Australian Immigration Daily News

Rocio Trapag-Saul provided the client service update this morning at DIBP's Client Reference Group meeting which was held at Level 5, Tower C, 300 Elizabeth Street, Sydney in the DIBP's Conference Room.

Rocio is the Global Manager, Client Services and her role includes counters, telephones and T.I.S but her role is not responsible for offshore and there is no central position looking after offshore at the moment.

There are a few big things on the development agenda:

Migration Alliance was represented by Mayanne Young, Michael Jeremy and me this morning at the last NSW Client Reference Group (CRG) meeting for 2013.The meeting was held at 9:30am-12:00pm in the DIBP Conference Room, Level 5, Tower C, 300 Elizabeth Street, Sydney.

The following are the notes I took from the meeting:

Welcome - Chair - Kruno Kukoc - NSW State Director, Director of Refugee and Humanitarian and Family Visas - DIBP

This news is just in from the ACS:

Like all organisations ACS has had to confront rising costs in providing services. While we have been focussed on finding ways to resist passing these costs on, you will see that the 2014 Fees Schedule includes an increase in a range of areas including membership subscriptions and skilled migration assessment services.

The ACS continues to invest in upgrading its technological infrastructure, staffing levels and training, in order to provide an improved assessment service with higher levels of quality and communication with applicants, migration agents and stakeholders.

The following has been received:

Dear Registered Migration Agents

India’s highest court has ruled that homosexual sex is illegal, and punishable by life in prison. 

Does this mean we are set to see a flock of refugee applications to Australia?

Section 377 - ‘‘Unnatural offences’’ - states that ‘‘carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman, or animal’’ shall be punishable by life imprisonment.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports: http://www.smh.com.au/world/gay-sex-ruled-illegal-by-indias-highest-court-20131211-hv5b7.html#ixzz2nDoc1hNw