Welcome back everyone and best wishes for a fantastic year in 2015.

Migration Alliance is hosting a networking event to allow you to 'unlock the power of positive and proactive networking'. All attendees will receive a copy of The Professional Migration Agent: Best Practices for Registered Migration Agents. This is a new and inspirational e-book dedicated to the migration agent profession by the founder of Migration Alliance, Liana Allan.

Come and have some fun with your colleagues. Join in the trivia quiz on unlucky superstitions.

When: Friday 13th February 2015

Where: The Angel Hotel, 125 Pitt St Sydney

What time: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

What to wear: Something black or freaky

Cost: $50 per head for canapés and drinks

Proposed menu:

- spiced lamb samosa
- tomato, black olive and basil crostini (v)
- mexican prawn and lime salad on corn chips (gf)
- vegetarian spring roll (v)
- green pea and mint risotto balls (v)
- tandoori chicken drummer and cucumber raita (gf)
- pumpkin and goats cheese ravioli with fresh tomato and parmesan (v)
* (v) - vegetarian (gf) - gluten free

Places are limited so get in early and pay now to secure your place at this premium networking event.

To register, please download the registration form below and return to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Click to download event Registration Form

We hope you can make it and look forward to seeing you there.

The government is intending to introduce a one-year multiple entry visa for foreign workers that would not require applicants to pass language or skills requirements. Nor would employers have to prove they cannot find an Australian to fill the position.

The proposed “short-term mobility” subclass of visas would be available for “specialised work which may include intra-company transfers and foreign correspondents”, says a proposal paper obtained by The Australian Financial Review.

This visa is expected to replace the existing sc400 visa.

The current sc400 is problematic because employers have to prove that the intended work is ‘non-ongoing’ and the standard grant is 4 weeks although legislation allows grants for up to 6 weeks. Case officer’s have the discretion to determine both the time-frame and whether the specialised work is ‘non-ongoing’ in their decision. A conservative approach in decision-making has sometimes, had the unfortunate effect of resulting in refusals and the redirection of applicants to the more onerous 3-stage sc457 visa.

The new visa is a sensible approach but it remains to be seen if, under the new system, sc457 visa applicants will instead be redirected to this new "short-term visa”, thus limiting the pathway to permanent residency.

According to the AFR, there has been a steady increase in the sc400 visa applicants since it was first offered in 2012. The number of visa grants jumped from 4587 in the year ending 2013 to 32,984 in 2013-14. Applicants are concentrated in mining, manufacturing, construction and education.

More than 9000 public servants at the Immigration Department face random or targeted breathalysing and drug testing in their offices under a tough new workplace regime. DIBP officers are also being told that they must dob-in colleagues they suspect of misconduct, even if it occurs away from the workplace.

The crackdown doesn’t stop at drugs and alcohol use on their day jobs but is expected to see investigations into second jobs, social media use and sloppy appearances among the department's public servants, according to a report in The Canberra Times.

Immigration is the fourth largest public service government department now employing just over 9000 people according to ABS statistics.

Customs has already adopted these policies as part of its ongoing battle to get on top of its internal corruption problems.

A fact-sheet issued to the officers apparently sets out that public servants will be in trouble if caught with a blood alcohol reading above .02 or if they are found to be "impaired" by illegal or prescription drugs while on duty, according to the news report.

In addition to being available in English, the tribunals’ video guides for applicants are also available in Arabic (classical), Farsi, Mandarin, Punjabi and Vietnamese languages. The videos include a voice over and optional captions.

The videos are available on our website and focus on the role of the tribunals and its processes. The videos may be a helpful resource for migration agents preparing clients for hearings and for explaining other aspects of the tribunals’ work.

The videos available in this series are:

Last year, an unlicensed immigration adviser for New Zealand visas, Richard Martin, was sentenced to three years and seven months’ imprisonment after being found guilty on 93 immigration-related charges.

The New Zealand’s Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA) said that this was the heaviest penalty handed down to an unlicensed adviser, since the IAA’s inception in 2007. Undoubtedly, it reflects how aggressively the IAA pursues and prosecutes fraudsters in the industry and how seriously it takes its role in protecting vulnerable people.

Acting Assistant General Manager of Compliance and Border Operations at Immigration New Zealand (INZ) Arron Baker said the sentencing is a result of a thorough investigation by INZ and the IAA. 

“Today’s sentencing should act as a deterrent to any other unlicensed adviser operating outside the system. They can expect the full force of INZ, IAA and New Zealand Police, if necessary, to ensure the integrity of our systems are maintained and vulnerable people are protected” said Mr Baker in a statement.

Like New Zealand, Australia has a system of licensing migration advisers. The system managed by MARA aims to promote and protect the interests of people receiving immigration advice. Essentially, it does this by issuing licenses to people who: