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.

Coles and Woolworths are facing pressure to boycott suppliers linked to the exploitation of migrant workers, amid a push to address ongoing issues within the labour hire industry. The Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ACCR) has raised concerns with both supermarkets about the accreditation of labour-hire providers in their domestic supply chains. There are concerns the supermarkets are continuing trade with labour hire providers found to have violated Fair Work laws. Under Woolworths’ policies, a labour-hire provider must be accredited through one of three systems: the state licensing system for labour hire; be considered an approved employer on the Australian Government’s Seasonal Worker Programme; or be accredited by the certification scheme, StaffSure. The ACCR named Brisbane-based company Agri Labour Australia as one of several companies linked to claims of underpayment and poor working conditions. Last week, Agri Labour Australia Pty Ltd was forced to pay $50,823 to 19 Vanuatu nationals, who were employed under the Seasonal Worker Programme between December 2017 and April 2018. Despite the revelations, the company still has a working relationship with retailers who supply to Woolworths, is still licensed by the Queensland Government and certified by StaffSure. It is not however listed as an approved employer on the Australian Government’s Seasonal Worker Programme.

Two men with Indigenous heritage, but who were both born overseas, could be deported after they failed a migration character test, depending on the outcome of a High Court case which began on 8 May 2019. The Australian Government’s policy to deport an increasing number of people under the character test provisions has raised numerous complications for Indigenous people and those born in PNG before its independence in 1975. The two men in the separate High Court cases have at least one parent who is Indigenous and holds Australian citizenship. They both have Indigenous children, and one is a native title holder. However, neither formally applied for Australia citizenship and, after being convicted of ‘serious’ crimes and given jail sentences of 12 months or more, both had their visas cancelled under the government’s character test provisions. The High Court is now being asked to determine if an Aboriginal Australian in the men’s circumstances is an “alien” for the purposes of the Constitution. It is the first time the Court has been asked to rule on the commonwealth’s use of its alien powers in this way. In submissions to the Court, the men’s lawyers argued that Indigenous people “cannot be alien to Australia” and were “beyond the reach” of that constitutional power. The Australian government has submitted that whether the men were Indigenous or native title holders was “irrelevant” to the question of their alien status. They have said it was an agreed fact that neither plaintiff was a citizen and that “non-citizen” was the same as “alien”. Legal arguments began on Wednesday, with the government citing the High Court’s section 44 ruling on MPs with Australian citizenship concerns, and the men’s lawyers citing significant cases including the Mabo decision and the High Court ruling on a Papua-born man who was an Australian citizen by birth but who could be treated as an alien.

Training Benchmarks still apply and sc457 sponsors must ensure that they meet this sponsorship obligation before applying for sc186 visa under the Transition Stream. Please note that Training Benchmarks still apply to all sc457 Sponsors who have or had sc457 visa holders working for them The Skilling Australia Fund (SAF) Levy applies to new nominations made after 12th August 2018 only on sc482,  sc186 and sc187 visas. sc457 sponsor companies who wish to nominate workers on sc482 and sc186/ sc187 visas will need to provide evidence of having met their Training Benchmark obligations. Please also note that sc482 sponsors who had nominated workers after the implementation of sc482 but before the implementation of SAF on 12th August 2018 will also need to meet their Training Benchmark obligations. McKkr’s is a leading Training Benchmark B Provider and has successfully delivered training under Training Benchmark B to thousands of sponsoring companies and have helped RMAs. If you have missed training, please feel free to contact us. As part of our services of providing Free Auditable Training Plan for Training Benchmark B, we are also now providing Free Submissions to support Training Benchmark gaps and other issues in relation to Training Benchmarks for RMAs to help their clients.  We have over 1000 courses to choose from to suit any industry and occupation and have 100% success rate for Training Benchmark B. Do not risk sc187 and sc186 applications under TRT by not meeting Training Benchmark obligations.

Migration Regulations 1994 Schedule 4 PIC 4002 amendment. The ‘Security Requirement document’ has been removed from PIC 4002 on LEGENDcom and superseded by the Security Checking Handbook (SCH). The SCH covers all the information that was contained in the Security Requirement document but is far more comprehensive. The SCH sets out the procedures officers must follow for security checking. Due to its subject matter the SCH is not publically available or on LEGENDcom.

Users of ImmiAccount should note planned maintenance of ImmiAccount scheduled for 8 May 2019 between 5am and 8am. The following services will not be available during this period: ImmiAccount eLodgement (Online visa and citizenship applications) My Health Declarations service eMedical Visa Entitlement Verification Online LEGENDcom Australian Trusted Trader Employment Suitability Clearances Detention Visitor Application APEC Business Travel Card Humanitarian Entrants Management System Adult Migrant English Program Reporting and Management System Education Provider Report Visa Pricing Estimator Departmental websites

The University of Tasmania (UTAS) will review its international student recruitment and admission practices after an ABC Four Corners program broadcast on 6 May 2019 exposed its processes. The Four Corners program examined the UTAS application of Medium of Instruction (MoI) letters which are used as evidence to decide whether an international student had the necessary English skills to study at one of its campuses. In the wake of the allegations, UTAS said it will review international admission practises. A group of senior university staff will oversee UTAS admissions until the review’s recommendations are introduced. As an interim measure, MoIs will no longer be accepted as an alternative to the university’s English standards. This will only apply to students not already involved in an admissions process. Four Corners has also alleged other institutions are admitting students from overseas who are below the institution’s individual published English standards or who are being ‘granted entry through other means without taking an independent English test’.