Australian Immigration Daily News

Summary of the Monthly Update on Onshore Protection (Subclass 866) Visa Processing - December 2023

• Total Lodgements: 1,942 protection visas were lodged onshore in December 2023.
• Country of Origin: Top countries for visa lodgements included Vietnam (371), China (203), India (157), Vanuatu (86), and the Philippines (82).
• Demographics: Applicants varied in age and gender, with the largest groups being 25-34 (515) and 35-44 (533) years old.
• Refugee Status Determinations: 1,002 determinations were made during this period.
• Visa Grants: 271 individuals were granted a Final Protection Visa, with the highest grant rates for applicants from Myanmar (96.30%) and Libya (100%).
• Not Granted: Many applicants, particularly from China (136) and India (118), were not granted a Final Protection Visa.
• Deportations: Fewer than five individuals were involuntarily deported, with 14 voluntary deportations.
• Pending Decisions: There were 32,404 refugee status determinations and 76,574 individuals awaiting deportation decisions at the end of the period.

This report was issued by The Hon Andrew Giles MP, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, and Multicultural Affairs, and covers all aspects of subclass 866 visa processing, excluding temporary protection or safe haven enterprise visas. It provides a comprehensive overview of lodgements, decisions, and outcomes for the specified period.

Source: Monthly-Update---Onshore-Protection-Subclass-866-Visa-Processing---GILES.pdf

A 37-year-old Sudanese-born individual is set to appear in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court this evening (January 15, 2024) following allegations of non-compliance with the mandated curfew outlined in his visa conditions. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) arrested and charged the man on January 15, 2024, in Melbourne’s CBD.

The charges stem from an alleged breach of his Commonwealth visa conditions on January 12, 2024, specifically related to the failure to adhere to residential curfew obligations. The individual is facing one count of violating curfew conditions under section 76C(1) of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth).

If convicted, the offense carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $93,900.

Important news regarding sanctions for Zimbabwe! The Australian Government is making changes through the Autonomous Sanctions (Designated Persons and Entities and Declared Persons—Zimbabwe) Amendment (No. 1) Instrument 2023.

Background: Autonomous sanctions are non-military measures imposed by a government in response to global concerns. In this case, it's about situations in Zimbabwe affecting democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

What's Changing: The Australian Government has regulations, and this change focuses on proscribing people or entities for financial sanctions or travel bans related to Zimbabwe. The Minister for Foreign Affairs can designate or declare someone if they've seriously undermined democracy, human rights, or the rule of law in Zimbabwe.

On 25 November 2023 changes were made to Partner (subclass 309) and Partner (subclass 820) visas. Partner (subclass 309) visa can be granted to applicants in or outside Australia.

For more information see Subclass 309 Partner (Provisional) visa Partner (subclass 820) visa can be granted to applicants in or outside Australia. For more information see Subclass 820 Partner visa (temporary).

See below:

A new Ministerial Direction for prioritising skilled visa applications to support outcomes from the Migration Strategy came into effect on 15 December 2023. 

Ministerial Direction No. 105 recognises the need to support regional Australia by streamlining visa processing for business located in regional Australia who are sponsoring skilled workers. The new Ministerial Direction elevates applications for employer sponsored visas in relation to occupations to be carried out in regional Australia to the highest priority. 

This priority is for occupations to be carried out in a regional area under the Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482), Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) and Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494) visas as they fill an identified shortage and are guaranteed to be in regional Australia.