Legislative Updates

The new instrument commences on 5 Mar 2020: "One of the purposes of the instrument is to specify... areas of Australia affected by bushfires occurring after 31 July 2019 and before 1 March 2020 as regional Australia. Another purpose of the instrument is to specify ... bushfire recovery work carried out after 31 July 2019 in an area specified [in the instrument] either as paid employment or voluntary work, as specified work. Bushfire recovery work is defined in ... the instrument".

The new instrument specifies different periods of time for the purposes of paragraphs 5.19(5)(f) and (g) of the Regulations, for new classes of persons who are specified for the purposes of theses paragraphs

"The Amendment Regulations provide that Subclass 188 visa applications in the Business Innovation, Investor, Significant Investor, and Entrepreneur streams must be made before ..."

The new instrument expands "the areas of Australia where recovery work can be undertaken for the purposes of satisfying ‘specified work’ requirements for a Working Holiday (Subclass 417) visa or Work and Holiday (Subclass 462) visa"

The new Bill strengthens "arrangements around skilled entry to Australia, by legislating income threshold requirements for skilled workers and amending the labour market testing provisions in the Migration Act. The amendments will promote transparency and worker mobility by introducing a public register of approved sponsors..."

The new instrument specifies additional categories of substantive temporary visas that preclude a person in Australia from making student visa applications

The new instrument increases Visa Application Charges (VACs) starting on 1 July 2025. The new Migration Amendment (Visa Application Charges) Regulations 2025 commences on 1...

'The intention [of the new instrument] is to remove any uncertainty as to the number of weeks a course must be registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students'

"The purpose of the instrument is to determine Australia’s obligations under international trade agreements under subsection 140GBA(2) of the Act, to give domestic effect to those obligations for the purposes of applying the labour market testing condition". The new instrument commences on ...

The new regulations implement new VACs. The increase for student visas is significant, from $710 for primary applicants to...