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The new Regulations "set out the charge payable when an individual lodges an application for registration as [an RMA] or when an existing [RMA] lodges an application for repeat registration with the [MARA]"

Section 278A of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) provides that a restricted legal practitioner can apply for an extension of the period of 2 years within which to be an RMA. The MARA can give an extension if it considers it reasonable to do so in the circumstances, including (but not limited to) the ones to be set out in an instrument. The instrument has now been registered.

"The purpose of the instrument is to provide a pathway for certain former and current holders of temporary visas to lawfully remain in Australia and who would otherwise be required to depart Australia who, but for the COVID-19 pandemic, are unable to leave Australia. The instrument limits the class of persons who can be granted the visa to those who hold a visa that is 28 days or less from ceasing to be in effect, or held a visa that is no more than 28 days from ceasing to be in effect. It further limits the class of persons to those who are unable to apply for the same temporary visa they hold or held or any other subclass of temporary visa other than the Subclass 408 visa".

The Bill "would establish a new, fit-for-purpose, federal administrative review body, to be named the Administrative Review Tribunal (the Tribunal), which will replace the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT)"

"The purpose of the instrument is to amend IMMI 18/037 to remove references to “regional Australia” as defined under subregulation 5.19(16) of the Regulations. As part of the package introducing new regional visas, a new instrument ... specifies the parts of Australia that are regional Australia under subregulation 5.19(16) of the Regulations. Amending IMMI 18/037 to remove references to regional Australia ensures two instruments that specify regional Australia for the purposes of subregulation 5.19(16) do not operate concurrently".

The new Regulations make important changes to the conditions imposed on visa subclasses 600 (visitor) and 870 (parent) and to the eligibility for merits review for subclass 870 applicants. Some of the changes commence on 19 December 2019 and some on 29 February 2020.

The new instrument creates an additional caveat related to the hospitality, retail and services sector

The new regulations "prescribe a charge of ... for each registration for the visa pre-application process for the newly established Subclass 403 (Temporary Work) (International Relations)) visa in the Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme stream (the MATES stream visa)" for Indian nationals

"The purpose of the instrument is to determine the maximum number of visas that may be granted for certain classes of visas in the financial year from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021. The instrument covers the following visa classes (with item numbers referring to items in Schedule 1 of the Migration Regulations 1994 (the Migration Regulations))".

The new instrument amends the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth) to prescribe additional visa subclasses that may be cancelled if the visa holder is in Australia, has not been immigration cleared and the Minister reasonably believes that the visa holder has contravened subsection 126(2), 128(2), 532(1) or 533(1) of the Biosecurity Act 2015 (Cth)