Subclass 189: taxable income for NZ stream
"The purpose of the instrument is to specify the minimum amount of taxable income for the income year 2018-2019".
Strengthening employer compliance
"The Government is taking action to strengthen the legislative framework in the Migration Act to improve employer compliance and protect temporary migrant workers from exploitation. The ... amendments ... seek to ensure employers do not misuse migration rules to exploit temporary migrant workers ..."
Subclass 494: SBS status (or work agreement) required
The new Subclass 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional)) visa will "replace" subclass 187. However, r 5.19 of the Migration Regulations 1994 will not apply to the new subclass. Instead, nomination applications will need to satisfy the requirements in the newly introduced r 2.72C, which is very different to r 5.19. For instance, nomination applicants will need to be Standard Business Sponsors (or a party to a work agreement) for the new visa, which is not a requirement for subclass 187.
Afghan nationals who were evacuated from Afghanistan
"The purpose of the instrument is to specify a class of persons for paragraph 1402(3B)(b) of Schedule 1 to the Regulations. The instrument specifies as a class of persons, persons who were granted Subclass 449 visas due to the ..."
Time extension for sub 870 visa holders
"The amendments limit the adverse impact of COVID-19 related travel restrictions on holders of Subclass 870 visas who were outside Australia on 1 July 2021. These visa holders may have been granted the visa while outside Australia and now have difficulty in travelling to Australia, or may have left Australia while holding the visa but now have difficulty in returning. The amendments assist these visa holders by allowing them additional time to travel to and stay in Australia when travel resumes."
Subclass 408: class of persons for nil VAC
"The purpose of this instrument is to specify the ... as an AGEE under clause 408.229 of Schedule 2 to the Regulations"
Assessing authorities for subclass 494 visa
The new instrument specifies the assessing authorities for the new subclass 494 (regional) visa. For some occupations, the assessing authorities will depend on the date of the assessment, as we explain in this article.
New instrument on the Annual Market Salary Rate
"The purpose of this instrument is to amend Migration (IMMI 18/033: Specification of Income Threshold and Annual Earnings and Methodology of Annual Market Salary Rate) Instrument 2018 (IMMI 18/033) to address changes to the Regulations as a result of amendments to the Regulations by the Migration Amendment (New Skilled Regional Visas) Regulations 2019 (the amending Regulations)".
Cessation and grant of bridging visas
The new regulations amend the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth) to "to cease certain bridging visas, held by a non-citizen if they have been determined by the Foreign Minister or their delegate, as a person whose presence in Australia may be directly or indirectly associated with ..."
Refund of VAC
The new instrument specifies "an additional circumstance where the first instalment of VAC may be refunded, to encourage visa holders in nominated subclasses to travel to Australia and participate in the Australian economy"



















