After taking over the immigration portfolio from Chris Evans in September 2010 from, Chris Bowen has officially resigned from his position as minister for Immigration and Citizenship. Taking on a new position as minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research, and Small Business Chris Bowen will no take on an entirely new role within
SkillSelect January 2013 Invitation Rounds
After another successful SkillSelect invitation round a new group of skilled visa applicants will need to lodge an application with the Department of Immigration to fulfil their dream of immigrating to Australia. Technical issues with the online application system are still ongoing and may cause inconvenience for visa applicants and migration agents alike. Initially 3000
Skilled Occupations List vs. Occupational Ceilings
With the first occupation ceiling of the year being reached (Chemical and Materials Engineers), we thought it would be interesting to list the occupational groups which are most quickly reaching the occupational ceiling in 2012 – 2013. Australia’s Skilled Occupations List (SOL) contains roughly 800 professions (Schedule 1 & 2), some of which are easier
SkillSelect December 2012 Invitation Rounds
As 2012 draws to a close, we’d like to provide you with a final update of the events and statistics surrounding Australia’s SkillSelect migration program. This post includes a round-up of the SkillSelect December 2012 invitation round as well as some other interesting facts and figures. SkillSelect is the Australian Government’s answer to improved system
Travelling to Australia Without a Visa Label
A common question we receive from clients who are travelling to Australia is: “Do I need a visa label in my passport to prove to the authorities that I have a valid visa?” In most circumstances the answer to that question is no. The Australian Government has stated that for people who hold a valid
SkillSelect November 2012 Invitation Rounds
After four months of the new SkillSelect program being implemented a new round of initiations has been announced. Following the October 2012 invitation rounds which resulted in 2000 visa invitations being offered, November has seen an increase of 1000 invitations, totalling 3000. The figures published by the Department do not include state and territory government
Work and Holiday Visa Negotiations to Start
Australia already shares Work and Holiday visa arrangements with a number participating countries and, as of this week, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship has announced that Australia will commence negotiations with the governments of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, Latvia, Poland, and the Slovak Republic. The agreements, when implemented will serve as mechanism for
SmartGate Trial for US Travellers Arriving in Australia
In a joint media release earlier this month, Chris Bowen – Australia’s Minister for Immigration and the Hon Jason Clare – Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for Justice and Minister for Defence Materiel announced a trial that would incorporate US travelers in Australia’s automated border processing system, called SmartGate. SmartGate is a system which allows
“Significant Cost Threshold” to be Increased
According to a recent statement by the Minister for Immigration & Citizenship, the Australian government have proposed to make changes to the Significant Cost Threshold in order to make migration fairer for people with disabilities. The government will still employ rigorous health screening procedures in order to protect public health, however from 1 July the
Australian Visa Application Fees Expected to Surge
Australia’s Treasurer Wayne Swan has indicated numerous Australian visa application fee increases to be included in the 2013 budget. The increases are expected to raise an additional $500 million and will serve as a mechanism in keeping the Budget on track for the promised $1.5 billion surplus this year. The expected reforms to visa application