“…tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth”

This quote, which is an extract from the oath that is administered to witnesses in American courtrooms, is of course familiar to everyone who has watched television dramas, from the days of the 1950s show “Perry Mason” all the way up to the present, and “Law and Order”.

And indeed, the direction to “tell the whole truth” applies with equal force both to visa applications that are made to the Department, and to evidence that is given to the AAT. In fact, when I am preparing witnesses who are nervous about giving testimony in court, it is always my advice to the witness that she/he should “just tell the truth, and you’ll be fine!”

Students expect to clawback some of the money spent on high-tuition fees and the cost of living from the generous post graduate work rights but they need a lot more help from the universities to do this particularly in getting jobs in their field of study, according to a report in The Australian.

A survey of 1700 students from 30 countries found Australian universities need to do a lot more to encourage the growth of the education sector.

Costs, course selection and disappointing post-study work opportunities for foreign students were among the major concerns raised by the respondents.

One in three students who chose to study somewhere other than Australia said the high cost of fees (35 per cent) and high cost of living (32 per cent) had been the main deterrent. While this factor has eased by the fall in the Australian dollar, it may not be low for long as analysts are now predicting that the dollar may have bottomed out and is starting to make its way back up again.

David Coulter, market research analyst at IDP Education told The Australia that Australian universities need to do much more for students particularly in helping them get jobs in their field of study following graduation.

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Migration Alliance and Expat Advisors Community

Suppose a visa applicant submits a “bogus document” to the Department in support of her/his application: is the application “dead on arrival” due to the application of Public Interest Criterion 4020? 

What if the Administrative Appeals Tribunal determines that PIC 4020 should not be “waived”?  Is your client’s application “toast”? 

A case that came out of the Federal Circuit Court yesterday, 6 October 2015,Sharma v Minister for Immigration & Border Protection & Anor, (2015) FCCA tells us: “No, not necessarily. If the AAT did not engage in an “active intellectual process” in considering the applicant’s evidence, then it may very well be found to have committed jurisdictional error.  (Of course, the least that an applicant has a right to expect is that the AAT will engage in an “active intellectual process” and indeed, jurisdictional error may be found to exist not just in cases arising under PIC 4020, but with respect to any case where the AAT fails to engage in a proper assessment of the evidence). 

Last night at 7:30pm the Liberal Party of NSW Division's Acting State Director announced the Women's Council election results for 2015 . 

The Convenor and Founder of Migration Alliance, Liana Allan, has been elected to the Committee.

It doesn't matter whether you are a Greens, Labor, Communist, Marxist or One Nation Party supporter, one has to agree that Liana Allan involved in Women's Council for the NSW Liberal Party is a good thing!