Uncategorized
Direct Pathway to Australian Citizenship for New Zealand Citizens
Listen up New Zealanders! From 1 July 2023, New Zealand (NZ) citizens who have been living in Australia for at least 4 years can apply directly for Australian citizenship without the need to first be granted a permanent residency visa! These provisions apply to NZ citizens holding a Special Category visa (subclass 444) (SCV) who…
Read MoreExtension to 485 Visa Duration and Increased Student Visa Work Rights
BIG NEWS! From 1 July 2023, there will be a 2-year extension for the Post-Study Work stream of the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485)! This change only applies to graduates with certain degrees in areas of verified skilled shortages. Also from 1 July 2023, the cap on the number of working hours for students will…
Read MoreAdministrative Appeals Tribunal to be Abolished
Did you know that the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) is going to be abolished? For almost half a century, the AAT was tasked with the function to independently review thousands of government decisions, including those of visa refusals and taxation, military compensation and social security matters. Incumbent Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus stated that through the politically…
Read MoreIELTS One Skill Retake Has Been Launched in Melbourne!
Have you been retaking that dreaded English test over and over (and over) again just to attain your desired score for the skilled 189, 190 or 491 visas? In a bid to assist test-takers, the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) has introduced One Skill Retake in Melbourne, Victoria from 14 December 2022! Sounds exciting!…
Read MoreSkilled Visa Processing Priorities
Did you know that skilled visa applications are now prioritised according to a different set of criteria? From 28 October 2022, the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List has been removed and replaced by the new Ministerial Direction Number 100. This Direction aims to reduce the number of priorities, which will in turn increase efficiencies and…
Read MoreStreamlined Requirements for Onshore Temporary Visa Applicants – No Health Checks
News flash!! The federal government is removing the need for medical examinations and chest X-rays for many temporary visa applicants in Australia! This arrangement will apply to all eligible new applications made in Australia and pending applications. This streamlined process will be reviewed in early 2023. Exciting! Which visas are affected? The changes apply to…
Read MoreState of Play for VIC State Nominations So Far
Since the opening of the 2022–23 Skilled Migration Program for Victoria (VIC) on 11 August 2022, there have been two rounds of Registration of Interest (ROI) selections as at 30 September 2022. We explore below how many ROIs have been selectedand nominated for the Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) and Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491)…
Read MoreIncrease in Migration Seats for 2022–23 and Increased Duration for the 485 Visa
News flash!! The new federal government has announced BIG changes to Australia’s skilled migration program. In a nutshell, if you are thinking of migrating to Australia, the 2022–23 financial year is a great time to do so! Exciting! What are the changes? Firstly, the number of permanent visas this financial year has increased from 160,000…
Read MoreAustralia’s Migration Program Planning for 2022-2023 Announced
Here’s what you need to know about the migration allocations for this financial year. The Australian Government announced the planning level of 160,000 places for the 2022-2023 year. Skills Visa Stream 109,900 places allocated, which is a massive improvement from last year’s 30,000. The stream has been created to enhance Australia’s economy’s production capacity and…
Read MoreIs the 408 Visa a Good Option for You?
Did you know that the Temporary Activity (subclass 408) visa has enabled many overseas workers to legally stay and work in Australia during the pandemic? The 408 visa allows these workers to support the recovery of businesses across the Australian economy. Importantly, the Australian Government Endorsed Events (COVID-19 Pandemic event) stream of the 408 visa…
Read More