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A new instrument that commences on 25 Feb 2020: "The instrument operates for the Minister to: specify the approved forms, place and manner for making a valid visa application for a Visitor (Class FA) visa; and specify for the Approved Destination Status stream in the Visitor (Class FA) visa, which includes the  Subclass 600 (Visitor) visa, the travel agents that may organise a tour of which an applicant must be intending to travel to Australia as a member of  that tour. As a response to the cancellation of visas as a direct consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic, the instrument creates arrangements for ...".

"The instrument amends LIN 19/048 and LIN 19/219 to introduce ... a certificate exempting sponsors who are hospital employers from the requirement of obtaining a Health Workforce Certificate (HWC) each time the sponsor nominates a hospital-based position in one of the following medical occupations ..."

The new instrument increases the TSMIT (temporary skilled migration income threshold) from ...

What happens if a passenger card contains incorrect answers or even if some questions are not answered? Are there any visa implications? If there is any implication, does it make any difference if the passenger card was filled out by someone else?

The new regulations "commence a pilot to allow family members of certain long-term workers participating in the PALM scheme to travel to and live in Australia on a temporary basis"

The 190-page "Callinan Report" on the review of the AAT could bring about profound changes to clients' eligibility for bridging visas and the way we run Tribunal matters. This article summarises the recommendations and observations that will be of most interest to practitioners.

The new Bill "amends the Migration Act 1958 (the Migration Act) to provide that if the Minister makes certain character decisions under current subsection ... in relation to a person, then the Minister must cause notice of the making of the decision to be laid before each House of the Parliament within 15 sitting days of that House after the day the decision was made"

This instrument updates the arrangements for lodging visa applications for these three visa classes: Protection (Class XA) visa; Temporary Protection (Class XD) visa; Safe Haven Enterprise (Class XE) visa

The new instrument specifies the application form and the deadline for that application. If the visa applicant is onshore, the deadline is calculated by reference to the date of approval by the Minister to lodge the application while onshore. If the visa applicant is offshore, the deadline is calculated by reference to the date of approval  (or variation) of the sponsorship.

"The instrument updates the class of persons specified in LIN 20/122 to ensure that an applicant must either hold a substantive temporary visa that is 28 days... The instrument also specifies an additional class of persons who are eligible to apply for a Subclass 408 visa in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic..."