There are suggestions that the increased costs in Visa Application Charges (VAC) are forcing partner visa applicants to attempt what can be a complicated application process without any professional assistance. This, according to Robyn Oyeniyi is leading to a greater number of partner visa refusals.

"I have heard it said many applications prepared by the couple without professional guidance/assistance are manifestly inadequate and lead to refusals. This alone is often why a later professionally prepared appeal is successful.” says Robyn Oyeniyi, a prominent human rights campaigner and author of the book, Love versus Goliath.

“Perhaps the increase in refusals is due to an increase in couples preparing their own applications and I suggest this may well be driven by the increase in Partner Visa Fees.

Couples struggling to meet the budget …may well decide to do their application themselves to save the professional fees. Of course, this becomes self-defeating as then they are left with the additional costs of an appeal process,” she notes in her blog.

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A new website has recently emerged called Australians for Honest Elections. 

This is something which has taken my interest.  After watching what happened with the WA elections I had to stop and ask myself what is happening at the AEC?  Who is dealing with that?  Interestingly today I found an email in my inbox which led me to my answer:

The Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters  - Inquiry into and report on all aspects of the conduct of the 2013 Federal Election and matters related thereto.

I was asked in an email today to check out this website "Australians for honest elections'.

Migration Alliance is pleased to announce a new partnership with Drive My Car Rentals.

Drive My Car Rentals is a private, or Peer to Peer, car rental service that allows migrants and other visa holders to drive the car they want at a fraction of the cost of a traditional car rental. Visa holders can select from over 40 car makes and models.

Excellent cost savings for visa holders

Media Release

Migration Alliance is pleased to announce the following news from our exclusive health services partner, Bupa:

Bupa to provide Australian visa health checks

Please find a link to the 2014 service standards below.  These set out the visa category and the average processing times per category and also the risk level.

2014-service-standards.pdf