Australian Immigration Daily News

In light of Covid19 outbreak VETASSESS has released the following information concerning trades occupations:

Technical interview assessments for trade occupations – now conducted online

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, VETASSESS are now conducting Technical Interview assessments online for all non-licensed trade occupations or Pathway 2 licensed occupations.

The Department of Home Affairs has released their first newsletter for 2020 with some major updates concerning regional 887, TSS, ENS and Business Innovation Program. 

Migration Alliance brings you the recap of announcements and what this means for practitioners as well as potential applications:

887 COVID Concessions – Visas can be lodged and granted offshore

It has come to the attention of Migration Alliance that a small number of Registered Migration Agents (RMAs) have been promoting a view that the sky is going to fall in with the removal of 2000+ lawyers out of Registered Migration Agent population of 7000+.  Their predictions include the fact that this is going to cause a catastrophe for vulnerable consumers because every lawyer in Australia is suddenly going to get involved with migration applications.

The concerns of these RMAs seem to stem from the recently taken decision to remove lawyers from the requirement to register as an RMA, and their supervision by the Office of the MARA (OMARA) in line with the recommendations of the Kendall Report (The Deregulation Bill 2019).

These RMAs also seem to think that 60,000 Australian lawyers will be unleashed on the community, and that those lawyers have no training or experience in immigration law.

A case involving subclass 866 applicant saw the AAT remit a decision of a delegate of the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (the Department) for reconsideration, after finding the applicant was a refugee.

The applicant claimed to fear harm if he returned to his home area in southern Yemen because he was an Orthodox or Coptic Christian and considered an apostate from Islam, after converting. He also claimed to fear harm as a non-indigenous Yemeni and for his anti-government political views, among other things. The applicant’s claims about his religious identity were new claims before the AAT, which he had not previously raised with the Department.

The AAT did not accept the applicant’s claim he was at risk in Yemen because of his political views. His evidence he participated in an anti-government protest rally, which became violent and then led to him being hospitalised, was unconvincing and supported by fraudulent documents.

A case involving subclass 866 visa applicant saw the AAT affirmed the decision of a delegate of the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection refusing to grant the applicant a protection visa. In this instance, the Tribunal was not satisfied that, on return to Ethiopia, there was a real chance the applicant would face serious harm or a real risk she would face significant harm.

What harm was claimed?

The applicant claimed to fear harm based on her gender, ethnicity, imputed political opinions and former occupation as a journalist, amongst other things.