Australian Immigration Daily News

Migration Agent, Joey Barnard has taken Mark Northam's position as the Vice-Convenor of Migration Alliance, accepted unanimously by the committee.  

Joey comes to the role with vast experience and education, holding a Master of Migration Law & Practice (MMLP); BCouns, GCA(CW), DipProp, GCML&P, Cert IV (Celeb), Associate Degree (General Studies – psychology) and is also a Juris Doctor student.

Joey is also the Administrator of the profession's most loved Facebook Group, "Support Network for MARA Agents".

The following notice is on the Live in Victoria website:

Victoria is temporarily not accepting nomination applications for select business and investor visa programs.

Your interest in our program is highly valued and we encourage you to visit our website regularly for program updates. 

From time to time expected or unexpected events do happen.  This is particularly something that a foreign national need to be aware of considering that it may impact the status of their visa.

Here are some of the common scenarios where action needs to be taken if you are in Australia on a visa.

1. 1.      Your passport details have changed

Home Affairs can easily update your passport details. The easiest way to update your passport details is by logging into your ImmiAccount and completing an online form.  The process is instant which means that your visa details will automatically be transferred to your new passport. Please note that not all details can be updated online in ImmiAccount such as changes to date of birth or gender.

This instrument operates to determine international trade obligations of Australia for the purposes of paragraph 140GBA(1)(c) of the Act. 

Paragraph 140GBA(1)(c) provides that the labour market testing condition in section 140GBA only applies to a nomination by an approved sponsor if it would not be inconsistent with any international trade obligation of Australia to require the sponsor to satisfy conditions relating to labour market testing, as defined in subsection 140GBA(7). 

Subsection 140GBA(2) allows the Minister to determine, by legislative instrument, an obligation of Australia under international law that relates to international trade. An obligation determined by the Minister by legislative instrument includes obligations that may arise under any agreement between Australia and another country (or other countries).

This instrument sets the exchange rates for currencies by country.  The start date is 1 January 2019.

The instrument operates to specify, under paragraphs 5.36(1)(a) and 5.36(1)(b) of the Regulations, in relation to the payment of a fee, as defined in subregulation 5.36(4) of the Regulations (other than a visa application charge (VAC) payment to which subsection 5.36(3A) of the Regulations applies), the places and corresponding currencies in which those fee payments must be made.

The purpose of the instrument is to undertake one of the biannual updates of the places and corresponding currencies in which payment of a fee may be made.

Source: Migration-LIN-19001-Payment-of-Visa-Application-Charges-and-Fees-in-Foreign-Currencies-Instrument-2019.pdf