Australian Immigration Daily News

I recently gave some evidence before the Joint Standing committee about CPD.

https://migrationalliance.com.au/immigration-daily-news/entry/2018-07-transcript-from-public-hearing-on-efficacy-of-current-regulation-of-australian-migration-agents.html 

I think that CPD serves a number of important functions which include the following:

Migration Alliance would like to bring your attention to this transcript from the public hearing in Sydney on 16 July 2018.

JSCM---Hansard-July-2018.pdf

Migration Agents should take note of the comments made at the bottom of page 10 and page 11 from the MIA regarding CPD pricing.

Sometimes an issue in migration law may seem head-spinningly technical, complex, and difficult to get your head around.

And yet, these seemingly obscure issues may have hugely important consequences!

This was illustrated by two recent companion decisions of Judge Smith of the Federal Circuit Court: DBD16 v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (2018) FCCA 1801 and DBC16 v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (2018) FCCA 1802.

Generally, an application for a student visa (subclass 500) will need to be accompanied by sufficient evidence of English where appropriate. Whilst evidence of English language is not a time of application criteria, applicants seeking to meet the primary criteria for grant of a student visa must provide evidence of English language proficiency in order for the visa to be granted. The maximum time periods in which an English test must be taken is either two years before the application is lodged or two years before a decision is made on the application.  The Department of Home Affairs will accept the following tests in order to satisfy the English language requirements:

• IELTS Test
• TOEFL iBT
• Certificate in Advanced English
• PTE and;
• OET

Relevant test score can be found here: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2018C00474

Students who have completed a Toefl paper based test will be able to rely on instrument “English Language Tests and Evidence Exemptions for Subclass 500 (Student) Visas 2016/019 (IMMI 16/019)” as it continues to apply in relation to applications for a Subclass 500 (Student) visa if that application is made before 6 June 2018 and is not finally determined on or before 6 June 2018.

I have just lodged my online repeat registration as a RMA, and the payment system on the Office of the MARA website is now working again.  My repeat registration fee was successfully processed on the OMARA website today.  

I believe mine was the first application to be lodged online since the online payment system went down.