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Australian Immigration Daily News

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Posted by on in General

 

Migration Regulations 1994 - Specification under regulation 5.19B - Eligible Managed Fund Investments - July 2013
 

Derivatives have been added to a revised SIV regime which is set to commence on 23 November 2013 which will operate to limit investments in complying managed funds to the following:
 
(a)          infrastructure projects in Australia;
(b)          cash held by Australian deposit taking institutions (including negotiable certificates of deposit, bank bills and other cash-like instruments);
(c)           bonds issued by the Commonwealth Government or a State or Territory Government;
(d)          bonds, equity, hybrids or other corporate debt in companies and trusts listed or expected to be listed within 12 months on an Australian Stock Exchange;
(e)          bonds or term deposits issued by Australian financial institutions;
(f)           real property in Australia;
(g)          Australian Agribusiness;
(h)          annuities issued by an Australian registered life company in accordance with section 9 or 12A of the Life Insurance Act 1995;
(i)            derivatives used for portfolio management and non-speculative purposes which constitute no more than 20 per cent of the total value of the managed fund;
(j)           loans secured by mortgages over the investments listed in paragraphs (a) to (h) above; and
(k)          other managed funds that invest in the investments listed in paragraphs (a) to (j) above.
 
Further details are contained at the following ComLaw link.

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Posted by on in General

Last night Christopher Levingston, Liana Allan and Jennifer Fong from the Migration Alliance board and committee along with Glen Frost and Renee Zhao from PwC, Dina Goebel from Bupa, Stacey Martin from NAB and Karen Berkley from VETASSESS attended an Italian cooking class with the Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison MP and his wife, Jenny.

As you will see from the images below, just for a bit of fun everyone was wearing a Migration Alliance apron.

 

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Just came across this article and not sure if anyone has seen it before and it is now 'old news', but I felt that it was something that needed to be covered.   It is a story on Chris Bowen and his treatment of a Hazara he ordered back to Afghanistan.

This is the type of government we have had to deal with for a while now and this is indicative of the contempt shown for these Hazara visa applicants by the previous Immigration Minister.

The point I would like to raise is why did it have to take an Australian court to dictate to Bowen what is and what is not acceptable?

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Posted by on in General
Just before Australia's caretaker provisions were in place, Immigration Minister increased the charges for a range of onshore and offshore visa applicants. 
 
On 5 August 2013, Tony Burke, the Minister for Immigration, signed a legislative instrument. The Minister did not issue a media release about these changes, inviting suggestions that he wanted to avoid scrutiny. 
 
Under the  includes the controversial 457 temporary work visa charge for applicants will rise.
 
Partner visas for married, de facto and same-sex couple will increase again.
 
The Aged Contributory Parent visa designed for uniting families will rise by 4300 dollar to 29,130 etc.
 
While the onshore Protection visa will rise modestly from 30 to 35 dollar; its offshore cousin will rise by 400 dollars to $3080. 
 
As the Convenor of Migration Alliance, Australia's largest organisation representing registered Migration Agents, I express my disappointment.
 
The government of the day increase visa charges for applicants believing it is taxing non-citizens. This is a very narrow outlook on the role migration plays throughout the Australian economy and society.
 
In reality, the Australian Government is adding to the burden of Australian businesses who are suffering from skilled shortages. These increases come on top of an increase of red tape for the populare 457 visa category.
 
Further, the Immigration Minister is basically taxing Australians who want to partner and start a family. Even refugee applicants are affected.
 
Migration Alliance is calling for a moratorium of visa charge increases for 18 months. The compounding increases of visa charges are creating an expensive and burdensome migration system with unintended consequences.
 
Visa charge increases will take place on 1 September 2013
 
The schedule of changes can be found by clicking this link: 

http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2013L01534/Explanatory%20Statement/Text 

BRENDAN DARCY

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Migration Alliance members might be interested to learn that His Excellency Baron Waqa MP, President of Nauru and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd have signed a Memorandum of Understanding relating to the transfer of people to Nauru, assessment of their claims and other issues in relation to the transfer of people to Nauru.

The release has been made via the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website and is dated 12 August 2013.  The details available on the DFAT website are things such as a peamble, interpretations, objectives to combat people smuggling. 

People who will be transferred to Nauru for processing have travelled irregularly by sea to Australia (normally called irregular maritime arrivals - IMAs), or have been intercepted by Australian authorities in the course of trying to reach Australia by irregular maritime means.  They must then be authorised by Australian law to be transferred to Nauru and must have undergone short health, security and identity checks in Australia.

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