Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (Digital Passenger Declaration) Regulations 2021, dated 9 December 2021, amending the Customs Regulation 2015 and the Migration Regulations 1994 to introduce digital passenger declaration for use by travellers voluntarily has been repealed on 08 September 2022 and is no longer in force. To access the repealed instrument, click here.
Migration (Migration Agents Code of Conduct) Regulations 2021, dated 16 December 2021, amending the Migration Agents Regulations 1998 to repeal the current Migration Agents Code of Conduct and the introduction of a new Migration Agents code of conduct from 1 March 2022, and make amendments consequential to that repeal. This instrument has been repealed on 08 September 2022 and is no longer in force. To access the repealed instrument, click here.
South Australia’s Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP) is now open for the 2022-23 program year with a limited allocation of 70 Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP) nomination places. The Business Migration program seeks to attract high quality business owners, investors and entrepreneurs who can best contribute to South Australia’s economic prosperity and workforce needs, and also can create genuine and sustainable business opportunities in South Australia. There will be four visa streams available for nomination under the Business Innovation and Investment visa (subclass 188): The program will be highly competitive due to the limited allocation of nominations. Accordingly, applicants for the Business Innovation Stream (188A) will be required to submit an Intention to Apply (ITA) for consideration. ITAs from high-quality applicants, who can create genuine and sustainable business opportunities in South Australia, may be invited to apply for state nomination. Before submitting an ITA, it is advised to check the applicant’s eligibility for state nomination in accordance with South Australia’s BIIP nomination requirements for the 2022-23 program year. Applications subclass 188B and Subclass 188Cvisas will be assessed by considering each application on its merits and the broader benefit to South Australia. For more information regarding the South Australia nomination, click here.
Invitation Round: 30 August 2022 Matrix nominating Small Business Owners: 01 invitation 457 visa / 482 visa holders: 05 invitations Matrix nominating Critical Skill occupations: 106 invitations Overseas Applicants Matrix nominating Critical Skill occupations: 144 invitations Invitations were not issued if the applicants have an active application in the system or have previously received an ACT nomination. The next Canberra Matrix invitation round will be held before 10 September 2022.
It is advised to ensure that client’s details and documentation are updated from time to time in the Skillselect system to secure their eligibility to accept the invitation to apply for the visa issued in the Skillselect invitation round. Recently, the Department, for the purpose of addressing the backlog in processing, held an unscheduled round of SC 189 invitations, where most of the invitees, were ineligible to take up the invitation due to the expiration of their English test and skills assessment at the time of invitation. Therefore, it is advised to keep the documentation updated to be eligible to accept the invitation to apply.
South Australia General Skilled Migration (GSM) program is now open and the South Australian Government has published a revised and the most extensive skilled occupation list with skilled migrants, able to seek state nomination from over 500 occupations. The 2022-23 Skilled Migration Program will prioritise nominations for skilled migrants: For information regarding the requirements for South Australian nomination, click here.
Western Australia Government has made significant changes to its SNPM to support skilled workers to migrate to Western Australia, including adding new occupations to the Western Australian Skilled Migration Occupation List Schedule 1 (WASMOL Schedule 1) and the Western Australian Skilled Migration Occupation List Schedule 2 (WASMOL Schedule 2). The following changes have been made to Western Australia Skilled State Nomination Program: To access Western Australia State Nomination – combined list, click here.
The Department of Home Affairs discontinued the Immigration Advice and Application Assistance Scheme (IAAAS) on 27 August 2022. IAAAS provided Government funded access to professional immigration advice and application assistance for protection visa subclass 866applicants who entered Australia lawfully and needed to seek asylum due to a well-founded fear of persecution in their country of origin. For any queries, email iaaas@homeaffairs.gov.au
Invitation Round: 23 August 2022 Matrix nominating Small Business Owners: 01 invitation 457 visa / 482 visa holders: 16 invitations Matrix nominating Critical Skill occupations: 165 invitations Overseas Applicants Matrix nominating Critical Skill occupations: 149 invitations Invitations were not issued if the applicants have an active application in the system or have previously received ACT nomination. The next Canberra Matrix invitation round will be held before 10 September 2022.
Migration (Supporting Innovation in South Australia Event for Class GG, Subclass 408 (Temporary Activity) Visa) Repeal Instrument (LIN 22/067) 2022 dated 11 August 2022 repeals the Migration (LIN 18/077: Supporting Innovation in South Australia Event for Class GG, Subclass 408 (Temporary Activity) Visa) Instrument 201, specified for paragraphs 408.229(b) and (c) of Schedule 2 to the Regulations as the event has ended and therefore LIN 18/077 is no longer required to support the visa pathway. To satisfy the primary criteria for the grant of a Subclass 408 visa the applicant must seek to enter or remain in Australia for the purpose of undertaking work directly associated with an AGEE. To meet this criterion, the AGEE must be specified in a legislative instrument made by the Minister for the purposes of paragraph 408.229(b) of Schedule 2 to the Regulations, and the applicant must be in a class of persons specified in the instrument in relation to the event. LIN 18/077 specified the event known as Supporting Innovation in South Australia as an ‘Australian Government endorsed event’ (AGEE) and classes of persons in relation to the event who may be eligible for a Temporary Activity (Subclass 408) visa. The event ‘Supporting Innovation in South Australia’ commenced in November 2018 and ended in November 2021. Therefore, persons now cannot seek to enter or remain in Australia in relation to this event. LIN 18/077 is therefore not required anymore to support the Subclass 408 visa application pathway. The Instrument is registered on the Federal Register of Legislation on 24 August 2022 and commences on 25 August 2022. To know more, click here.