to find an employer that’s willing to sponsor you as a nominee for a skilled job – usually an occupation listed in the 457 visa list. It also takes time and capital for an employer to be able to sponsor […]
The federal government has finally put in place changes to the Fair Work Act designed to deal with “dodgy bosses” more decisively. It includes tougher penalties and some new powers for the Fair Work Ombudsman. This follows Employment Minister Michaelia Cash’s earlier pledged to weed out employers who fail to comply with minimum payment standards […]
There’s no question that the 457 visa has served a useful purpose in boosting the Australian workforce. As of 31st January 2013, 105,000 migrants had joined the Australian labour force as 457 visa holders. The Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 457), as it is officially known – allows Australian business to hire skilled labour in […]
A former Perth restaurant operator will appear before the Federal Court over claims he unlawfully fired his cook who was on a 457 skilled worker visa. He also reported as having exploited the employee by asking him to repay thousands of dollars of his wages. The Fair Work Ombudsman who has lodged a statement of […]
In July 2012 the Australian Government implemented a key reform in a bid to better align the skilled migration program to Australia’s labour market needs. The Select Skill program is designed to control the number of skilled migrants interested in living or working in Australia. It achieves this by requiring visa applicants first to submit […]
The lesser-known visa category has become a new avenue for unscrupulous employers to exploit foreign labourers to the detriment of Australian workers. As a result, the Fair Work Ombudsman is looking into at least 11 instances of alleged exploitation of foreign workers on the (subclass 400) visa. Experts believe some employers could be exploiting the […]
Migrating to a new country whether it’s for study, work or permanent residency is a huge step that requires a lot of forethought before taking the plunge. Having someone to hold your hand in the process is vital to avoid falling victim to scams, false information and inflated processing fees. Given that the number of […]
The government is considering a plan to introduce mandatory provisional visas before allowing migrants to live in Australia on permanent visas. To this end, it has invited submissions from the public as prepares a visa transformation discussion paper. Some of the questions being examined include: “Should a prospective migrant spend a period in Australia before […]
The Australia Second Working Holiday Visa, also known as the WHM Visa, or (subclass 417) visa gives young people between the ages of 18 and 30 the opportunity to enjoy another year in Australia on a working holiday. Conditions for being granted Australian Second Working Holiday Visa Under the Second Year, Working Holiday visa holders […]
As a holder of a 457 visa, you can add a spouse or de facto partner and children to your visa as secondary applicants. Doing so allows them to gain entry and reside in Australia for the period during which your 457 visa is valid. Who are eligible family members? The following are accepted as […]
