Australian Immigration Daily News

The below information has been provided by the Free Trade Agreement Services Section within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 

The Innovation and Early Careers Skills Exchange Pilot (IECSEP) is a new visa pathway that will enable eligible UK citizens to take their next career step in Australia. Agreed under the Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement, IECSEP is one of a number of outcomes under this comprehensive free trade agreement that will deepen economic ties between the two countries. 

IECSEP offers two streams: 

• Innovation stream – stays up to three years for highly skilled and experienced innovators, working in occupations defined at the ANZSCO Skill Level 1.
• Early Careers stream – stays for up to one year for tertiary-qualified 21-45-year-olds, who have worked a minimum three months in their current role, and working in occupations defined at the ANZSCO Skill Levels 1-3. 

IECSEP applicants need to have a confirmed job in Australia to be able to apply, and must remain with this employer for the duration of the visa. Applicants can undertake placements, secondments, graduate rotations or intra-company transfers between the applicant’s UK employer and any partnering Australian organisation. Alternatively, IECSEP applicants can commence a new role in Australia. Applicants who will work in regulated occupations in Australia must have current Australian occupational licencing without any conditions or restrictions. More information for applicants and prospective Australian employers is contained in the IECSEP Guidebook. 

The attached Skills assessments fact sheet has been provided by Trades Recognition Australia for your information:

Trades-Recognition-Australia---Skills-assessments-for-electricians.pdf

Subregulation 2.07(5) of the Migration Regulations provides that if an item of Schedule 1 to the Migration Regulations prescribes criteria or requirements by reference to a legislative instrument made under subregulation 2.07(5), the Minister may specify:

- an approved form for making an application for a visa of a specified class;

- the way in which an application for a visa of a specified class must be made;

- the place at which an application for a visa of a specified class must be made; any other matter.

Subitem 1236(6) of Schedule 1 to the Migration Regulations prescribes the requirements an applicant seeking to satisfy the primary criteria for a Subclass 600 (Visitor) visa in the ‘Approved Destination Status’ (ADS) stream must meet to make a valid visa application. Item 3 of the table in this subitem requires the applicant must be intending to travel to Australia as a member of a tour organised by a travel agent specified by the Minister in an instrument in writing for this item.

Subsection 8(2) of LIN 21/056 provides that each travel agent mentioned in Schedule 1 to that instrument is specified for the purpose of item 3 of the table in subitem 1236(6) of Schedule 1 to the Migration Regulations.

 Source: LIN23074.pdf and LIN23074-Explanatory-Statement.pdf

Purpose 

The primary criteria for the grant of a Subclass 188 (Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional)) visa (Subclass 188 visa) in the Significant Investor Extension stream and a Subclass 888 (Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent)) visa (Subclass 888 visa) in the Significant Investor stream are set out in Divisions 188.2 and 888.2 of Schedule 2 to the Regulations, respectively.

Subclauses 188.261(1A) and 888.241(2A) of Schedule 2 to the Regulations provide that if an applicant’s most recently held Subclass 188 visa in the Significant Investor stream was applied for before 1 July 2015, then the applicant’s subsequent Significant Investor Extension stream (for the provisional visa) and Significant Investor stream (for the permanent visa) applications will be assessed by reference to whether the applicant held a complying investment (within the meaning of regulation 5.19B of the Regulations as in force at the time of the initial Subclass 188 visa application) throughout the period in which the Subclass 188 visa was held.

Regulation 5.19B of the Regulations sets out the requirements that an investment by a person (the investor) must meet to be a ‘complying investment’. Paragraph 5.19B(2)(c) of the Regulations requires that the investment must be one that is in a managed fund (directly or through an investor directed portfolio service) for a purpose specified by the Minister in an instrument in writing.

The purpose of the instrument is to specify the purpose of an investment in a managed fund for paragraph 5.19B(2)(c) of the Regulations.

The National Migration Conference is on the 6 October 2023 at the Wesley Conference Centre in Sydney.

Registered Migration Agents and Lawyers can obtain 5 CPD points for attending for the day.

The keynote speaker is Sir Alex Younger, Former Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service - MI6.