New training levy to replace 457 visa training benchmark for business sponsors
Budget reveals new training levy on businesses sponsoring on the new TSS visa The budget announced yesterday has revealed plans to impose a training levy to raise $1.2 billion from businesses looking to sponsor overseas employees under the new Temporary Skill Shortage (‘TSS’) visa. The TSS visa will replace the highly politicised 457 program in […]
Impact of 457 changes to employer sponsored permanent residency
457 changes, ‘responsive skills lists’, and business risk in migration The Australian government announced sweeping 457 changes from 19 April 2017. However, the changes will not only have a direct impact on 457 visa applicants and employers, but also on a wider range of Australian skilled visas, in particular, the 186 Employer Nomination Scheme visa, […]
PM announces abolition of 457 visa, introduces 458 visa instead
The Prime Minister captured national headlines following a surprise Facebook livestream on the 19th of April, in which he that his government would be abolishing the 457 Temporary Work visa. The 457 visa has been subject to significant criticism and public concern in recent years as local economic conditions have slowed and numerous cases of […]
SkillSelect: Updates to Skilled Occupation List from 1 July 2016
The SkillSelect program continues to be in high demand in 2016. The Department of Home Affairs ion has again tinkered with the Skilled Occupation List by removing a number of occupations which are no longer deemed to be in high demand. Only two new occupations were added, likely reflecting the slow economic situation across the country. […]
New Subclass 500 Student Visa Framework From 1 July
The new Student visa framework was introduced from 1 July 2016 to simplify student visa arrangements. The number of Student visas was reduced from seven to two (Student and Student Guardian). The new Subclass 500 Student visa operates on a modified risk assessment framework which takes into consideration the nationality of the applicant and the […]
Charging for Migration Outcome – a major feature of 2016
Despite commencing in December 2015, the implementation of the ‘Charging for a Migration Outcome’ (‘CFMO’) regulations have been a major feature of the first half of 2016. CFMO laws prohibit sponsors, visa applicants, or third parties from offering, asking for, giving or receiving a ‘benefit’ in exchange for visa sponsorship. Benefit is broadly defined and […]
457 TSMIT Review announced
On 23 December the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Peter Dutton, announced the appointment of Mr John Azarias to conduct a review of the current Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (‘TSMIT’) for the 457 visa programme. Mr Azarias was previously the Chair of the independent review panel which produced the ‘Robust New Foundations’ report […]
New ‘Payment for Visa’ Laws Increase Liability for CEOs, CFOs, & Company Directors
New ‘Charging for a Migration Outcome’ laws have been introduced to prevent abuse of the work visa system by creating criminal and civil penalties for persons seeking to give or receive an improper benefit in return for visa sponsorship. While the vast majority of Australian businesses who use the sponsored visa system will already comply […]
Changes to 457 visa program
A raft of minor changes to the 457 visa program have recently been introduced following recommendations from the independent panel’s report, Robust New Foundations. While more substantial changes have been foreshadowed for the financial year 2015-16 a number of these changes appear problematic due to opposition in parliament and the likelihood of these more substantial […]