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Removing 457 streamlined pathway Victoria is undertaking some operational changes in order to facilitate the shift from old to new arrangements. This means the 457 visa streamlined processing pathway will be removed. Attention: This only means that the streamlined service will be closed, visa holders will remain eligible for visa nomination in Victoria and they will still have alternate pathways to permanent residency. Expansion of “Invitation Only” application process The “Invitation Only” procedure will keep being applied across the following industries: Information & Communication Technology Building & Engineering Nursing 457 visa holders and 457 visa applicants with job offers are now also subject to this procedure. Eligible, high calibre applicants in these industries will be invited periodically. Standardising processing times – Skilled Nomination Applications The processing time for PHD graduates applications will be extended to 12 weeks from the only 2 weeks processing services to be aligned with the standard 12 week processing time applied across other skilled nomination applications.  

TSS Processing Update Applications for a TSS visa will be processed in the following order of priority: Applications lodged by an accredited sponsor Applications lodged for positions in regional Australia Applications lodged under the Labour Agreement Stream All other applications As from September 5 2018 there priority processing requests for the TSS or the 457 visa subclasses will no longer be accepted. You can find the current processing times for this subclass and other visa subclasses here. From the 9th of August 2018 sponsors as well as visa holders will get automatic reminders if a sponsorship is about to expire (for the sponsor) or the sponsor has notified the Department that they the person has ceased employment, giving the person 60 or 90 days to find another sponsor or depart Australia. Skilling Australians Fund Who pays the SAF? Employers are responsible for contributing into the Skilling Australians Fund. If the applicant pays for the SAF, they might be breaching the payment for visa sponsorship legislation. How much SAF does the employer pay? The SAF is only paid for the amount of time the person will be employed, e.g. if the person will be employed for one year only, then the SAF payment will only be for that one year. Find more information on Labour Agreements and Transitional Arrangements here.

According to Senator Anning , the ‘final solution’ (that is indeed the term he used) to Australia’s immigration problem is to have a plebiscite on immigration. The words ‘final solution’ sparked a storm of criticism by other politicians given that in Nazi Germany the ‘final solution’ referred to the extermination of the Jewish people. He further goes on to say that “We as a nation are entitled to insist that those who are allowed to come here predominantly reflect the historic European-Christian composition of Australian society. Not only does he want a White Australia, but he particularly doesn’t want Muslims it seems (he didn’t specify if the skin colour of Muslims matter though). Fortunately, many Australian politicians are just as shocked about this speech as I am and her speech Hon. Penny Wong points out “We have built this country, a country that is the most multicultural nation on the face of this earth, not because we have allowed prejudice to persist, not because we have allowed discrimination to exist, not because we have accepted division but because we have stood against it.” It’s saddening to hear a speech like that by an Australian senator in 2018, a speech that seems full of fear and hatred towards others. Let us know what you think about all of this in the comments below. You might also like: Senator honours White Australia Policy in first speech and calls for ‘final solution’ on immigration What was the White Australia Policy, and how does it still affect us now?  

Orana is a regional area in New South Wales. In fact, the Orana region is the largest region in NSW. While Orana is the largest and most diverse region in the State, it is also a region that wants to attract skilled migrants on a 489 visa. The region has only yesterday (31.7.2018) updated its own skilled occupations list and judging by the list, Orana needs accountants, finance managers and auditors as those occupations have been added to the list. Accountant General Management Accountant External Auditor Internal Auditor Finance Manager For the above occupations, applicants will have to demonstrate (in addition to other 489 Visa requirements) that they : have at least proficient English have worked at least 6 months relevant work experience IN Australia (no assessment needed, only verification) are living in the Orana region at the time you are applying for this 489 Visa If you are reading this but are not one working in one of the above occupations, you might still want to check the list as there are plenty of other skills need in this region. Download Orana Skills List (2018) If you wish to enquire about this visa, don’t hesitate to contact us or give us a call on (02) 4626 1002. More information about how to apply for the visa to live and work in Orana, is available on their website.

It has been over a year now that the Australian government announced big changes in skilled migration when it abolished the Subclass 457 Visa. Almost 15 months later, the question amongst 457 visa holders remains: How can I go from 457 to PR? Am I still eligible? According to the Transitional Arrangements if a person holds a 457 visa or had applied for a 457 visa on or before 18th April 2017, he/she can still apply for Permanent Residency even if their sponsor has changed. This can be done under the ENS or RSMS regardless of their occupation. General Age Requirements From March 18, 2018: Applicants have to be under 45 years of age unless they have held a 457 visa or had applied for one on 18 April 2017. Certain rare exemptions apply. Contact us if you can’t fulfill this age requirement so we check if an exemption applies to you. PR Eligibility Criteria Option 1: You have worked for the same employer for 2 years If you are a 457 visa holder who has worked for the same employer for two years you might be able to apply through the Transitional Stream. The location will decide if you can apply through the ENS or the RSMS. Option 2: You have worked for the same employer for less than 2 years If you have worked in Australia for the same employer for less than 2 years or have not worked in Australia at all, you might be able to apply through the Direct Entry stream of the ENS. Option 3: Your 457 sponsor does not want to sponsor you for PR If your sponsor does not wish to sponsor you for permanent residency, you might be able to apply through general skilled migration to still get your PR. Skilled Migration depends on your skills (Skilled Independent Subclass 189) or you can be sponsored by a state or territory (Subclass 190). Conclusion: There are still some pathways left for applicants to go from a 457 visa to becoming a permanent resident but there seem to be more exemptions than rules that come into effect. If you don’t want to risk your permanent residency chances, you can contact us through our form below or give us a call at (02) 4626 1002. Contact Us 

A Chinese developer has promised Asian investors a permanent residency visa in as little as six months. All they had to do is buy into a Hunter Valley land deal in Millfield. Profit Palace Group, headed by Jiang “James” Xiao was not only offering Australian permanent residency but also access to Australia’s welfare benefits.  On their website it is explained how owning 750m2 will make them eligible to apply for the 132A visa – a visa type for high-calibre business owners. Yet, under this visa it’s not even a requirement to buy a house. There were many claims made on their website (which has now been shut down) including having political partners in Australia, who didn’t even know their photos and names were used without any permission and published on Profit Palace Group’s website. On their website false promises have been made, amongst others stating that a famous hotel brand is part of the development deal, yet there is no planning approvals made for such a facility on that land. The population of Millfield (of about 1006) is outraged and concerned about soon being double its size and rural communities being wiped out. Mr. Xiao has not yet returned any messages left for him and the number for his Sydney office has been disconnected. Source: Daily Telegraph

First Round of Invitations for Skilled Visas It is expected that applicants who have submitted their EOI (Expression of Interest) for a 189 Visa (Skilled Independent) or the 489 Visa (Skilled Regional Provisional) will receive an invitation these days as the next invitation round was anticipated to start on 11 July 2018. Looking back at previous invitations rounds starting in a new migration year (after July 1st each year) have generally seen a higher volume of invitations. While the minimum pass marked was increased to 65 points on July 1, many invitations in previous invitation rounds were issued to applicants with about 70 – 75 points even. Those with higher points will be invited to apply for the visa first. Applicants with the same score will receive their invitations based on the time they reached their score for the visa. The latest invitation round results currently officially published on the Department of Home Affairs’ website are those from 20 June 2018. You might also be interested in: SkillSelect – From EOI to Invitation New Visa – Global Talent Scheme Migrants now need more points for skilled migration to Australia Victoria welcomes skilled visa applications Contact Us

The State of Victoria has started accepting 190 visa and 189 visa applications again. Find more information on the 190 Visa for State Nomination and the Occupations that are eligible to apply for visa nomination by the state of Victoria More information on subclass 189 Visa (Skilled Independent) is available here. If your occupation is in ICT, nursing or engineering & building occupations you will have to apply through a different application process: Check if you meet the criteria for subclass 190 visa and the minimum requirements for nomination by the state of Victoria Submit an EOI in Skillselect. Find out how this works here. Check your email inbox to see if you have been chosen by the State of Victoria. Submit an online application for Victorian visa nomination within 14 days after having received the invitation via e-mail. If you are nominated, you will get an invitation in SkillSelect to apply for subclass 190 visa for Victoria. Lodge your visa application within 60 days after having been nominated by Victoria.   Use the form below to get in touch with us!

As expected, the vast majority of visa fees will be increased starting July 1st, 2018. Here are some of the most popular visa subclasses and their increase: If you need more information on any of those visa subclasses, simply contact us. We’d love to hear from you. You can find information on the main visa subclasses here.  

It is important to stay up to date with the continuous changes in the immigration world and the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs. Don’t feel overwhelmed by the immigration and its challenges, contact us and we can do it for you! These are some of the recent changes applicable from the 1st of July 2018 through a legislative instrument that have amended the Partner, Parent, Skilled visas and also a few charges and fees. Skilled visa changes  Age for partner points in Skilled Migration is now to be under the age of 45 years old (was previously under 50) and applies to 189 subclass 190 subclass 489 subclass Parent and Partner visa changes Allows the Minister to make a legislative instrument specifying the form, manner, and place for making a valid application for Parent and Partner The amendments enable greater efficiency and flexibility for making administrative changes to application requirements. Charges and Fees  The increase in credit card surcharges to 1.32% which allows the Department to recover a greater proportion of the cost of merchant fees, (the previous surcharge rate was 0.98%).  The Citizenship Regulation sets out, amongst other things, in which foreign currencies and countries a citizenship application fee may be paid and how the exchange rate is to be calculated, with several instruments in force on July 1st A conversion legislative instrument IMMI 18/063 (regarding payment of visa application charges and fees in foreign countries). A place and currencies legislative instrument IMMI 18/064 (regarding the places and currencies of fees paid). These changes may not be applicable to your visa but to make sure you will not be affected contact us today for more information.   Check what visa you may be eligible for by taking our free assessment! Also, don’t forget to subscribe to keep updated on migration to Australia