Australian Immigration Daily News

The purpose of the Migration Amendment (Visa Application Charges) Regulations 2023 (the Regulations) is to amend the Migration Regulations 1994 (the Migration Regulations) to increase VACs for the majority of visas.

The amendments implement the Government’s decision to index the VACs in accordance with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and to implement the Migration – Uplift of Visa Application Charges Budget measure. The increased revenue generated will fund costs associated with improving visa processing including ensuring the timeliness of visa processing.

Source: Migration-Amendment-Visa-Application-Charges-Regulations-2023.pdf and

A Private Senator's Bill (Smith) for an Act to amend the Migration Act 1958, and for related purposes

This Bill amends the Migration Act to better inform the Commonwealth of Australia about persons entering Australia who have received an organ transplant. The Bill provides for questions about organ transplants to be added to the incoming passenger card for persons entering Australia. This Bill will help improve the Commonwealth’s ability to collect reliable data in relation to organ transplants on persons entering Australia. The Minister will be required to cause a report to be prepared and tabled in the Parliament regarding responses to these questions.

This Bill will also expand the character test to enable the Minister to decide to refuse to grant, or to cancel, a person’s visa if the Minister reasonably suspects the person has been involved in an offence involving trafficking in human organs. A person objectively failing the character test may be considered on a discretionary basis for visa refusal or cancellation on character grounds, regardless of whether there has been a conviction, or of any sentence imposed. The Bill also makes a consequential amendment to the definition of character concern in section 5C of the Migration Act.

Source: Migration-Amendment-Overseas-Organ-Transplant-Disclosure-and-Other-Measures-Bill.pdf

GILES: There is a crisis of exploitation in Australian workplaces. Too many workers are forced to confront vulnerability created by our visa system. This means more wage theft for workers.

Australians and people who hold temporary visas alike. People too terrified to speak out when they are mistreated.

We all know this happens. There is clear evidence of the systemic nature of exploitation in Australia's labour market. Unscrupulous employers and facilitators have misused visa rules to exploit workers.

The Migration Amendment (Extension of Subclass 485 (Temporary Graduate) Visa and Increase in Subclass 500 (Student) Visa Work Hours) Regulations 2023 (the amending Regulations) amend the Migration Regulations 1994 (the Migration Regulations) to give effect to commitments made by the Government following the Jobs and Skills Summit and developed further after advice from a working group made up of the Council of International Education, the National Tertiary Education Union, Universities Australia, and the Departments of Home Affairs and Education.

Source: Migration-Amendment-Extension-of-sc482-and-increase-in-sc500-student-visa-work-hours.pdf and 

Migration-Amendment-Extension-of-sc482-and-increase-in-sc500-student-visa-work-hours----explanatory-statement.pdf

The Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa in the Regional Provisional Stream is the pathway to permanent residence for eligible holders of the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491) and Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) (subclass 494) visas. 

Please be advised that there is no minimum income requirement for the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191), as there is no legislative instrument in place specifying a minimum income threshold for this visa. 

Primary applicants must provide notices of assessment issued by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) for three income years out of the five years of their eligible visa.  Primary applicants who have already lodged should check and ensure their application provides these three notices.