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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 purpose of the new instrument is to specify the class of persons for whom the amount of the first instalment of the VAC is nil, if they "seek to be granted of a Subclass 600 (Visitor) visa in either the Tourist stream of Business Visitor stream as set out in Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations; and ..."

"The purpose of this instrument is to specify that the visa application charge is nil for applicants for a ..."

The new instrument specifies the approved form and the place and manner in which applications must be lodged for the following visa subclasses: 189, 190, 485, 476, 489, 491 and 887.

Sponsors' obligations and liabilities are a serious matter and practitioners should ensure that clients are made aware of them. For instance, sponsors are required to notify Immigration (not via email) when certain events occur, such as a change to any information provided in the sponsorship application. Lack of notification can result in the following sanctions against the sponsor: a bar; sponsorship cancellation; civil penalty order; and others. Further, the visa's expiry date is brought forward if the sponsorship is cancelled.

The new Regulations allow applicants for two visa subclasses to be either in or outside Australia at the time of visa grant and amend who can apply for merits review for one of those subclasses

The new instrument amends the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth) "to facilitate applications for permanent residence by persons evacuated to Australia for temporary safe haven following the crisis in Afghanistan in August 2021"

"The purpose of the instrument is to implement changes ... which, among other things, will introduce the Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional (Provisional)) visa (Subclass 491) and close the Subclass 489 visa to applicants in the First Provisional Visa stream". The assessing authorities for some occupations vary depending on the date of the assessment, as we explain in this article.

If the Department sends a s 57 (natural justice) letter alleging that the primary and secondary applicants have provide false or misleading information about their relationship, the obvious options are to dispute the allegation and run the risk of a visa refusal under PIC 4020(1) and a 3-year ban under PIC 4020(2) or to withdraw both the primary and secondary applications. A less obvious, yet quite interesting, option is to withdraw only the secondary applicant's application, as we explain.

The new instrument commences on 5 Mar 2020: "One of the purposes of the instrument is to specify... areas of Australia affected by bushfires occurring after 31 July 2019 and before 1 March 2020 as areas of Australia. Another purpose is to specify bushfire recovery work as work undertaken, including work undertaken on a volunteer basis, carried out after 31 July 2019 in an area specified ... as a kind of work. Bushfire recovery work is defined in ... the instrument... The last purpose is to specify construction work as a kind of work for areas specified in [the instrument], in alignment with specified work for Subclass 417 (Working Holiday) visa".