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"... The purpose of this amendment is to strengthen the assessment of the student’s intention to genuinely study in Australia and more effectively identify any non-genuine international students seeking to enter Australia for purposes other than study ..."

The purpose of the new instrument "is to ensure that Australia continues to attract the best and brightest global talents and to drive growth in sectors of national importance as specified under paragraph 858.212(2)(a) of Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations"

It is common sense that visa applicants must notify the Department as soon as practicable of changes of circumstances that occur before visa grant. But does the obligation to notify apply to changes that occur after grant? If not, are there good reasons to notify the Department of changes of address or email address anyway?

The new regulations "insert family violence provisions into Schedule 2 criteria for certain Skilled visas. This allows for the grant of a visa to a secondary applicant (and members of their family unit) for certain Skilled visas where the secondary applicant’s spouse or de facto relationship with a primary applicant has ended, and there was family violence committed by the primary applicant"

The new legislative instrument specifies the postcodes that constitute "regional areas" for the purposes of the new regional visas and subclasses 189, 190, 888 and 892

Sponsors "inherit" any outstanding public health debt incurred by visa applicants and the government can recover the debt from sponsors in court, which could add up to several thousands of dollars of out of pocket health expenses, not to mention legal costs. Practitioners might need to advise both visa applicants and sponsors about that liability. Otherwise, sponsors could seek compensation from, and/or complain against, practitioners on the basis that, had they been informed of the liability, they would not have applied for sponsorship.

 "The Amendment Regulations provide that in order for an applicant to make a valid application for a Subclass 407 visa, the applicant must have an ..."

"... the amending Regulations will allow ... to not be immigration cleared as required under section 166 of the Migration Act, so long as they do not leave the airport lounge except to continue their departure journey within 90 minutes of the arrival into Australia"

"The purpose of the instrument is to specify, under regulation 1.15FA of the Regulations, areas of Australia and kinds of work for the definition of specified Subclass 462 work in regulation 1.03 of the Regulations"

A new instrument has just been registered. It commences on 16 November 2019 and will treat holders of new regional visas as "eligible persons" under the Health Insurance Act 1973 (Cth).