Australian Immigration Daily News

Written by Silvia Levame - CPD Trainer in the Migration Advice Profession

I have read, with great interest, the Hansard transcripts of the Joint Standing Committee of Migration regarding ‘Efficacy of current regulation of Australian migration agents’ of Monday 16 July 2018.

On Page 10 of the Joint Standing Committee on Immigration, Mr Neumann referred to page 27 of Ms Markey’s submission, where she expressed that she was ‘gravely concerned about the direction re CPD programs and provision through deregulation’ and was asked to expand on her concerns about what migration agents are actually getting in terms of their continuing practice and development.

JOINT COMMITTEE HANSARD: Joint Standing Committee On Migration - Review processes associated with visa cancellations made on criminal grounds - Sydney

JSCM---review-processes-associated-with-visa-cancellations-made-on-criminal-grounds.pdf

Migration Alliance has received the following information from the AAT.  We have permission to publish:

Last year the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) developed six information videos to help people become familiar with our role and important aspects of our processes.

The videos include:

Migration Alliance would like to bring your attention to this transcript from the public hearing in Sydney on 16 July 2018.

JSCM---Hansard-July-2018.pdf

Migration Agents should take note of the comments made at the bottom of page 10 and page 11 from the MIA regarding CPD pricing.

Generally, an application for a student visa (subclass 500) will need to be accompanied by sufficient evidence of English where appropriate. Whilst evidence of English language is not a time of application criteria, applicants seeking to meet the primary criteria for grant of a student visa must provide evidence of English language proficiency in order for the visa to be granted. The maximum time periods in which an English test must be taken is either two years before the application is lodged or two years before a decision is made on the application.  The Department of Home Affairs will accept the following tests in order to satisfy the English language requirements:

• IELTS Test
• TOEFL iBT
• Certificate in Advanced English
• PTE and;
• OET

Relevant test score can be found here: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2018C00474

Students who have completed a Toefl paper based test will be able to rely on instrument “English Language Tests and Evidence Exemptions for Subclass 500 (Student) Visas 2016/019 (IMMI 16/019)” as it continues to apply in relation to applications for a Subclass 500 (Student) visa if that application is made before 6 June 2018 and is not finally determined on or before 6 June 2018.