Australian Immigration Daily News

A whole-of-government investigation – led by the AFP and comprising the Australian Border Force (ABF), AUSTRAC, the Australian Taxation Office and Department of Home Affairs – found evidence of an alleged scheme intended to defraud legitimate visa programs. It was triggered by an ABF investigation into allegations of significant visa and migration fraud, dating to August 2019.

The man allegedly facilitated more than 130 fraudulent visa applications – focusing on the food service and regional farm worker industries – over four years, resulting in more than $2 million being gained from this activity.

A total of nine search warrants were executed by AFP and ABF officers in relation to this investigation on 21 July 2021, at premises in Wamberal, Terrigal and Copacabana on the NSW Central Coast, in the Sydney suburbs of Revesby (two locations) and Rockdale (two locations), and at East Maitland, NSW, and Bundaberg West, Queensland. Additional search warrants were executed today on the man’s Terrigal residence today, and at a Tuggerah premises.

The 57-year-old man was charged with providing false documents and false or misleading information etc. relating to non-citizens, contrary to Section 234 of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth), and restriction on charging fees for immigration assistance contrary to Section 281 of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth).

Source: Man-arrested-for-multi-million-dollar-migration-fraud.pdf

The purpose of the instrument is to specify a class of persons for paragraph 1402(3B)(b) of Schedule 1 to the Regulations. The instrument specifies as a class of persons, persons who were granted Subclass 449 visas due to the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan. In practise, these are Afghan nationals who were evacuated from Afghanistan to Australia, who:
- were locally engaged employees of the Australian Government;
- had a strong connection to Australia; or
- were particularly vulnerable or high profile and who may come to the attention of the Taliban because of that vulnerability or profile.

Source: LIN21080.pdf and LIN21080-Explanatory-Statement.pdf

Please see attached the Migration Agent Activity Report January to June 2021.

MAAR_Jan_to_Jun_2021_WEB_FINAL.pdf

The Department of Home Affairs systems can now differentiate between registered migration agents and legal practitioners.

Australian legal practitioners will now have their own unique identifier number. This number has been emailed to legal practitioners this morning. 

Please see updated Form 956 'Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person' attached and is now published: 

Purpose

A person may be eligible for the grant of a Subclass 408 (Temporary Activity) visa (Subclass 408 visa) where one of the primary criteria set out in Subdivision 408.2 of Schedule 2 to the Regulations applies. One of the primary criteria is that the person seeks to enter or remain in Australia to undertake work directly associated with an ‘Australian Government endorsed event’ (AGEE) (see clause 408.229). Such an event must be specified by legislative instrument, and an applicant for a Subclass 408 visa pursuant to clause 408.229 of Schedule 2 to the Regulations must be in a class of persons specified in that instrument in relation to the event (see paragraphs 408.229(b) and (c)).

The purpose of the instrument is to specify two AGEEs and the related class of persons for each event, for clause 408.229 of Schedule 2 to the Regulations. The events are the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Women’s World Cup 2023 (FWWC 2023) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s Twenty20 World Cup 2022 (ICC Men’s T20WC 2022).

The instrument also provides, for subparagraph 1237(2)(a)(i) of Schedule 1 to the Regulations, a nil visa application charge amount for applicants in a class of persons specified in the instrument.

Source: LIN21049.pdf and LIN21049-Explanatory-Statement.pdf