Australian Immigration Daily News

Recently, Bondle forayed into Financial Services and the user adoption has been astounding.  A major driver for this has been the ongoing Royal Commission enquiry in the Australian Banking sector, which continues to highlight the importance of client engagement.  Financial advisers are aware of the imminent increase in compliance costs and the need to provide better service to clients.  Our research was recently featured in IFA.com.au and drives home the point that strong bonds with clients help build solid long-term relationships.  Bondle continues to grow globally and we are delighted to be shortlisted for the exclusive Morgan Stanley 2018 CTO Summit in San Francisco.  

We are now keen to leverage global best practices to provide useful insights for migration consultants in Australia.  A common, emerging theme between the two industries (Financial Services & Migration Consulting) is the use of Trust as a source of competitive advantage. However, it is easier said than done. How can a business provide tangible evidence of trust to their clients?  

In this article, we will look at the three elements that will help you fortify the trust your clients have implicitly given you. To state the obvious, a client is approaching you for your technical capabilities as they navigate the complex requirements of acquiring the requisite visa. They trust you and your judgement about their future. It is now up to you build and reinforce that trust at every opportunity you can. 

Migration agents have been asking about the SAF in great detail recently so Ross Ahmadzai, Australian Immigration Lawyer and RMA, will be delivering WK351 Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) 1 CPD point (Category A) webinar at lunch time for 1 hour on 14 June, 2018.  The webinar starts at 12:00pm EST.

The SAF Training Levy was given Royal Assent on 22 May 2018.  The Migration Amendment (Skilling Australians Fund) Act 2018 (“The Act”) formally abolishes sponsorship Training Benchmark A and Training Benchmark B and clarifies provisions relating to employer sponsored labour market testing requirements (LMT). 

The webinar will focus on the implementation of the SAF Levy, the commencement date as well as transitional provisions currently in place.  The interactive webinar will cover practical scenarios to assist migration agents with helping clients to lodge TSS, ENS and RSMS applications under the new Regulations.  The webinar will contain a Q&A session.

A concerning pattern is emerging in Skilled Independent Migration (Subclass 189, 190 Visas).  The latest statistics published by the Department of Home Affairs shows a mere 300 invitations issued on 9 May to subclass 189 applicants and just five to those applying regionally.  This is a dramatic decrease from 2200 invitations per round issued in July last year.  The average score to receive an invitation now sits 75 points. 

Whilst the Independent Skilled Migration is heading in a downward spiral, State based migration is closing their doors to immigrants all together with three states/territories currently not issuing any nominations. 

By way of background State Nominated Subclass 190 visa is designed for skilled visa applicants who have submitted an expression of interest (EoI) in SkillSelect and, after being nominated by a State/Territory government body, have received an invitation to apply for this visa.  Subject to receiving an invitation to apply, persons can apply for the State Nominated 190 visa from in or outside Australia.  Each State and Territory Generally imposes their own requirements which at times therefore it is always advisable to check particular State or Territory’s website to familiarise with the specific requirements. 

Migration Amendment (Skilling Australians Fund) Act 2018 (“The Act”) received Royal Assent on 22 May 2018.  The Act formally abolishes sponsorship Training Benchmark A and Training Benchmark B and clarifies provisions relating to employer sponsored labour market testing requirements (LMT).  The Act implements a levy payable at the time the nomination is lodged for a particular visa subclass, namely subclass 482, subclass 186 and subclass 187 visa.

The actual date of implementation of the levy remains unclear.  As per schedule I of the Act, the implementation may occur on proclamation date or if no proclamation date is give, six months within the Royal Assent, being 22 November 2018.  Migration Alliance brings you the first analysis of the Act.

The following sections are worthwhile mentioning: