Australian Immigration Daily News

Overview of the Bill

The Australian Government decided, as part of the 2021–22 Budget, to implement an updated cost recovery model for registration on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students(CRICOS) and associated regulation costs. These changes will be achieved through amendments in four separate bills:

- the Education Services for Overseas Students (Registration Charges) Amendment Bill 2021 (Bill) will amend the Education Services for Overseas Students (Registration Charges) Act 1997 (Registration Charges Act)

- the ESOS Amendment (Cost Recovery and Other Measures) Bill 2021 will amend the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act)

- the Education Services for Overseas Students (TPS Levies) Amendment Bill 2021 will amend the Education Services for Overseas Students (TPS Levies) Act 2012

- the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (Charges) Amendment Bill 2021 will amend the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (Charges) Act 2021. 

The purpose of the Bill is to amend the Registration Charges Act to update the registration charges to recover the costs for certain regulatory activities under the ESOS Act. The Bill establishes new registration charges that are consistent with the Australian Government Charging Framework(available from www.finance.gov.au).

The Bill will enable ESOS agencies to implement their own cost recovery arrangements to support the regulation of education providers registered under the ESOS Act. The Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency (TEQSA), the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) and the Secretary of the department are the ESOS agencies for providers registered under the ESOS Act.

The Bill sets out the annual charges payable by providers who are registered on CRICOS, as well as the charges related to ESOS Agency functions for applications by schools for initial registration and renewal of registration on CRICOS.

Source: Education-Services-for-Overseas-Students-Bill-2021.pdf and Education-Services-for-Overseas-Students-Bill-2021-explanatory-memorandum.pdf

Yesterday at the request of the Sri Lankan family formerly resident in Christmas Island, I exercised my power under section 195A of the Migration Act, granting members of the family 3 month Bridging Visas, providing work and study rights.

Under section 195A a Minister can intervene to grant a person a visa if it is in the public interest to do so. This decision allows three members of the family to reside in the Perth community on bridging visas while the youngest child’s medical care, and the family’s legal matters, are ongoing. The fourth family member’s visa status is unchanged.

The family will continue to have access to health care, support services, housing and schooling in the Perth community.

The Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (PMSOL) has been expanded to include civil, structural, electrical, geotechnical, transport, mining and petroleum engineering occupations. This is in addition to the already-listed occupations of mechanical and software engineer.

Engineers Australia Chief Executive Officer, Dr Bronwyn Evans AM said: “Engineers Australia welcomes the addition of seven engineering occupations to the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List.

“This is an excellent outcome which is set to benefit many companies across a range of engineering-intensive sectors in Australia."

 Source: Skilled-Migration-Changes-Benefit-Engineering-Profession.pdf

The Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs Alex Hawke MP has today announced the inclusion of a range of skilled occupations on the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (PMSOL).

The PMSOL, first announced in September 2020, is developed in conjunction with the National Skills Commission to ensure a small number of critical occupations are filled to continue to create Australian jobs and aid in Australia’s ongoing recovery from the impact of COVID-19.

The addition of 22 occupations brings the PMSOL to 41 in total. Minister Hawke said the Government engaged with small, medium and large Australian employers, business leaders, and industry bodies across the economy to determine these changes.

Fed Govt have delivered an agriculture visa to secure the labour force needed by Australian farmers both now & into the future - Announcement will come as huge relief

The Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management, David Littleproud said the announcement of a new seasonal agriculture worker visa will come as huge relief to the agriculture industry that has been crying out for a secure workforce.

“As part of the give and take of negotiations with the UK over the FTA, UK backpackers will no longer be required to fulfil a period of time working in the agriculture sector,” Minister Littleproud said.

“As a result, the Nationals demanded and secured this new agriculture visa to fill the gap that would create and more.

“This visa will be extended to all ten ASEAN countries in view of our close and longstanding economic ties with the region.

“The new seasonal agricultural worker visa would mirror the existing Seasonal Worker Programme and will add to the pool of workers available to work on Australian farms.

 Source: Ag-visa-to-secure-labour-force-for-farmers.pdf