Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton is preparing to attempt to repeal asylum seeker medical transfer laws, with amendments before parliament. The Minister argues the legislation will ensure the Australian government is able to determine who enters the country, and maintain the objectives of Operation Sovereign Borders. The Opposition Leaders refuse to support the bill. What is Medevac Law? The laws, which came into effect in March this year, allow for urgently sick asylum seekers held on Manus Island or Nauru to be transferred to Australia temporarily on the advice of two independent Australian doctors. The person must be assessed as requiring medical or psychiatric assessment or treatment because they are not receiving appropriate treatment in Manus or Nauru. But the transfer has to be approved within 72 hours by the minister. The minister can block the transfer if they suspect the person poses a national security risk or has a substantial criminal record. Since the laws have passed, 40 people have been brought to Australia for medical treatment.
Recent years have seen a surge in the numbers of Malaysian visitors coming to Australia on electronic visitor visas, and then going on to apply for protection visas in a bid to stay longer. Between July 2017 and February 2019 1,779 Malaysians had their visas cancelled before clearing immigration — more than 20 each week. At the end of 2018, of approximately 10,000 electronic visa holders who had overstayed their visa, three-quarters were from Malaysia. This represents almost one third of all removals, even though Malaysia provides fewer than one in 20 tourists to Australia. The Government is now refusing entry to hundreds of Malaysians each year before they clear immigration at airports. A Malay Minister said “Malaysians were drawn to Australia due to higher wages, the low cost of applying for a protection visa and the “world-class” education system — and not because they were being persecuted at home.”
Accountant Occupations and Civil Engineers positions have now been closed until August 1 2019. If you are a migrant and have a genuine position with an employment contract contact Regional Australia on applying for a visa to enter Australia.
The Department of Home Affairs has recently announced that the Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa will be replacing the current 489 visa in November 2019. The new subclass 491 visa will have a lot of the same features of the current 489 subclass however, some differences will include a visa validity period of 5 years and the imposition of conditions which will enforce the government’s intentions that visa holders live, work and study only in regional areas, which for NSW will now include all regions outside of Sydney (Hunter and Illawarra regions will be awarded regional status) for at least the first three years. The NSW Government has been awarded a fixed allocation of nominations for the 2019-20 and is in the process of distributing these positions across the participating Regional Development Authorities in NSW who currently deliver this aspect of the NSW Skilled Migration Program to provide regional employers with access to skilled talent. Please keep reviewing individual RDA website for more details over the coming weeks but please also be mindful that RDA offices have limited resources. The skilled migration points test will change from November 16, 2019. The changes will affect subclass 491 applicants as well as applications for other skilled migration visas that have not been assessed at that time. The new points details are: 15 points for nomination by a State or Territory government agency or sponsorship by a family member residing in regional Australia, to live and work in regional Australia 10 points for a skilled spouse or de facto partner 10 points for certain Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) qualifications 5 points for a spouse or de facto partner with ‘competent English’ 10 points for applicants without a spouse or de facto partner. A new NSW Priority Skilled Occupation List is in development and will be announced shortly.
South Australia has commenced the General Skilled Migration (GSM) state nomination 190/489 application system. State nomination helps in obtaining a skilled migration visa from the Australian Government. The South Australian State Government nominates skilled migrants who are willing to live and work in South Australia and who have the skills and experience required by the state. To receive State nomination the applicant must have an occupation featured on the State Nominated Occupation List and meet all the state and federal Government’s eligibility requirements. There is also an additional occupation list called the Supplementary Skilled List that can be accessed to meet additional requirements. You have to register yourself on the Immigration SA Website. Registered users can apply for State nomination, events and support services through the site. In addition, registered users can also submit their enquiries, track their application, Update their contact details and view any actions that are required to be completed for the application.
Employers are looking overseas for applicants to fill gaps in tradie jobs in Adelaide Occupations such as mechanics, forklift drivers, carpenters, panel beaters, engineers, electricians and plumbers are some of the industries struggling to fill jobs locally and Industries are looking at overseas workers to fill vacant positions. DAMA SA has made it easier for employers to now recruit overseas for employees to full jobs. Younger generations prefer using technology and outsourcing of manufacturing offshore has left Adelaide industries struggling with a skills shortage. Panel beaters earn a median annual income of nearly $56,000, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, while other jobs with a skills shortages in Adelaide fetch higher wages. An electricians’ median income is $83,000. “The Marshall Government’s Skilling South Australia initiative to create 20,800 additional apprenticeships and traineeships over four years is geared towards addressing this situation where the jobs are there but skills gaps in the workforce need filling.”
New changes introduced in Migration (LIN 19/184: Arrangements for Work and Holiday Visa applications) Instrument. On 26 June 2019, Migration (LIN 18/174: Arrangements for Work and Holiday Visa Applications) Instrument 2018 has been repealed. Greece and Eucador passport holders have now been included in the list of foreign countries eligible to apply for the Work and Holiday visa from 1 July 2019. Further passport holders of Austria, Portugal and Spain together with the countries mentioned in Regulation LIN 18/174 are not required to provide evidence of government support for the grant of their visa. 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. The Department has simplified the process of applying for a Work and Holiday visa application. Applicants holding a valid passport from an eligible country including Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Turkey can now apply online through their immi account.
South Australian employers wanting to apply for a DAMA endorsement can submit their applications through the Immigration SA Apply website later this week The South Australian Government has entered into two DAMAs: Adelaide Technology and Innovation Advancement Agreement and South Australian Regional Workforce Agreement Immigration SA will undertake the role of Designated Area Representative (DAR), which is responsible for endorsing employers seeking to access overseas workers through the Designated Area Migration Agreements. The DAMAs will enable South Australian employers to sponsor skilled overseas workers for positions they are unable to fill with local workers. Employers experiencing skills and labour shortages can apply for endorsement to enter into a DAMA labour agreement. This is an employer-sponsored program and individuals are not able to apply. The age concessions in SA Regional Workforce Agreement DAMA require candidates to be under 50. Employers may consider applying under the standard Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482) outside of the DAMA for occupations with no concessions. Kindly refer to the SA website for the new occupation list for both the DAMA’s.
South Australia continues to offer a high point’s pathway for applicants from a list of 498 occupations who have a minimum of 80 points on the Department of Home Affair’s points test (including state nomination points). Applications for state nomination will be open on the Immigration SA Apply website from mid afternoon on Wednesday 3 July 2019. An expanded State Nominated Occupation List (SNOL) has been published for 2019/20 with 275 occupations available for applicants residing offshore or in South Australia. Health, ICT, social welfare, STEM and trade occupations feature on the SNOL. An additional 223 occupations are available on the Supplementary Skilled List (SSL). SSL occupations are available to four categories of applicants who have demonstrated a strong commitment to South Australia or are high calibre applicants. The four categories are: International graduate of South Australia; Worked in a skilled occupation in Australia for the last 12 months; There are immediate family members residing in Australia for 24 months or more; or Holds high points The minimum points requirement for applicants for the ICT occupation has increased to 75 points from 65 points due to the increase in applications received in this occupation. International graduates will be required to have only 65 points in the ICT occupation. Immigration SA has also amended their policy due to which now International students holding provisional 489 visa and who have been in SA continuously for the last 7 years and continue to reside in SA will be eligible to apply for State Nomination
The Department has introduced new legislation for exchange rates for Payment of VACs and Fees in Foreign Currencies. The Department has undertaken a biannual update of the foreign current exchange rates. The new exchange rate for some of the countries are: Schedule 1—Currencies and Exchange Rates for the Payment of Fees Currencies and Exchange Rates for the Payment of Fees Column A Currency Description Column B ISO Code Column C Exchange Rate Bangladeshi Taka BDT 0.01605 Brazilian Real BRL 0.3436 Chinese Renminbi Yuan CNY 0.19942 British Pound GBP 1.74432 Hong Kong Dollar HKD 0.1707 Indian Rupee INR 0.01928 Nepalese Rupee NPR 0.0121417