This information has been taken from the NSW government website:

NSW is introducing a selection-based invitation process in 2015. This will be implemented from February 2015 onwards.

Under the selection and invitation process for the 190 program, prospective candidates can only apply for NSW nomination if they have been selected from SkillSelect and invited by NSW Trade & Investment.

Australia’s addiction to sports and success in winning hosting bids for major international sporting events are drawing record numbers of overseas visitors to Australia with hotels and tourism operators saying occupancy rates are soaring.

Although figures are still being collated, it’s estimated around 30,000 people travelled from overseas to watch AFC matches, and another 50,000 are expected down under for the cricket, according to a report on news.com.au. Other sources put overseas visitor figures at about 20,000 annually for the Australian Open and Grand Prix. In addition to this millions of sports fans around the world get to witness television broadcasts of Australia’s prowess in hosting these events and offers snippets of the great attractions the vast country has on offer.

The three major cities all saw occupancy spike over 7 per cent from last year, according to the report. Speaking to newss.com.au, Accor Pacific Chief Operating Officer Simon McGrath said major sporting events played a vital role in growing the visitor economy.

“For many visitors the Asian Cup is not just about football, as it provides a unique incentive to visit Australia and tour around the country,” said Mr McGrath.

Australian Hotels Association CEO, Stephen Ferguson, told news.com.au that it was important the success of the big sporting events was recognised by governments at all levels.

The DIBP would like to improve its visa processing times by increasing the number of assessment-ready (decision-ready) visa applications.  These are often called DRCs or complete applications with required supporting documents included in the initial application.

The DIBP would like to provide recommendations and tools that will be of benefit to clients, RMAs and DIBP's visa processing sections.  

Migration Agents are in a unique position to have their say and explain that 'decision ready applications' (DRCs) need to be given priority going forward.

We ask all Migration Alliance members to complete the survey.  Responses are anonymous and take about 7 mins.

Cutoff date for responses: 11 February 2015.

Please start the survey below:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RMAARA

Migration Alliance Inc does not support or endorse Praveen Goyal in offering CPD for Migration Alliance members at a reduced rate.  Emails coming from Praveen Goyal's business, ME Alliance Pty Ltd and offering our members discounted CPD are not from Migration Alliance Inc.    

Who and what is ME Alliance Pty Ltd?

ME Alliance Pty Ltd is a private company made up of 12 ordinary shares. All 12 shares are 100% owned by Mr Praveen Goyal, born in Taraori, India. 

The Chinese reportedly made over 100 million overseas trips last year spending a record $208 billion. Chinese investors now are looking to tap into this growth by buying up hotels and leisure properties hoping that that like the Japanese before, their tourists will choose to dine and play at Chinese-owned properties, reports The Australian.

International tourist arrivals rose by 4.7 per cent to 1.14 billion in 2014, according to the Madrid-based World Tourism Organisation. "Over the past years, tourism has proven to be a surprisingly strong and resilient economic activity," secretary general of the UN body, Taleb Rifai, said in a statement.

Outbound Chinese tourism is one of the key drivers of global tourism with Chinese tourists spending a record $US164.8 billion ($AUD 208 billion), according to figures reported by The Australian.

Some 709,000 Chinese tourists to Australia spent about $5.3 billion in Australia last year. Tourism Australia says recent forecasts indicate the spend could rise to $13 billion annually by 2020. Some tourist spots like Sovereign Hill in Victoria report that 80% of their visitors are from China.

Chasing the Chinese tourism dollar are some of China’s biggest investors who have been snapping up brands, property and other assets across the globe to serve as a magnet for China’s booming outbound tourist market, reports The Australian.