Industry Updates

It is commonly said that the giving of immigration assistance by a person who is not an RMA makes that person liable for imprisonment, with exceptions. That is not an accurate statement. Unregistered assistance itself does not lead to imprisonment. What can lead to imprisonment is something else, as we explain.

'The Government will seek to increase the annual cap for Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visas available to Indonesian citizens from 2,500 to 5,000 over a six year period from 2019-20 to 2024-25'

ACT: 8 May 2019 invitation round

'VETASSESS offices closed: 22 December - 1 January, 2019'

'International students will be able to apply for an additional year on a second post-study work visa if they complete a higher education or postgraduate qualification in a regional area, and live in a regional area while holding a Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa'

Understand why more and more subclass 407 visa application refusals are not reviewable by the AAT under s 338(2) of the Migration Act 1958. Can anything be done about it? Maybe...

'The Government is increasing the base visa application charge (VAC) for all visa subclasses, with the exception of the Visitor (subclass 600) visa, by 5.4 per cent from 1 July 2019. There will be no increase to second instalment VACs'

The temporary graduate skills assessment pathway offered by the Australian Computer Society (ACS) requires that applicants have completed an Australian Bachelor Degree or higher. We explain how it is possible, in some circumstances, for a person who obtained an AQF Diploma and Advanced Diploma in IT to apply for a subclass 485 visa, despite the above rule.

There are cases where a person applies for a PR visa while overseas and becomes pregnant before grant. In some of those cases, the applicant is determined to give birth overseas in order to obtain family support and the baby will not become an Australian citizen by birth. Further, the mother runs the risk of the baby being born without a visa and having to apply for a costly and lengthy child visa. We explain how practitioners can minimise that risk.

When does the obligation to notify the Department of change of circumstance cease? Many people believe the obligation goes on for the entire duration of the visa, whatever the visa is, which is wrong.