Legislative Updates

The instrument specifies the Supporting Innovation in South Australia event for the purposes of visa subclass 408

The instrument expands the online lodgement channel to additional countries for subclass 462 (Work and Holiday) visa applicants.

'Do you think the current rate of immigration to Australia is too high?'

Disallowance of instrument dealing with fast track applicants (unauthorised maritime arrivals claiming refugee status).

The motion to disallow the Skilling Australian Fund (SAF) Regulations has been withdrawn, which means that the SAF continues into the foreseeable future.

Additional areas where specified work can be carried out: Migration (LIN 18/197: Areas of Australia and Kinds of Specified Work for Subclass 462 (Work and Holiday) visas) Instrument 2018.

'The amendments will reduce the processing burden for travellers at international ports using a SmartGate ... by removing the requirement to present a physical passport if details of their passport are already held electronically'. 

Abridged version of a Lexis Nexis' article that explains the current regulatory framework and then discusses what the proposed changes are and how they would apply to practitioners under 6 different scenarios.

Visa subclass 417 (Working Holiday) - age limit raised to 35 for some countries on 1 November 2018.

'The Regulations target retirees who,... on 8 May 2018, held a Subclass 405 (Investor Retirement)... or... Subclass 410 (Retirement)... visa, or who did not hold a substantive visa on that date and the last substantive visa held was one of those visas'.