Concerned with the low rates of applications for sc188, sc888 and sc132 visas, a parliamentary committee is calling for submissions on how it can boost the programme's uptake.

Federal Parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Migration is set to examine the Business Innovation and Investment Programme (BIIP).

The BIIP is designed to increase entrepreneurial talent and diversify business expertise in Australia.

In a parliamentary statement issued on 20 March 2014, Committee chair Louise Markus said skilled migration is a key component of Australia's migration system.

Tourism Australia spends millions promoting regional Australia each year. Ironically, regional Australia does not have enough workers to support tourism. According to The Australian, Austrade has told the Productivity Commission that the unwillingness of locals to relocate to regional areas is creating a shortage of workers for regional tourism and it says that there is an urgent need to let foreign workers fill the gap.

The federal government department responsible for tourism, Austrade, says that regional tourism is suffering and urgently requires workers in hotels, pubs and restaurants. It says that as early as next year, there will be a shortage of some 56,000 workers in the hospitality industry.  It has thus backed industry calls for increased flexibility of the 457 work visas and working holiday visas.

Austrade is seeking a lower English language competency threshold as well as a lower salary threshold for the foreign workers in the hospitality and tourism industry.

The Productivity Commission is currently looking at labour force mobility. Austrade believes that any changes to wage floors for 457 visa workers could have sweeping effects on Australia’s hotels, restaurants and cafes by making it easier for owners to hire staff from overseas and attract workers to regional tourist hubs.

In Austrade’s report to the Productivity Commission, it stated, “Providing more flexible arrangements to access overseas labour to address shortages will help to provide a stronger tourism workforce that will help the Australian tourism industry become more competitive, encourage greater investment, and support regional development.”

Minister Scott Morrison has announced the removal of the English language proficiency requirement for re-registering migration agents.

This is the full joint media statement from the ofices of Scott Morrison – Minister for Immigration and Border Protection and Michaelia Cash – Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection.

The Immigration and Border Protection portfolio is contributing to efforts to cut red tape, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection the Hon. Scott Morrison and Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Senator the Hon. Michaelia Cash said today.

The government is committed to easing the regulatory burden on the business and not-for-profit sectors. The Immigration and Border Protection portfolio is making around 1000 regulatory changes.

The AAT finds that DIBP had wrongly focussed on events of a single day in DIBP's decision to refuse an application for citizenship. The AAT held that DIBP must properly take into account the general conduct of the applicant over a period of time in order to properly determine whether the events were ‘out of character’, the chances of such repeat behaviour, and prospects of reform.

DIBP’s refusals to grant a Chinese national and Australian permanent resident, citizenship on character grounds has been overturned by the AAT in a recent decision: Zhang and Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2014] AATA 136 (13 March 2014).

DIBP had decided that the Applicant was not of good character by reason of his conduct on a single day. The applicant had been convicted in November 2009 of two counts of common assault and one of breaching an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO). The charges arose out of an argument between the Applicants and his then wife on 22 October 2009.

It is a requirement for eligibility for Australian citizenship by conferral that a person be of good character: Australian Citizenship Act 2007 (the Citizenship Act) s 21(2)(h). However, the Citizenship Act does not define “good character”. Guidance is found in Chapter 10 of the Australian Citizenship Instructions (ACIs) which offers guidance on policy in relation to the interpretation of, and exercise of powers under, the Citizenship Act and Regulations.

The ACIs refer to the phrase “enduring moral qualities” in assessing character. The AAT held that the phrase “encompasses concepts of characteristics which have been demonstrated over a very long period of time; distinguishing right from wrong; and behaving in an ethical manner, conforming to the rules and values of Australian society. This broad definition means that “a decision maker can be satisfied that an applicant is of good character if the applicant has demonstrated good enduring/lasting moral qualities that are evident before their visa application and throughout their migration and citizenship processes”: cl 10.3.1.

Australia's international education sector is starting to get concerned about the future growth of Chinese student numbers as Australian universities start establishing more campuses in China and the Chinese government pushes government officials to send their children to Chinese Universities.

The number of Chinese students commencing study in Australia rose 6.4 per cent to more than 78,000 in 2013, the first increase since 2009 when Chinese student numbers dropped after bad publicity about student safety in Australia and sub-standard vocational colleges. However, these increases may not be sustainable.

The Australian Financial Review reports that state-owned newspaper China Daily has observed a downtrend in Chinese students leaving China for studies. It notes a key reason for this is that high-profile educational institutions, including Melbourne’s Monash University and New York University, are setting up campuses in China and giving parents more options.

Another factor is the "push from the central government for officials to send their children to university in China rather than overseas, as a show of confidence in the country’s education system” reports the Australian Financial Review.