What is the consequence if the Secretary of the Department does not forward to the Tribunal all documents that are relevant to a review, and the review applicant conducts her/his case on the mistaken assumption that a certain critically important document is before the Tribunal when it is actually not before the Tribunal?

Does that amount to jurisdictional error which would warrant the quashing of an AAT decision that is adverse to the applicant?

A recent decision of the Full Court, BBS15 v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (2017) FCAFC 61 (13 April 2017) tells us that it is.

How strict is the mandatory visa cancellation regime under section 501(3A) of the Migration Act? 

Very! 

How difficult is it to challenge the Minister's decision not to revoke the mandatory cancellation of a visa? 

DIPB has published their list of occupations to be removed from CSOL effective tomorrow, 19 April 2017:

The media was quick to jump in on Turnbull's announcement regarding "abolition" of the 457 visa scheme which naturally has both existing and future 457 visa applicants worried.  

This is what we know so far in regards to the the proposed reforms due to come into effect in March 2018.

• The new visa will be called Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa  and will come into effect in March 2018
• There will be two streams, a Short-Term stream of up to two years and a Medium-Term stream of up to four years 
• This visa will replace existing 457 visa and will likely impact existing subclass 186 visa

As published on DIBP's website, key changes anticipated will include the following:

Should there be more, or easier, ways for unlawful non-citizens to regularise their status in Australia? 

According to the most recent compilation of data that has been published by the Department, Australian Migration Trends 2014 – 2015, it was estimated that there were approximately 62,000 unlawful non-citizens in Australia as at 30 June 2015. This publication states that this number of unlawful non-citizens had remained fairly constant at that number since 2013. 

The Migration Trends publication states that the visa categories with the highest number of “over stayers” are visitor (by far the highest proportion of unlawful non-citizens, about 44,000 or 75%), followed by former holders of student visas and working holiday visas.