Beware of social media posts and websites promoting the acquisition of International English Language Testing System (IELTS) certification without taking the examination. A certified level of English is mandatory for most Australian visas. Under IELTS, testing is mandatory. A visa applicant is required to obtain the minimum score, depending on visa criteria, in each band of the IELTS (Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking) in a single sitting. Fraudsters are targeting potential migrants and other visa applicants,  primarily in Asia and the Middle East, on social media and dedicated websites and advising that they can acquire IELTS certification without taking the mandatory examination. The scam usually involves the sale of fraudulent IELTS result certificates. This practice is particularly concerning with the growing number of international students required to meet English language requirements in order to be granted  visas to undertake study in Australia. Fortunately, the number of people falling for this scam is low at this point in time as IELTS are aware of the practice and are taking security measures accordingly. Note that fraudulent documents being offered for sale cannot be verified on the official online IELTS portal.

Recent changes to the WHM visa program to support regional and rural communities. From 1 July 2019, WHM visa holders who carry out 6 months of specified work in regional areas while on their second Working Holiday (subclass 417) visa or Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa may be eligible to apply for a third visa. Eligible types of work and regional areas will correspond with the requirements for the second visa. Note: The 6 months work must all be carried out on or after 1 July 2019, so a successful application cannot be lodged before January 2020.

The following update on the South Australian DAMAs from Immigration South Australia has been published. The South Australian Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) provides a framework for local employers to sponsor overseas workers in skilled and semi-skilled positions which are experiencing skills and labour shortages. Concessions such as English language, salary, skills and experience and age to facilitate pathways to permanent residency are offered in a range of selected positions. Approved occupations and concessions The list of approved occupations, and range of concessions that are eligible for sponsorship under the SA DAMA, falls under two agreements: Adelaide Innovation and Technology Agreement There are 60 occupations on the Adelaide Innovation and Technology Agreement which supports the Adelaide City Deal. These occupations provide employers in the defence, space, and advanced manufacturing and technology industries with the ability to access and retain a highly-skilled workforce. Concessions offered on this Agreement address specific challenges including, attracting a skilled workforce by offering pathways for permanent residency in South Australia. Following the required period of time on a temporary skilled visa talented individuals may be enabled to meet permanent residency by accessing the age concession when applying for the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa, subject to the occupation and concession being on the DAMA occupation list at time of application. South Australian Regional Workforce Agreement There are 114 occupations on the South Australian Regional Workforce Agreement which provide employers in key regional growth industries of agribusiness, health and aged care, hospitality and tourism, mining and construction sectors with the ability to access and retain a skilled workforce. Concessions for occupations vary and include: Up to 10% reduction of the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT), which is set nationally English language concessions at IELTS (or equivalent in another accepted English language test) 4.5 with no less than 4.0 in any of the four test components Skills assessment concession Age concession to enable pathways to permanent residency The South Australian Designated Area Migration Agreement also provides eligible businesses access to 4 occupations not listed in ANZSCO, this are identified under a placeholder code as ‘ANZSCO 070499’. Information relating to the application process and how to apply will be available from 1 July 2019.

The following update on the Queensland skilled migration programme has been published on the Business Skills Migration Queensland website. Closure of BSMQ skilled program The Queensland skilled state nomination program has now closed 10 May 2018 at 12pm. Expressions of interest (EOI’s) submitted after this date and time will not be considered. BSMQ will continue to process those EOI’s that have previously been lodged from 18 April – 10 May 2019 12pm until quota has been reached. Please do not contact us regarding the progress of your EOI as this will slow down the processing team from finalising applications. If you have missed out this time around, the Queensland business and skilled state nomination programs will re-open again with new quotas and new criteria for 2019-20 financial year in early July 2019. At this time of re-opening you will need to submit a NEW EOI as we will not be selecting any previously submitted or updated EOIs prior to this date.

Processing times for Partner visa applications are increasing. The Australian Government has allocated 39,799 places for partner visas in the financial year 2019-20, the same allocation as the previous financial year. For the 2018-19 financial year, there is an identified backlog of over 80,000 partner visa applications for overseas-born people who are married to or intend to marry Australian citizens or permanent residents. As a result of static allocations and a large backlog, processing times are expected to increase with most visa applications now taking two years or more to decide.

The following announcement has appeared on the Administrative Appeals Tribunal website. The AAT is currently seeking feedback from applicants, representatives and other parties who were involved in a case that was finalised by the AAT between 1 December 2018 and 30 March 2019. If you are part of this group you may receive an email or SMS invitation to complete a short and anonymous online survey. The survey will give the AAT important information about users’ opinions on the overall review process and their experience when dealing with the AAT. The AAT will use the information to identify areas where we can make improvements. All survey responses will be treated as confidential. Key survey results will be included in our 2018-19 Annual Report. The survey closes 30 May 2019.

The following announcement on an upcoming seminar on the Significant Investor stream of the Subclass 188 (Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional)) visa has been published on the Business and Skilled Migration Queensland website. Significant Investor Visa (SIV) Seminar 29 May 2019 Moelis Australia and Business and Skilled Migration Queensland invite registered migration agents, immigration lawyers and migrants interested in the Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) Significant Investor stream to a seminar on this stream. The event is free of charge and there are strictly limited places available. Speakers are: Enda Stankard, Executive Director, Moelis Australia Greg McKean, Manager, Business and Skilled Migration Queensland Topics include: Update on the SIV program SIV statistics to date Moelis SIV complying investments including Queensland investments Applying for Queensland Government SIV nomination Event date and time: The event will be held on Wednesday 29 May 2019 from 4.00pm – 7.00pm (registration from 3.30pm) and will be followed by an informal drinks reception and networking event. RSVP: kate.mcleod@moelisaustralia.com (numbers are strictly limited) Venue: Level 41, 1 William Street, Brisbane QLD 4000 Invitation here

The second edition of The Administration of the Immigration Program has been released by the Department of Home Affairs. The paper has been produced to help external stakeholders understand how the Department of Home Affairs administers Australia’s Immigration Program. It includes the Australian Government’s views on responding to Australia’s increased connection to the world and the movement of people, detection of threats within the Migration program, delivering improved immigration integrity and future administration of the immigration program. The paper is available at https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/programs-subsite/files/administration-immigration-program.pdf

The following information on skilled migration has been published on the Canberra Your Future website. Canberra Matrix – Invitation round Invitation date: 8 May 2019 Number of invitations issued: 225 Matrix score range: All Matrix submitted with 135 to 70 points; 65 point Matrix submitted on or before 31 March 2019 The next invitation round will be held on or before 24 May 2019.

Thousands of individuals have been found to possess fake academic credentials and have been employed as doctors, nurses, teachers and engineers in South-East Asia, including Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, and also Canada. Online websites which have alleged links to a Pakistani based IT software company, Axact have been providing individuals with fake academic credentials. A recent New York Times investigation identified more than 370 websites associated with Axact’s alleged fake diploma operations, including 145 sites for fictitious universities, 41 for high schools, 18 for fake accreditation boards, and 121 degree portals. After media reports exposed how Axact’s network appeared to be profiting from bogus degrees, the company’s founder, Shoaib Ahmed Shaikh, was arrested and charged with fraud in September 2018. Police raids at the company’s headquarters in Karachi found lists of fake universities, blank degree certificates, names and phone numbers of their customers and call recordings of Axact staff trying to extract money from them. There are now fears that thousands of people worldwide who have bought fake degrees are working in professions where extensive training and knowledge is critical. Some of them then use these fake qualifications to obtain jobs as doctors, teachers and engineers. An estimated one in 20 potential hires in Malaysia has fake qualifications while one in 10 has credentials from unaccredited institutions. Though no Australian visa holders have yet been identified, hundreds of people working as professionals in diverse fields across Canada have been identified as possessing fake academic credentials connected to Axact.