What to expect from a registered migration agent

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Jo

If you choose to use a migration agent to help with your visa application, it’s important to check they are registered with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (the Authority). It’s against the law for anyone who is not registered to advise about eligibility for a visa or provide assistance beyond clerical help with a visa or citizenship application.

Registered migration agents are skilled professionals with up-to-date knowledge of Australian migration law, and are bound by the professional standards set out in the migration agents’ Code of Conduct.  This provides you with a level of protection. On the other hand, an unregistered agent may not have current knowledge about the law and ignore any form of consumer protection. (more…)

User pays for biometrics at all Australian Visa Application Centers

From 1 July 2014, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection is moving to a full user-pays model at all biometric Australian Visa Application Centres (AVACs). This means that service providers will charge clients a service fee for visa application lodgement and biometric collection. This is in addition to visa application charges. (more…)

Skilled Nominated English criteria anomaly

An anomaly has been identified in the SC 190 regulations. Reg 190.213 requires the applicant to have Competent English at the time of INVITATION. However, the definition of Competent English at Reg 1.15C requires the applicant to also have a valid English language test result at time of APPLICATION.

If the validity of an applicant’s test result expires between the time of invitation and the time of application lodgement, they will not meet the requirement for Competent English and the visa will be refused. (more…)

Prince Garley Garley threatened ambulance workers with box-cutter at fatal crash scene

By court reporter Loukas Founten
Updated Thu 3 Jul 2014, 3:13pm AEST

PHOTO: Stanley Horace died in the crash. (Facebook)

A man who killed a friend when he crashed a car while drunk threatened ambulance officers with a box-cutter knife at the accident scene, a court has been told. (more…)

Migration In the Media – 10 July 2014

Scott Morrison agrees to court order on Tamils
9 July | theaustralian.com.au

Asylum seeker mothers attempting suicide
9 July | smh.com.au

(more…)

Employer Nomination 186 and Regional Nomination 187 changes to start-up business policy

The Subclass 186 and 187 policy relating to start up businesses has changed from 1 July 2014.

This section has been removed from the latest policy:

Under policy, the nominator must demonstrate that their business has been actively operating for a period of at least 6 months before lodging a nomination. If the business has not operated for a period of at least 6 months, the nomination would not satisfy the relevant legislative requirement for active operation… (more…)

Change of service provider for onshore visa and migration medical services

The following information on changes to the service provider for onshore visa and migration medical services has been provided by Migration Medical Services Contract Implementation Section.  Please note the relevant departmental webpages will be updated to reflect the below information during July 2014. (more…)

World Bank calls on Australia to introduce permanent migration scheme for Pacific islanders

By Stephen Howes on June 16, 2014

In a just-released report, Well-being from Work in the Pacific Island Countries, the World Bank has called on Australia to introduce “an Australian Pacific Access category visa.” Under the Bank proposal, Australia would offer “2,000 permanent visas a year to immigrants from small PICs [Pacific island countries].”

The World Bank notes that “Australia has traditionally opposed such country-based allocations in favour of points-based, country-neutral allocation systems.” (more…)