Dear Subscribers, Hello and welcome to the first edition of Immigration News for 2015! The Christmas and New Year period is now behind us and the Migration Solutions office has returned to business as usual after a relaxing and well-earned break. The end of January also marks the closing date for the second round of […]
Message from the Director Read More »
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has stated that he wants to overhaul the 457 visa program in a bid to increase employer flexibility as part of his innovation and competitiveness agenda. Those planned changes include streamlining the processing of sponsorship, nomination and visa for low-risk applicants, and increasing the Standard Business Sponsorship term from 12 to 18 months
Prime Minister plans increased flexibility for 457 visa program Read More »
Two Australian businesses have been exposed by the media in recent weeks after being issued with hefty fines from the Fair Work Ombudsman for underpaying staff on temporary visas. A Tasmanian-based hardware store and cafe and a Melbourne Indian restaurant were both ordered to backpay staff and following an investigation from the industry watchdog earlier this month. The
Employers caught out for breach of sponsorship obligations Read More »
Employers are being warned against undercutting Australian workers by posting job advertisements aimed at temporary visa applicants at the expense of local candidates, following the release of a Fairfax media report. The report stated that several online advertisements had appeared on job-seeking websites recently, either explicitly asking for temporary work migrants, or stating that candidates on
Employers warned not to target temporary migrants Read More »
Employers are being warned against posting job advertisements aimed at temporary visa applicants at the expense of local candidates, following the release of a Fairfax media report. The report stated that several online advertisements had appeared on job-seeking websites recently, either explicitly asking for temporary work migrants, or stating that candidates on such a visa would
Employers warned not to target temporary migrants Read More »
Employers are being warned against posting job advertisements aimed at temporary visa applicants at the expense of local candidates, following the release of a Fairfax media report. The report stated that several online advertisements had appeared on job-seeking websites recently, either explicitly asking for temporary work migrants, or stating that candidates on such a visa would
Employers warned not to target temporary migrants Read More »
A new pilot program for online lodgement of subclass 600 visas for Indian business and tourism visitors will be rolled out through selected travel agents in India. The program comes as part of a bid to increase trade and tourism between Australia and India, with statistics showing Indian tourists contributed $800 million to the Australian economy last
Australia rolls out new online lodgement program for Indian Tourism visas Read More »
Almost half of Australian states have recorded a decrease in their intake of overseas migrants according to a recent report compiled by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Fast-growing states such as Western Australia, Queensland, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory all experienced a significant decline in population growth rate through overseas migration, causing the average national population
New report shows migration slowdown across Australia Read More »
Immigration SA has announced it will accept two new additional English tests in line with a recent broadening of accepted assessment formats by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection. South Australian state-nominated applicants will be able to take either the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) or Test of English as a Foreign
New English tests now accepted by Immigration SA Read More »
There are a number of requirements that a skilled overseas worker must satisfy before they are eligible for a Temporary Skilled 457 visa in Australia. For starters, they have to meet a minimum English language requirement, others an attainment of a positive skills assessment, as well as have an approved employer willing to sponsor them
Minimum salary requirement ‘doesn’t add up’ for 457 visa workers Read More »
Welcome to our Christmas and New Year’s edition of the Migration Solutions newsletter. Firstly I would like to wish everybody the best for the holidays and hope that everyone is able to spend some nice time with family and friends – hopefully enjoying some holidays from work or study. It must certainly be a somewhat
Message from the Director Read More »
Scott Morrison will no longer be the Federal Minister for Immigration after being assigned to a new portfolio following a significant shake-up of the Federal Government’s Cabinet earlier this week. Mr Morrison will be the new Federal Minister for Social Services as the Abbott government attempts to crack down on those rorting the unemployment benefit
New Immigration Minister announced following Federal Cabinet reshuffle Read More »
A recent investigation by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection has shown the suspected number of Australian employers in breach of their 457 visa obligations to be wildly inaccurate, with only a fraction of the cases confirmed as legitimate. The Australian reported that of the 1267 employers of 457 visa-holders under investigation, only 25 were
New stats reveal 457 visa misuse figures wildly incorrect Read More »
Serious concerns have been raised over the rise in Visa Application Charges for Australian Partner visas, which is set to occur from 1 January 2015. The increase followed the mid-year budget review, in which Treasurer Joe Hockey announced the Government would use the price hike to raise an extra $373.6 million over the next four
Partner Visa charges to soar by 50 per cent in New Year Read More »
Immigration SA has expanded the South Australian Graduate List requirements to include Vocational, Education and Training (VET) Graduates from South Australia following discussions with the South Australian branch of the Migration Institute of Australia. South Australian VET graduates will need to meet the following criterion in order to be eligible for a state nominated visa.
South Australia expands Graduate List to VET sector Read More »
In every state there are certain subjects of discussion that are debated more spiritedly than others. In South Australia, it’s your allegiance to the Power or the Crows, an opinion on whether the Barossa Valley or McLaren Vale produces the best local drop, or even the correct pronunciation of the iconic Lego brand (it’s lay-go,
Population problems aren’t easily fixed Read More »
Australian visa applicants are reminded that the Migration Review Tribunal and the Refugee Review Tribunal will be closed over the Christmas and New Year period. The offices will be closed from Wednesday 24 December, and won’t reopen until Friday 2 January 2015. Applicants will still be able to lodge applications either online or via fax
MRT-RRT end of year shutdown Read More »
India has again come in as the number one origin country of Australian migrants this year, making up more than twenty per cent of the national annual migration quota. According to recently-released data from the DIBP, a total of 40 051 Indians migrated to Australia last year, well ahead of traditional source countries China (27 334),
India tops Australia’s Migration List Read More »
