Australian Migration & Visa Lawyers
Migration Newsletter
October 2010
  In this Edition:
    Australia's Federal Election - The Results - Finally 

    On September 7th, 2010, Prime Minister Julia Gillard finally received the votes necessary to form minority government - thus breaking the political deadlock that had been in place since the election was held on August 21st.

    A cabinet re-shuffle followed resulting in a new Minister for Immigration & Citizenship - The Hon. Chris Bowen MP.
    Mr. Bowen is the key note speaker at the upcoming Migration 2010 Conference and we eagerly await hearing from him about the new government’s Migration Policy, including the recent and ongoing ‘Big Australia’ debate.

    The idea of cutting migration has come under severe scrutiny in the Australian press. Mr Chanesman (key immigration advisor to a number of Australia’s peak industry bodies) was quoted as saying recently in the Sydney Morning Herald that “the current migration targets are inadequate”. Mr Chanesman said that Australia's economy will flounder if the federal government does not increase its temporary skilled migrant intake.

    AMVL will let you know any updates on Australia’s Federal Migration Policy as soon as they come to hand.


    State Sponsorship - South Australia release Interim List 

    Immigration South Australia (SA) have released a limited number of occupations (“Interim List”) in which they will be accepting applications for state sponsorship until the State Sponsored Migration List (SSML) under the State Migration Plan is published. 

    Click here to view SA’s Interim List.

    Comprehensive information regarding criteria, requirements, procedures and timelines for Sponsorship Applications is now posted on the Immigration SA website.  If you have already submitted a ‘complete’ application to Immigration SA and your occupation is included in this Interim List, your application will be processed accordingly. You do not need to send a new application at this stage.
    Click here for more info.

    Unfortunately, at this point in time, the other Australian States are yet to release any information on their State Sponsorship Plans. We’ll be the first to let you know when this information is released!

    Western Australia Needs Workers 

    Western Australia (WA), one of the largest and booming economic hotspots of Australia, is the best place to go to right now. James Pearson, WA Chamber of Commerce Chief, says that Western Australia needs half a million workers over the next decade to meet employments demands.

    WA is predominantly known for mining however other growth sectors include construction, health care, social services, education and hospitality. At present, the national population increase will not meet the growing need for labour.

    In an interview with the Irish Echo Newspaper, Mr. Pearson says permanent migration is the solution. “No doubt we need lots of workers on short notice for planned projects, but much more than that; we need people to come and settle with their families to take up the permanent jobs being created and to provide all the goods and services a modern economy is expected to have” said Mr. Pearson.

    “WA is one of the last places in the world where there is currently huge economic opportunity, matched with a stable and welcoming western lifestyle. It’s a wonderful lifestyle where people can make a future with their families and we have so much sunshine”, he says.


    Important Information for Family Visitor Visas (Sub class 679) 

    If you are wishing to apply for a Sponsored Family Visitor Visa for the December/January holiday period, AMVL encourage you to apply before Friday 6 November, 2010. As a result of the high volume of Family Visitor Visas DIAC receives during this time, they are seeking to finalise all applications lodged on or before this date to allow for travel before 25 December, 2010.

    DIAC will continue to receive applications for 679 Visas after this date and those seeking to travel in compelling and/or compassionate circumstances will be prioritised regardless of the date of lodgement.

    There are some circumstances which may delay the finalisation of the application beyond 25 December. For example, some applications require further documentation from the sponsor or applicant or require a formal medical and/or chest x-ray examination.

    Applications cannot be finalised until health examination results have been cleared by approved Medical Officers of the Commonwealth (Australian Immigration doctors).

    Click here to contact the AMVL Family Team for expert advice on your 679 Visa!

    Another Parent Visa Pathway 

    Older parents who wish to join their children and family in Australia are currently faced with two options: extremely long processing times or high secondary application fees payable in a lump sum. Many have been feeling the pinch with the global economy being in the state it is in and simply cannot afford to part with the almost $40,000.00 per person required to secure a permanent visa within a reasonable timeframe.

    There is a middle option – the temporary Contributory Parent visas.

    The temporary Contributory Parent visas have a relatively short processing time of around 2-3 years and they allow applicants to break up the large visa application charge into two payments.

    Applicants would pay an AU$22,780.00* second Visa Application Charge (VAC) per person (AU$1,485.00* for dependents under 18) which would entitle parents to a two-year temporary residence visa including Medicare access and work rights.

    At any stage during the two year period on the temporary visa, parents may apply for a permanent visa at which time the remaining payment of AU$15,185.00* per person final VAC would need to be paid. The Assurance of Support bond is also only payable at the permanent visa stage.

    Applicants may be able to lodge the temporary Contributory Parent visa whilst they are within Australia (onshore) if at least one of the applicants is over 65 years of age.

    Click here to contact the Family Residence Team if you would like an assessment on eligibility for any of the Parent Visa options.

    *All Government fees are correct as at 1 July, 2010

    We're Open for Discussion - the AMVL Forum 

    Australian Migration & Visa Lawyers (AMVL) are proud to announce the inclusion of a forum on our website. The forum is designed to not only communicate with other people undergoing the migration process, but also to chat with our Registered Migration Agents (RMA).

    The forums are split into the three following categories –

  • AMVL Community Forum
  • AMVL Job Seeker Forum
  • AMVL Migration Help Forum

    Unlike other migration forums, we aim to keep our forum up-to-date with accurate information. 

    Click here to sign up today and start chatting!

     

     

     

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