Legislation Updates

Migration Legislation Tracker

A single source about the status of pieces of legislation, Bills, commencement dates, disallowances, etc

Removal and other measures

"The Bill strengthens the integrity of the migration system by requiring non-citizens who are on a removal pathway and have exhausted all avenues to remain in Australia to cooperate in efforts to ensure their prompt and lawful removal..."

Nil VAC for some subclass 600 visas

"The purpose of the instrument is to specify the class of persons for whom the amount of the first instalment of VAC is nil, under subparagraph 1236(2)(a)(iv) of Schedule 1 to the Migration Regulations"

Case Law Updates

Para 9.2(1) of Direction 99 limited by para 9.2(1)(a)-(c)?

Federal Court. Can it be said that paragraph 9.2(1) of Direction 99 "does not require the decision-maker to consider risk of harm as an impediment if removed, but rather only requires the decision-maker to have regard to an impediment that arises from the limited considerations set out in subparagraphs (a), (b) and (c)"?

Materiality of erroneous finding that detention is indefinite

Federal Court. In assessing s 501CA(4), if the Tribunal erroneously finds that detention is indefinite, is the error nevertheless immaterial to the outcome, in that "being released from immigration detention is less of an imposition on a person than being held in immigration detention, even in circumstances of statelessness and the considerable insecurity that that necessarily brings"?

Request under s 91W

Federal Court (Full Court). Is the question whether the applicant has a reasonable explanation for refusing or failing to comply with a request made under s 91W of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) a matter for the Minister to determine? Is s 91W(3) otiose? Does the phrase “reasonable explanation” in s 91W(2) connote not only that the explanation is rational, but also that the explanation is credible?

Industry Updates

Did para 8.3(4)(f) require consideration of child’s own views of removal...

Federal Court. Can it be said that, as the Applicant did not raise with the Tribunal his age or health as relevant were he to be removed from Australia, par 9.2(1)(a) of Direction 90 did not require the Tribunal to take those matters into account, as that provision only required such matters to be taken into account 'where relevant'? Did para 8.3(4)(f) of Direction 90 require the decision-maker to have regard to a child’s own expression of the importance to him or her of the non-citizen seeking review of a decision affecting his or her visa, instead of only considering the evidence of adults as to the adverse impact?

Can unauthorised maritime arrivals apply for visas?

Can an "unauthorised maritime arrival" apply for any type of visa while in Australia? Is the answer determined by s 48 of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth)?

Not the Minister; no bad faith; not criminal

Federal Court (Full Court). AAT granted visa on 11 Mar 2020 to Respondent, who was kept in detention till 17 Mar 2020. Minister applied for JR to FCA, which dismissed application and held, among other things: Respondent was not released earlier because of the Minister's "personal dislike of the Tribunal decision"; “In the absence of explanation, the Minister [had] engaged in conduct which [could] only be described as criminal”. FCAFC unanimously allowed Minister's appeal, holding that conduct in question did not amount to bad faith (and implicitly was not criminal) and was not engaged in by Minister personally. If AAT makes a decision based on the law as then understood and that understanding is later on overturned by a court, is the AAT's decision affected with jurisdictional error ab initio? Did AAT have power to grant visa which had been refused under s 501?

Media Updates

Increased flexibility for international students to support supermarkets

The Federal government has recently announced as follows: "Today the Morrison Government has announced that supermarkets in States and Territories subject to COVID-19 lockdowns...

Can non-compliance with social distancing lead to cancellation?

"I will also say a very clear message to those backpackers who may not be adhering to the social distancing rules... [Y]ou will be breaching your visa condition and if we find that out, we will be kicking you out of the country". We discuss whether non-compliance with social distancing rules can in fact lead to a breach of a visa condition and ultimately the cancellation of a working holiday, work and holiday or other visas.

Some students able to work more than 40 hrs / fortnight

"Australia’s major supermarkets will temporarily be able to offer more hours to international student employees to help keep shelves stocked". It will be interesting to see whether this measure is extended to other industries until the situation is normalised.

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