Australian Immigration Daily News

The following message has been received from VETASSESS today by a Migration Alliance member (RMA):

'I am writing in relation to your recent Skills Assessment application to VETASSESS. Unfortunately, we have experienced an extremely high application rate over the last six months which has caused an unusual delay in our processing times. Currently an application, with all the required documentation, requires 10 to 12 weeks for completion. We are extremely sorry for any inconvenience that this delay is causing you and wish to assure you that we are taking a number of steps to reduce the processing time and to ensure that our completion rates are back to normal early in 2014.

If you have an urgency request for faster processing due to a DIBP deadline (approaching significant birthday or visa expiry), please complete the Urgency Request form (SRGO5) available on our website and email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Please note that all urgent requests require manager's approval and must be supported by evidence of urgency.

We appreciate your patience and understanding in this matter and request that you contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for any enquiries.

Regards,


Jenna Wong
acting manager
Skills Recognition - General Occupations
VETASSESS
Level 5, 478 Albert Street
EAST MELBOURNE VICTORIA 3002
AUSTRALIA'

Migration Alliance members will be interested to learn that on 2 December 2013 the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Scott Morrison MP has announced that the number of total protection visas that can be granted in 2013-2014 is........ (open it to find out):

Protection-Visas---granting-of-2013-2014.pdf

An explanatory statement comes with the above document and is below:

Stacey Martin CFP, Dip FP GAICD is a Senior Wealth Advisor for the National Australia Bank and is a trusted Authority on personal wealth strategies for Aussie expats.  Stacey has recently attended Australia’s first Significant Investor Visa conference, produced by Basis Point.  The conference hosted a whopping 310+ delegates. They came from a wide range of industries including property development, wealth advisory, funds management, channel marketing, immigration and professional services.

The Basispoint SIV Update is a great way of getting your head around what is happening with the SIV and how it is tracking towards the end of 2013.  Please see the update at the following location:

Basispoint-SIVAustralia-November-2013_1J5M.pdf by

The ABC Mildura-Swan Hill yesterday announced a migrant scam warning.

This time a couple living in Victoria have been taken for a ride.  Ten thousand dollars has been provided by the couple to a 'recruitment agency' masquerading as an agency that can also obtain visas....a company that doesn't exist!  Now the couple risk being deported.

'Green International' were apprently pretending to be migration agents. 

Perhaps if the Office of the MARA spent some of our registration fees on advertising and promoting the use of registered migration agents, how to find them, where to find them, where  the public can find information on the OMARA website etc, it would aid in public education and avoid situations like this.   The Office of the MARA has a responsiblity to protect the consumer.  They should be advertising and promoting our services, especially given we pay them a huge fee every year.

News has just come in to Migration Alliance from Qantas Corporate:

Qantas and China Southern airlines have signed a codeshare agreement!

This is the very first reciprocal codeshare agreement between the two airlines.  Great news for Australia as ot means that there will be a lot more travel and many more options for Qantas customers who want to travel to China.  This deal willl also increase and improve tourism opportunities for Australia.  With new tourists come new visas, and with new visas, come new temporary migrants and with new temporary migrants come more permanent visa applications.  From little things big things groow.
         
As part of the agreement Qantas customers are able to book China Southern flight services from Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth to Guangzhou.  Guangzhou is China's biggest transport hub and third largest city.  Qantas customers will then also be able to travel on Qantas codeshare services to another four onward locations (cities) China - Xiamen, Fuzhou, Ürümqi and Kunming.

Qantas has a current strategy to offer premium options for customers flying between Australia and Asia, in particular China.  For the ever-increasing plethora of customers travelling to China for business and pleasure, the latest Qantas / China Southern codeshare will make their travel easier and expand the available destinations.

Qantas states:

'This announcement follows other recent initiatives to boost the strength of Qantas' offering into Asia, including schedule changes to improve onward connections, lounge upgrades in Singapore and Hong Kong and a major upgrade of our A330 fleet starting from late 2014.'

Qantas is in the fantastic position of having strategic relationships with the three biggest airline carriers in China: