At Last, Some Good News for 457 Visa Holders!
The Department of Home Affairs has finally provided some clarity to the Employer Sponsored Permanent Residency arrangements under the Subclass 186 – Employer Nomination Scheme (Temporary Residence Transition) (‘186 TRT visa’) for post-March 2018, providing some good news for 457 visa holders. The 186 TRT visa is available to 457 visa holders who have worked […]
457 visa processing times and accredited sponsorship
A recent industry liaison meeting revealed that 457 visa processing times – Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (457) applications have now stretched to as much as 5 months due to a combination of staffing restraints, changes to the regulations, and high application volumes. In addition, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) recent approach of requesting more detailed […]
Temporary Closure of Victorian State Nomination for Engineering and Building Occupations
The Victorian government has decided to temporarily close Victorian State Nomination for occupations in Building and Engineering occupations due to the significant number of nomination applications received in the past months. Applications will be closed for these occupations between 16 October 2017 and 12 January 2018. The Victorian State government will make exceptions available to: applicants who hold […]
SkillSelect – Update & changes to pro-rata occupations
As many prospective SkillSelect applicants are likely aware, one of the major changes to the Skilled Migration program is the introduction of new occupations lists on 19 April 2017 and revision of the available occupations, effective 1 July, 2017. The system has however also retained pro-rata occupations, this means applicants need to think strategically about […]
August Corporate Immigration Update – 457 processing times and benchmarks
457 processing delays and training benchmark changes The last 6 months has been a period of rapid change and disruption in Australian immigration, in particular for the Subclass 457 Temporary Work visa. Changes to the 457 program continue as the Department implements further alterations in preparation for the introduction of the new Temporary Skill Shortage visa from […]
Department of Home Affairs backs down
The Department of Home Affairs has backed down on $180,000 English, skills exemptions. On 1 July, the Department of Home Affairs shocked senior executives and other highly-skilled specialists by removing exemptions to English language and Skill Assessment requirements for applicants earning over $180,000. Not only did the changes affect applications lodged on or after 1 […]
Changes to SkillSelect & Graduate Visas, 1 July, 2017
The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has made some important changes to the Skilled Visa & Temporary Graduate visas as of 1 July 2017. How will the changes affect you? We’ve compiled some handy information to help you understand these changes. Changes to Skilled & Temporary Visas (Subclasses 189, 190, 489 and 485) Amendment to […]
July Changes to Temporary Work 457 & Employer Nomination Scheme 186 visas
The Department of Home Affairs has created almost as much hype and tension as the season premiere of Game of Thrones in the lead up to the 1 July changes to the 457 visa laws. And the action has not disappointed. Numerous changes were introduced, including the creation of separate occupation lists for different visa […]
Good News New Zealand Citizens Living in Australia
Ever thought about becoming an Australian citizen? New Zealanders living in Australia who arrived after February 2001 could be forgiven for being reluctant to start the process for Australian citizenship. The pathways available were broadly the same as for other migrants, with some small concessions. Also, as with other migrants, NZ citizens had to get […]