The role of the sc457 visa in filling the gap in trades jobs has been highlighted by NSW Skills Minister John Barilaro as half the nation’s young apprentices drop out of their training.

Mr Barilaro told The Australian that the crisis is likely to deepen with the average age of a tradesperson now being 40; a looming shortage of plumbers, electricians and builders; and the unwillingness of school-leavers to pursue trade skills.

“We’re paying the price of two or three decades of telling kids that trade jobs won’t get you a great lifestyle or income,’’ he said. “Parents are encouraging kids to go to uni instead.

“But for most tradies, they end up as entrepreneurs, running their own business.’’

According to The Australian, Mr Barilaro himself worked as a carpenter in the family business before entering politics.

Here’s another reason to ensure your smartphone is properly charged-up before travelling to Australia. Labels for Australian visas won’t be issued from September 1. It’s a move designed to streamline visa processing and encourage digital service use, says the department of immigration.

Your passport or ImmiCard number will be the basis of identification and to determine if you hold a valid visa to enter or remain in Australia. DIBP announced that from 1 September 2015 visa holders will no longer be able to request and pay for a visa label. Visa holders can access their visa record through the free Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) service or the myVEVO mobile.

The DIBP advised that the visa grant letter should be retained and carried by visa holders as the information contained within the letter ‘will help check your visa status online’. Clearly the online status information will prevail. Last year, Vietnamese student Minh Duong was refused entry into Australia despite claiming to have a valid grant letter. DIBPs systems indicated that his visa had expired. Minh Doung was refused entry and had to return to Vietnam to make another visa application to continue his studies in Australia.

The DIBP insists that, “The practice of obtaining visa labels often resulted in unnecessary expenses, delays and inconvenience for clients and stakeholders. Offering these services digitally is an efficient, economical and sustainable solution.”

The departments statement said that electronic management of visa records is expected to provide real-time visa information to registered organisations and other appropriate stakeholders as well as visa holders themselves through the free Visa Entitlement Verification Online service or the myVEVO mobile app.  Airline staff use the Advance Passenger Processing system to confirm that a passenger has a valid Australian visa.

A handy new USB card has been produced for RMAs by the following partner organisations:

• Sydney Tafe
• Migration Cover
• Bupa
• Nab
• Migration Alliance
• Legal Training Australia

This first of it's kind RMA industry card is  solid plastic and pre-loaded with excellent information which migration agents can use in their daily work.  Best of all it incorporates a handy USB with large storage space.  RMAs can use the USB in the card to save their own data and files.

INVITATION

Investment strategy in the new SIV policy regime

NAB Wealth, a part of NAB Group, provides holistic investment solutions to retail, corporate and institutional clients. It operates the largest financial advisor platform in Australia under brands MLC, JBWere, JANA and Plum. 

Character, character character!

Issues relating to character are literally ubiquitous in Australian migration and citizenship law.

In order to get any kind of visa to enter Australia in the first place, one must be able to satisfy the “character test” of section 501 of the Migration Act.  Under section 501(6), a person will “fail” the character test if she/he has a “substantial criminal record”, which is defined by section 501(7) to include having been sentenced to a term of imprisonment for 12 months or more, or to 2 or more terms of imprisonment totaling 12 months or more.