Australian Immigration Daily News

The following message appears on the Far South Coast NSW website:

ATTENTION: Please note that the Skilled Regional Sponsored Visa (SRS) 489 program for the NSW Far South Coast is currently suspended. Due to this suspension, we cannot accept any further applications at present. The program will reopen from 1st August, 2019 and will utilise an update Skilled Occupations List. The updated list will be available from Friday 26th July, 2019.  PLEASE DO NOT TELEPHONE THE OFFICE ENQUIRING AS TO THE RE-OPENING DATE OF THE PROGRAM. ALL UPDATES WILL BE POSTED HERE.

ALL REQUIRED INFORMATION TO FACILITATE A SUCCESSFUL 187 AND/OR 489 VISA APPLICATION WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THIS WEBSITE. TO ASSIST US TO EXPEDITE OUR PROCESSING TIMES, PLEASE READ THIS INFORMATION CAREFULLY BEFORE CONTACTING US WITH AN ENQUIRY, AS MANY ENQUIRIES ARE COVERED BY THE INFORMATION BELOW.

The Victorian Government has announced launch of a new online lodgement system which go live on Monday 29 July 2019.  The new system will allow applicants to track progress of their application and have access to an online account across a number of portable devices.

Applicants who are in the process of filing a nomination with Victorian government need to be aware that the system will be offline from 4pm, Wednesday 24th July.  Existing drafts will not be transferred to the new platform.

For further details, visit

The deadline for filing an application for merits review has long been the bane of applicants’, and migration agents’ existence, hasn’t it?

It has long been considered “settled law” that the filing deadline is absolutely rigid and inflexible, and cannot be extended no matter how compelling the circumstances may be, or however good the explanation may be for the applicant’s failure to file the application for merits review “on time”.

That is why there was at least temporary cause for excitement, optimism and possibility when a decision was handed down in November 2018 by Justice Greenwood of the Federal Court, in the case of Brown v Minister for Home Affairs (No. 2) (2018) FCA 1787 that the filing deadline was not, in fact, inflexible and that it could indeed be extended. 

NSW runs the skilled nominated migration (190) program in order to attract highly skilled people in a range of occupations to contribute to NSW skills needs. NSW's position as an appealing destination for skilled migrants is confirmed beyond doubt by the significant demand shown for NSW nomination for the 190 Visa.

The purpose of the NSW skilled visa program is to help drive economic growth, competitiveness and productivity in NSW. Through the 190 program we aim to nominate highly skilled migrants whose occupational skills are needed in NSW.

NSW selects and invites candidates to apply for NSW nomination. Candidates are selected from the Department of Home Affairs SkillSelect database. NSW Department of Industry selects and invites the highest ranking candidates who meet the NSW nomination criteria in eligible occupations on an ongoing basis. Invitations are not guaranteed.

I am pleased and excited to announce that my newsletter, the Migration Messenger, has launched and is now available for subscription.

The newsletter will be providing the same kind of detailed, careful analysis of migration court cases that has previously been generously sponsored by Migration Alliance, and that have been appearing on the MA Website for the last several years.

The Migration Messenger can be found simply by clicking here on the words Migration Messenger or alternatively by simply entering the words "migrationmessenger.com" into your browser. To subscribe to the newsletter, simply click on the words "Subscribe to Migration Messenger" and follow the prompts.