Australian Immigration Daily News

It has come to the attention of Migration Alliance that a small number of Registered Migration Agents (RMAs) have been promoting a view that the sky is going to fall in with the removal of 2000+ lawyers out of Registered Migration Agent population of 7000+.  Their predictions include the fact that this is going to cause a catastrophe for vulnerable consumers because every lawyer in Australia is suddenly going to get involved with migration applications.

The concerns of these RMAs seem to stem from the recently taken decision to remove lawyers from the requirement to register as an RMA, and their supervision by the Office of the MARA (OMARA) in line with the recommendations of the Kendall Report (The Deregulation Bill 2019).

These RMAs also seem to think that 60,000 Australian lawyers will be unleashed on the community, and that those lawyers have no training or experience in immigration law.

Australian Citizenship Act 2007
An Act relating to Australian citizenship
Item was amended
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2007A00020

Australian Citizenship Amendment (Citizenship Cessation) Act 2020
An Act to amend the Australian Citizenship Act 2007, and for related purposes
Item was registered on 18/09/2020
Some or all of this item commenced on 18/09/2020
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2020A00088

Migration Alliance has received the following email from the Department of Home Affairs:

Please see the link below to the Skilled Visa Newsletter for September 2020. 

https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/what-we-do/skilled-migration-program/skilled-visa-newsletters/september-2020

The Migration Amendment (COVID-19 Concessions) Regulations 2020 (the COVID-19 Concessions Regulations) amend the Migration Regulations 1994 (the Migration Regulations) to assist certain temporary and provisional visa holders, including individuals who are on a pathway to permanent residence, who have been disadvantaged by the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as border closures, restrictions imposed on businesses and the general economic downturn.

Schedule 1 to the COVID-19 Concessions Regulations amends the Migration Regulations in six Parts.

Part 1 – COVID-19 concession period inserts concession period as a defined term in the Migration Regulations. The initial concession period begins on 1 February 2020 and continues until a date determined by the Minister in a legislative instrument. Additional concession periods can be specified as required, to begin immediately after the end of the initial concession period or at a later date. The duration of a concession period may vary for different purposes.

The Biosecurity (Human Biosecurity Emergency) (Human Coronavirus with Pandemic Potential) (Overseas Travel Ban Emergency Requirements) Amendment (No. 1) Determination 2020 (the Amendment Determination) amends the Biosecurity (Human Biosecurity Emergency) (Human Coronavirus with Pandemic Potential) (Overseas Travel Ban Emergency Requirements) Determination 2020 (the Determination) to:
- make a technical amendment to put beyond doubt that there is a requirement imposed on the operator of an aircraft or vessel to ensure that the aircraft or vessel does not leave Australian territory with an Australian citizen or permanent resident on board;
- expand the decision-making authority to grant exemptions; and,
- make other minor technical amendments to remove reference to the commencement date of the Determination and to clarify that only an Act can declare an instrument not to be a legislative instrument.

Source: HUNT-Travel-ban-emergency-requirements.pdf and HUNT-travel-ban-emergency-requirements-Explanatory-Statement.pdf