Australian Immigration Daily News

The Director of the Office of the MARA emailed Migration Alliance the following information late today:

The Department of Home Affairs has released a discussion paper: Creating a World Class Migration Industry, as part of its review of migration agents legislative instruments, and is seeking stakeholder views on the scope for industry reform. 

The discussion paper is available on the Department’s website on the Submissions and discussion papers page. Submissions can be made by no later than 2pm AEST, 27 July 2020.

Minister Wood has released the new Act:

Source: Migration-Amendment-Regulation-of-Migration-Agents-Act-2020.pdf

NT State Nomination Crtieria

Updates state nomination requirements and processing time. 

General information:

• if you or any of your migrating dependants are currently living interstate, you will not be eligible for the Northern Territory (NT) nomination
• if you or any of your migrating dependants are currently on a student visa and are currently studying in an NT institution, you will not be eligible for NT nomination
• if you have already been nominated for a subclass 489 or 491 visa by the NT, you will not be eligible for a subclass 190 nomination. 

International student graduates who have studied in the NT will be eligible for a subclass 190 nomination if you have:

• successfully completed one or more qualifications after studying in the NT, at an NT-based institution for two years in a single tertiary course or a set of nested tertiary courses, and
• lived in the NT for a period of at least six continuous months immediately after the date of completion* of your last qualification, while holding a visa that allows full-time work (this requirement does not apply to students who completed all course requirements in semester one 2020 and produce a letter of completion dated prior to 1 August 2020), and
• demonstrated genuine and sustained efforts to obtain employment** from an NT employer in your nominated occupation or a closely related skilled occupation. 

International student graduates who are unable to live in the NT for six months after completing two years of study in the NT will only be considered for a subclass 491 nomination. You must provide evidence of making genuine efforts to obtain employment from an NT employer in their nominated occupation or a closely related skilled occupation. 

The following has been received from Immigration South Australia.

South Australian state nomination applications for the 2019/2020 program year will close on Sunday 28 June 2020 at 9pm ACST.

Skilled migrants seeking state nomination will need to submit and pay for their application to Immigration SA by this time to be considered against the current state nomination requirements.

Any incomplete application remaining in the system past 9pm ACST on the Sunday 28 June 2020 will be deleted. This includes applications that have been “saved but not submitted” and applications that have been “submitted but are still awaiting payment.

Applications for 190/491 skilled migration for the 2020/2021 program year will be open at a date to be advised.

The Minister for Trade, Tourist and Investment has announced a launch of free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations between Australia and the United Kingdom. An FTA between the two nations, will aim to support the economic recovery from COVID-19.

In responding to the impact of COVID-19, the Australia-UK FTA is seen as a top priority and will be an important part of the Government post-COVID strategies, making it easier for businesses to export, and access goods, services and capital to fuel economic recovery.

Minister Birmingham said: