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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 commenced on 1 January 2022 and makes changes to: the list of eligible countries; instances where approval from a foreign country is required; & more

The new instrument "repeals the Migration (LIN 21/002: Places and Currencies for Paying of Fees) Instrument 2021 as in force on 1 January 2021 and operates to specify the place in which a fee (excluding visa application charges mentioned in subregulation 5.36(3A) of the Regulations) must be paid and to specify the currency in which a fee must be paid in that place, being Australia or a foreign country, for the purpose of paragraphs 5.36(1)(a) and (b) of the Regulations as at 1 July 2021"

The primary purpose of the new instrument is to "repeal, replace and consolidate nine principal legislative instruments that specify matters relating to ‘nil’ visa application charge (VAC) arrangements under Schedule 1 to the Migration Regulations"

New VACs from 1 July 2022 ... The new Migration Amendment (Visa Application Charges) Regulations 2022 commences on 1 July 2022 and its explanatory statement includes...

The new instrument: "extends previously granted temporary skilled and temporary graduate visas (Subclasses 457,482, 485), and provides for future grants of those visas to be for five years, if ..."; "creates pathways to permanent residence for temporary skilled and temporary graduate visa holders from..."; and "brings forward the commencement of Schedule 3 to the Migration Amendment (New Skilled Regional Visas) Regulations 2019 from 16 November 2022 to..."

The new Regulations make many changes to the criteria for the grant of visa subclasses 820, 801, 309, 100 and 300, including new family violence requirements

"This Bill will amend the Migration Act 1958 to require the Minister to replace the current Maritime Crew Visa with two new categories of Maritime Crew Visas under Schedule 2 of the Migration Regulations 1994"

The main Bill says: "A Bill for an Act to establish an Administrative Review Tribunal and an Administrative Review Council and provide for matters relating to information about administrative decisions, and for related purposes"

"This instrument is made under the definition of ‘designated APEC economy’ in regulation 1.03 of the Migration Regulations. Regulation 1.03 of the Migration Regulations defines the term ‘designated APEC economy’ to mean an APEC economy specified in a legislative instrument made by the Minister for the purposes of that definition"