Australian Immigration Daily News

Australia's biosecurity system is a critically important national asset. It protects Australia's diverse and pristine natural wonders, and underpins agricultural production and export. As such, it is critical that vigilance is maintained in protecting Australia from an ever-increasing number of pests and diseases that threaten an array of industries, and Australia's unique flora and fauna.

Despite extensive information campaigns, and a simple process where incoming passengers and crew can easily declare goods for assessment by biosecurity officers, hundreds of undeclared high risk items are detected every year.

The risk to Australia must be mitigated. The proposed measures included in this bill will highlight to incoming travellers how serious biosecurity is and would introduce sensible and important changes to help protect Australia from biosecurity risks.

The Online Register for Modern Slavery Statements will act as a central website for statements from thousands of large businesses required to comply with the Government’s landmark Modern Slavery Act 2018.

“This is the world’s first, government-run website of its kind, and will provide Australian consumers, investors and civil society with an unprecedented window into the global supply chains that produce the goods and services we use every day,” Assistant Minister for Customs, Community Safety and Multicultural Affairs, the Hon Jason Wood MP said.

“This important initiative will galvanise efforts to clean up supply chains in Australia and around the world by significantly increasing supply chain transparency. From today, entities required to comply with the Modern Slavery Act can upload their statements directly to the website, where they will be freely accessible and searchable.”

Source: Government-marks-world-day-against-trafficking-with-landmark-website.pdf 

Readers may also be interested in this related article: https://migrationalliance.com.au/immigration-daily-news/entry/2020-07-world-day-against-trafficking-in-persons.html

The purpose of the instrument is to update LIN 20/099 to specify an additional class of persons applying for a Subclass 500 visa to whom the nil VAC amount applies. As a result of the coronavirus known as COVID-19 and the consequential pandemic, some Subclass 500 visa holders will be unable to complete their studies within the validity period of their Subclass 500 visa. The instrument specifies that a nil VAC amount is applicable to a Subclass 500 visa holder who held the visa on or after 1 February 2020 and are seeking to reapply for further Subclass 500 visa to complete their study, if they were unable to complete their course within their original visa validity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Source: LIN20158.pdf and LIN20158-Explanatory-statement.pdf

DHA invitation rounds results for 11 June 2020 has been published. Details are as below: 

erms of Reference for the Inquiry:
To inquire into and report on:

The Joint Standing Committee on Migration shall inquire into and report on the Working Holiday Maker program, with reference to:
- The purpose of the program including history, size, composition, eligibility, and reciprocal access for Australians and recent changes;
- The value of the program to Australia's economy, including tourism, health care and agriculture sectors;
- The ongoing impact of COVID-19 nationally and internationally on the program;
- The potential economic impacts on regional economies due to the disruptions of access to Working Holiday Makers relied upon especially for the agricultural and tourism sectors; and the capacity, if any, for Australians made unemployed by COVID-19 to fill the labour shortage;
- The extent to which existing visa criteria and conditions related to Working Holiday Makers are still adequate and appropriate to address the purpose of this program, including cultural exchange and creating job opportunities for Australians;
- The extent to which the program can support economic recovery in regional Australia; and
- Any other related matters.

 Source: Working-Holiday-Maker-program.pdfWorking-Holiday-Maker-program.pdf