The Department of Home Affairs had made changes in the eligibility criteria and conditions for a Temporary Graduate Subclass 485 Visa for the applicants affected by travel restrictions in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, the Department now allows for extra time to provide evidence of English language tests, biometrics collection, and health examinations, where access to the services was disrupted due to Covid-19. The applicants may attach the relevant booking confirmation on ImmiAccount where an appointment is made more than 28 days into the future. The key changes in criteria and conditions for a Temporary Graduate Subclass 485 are as follows: Graduates can apply for and be granted a Temporary Graduate visa offshore Studying online, while outside Australia will meet the Australian Study Requirement for existing and new student visa holders Applicants must hold or have held an eligible student visa, other than one supported by the Defence or Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister if applying for offshore Flexible timeframes to provide English language test results, biometrics collections, and health checks, only where the services were disrupted due to COVID-19 Studying online or having an approved course deferral will not amount to a breach of student visa conditions
The Department of Home Affairs had announced certain reforms to the Partner visa program as part of the last year’s Federal Budget announcement, including pre-approval of Sponsorship applications and new English language requirement for Partner visa applicants at the permanent stage, to strengthen the integration outcomes of the Partner program. The reforms will apply the sponsorship framework as set out in the Migration Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Act 2018 where the sponsor will have to lodge their sponsorship application and have it approved prior to the partner visa application is lodged. They also aim to introduce the new English requirement for sponsors and applicants to provide evidence of functional English or demonstrate that they have made reasonable efforts to learn English when they reach the permanent Partner visa stage. The changes are expected to come into effect around November 2021.
On 26 July 2021, The Hon Jason Wood MP, Assistant Minister for Customs, Community Safety and Multicultural Affairs has announced the release of the updated Consumer Guide and Factsheet outlining provision and manner of immigration assistance, and the fees charged by registered Migration Agents. The resources have been translated into 34 languages to reach the wider community seeking immigration assistance, in line with the ‘commitment to ensuring a world class migration advice industry’ in Australia. The updated Guide incorporates the changes which remove the dual regulation for Australian legal practitioners providing migration advice. In addition, it includes the Code of Conduct and process to complain if there are any concerns about Registered Migration Agents. It is also a reminder that providing immigration assistance in Australia by any person other than a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person is a punishable offence. In addition to English, the Consumer Guide and Factsheet are now available in the following 34 languages: · Amharic · Arabic · Bengali · Burmese · Chinese simplified · Chinese traditional · Dari · Dinka · Farsi · Filipino · French · German · Greek · Hindi · Indonesian · Italian · Japanese · Karen · Khmer · Korean · Kurdish · Malay · Nepali · Portuguese · Russian · Sinhalese · Spanish · Swahili · Tamil · Thai · Tigrinya · Turkish · Urdu · Vietnamese Consumer Guide | Fact Sheet To access the Consumer Guide and Factsheetin other languages, click here.
Canberra Matrix Invitation Round Invitation Round: 28 July 2021 Matrix nominating Small Business Owners: 03 invitations 190 nominations: 02 invitations 190 minimum Matrix score: 90 491 nominations: 01 invitations 491 minimum Matrix score: 65 457 visa / 482 visa holders: 04 invitations ACT 190 nomination: 02 invitations ACT 491 nomination: 02 invitations Matrix nominating Critical Skill occupations: 89 invitations ACT 190 nomination: 20 invitations 190 minimum Matrix score: 90 (Accountants: 110) ACT 491 nomination: 69 invitations 491 minimum Matrix score: 65 (Accountants: 95) 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 06 August 2021.
On 27 July 2021, the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs made an announcement to add 3 new skilled occupations of Pharmacists on the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (PMSOL) to ensure that critical skills vacancies are filled in Australia in support of Australia’s COVID vaccine rollout. The 3 new occupations on the Priority List are: Hospital Pharmacist (ANZSCO 251511) Industrial Pharmacist (ANZSCO 251512) Retail Pharmacist (ANZSCO 251513) With the addition of 3 more occupations, the PMSOL consists of 44 skilled occupations in total. Visa holders sponsored in these 44 occupations have priority visa processing and are also eligible to travel to Australia on temporary visa. To access the full Priority List, click here.
Compilation of Australian Citizenship Regulation 2016 dated 01 July 2021 incorporates the amendments made by Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2021 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2021 dated 24 June 2021 [“the Regulations”] to reflect the changes in the citizenship fees for applications received by the Department on or after 01 July 2021 and updates the places and currencies to pay citizenship application fees, including the relevant exchange rates. The Regulations comprise seven schedules, including changes to citizenship fees, payment of citizenship fees in foreign currencies, and relevant application, saving and transitional provisions under Schedules 5, 6 and 7, respectively. The changes include applying nil application fee for evidence of citizenship where it is made as a combined application with citizenship by descent or adoption application, updating eligibility for concessional fees for an application for citizenship by conferral, and updating citizenship application fees. The Regulations also specify the relevant conversion instrument as the Migration (Payment of Visa Application Charges and Fees in Foreign Currencies) Instrument (LIN 21/003) 2021 (No. 2) and places and currencies instrument as the Migration (Places and Currencies for Paying of Fees) Instrument (LIN 21/004) 2021 (No. 2). The Compilation is registered on the Federal Register of Legislation on 26 July 2021 and commenced on 01 July 2021. To access the full compilation, click here.
Migration Amendment (Temporary Sponsored Parent Visas) Regulations 2021 dated 23 July 2021 [“the Regulations”] amend the Migration Regulation 1994 to allow certain Temporary Sponsored Parent Visa (Subclass 870) holders an additional time of 18 months to travel to and stay in Australia once travel resumes after COVID-19 related travel restrictions are lifted. The Regulations also make changes in the relevant visa criteria to reflect the amendment. In order to limit the adverse impact of COVID-19 related travel restrictions and practical difficulties on holders of Subclass 870 visas, the Regulations extend visa period for 18 months, in addition to the period for which the visa was originally granted, for visa holders who were outside Australia on 01 July 2021. The Regulations also amend the criteria for making a valid application for the subsequent Subclass 870 Temporary Sponsored Parent Visa to provide that the total period of Subclass 870 visas already held by the applicant must be ‘less than 10 years’, which was previously ‘not exceeding ten years’. The Regulations are registered on the Federal Register of Legislation on 27 July 2021, commenced on 30 July 2021 and are currently in force. To access the Regulations, click here.
Migration Amendment (Subclass 417 and 462 Visas) Regulations 2021 dated 23 July 2021 [“the Regulations”] amend the Migration Regulation 1994 to update the eligibility criteria for a subsequent Working Holiday Maker Subclass 417 visa and Subclass 462 visa by excluding employment under certain employers as constituting ‘specified work’ to facilitate the safety and welfare of persons undertaking work in Australia. The Regulations provide that to qualify for the grant of second or third Working Holiday visa working for the benefit of specified businesses, including a person, partnership or unincorporated association, as an employee or contractor, will not be counted as specified work for the related visa. This exclusion would apply only if a business is listed in the legislative instrument signed by the Minister on the considerations that the employer may pose a risk to the safety or welfare of a person performing work in the employment or performance of work in the employment may pose a risk to the safety or welfare of a person, for example, any relevant convictions. This is to ensure that the migrant workers are not exploited for work in Australia. The Regulations are registered on the Federal Register of Legislation on 27 July 2021, commenced on 28 July 2021 and are currently in force. To access the Regulations, click here.
Invitation Round: 21 July 2021 Matrix nominating Small Business Owners: 02 invitations 190 nominations: 0 invitations 190 minimum Matrix score: 0 491 nominations: 02 invitations 491 minimum Matrix score: 65 457 visa / 482 visa holders: 02 invitations ACT 190 nomination: 2 invitations ACT 491 nomination: 0 invitations Matrix nominating Critical Skill occupations: 201 invitations ACT 190 nomination: 30 invitations 190 minimum Matrix score: 90 ACT 491 nomination: 171 invitations 491 minimum Matrix score: 65 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 on or before 31 July 2021.
The Prime Minister has announced formulation a four-stage plan to reopen Australia, including reopening international borders, titled ‘The National Plan to Transition Australia’s National COVID-19 Response’. The plan focusses at no imposition of lockdowns (except in extreme circumstances) and opening international borders as COVID-19 vaccination rate rises. The four stages are as follows: Vaccinate, prepare and pilot (current Phase) to minimise community transmission of the virus. Post Vaccination Phase to minimise serious illness and fatality caused by the virus, including restoring inbound passengers caps for unvaccinated returning travellers and larger caps for vaccinated returning travellers; and allowing entry of student visa and economic visa holders. Consolidation Phase to manage the virus with public health management, including abolishing caps on returning vaccinated travellers; allowing increased capped entry of student, economic, and humanitarian visa holders; lifting restrictions on outbound travel for vaccinated persons; and extending travel bubble for unrestricted travel to new countries. Final Phase to manage the virus with public health management, including allowing uncapped inbound arrivals for all vaccinated persons, without quarantine; and allowing uncapped arrivals of non-vaccinated travellers. Further recommendations on finalising the plan will be made by COVID-19 Risk Analysis and Response Task Force in due course of time.