Month: June 2023

1 July 2023 Australian Visa Application Governmental Fee Increases

Posted by Rebecca Berkovic on

The Australian Government has announced that visa application charges will increase from 1 July 2023.

The Migration Amendment (Visa Application Charges) Regulations 2023 – F2023L00831 legislative instrument introduced by the Australian Government sets out the 1 July 2023 governmental fee increases which are stated to be as follows:

  • From 1 July 2023 visa application fees will increase by the 2023-24 forecast CPI of 3.25%.
  • Visitor, working holiday, work and holiday, training, temporary activity, and temporary work (short stay specialist) visas will increase by a further 21% in addition to CPI.
  • Business innovation and investment visas will increase by a further 46% in addition to CPI.
  • The remaining visa application fees will increase by 6% in addition to CPI.
  • There is no increase apart from the CPI increase of 3.25% for Subclass 403 (Temporary Work (International Relations)) visas in the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) stream
  • The new visa application fee amounts will be rounded to the nearest $5.

For advice regarding Australian visas, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@hartmanimmigration.com.au for Australian immigration assistance.

Disclaimer:

The information on this website is intended only to provide a summary and general overview on relevant matters. It is not intended to be comprehensive nor does it constitute legal advice. You are advised to seek legal or other professional advice before acting or relying on any of the content contained in this website.

temporary-skill-shortage

Changes to the Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) Australian Work Visa

Posted by Rebecca Berkovic on

The Australian Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, The Hon Andrew Giles MP, announced that in the coming weeks the Australian Federal Government will be introducing the following changes to Australian Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS)(subclass 482) visa program:

  1. Additional Time to Transfer Employers for 482 Visa Holders:

The amount of time TSS subclass 482 visa holders will be given to transfer employers will increase from the current 60 days to a full 6 months to find a new sponsor. In addition, the Minister announced that subclass 482 visa holders will have full work rights whilst they are searching for a new sponsor.

  1. Reduction in time for subclass 482 visa holders to apply for permanent residency:

The time required to qualify for the Temporary Residence Transition stream of the permanent Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS)(subclass 186) visa will be reduced from the current three years to two years. This will enable temporary subclass 482 visa holders to apply for Australian permanent residency a year earlier than they can at present.

  1. All temporary subclass 482 visa holders will have a pathway to Australia permanent residency (with age and English language restrictions still applying):

In the coming weeks, the Minister has announced that rather than the current process in which only those with occupations on the Medium to Long Term Skilled Occupation List have a pathway to Australian permanent residency via the ENS subclass 186 visa program, and those with occupations on the Short Term Skilled Occupation List are precluded from doing so, every person who holds a subclass 482 visa will have a pathway to permanent residency. However, applicants will still be required to meet age, health, character and English language requirements.

For advice regarding sponsorship of skilled overseas workers in Australia, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@hartmanimmigration.com.au for Australian immigration assistance.

Disclaimer:

The information on this website is intended only to provide a summary and general overview on relevant matters. It is not intended to be comprehensive nor does it constitute legal advice. You are advised to seek legal or other professional advice before acting or relying on any of the content contained in this website.

australian-visa-opportunities-uk-citizens

New Australian Visa Opportunities for UK Citizens

Posted by Rebecca Berkovic on

The Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement (Australia-UK FTA) which entered into force on 31 May 2023, is designed to create new export opportunities between the two countries, strengthen diversification and economic recovery and create new export opportunities and jobs. It will also be easier for Australians to live and work in the UK and vice versa.

Following the entry into force of the Australia-UK FTA, new Australian visa opportunities have been introduced for UK citizens.

Under the new arrangements, UK passport holders will be able to:

  • Apply for an Australian Working Holiday visa if they are between the ages of 18 and 35 years inclusive from 1 July 2023.
  • Be granted up to three Working Holiday visas without having to meet any ‘specified work’ requirements from 1 July 2024.
  • Labour Market Testing concessions were introduced on 31 May 2023 for UK citizens which added the Australia-UK FTA to the list of international trade agreements where labour market testing is exempt for those countries. This means that businesses nominating UK citizen employees under the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS)(subclass 482) visa program will no longer be required to undertake labour market testing, making the sponsorship process smoother.

The Australia-UK FTA also includes provisions to support recognition of professional qualifications between Australia and the UK and increased collaboration between UK and Australian accreditation and regulatory bodies. This will assist in streamlining the process for UK visa applicants applying for Australian visas where accreditation is required.

For advice regarding Australian visas, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@hartmanimmigration.com.au for Australian immigration assistance.

Disclaimer:

The information on this website is intended only to provide a summary and general overview on relevant matters. It is not intended to be comprehensive nor does it constitute legal advice. You are advised to seek legal or other professional advice before acting or relying on any of the content contained in this website.