Guest-Worker Travel Cost to Be Borne By Employer

Immigration Minister Chris Evans has warned employers that they will have to covers the costs of bringing in Pacific Island workers under any guest-worker scheme that they may be adopted by the federal government.

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Study to Monitor Integration of Immigrants in Rural Areas

Study to monitor our latest imports
The Australian, June 10, 2008

So-called visible migrants and refugees - think of dark-skinned Sudanese - have been recent arrivals in country towns.

“This is the cutting edge of migration resettlement,” sociologist Brian Galligan said.

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Imm. Official Jailed Over Bribery Charges

Immigration officer David John Moon jailed
Daily Telegraph (Australia), June 4, 2008

A former immigration officer has been jailed for accepting luxury holidays in exchange for approving Australian citizenships.

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Sydney’s Population to Swell 1M in 13 Years

City to grow by a million people
Sydney Morning Herald, 2 June, 2008

Sydney’s population will grow by nearly 1 million people by 2021 due to the Rudd Government’s expansion of the immigration program - putting huge strain on the city’s public transport, health, education and housing.

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Indians Lead Migrant Rush

Victoria is the preferred destination for Indian migrants, new figures show. More than 2300 Indian-born people came here in the last six months of 2007 — the most arrivals of any state.

Australia’s total migrant intake for the period, including visas processed onshore, was 98,233, up 8.8 per cent on the same period the previous year.

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Medicare Relating to the Subclass 143 Visa Application

Medicare Entitlements

Applicants for the subclass 143 visa, even if they were a subclass 173 visa holder when they made their application, are not entitled to most social security payments from Centrelink. Details are available from Centrelink at www.centrelink.gov.au.

Even if a person as specified in Schedule 1 item 1130(5)(b) and (c) and who is in Australia does regain the status of a “holder of a subclass 173 visa” as they did not apply for the subclass 143 visa while their subclass 173 visa was in effect — not only is the Bridging visa status affected — but other entitlements for which they had been eligible while they were the holder of a subclass 173 are also affected.

For instance, such a person will not be granted work rights unless they apply to the Department of Immigration on grounds of hardship.

In addition, their eligibility for Medicare will have ceased once their subclass 173 visa ceased because that person did not apply for the subclass 143 visa while their subclass 173 visa was in effect.

In accordance with the Health Insurance Act 1973, any applicant for a parent visa is not eligible for Medicare unless:

• they are a citizen of a country that has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia and consequently has limited access to Medicare or
• they actually held the subclass 173 visa when they made their subclass 143 visa application, which even after their subclass 173 ceases will enable their Medicare access to continue while their subclass 143 visa application is processed.

However, if a person applies for a subclass 143 visa:

• within 28 days of their subclass 173 visa ceasing, they are able to regain eligibility for Medicare when they made their subclass 143 permanent visa application or
• more than 28 days after their subclass 173 visa has ceased and supplies information seeking to regain their subclass 173 temporary visa status on compassionate and compelling grounds, it is not until a delegate has decided that compassionate and compelling circumstances do exist and has informed the applicant that they can regain eligibility to Medicare.

For more details about Medicare eligibility, see www.medicareaustralia.gov.au.

Evans Overturns 187 Visa Decisions

Between January 1 and March 31 Senator Evans finalised the cases of 472 people who had applied for ministerial intervention after their cases were rejected by the immigration department and one of two review tribunals.

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Women Think Gay Sex OK, Migrants Not

A Majority of women do not support the war in Iraq or Australia’s immigration policies, a new survey has found.

They do, however, support gay rights and the push for an Australian republic according to the survey by The Australian Women’s Weekly.

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Points Test Visa Refusal: Migration Tribunal Reasons

Matter Refused: Points Test Visa

This decision considered relevance to occupation.

The applicant applied for a points test based subclass 880 (Skilled – Independent Overseas Student) visa, which a delegate of the Immigration Department refused to grant because it was not satisfied that the applicant’s Diploma and Master of Commerce (Electronics Business) were relevant to the skilled occupation of Pastry Cook. This is not a matter our firm handled.

The delegated case officer found that the applicant did not meet the requirements of Item 1128CA(3)(l) of Schedule 1 to the Migration Regulations 1994 (the Regulations) for the purposes of cl.880.215 of Schedule 2 to the Regulations.

On review, the applicant claimed that there was no clear definition of the word ‘relevant’ and it should be interpreted according to current Departmental policy.

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Migration to Canberra On the Rise

More people are moving to Canberra from interstate and overseas according to new figures.

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