While not a major change for most cases, MA members should be made aware that the EOI selection dates for skilled migration appear to have changed to the 2nd and 4th Friday, instead of the previous (until October) 2nd and 4th Monday.

I haven't seen any official announcement but this change is already in effect. Selections for November were Friday 14th and upcoming Friday 28th.

Thanks to James Alan Hall for providing this information to Migration Alliance (source).

Below are the latest SIV statistics.

490 primary SIV visas have been granted as at 31 Octoer according to official data from the Department of Immigration.  

The Assistant Minister for Immigration announced on 17 Nov that the 500^th visa had been granted.  (equating to $2.5 billion in investment inflows to Australia…or about half the Medibank IPO)

In an effort to showcase the northern area of NSW to RMAs, and to encourage the growth of regional migration applications to the area, LTA has put on a CPD workshop event from Byron to Nimbin.

A luxury coach has been hired, complete with personal lighting for each chair and bathroom facilities and a microphone to take RMAs from Byron Bay Beach Hotel to Nimbin.  Nimbin is a city in the Northern Rivers area, which is in the State of NSW. 

Representatives from Northern Rivers Regional government will make their way from Lismore to Nimbin today to speak with agents as a part of the workshop.

A recently introduced government instrument indicates that the department of immigration has an agreement in place with ‘agents’ in China for the purposes of lodging internet applications. On the face of it, the instrument gives recognition to unregistered practice in China because it fails to make the distinction between registered and unregistered practitioners in its wording. It would be good to know if any readers here are aware of (or party to) this agreement and if the agreement includes unregistered practitioners.

The recently introduced instrument IMMI 14/104 makes internet applications compulsory for certain types of tourist visa applications from China. Particularly, the instrument states as follows,

“that form 1419 (Internet) must be used by persons applying for a Subclass 600 (Visitor) visa who:

(a)        hold a passport issued by a country specified in column 1 of Schedule A and subject to the conditions (if any) specified in column 2 of Schedule A; and

You know the feeling don't you?

You are at home with your jim-jams on.  It's Sunday night at 8pm and there's a knock at the door.  You peek through the peep-hole and it's your pesky neighbour who wants to come in and chat.

You decide that discretion is the better part of valour so you crouch behind the door pretending not to be at home.