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.

Continue reading…

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.

Continue reading…

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.

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.

Continue reading…

Three new legislative instruments:

1. Provides for regional certifying bodies and post codes defining regional Australia for certain visas: Migration Regulations 1994 under paragraph 5.19(4)(e), subregulation 5.19(5), paragraphs 1.20GA(1)(e) and 2.43(1)(la). Registered 20 May 2008
2. Specifies skilled occupations as migration occupations in demand made under regulation 1.03 of the Migration Regulations 1994. Took effect 17 May 2008
3. Authorises classes of persons to receive the pledge of commitment made under subsection 27(5) of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007. Took effect 7 May 2008

MODL from 17 May 2008

“Skills targeting” is a migration schedule 6A factor that links to the migration occupations in demand list (MODL). Briefly, to get points for this factor:

• For 15 points - the applicant’s nominated skilled occupation must be on the MODL at time of application or time of Schedule 6A assessment or
• For 20 points - the applicant’s nominated skilled occupation must be on the MODL at time of application or time Schedule 6A assessment and the applicant must have a job offer in that occupation

The MODL is compiled by DEWR and lists occupations or specialisations that are found to be an ongoing shortage in Australia.

For details of the current MODL, occupations included:

• Computing Professional – specalising in Data Warehousing
• Computing Professional – specalising in Net technologies
• Computing Professional – specalising in Solaris
• Computing Professional – specalising in Linux
• Computing Professional – specalising in Unix
• Engineering Manager
• Landscape Gardener
• Electronics Engineer
• Binder and Finisher
• Dental Technician
• Tree Surgeon
• Optometrist

Removed:

• Computing Professional – specialising in Sybase SQL Server

For thousands of Indians and other international visitors, an Australian holiday will become dearer beginning July as Australian tourist visa fees and airport departure tax soar following the Kevin Rudd government’s first budget. The hike in tourist visa application fees from A$75 to A$100 (approx US$70-100), with the cost of a visa extension rising from $215 to $240, and the airport departure tax paid by travellers increasing by $9 from $38 to $47 will definitely hurt the Indian tourist.

Continue reading…

Migration Program — additional 6,000 skill stream places for 2007‑08

The Government will increase the number of skill stream places by 6,000 in the 2007‑08 Migration Program, to accommodate the high demand by employers for skilled workers, at an estimated cost of $99.6 million over four years.

Continue reading…

Steve Bracks has thrown down the gauntlet to the Rudd Government to sharply increase immigration, proposing a new category for Asia-Pacific migrants to stay for up to three years.

The former Victorian Labor premier says his program would help meet Australia’s skills shortage, but would also export skills back to developing countries of the region, including East Timor, Papua New Guinea and Fiji.

Continue reading…

From this month, government policy applied to these Business Skills visas

• Business Owner
• Senior Executive
• Investor
• State/Territory Sponsored Business Owner
• State/Territory Sponsored Senior Executive
• State/Territory Sponsored Investor

Has changed. All Business Skills applicants (with the exception of subclass Business Talent applicants) seeking to come to Australia to establish or buy into a business or make a designated investment are still required to apply for a temporary (provisional) visa in the first instance. They remain eligible to apply for a permanent Business Skills visa if they have successfully operated a business or maintained their designated investment in Australia. However high calibre business migrants sponsored by a State/Territory government may apply directly for permanent residence viaa the Business Skills Business Talent class without having to pursue the two-stage path.