Australian Immigration Daily News

Purpose
Regulation 3.03AB was recently inserted into the Regulations by the Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (Digital Passenger Declaration) Regulations 2021 (the DPD Regulations) for the purpose of exempting a person travelling to Australia from completing or providing a passenger card when they have provided a digital passenger declaration to the departmental system that processes digital passenger declarations (DPD) (the person).

Under this provision, the person is not required to complete or provide a passenger card if they have provided a DPD and, before an event referred to in subparagraph 172(1)(a)(iii) or (b)(iii) of the Migration Act 1958 occurs, the person has not withdrawn their DPD and a clearance officer has not required them to provide a completed passenger card. Under subregulation 3.03AB(2) of the Regulations, a clearance officer may require a person to provide a completed passenger card if circumstances specified in a legislative instrument exist.

Source: LIN22015.pdf and LIN-22015-Explanatory-Memo.pdf

Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs Alex Hawke said this increased, multi-year commitment is a significant one, to meet our obligations and address the ongoing humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. It also follows the initial allocation of 3,000 places in August 2021.

“The War in Afghanistan was Australia’s longest, and a humanitarian intake of this size reflects this. Our commitment to Afghan refugees will be second only in scale to our humanitarian intake from Syria and Iraq,” Minister Hawke said.

“Today’s announcement of 15,000 places follows our initial allocation of 3,000 places to Afghanistan in August 2021, which as we indicated then, was a floor and not a ceiling. This continues to be the case. The Government will continue to monitor processing numbers and reserves the right to increase the program in future years,” Minister Hawke said.

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Purpose

4 The Minister is required to refund the first instalment of a visa application charge (VAC) paid in relation to an application for a visa if, relevantly, a circumstance specified by the Minister by legislative instrument under subparagraph 2.12F(1)(a)(ii) of the Regulations exists. LIN 21/007, before commencement of the instrument, specified a number of different circumstances where the VAC may be refunded for different temporary visa subclasses where visa holders have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

5 The instrument amends LIN 21/007 to specify an additional circumstance where the first instalment of VAC may be refunded, to encourage visa holders in nominated subclasses to travel to Australia and participate in the Australian economy.

6 The instrument provides that Student visa holders who travel to Australia and arrive between 19 January 2022 and 19 March 2022 will be refunded the visa application charge they paid when they applied for their Student visa. The current visa application charge for a Student visa is $630. Dependent visa applicants will also have their visa application charges refunded if they travel to Australia during this period.

7 Working holiday makers who travel to Australia between 19 January 2022 and 19 April 2022 will be refunded the visa application charge they paid when they applied for their Working Holiday Maker program visa. The current visa application charge for a Working Holiday Maker program visa is $495.

8 The instrument specifies that this measures will apply to students and working holiday makers who already have visas, as well as those who are granted new visas, and travel to Australia within this timeframe. Primary and secondary visa holders will be eligible for a refund.

9 There are currently approximately 150,000 Student and 23,500 Working Holiday Maker visa holders offshore who may be able to utilise these measures, as well as new visa applicants who are granted a visa and travel to Australia during the specified period.

Source: LIN22027.pdf and LIN2207-Explanatory-Statement.pdf

Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs Alex Hawke said the signing of the Goulburn Valley DAMA further demonstrates the Government fs commitment to supporting regional Australia through the economic recovery phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"With over 74,000 vacancies in regional Australia, regional migration initiatives, such as DAMA arrangements, are particularly timely as we look forward to the return of skilled migrants to Australia," Minister Hawke said.

"Although the preference is always to employ Australian workers where possible, skill shortages remain and this agreement will help to provide the staff employers have been struggling to find."

Source: Goulburn-Valley-DAMA.pdfGoulburn-Valley-DAMA.pdf

Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs Alex Hawke said these measures recognise the contribution of skilled migrants who remained here during the COVID-19 pandemic and encourage them to stay in Australia.

“Eligible skilled workers, already in Australia, will continue to support local businesses facing critical shortages, particularly in health, hospitality and our regions,” Minister Hawke said.

“This recognises the economic value-add of these critical workers, and retaining them will greatly assist in Australia’s economic recovery.”

“The changes compliment the Government’s recent announcement that fully vaccinated eligible temporary and provisional visa holders may enter Australia without a travel exemption from 1 December 2021,” he said.

Source: Visa-changes-to-support-the-reopening-of-Australia-and-our-economic-recovery.pdf