Australian Immigration Daily News

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

Migration Alliance members might be able to comment on the email I received this morning, below:

'Hi Liana,
There seems to be an error on DIBP's website regarding subclass 888 visa.
According to the website (in innovation stream):
"You must be able to show that you (or your partner, or you and your partner together) have:

    had an ownership interest and a direct and continuous management role in an actively operating main business (or main businesses) in Australia that had an annual turnover of at least AUD300,000 for the two years immediately before you apply)"

However, when I went through legislation today, I noticed that 888.25 says that:
(5) The main business in Australia, or main businesses in Australia, of the applicant, the applicant’s spouse or de facto partner, or the applicant and his or her spouse or de facto partner together, had an annual turnover of at least AUD300 000 in the 12 months immediately before the application was made.
 
Please see the parts that I have highlighted and if you think the info on their website is wrong (as I do), please let them know.'

Migration Alliance's Vice-Convenor, Christopher Levingston is in a matter today at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) in relation to an RMA.  The Office of the MARA (OMARA) is represented by commercial solicitors, Spark Helmore and barrister, Ms Graycar.

There are 17 complaints against the RMA about 'immigration legal assistance'.  The agent is implicated because the applicants in the proceedings identify her as the lawyer / solicitor but upon closer examination those claims are not made out.   The complaints relate to providing 'immigration legal assistance' and multiple alleged breaches of the Code. 

The OMARA has submitted evidence spread over seven folders, consisting of about 4000 documents.  The issues are contentious and hard-fought and relate primarily to alleged misconduct in providing 'immigration legal assistance'.  The OMARA is spending a fortune on a case which has been under investigation since November 2008.