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Unfortunately, this is not a bad joke. The Australian Government has announced that starting in 2 days, on July 1 2018, applicants wishing to migrate to Australia under the Skilled Migration program will have to have at least 65 points instead of “only” 60 points. This significant change will affect the following subclasses: Visa 189 – Skilled Independent Visa 190 – Skilled-Nominated Visa 489 – Skilled-Regional Sponsored This change will apply to applications that have been lodged on or after 1 July 2018. The points will still be calculated based on the same criteria such as age, education and work experience but applicants will have to be able to meet 65 points when submitting an EOI in SkillSelect. In the previous year, applicants were able to get invited at 55 points as they would get the extra 5 points through state nomination. That made them eligible to lodge a visa application. With these changes starting in only 2 days, that won’t be possible any more. While 5 points might not sound like a lot to someone who hasn’t dealt the Australian Immigration System, those who ARE applying for Skilled Visas know how big of a change 5 points can make. Those 5 points could mean having to repeat the costly English test because the applicant needs to get a higher score now. For someone else that might mean having to rely on their partner’s skill assessment to get an additional 5 points. Others might have to look into receiving additional 5 points by taking the NAATi Credentialed Community Language Test (CCL). This news comes as a big shock for many migrants who have already struggled to get to 60 points. The existing 60 points applies only to applications where the invitation to apply for the visa was issued before 1 July 2018. Important links: Calculate your points NAATI Test English Language Requirement Skilled Migration Reference: Migration (IMMI 18/067: Pool and Pass Marks for General Skilled Migration Visas) Instrument 2018 Worried about this news?   Contact us at (02) 4626 1002 or use our form below and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours (Mon – Fri).  

This week the Australian Government will start investigating dishonest practices by migration agents and education agents. Fraudulent practices by migration agents and student agencies have affected thousands of international students in Australia and have cost the students thousands and thousands of dollars. This Wednesday, June 27th 2018, a public hearing will commence that will look into how effective the current regulation of Australian migration agents is. The Australian Government will investigate how fraud by migration agents and unprofessional conduct as well as other breaches can be avoided in the future. It will also collect evidence of unregistered migration agents and education agents that are providing unlawful immigration services in Australia. (Find out how you can make sure that you are choosing a registered migration agent). The goal of the investigation is to come out with a report to the Australian Government to make recommendations and change the current fraudulent practices. There are also 2 online public surveys that will help the Government improve its investigation. One for students and one for migration agents. There are 3 regulators for educational services: The National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students, the Education Services for International Student Act (ESOS 2000) and the Higher Education Standards Framework. Those 3 are overseen by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA). TEQSA informs the schools and universities that it is their responsibility to ensure that the agents they work with act honestly and in the best interest of the international student. Students can complain by contacting TEQSA or the Ombudsman. Interestingly enough though, is that the Ombudsman can only investigate complaints from students about education agents that have an agreement to represent an educational provider in Australia. The most common issues with education providers are complaints about students being enrolled in one course while being told they are enrolled in another, accepting tuition fees before agreements are signed, not passing the tuition fees on to the actual school and not giving the students a copy of the agreement. A list of all local student education agents, from all countries, can be found here. No Regulation of Education Agents – Be careful whom you give your money to Local Education Agents don’t seem to be regulated by anyone. So when students who had suffered extreme money loss from using the education agency “Tu Futuro”, no one seemed to be in charge. It wasn’t the police responsibility because it was not a crime in Australia but overseas. There was no one to report the case to, says K.A. a student affected by the fraudulent practices of “Tu Futuro”. “Tu Futuro” has now disappeared with both the money and the involved education agents (read more stories from students who paid money to “Tu Futuro”). Let’s hope that the public hearing and the investigations taken will have a positive impact on how education agencies are regulated in Australia and overseas.

Immigrating to Australia and fulfilling the English test requirements can be quite difficult to do, but as research has recently shown, close to 1 million people are unable to speak English in Australia currently. The Federal Government is in response to these scary statistics are, looking to implement a Conversational English test for migrants seeking permanent residency in an effort to combat the rise of non-English speakers living in Australia on visas. There is currently a ceiling in place of 190,000 permanent residency places available to immigrants each year through Home Affairs, and though the permanent residence applicants are required to show a sufficient knowledge of English, their families accompanying them do not… which is contributing to the English language problem.  “Everyone should recognise we all have a vested interest in being able to converse and engage in the national language” Malcolm Turnbull  –  Prime Minister  Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull also stated that primary school-level English was reasonable, as it was a measure to help migrants to achieve Australia. Alan Tudge, the Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs gave a statement in strong support of the English language changes, saying that everyday facilities such as health, Centrelink and domestic violence services are difficult to access with poor English as well as work situations “The evidence is equally compelling with the humanitarian intake. According to the Centre for Policy Development, 85 percent of those with good English skills are in the labour market, versus only 15 percent of those who do not speak English well. Alan Tudge – Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs He also went on to say that in some areas up to one in three people cannot speak the national language well or at all. You can find the full statement from Alan Tudge here “What would this proposed change mean?” This would mean that before becoming a permanent resident you will need to pass a conversational test with the ability to communicate as well as an Australian primary school student. “When is it happening?” As of yet it is still in the planning and discussion stage and not agreed to by the Australian Parliament House, so not applicable to any current migrants applying for permanent residency, but subscribe to keep updated on any upcoming changes! So what happens now? To see how this change can affect you in the future contact our friendly staff today for more information! Also don’t forget to subscribe to keep updated on any upcoming changes!  

Australian Citizenship is what you can apply for when you have lived in Australia for at least 4 years lawfully and have spent 12 months minimum as a permanent resident in Australia. To see how you can start the journey to Australia and to choose the right visa for permanent residency, contact us today! But from the 1st of July 2018, the Australian Citizenship Regulation 2016 will be amended by a legislative instrument which will remove concessional fees for applicants receiving Centrelink/welfare payments who are: Migrant Pensioners Migrant Veterans Migrant Widows Migrant Pension Concession card holders The change mainly affects the pensioner card holders who receive certain Centrelink payments such as the disability support, parenting payments, Newstart etc. This means that people who fit this welfare criteria will no longer be allowed to pay a discounted amount for residency because of their disadvantaged situation, but will instead be required to pay full price if applying for Australian Citizenship. This is a steep change in price with the disadvantaged applicants on Centrelink payments only previously being required to pay $20 -$40, but with this new change they will now be required to pay the regular full price of $285 when applying for Australian citizenship. A speaker for the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs said that only 3% of applicants applying for citizenship through the entrance test paid a concession fee in the past 12 months. The speaker also stated that Australia’s  Citizenship fees remain “internationally competitive” and are among the lowest in the OECD nations. There has been a backlash to the government with many unhappy speakers including the Federation of Ethnic Communities and Nick Mckims, a senator in the Greens parliament party. Greens senator, Nick Mckim plans to move a disallowance motion when the parliament meets again next week and has requested assistance and support in this venture from the Labour Government an crossbench, If this disallowance motion succeeds then the change planned for July 1st 2018 will be overturned and remain the way it originally was with the pensioners paying the same amount as they did before of $20-$40 on application.   Not sure how this will affect you? Call and speak to one of our friendly consultants today or contact us here and we will get back to you! For more updates on this matter and for other great content don’t forget to subscribe.  

You want to come to Australia on a visa to work, study, or live perhaps permanently and have absolutely no idea how to do it? With thousands of migrants applying for visas to Australia each year, it is important to ensure your application is perfect because there are so many people trying to get the same thing! This is where migration agents are incredibly useful to have, you may think you don’t meet the visas criteria or you just have no idea where to start, but with them doing all the work, you would be surprised of the results. But how can you make sure that you are choosing the perfect migration company or consultant for yourself and are not getting robbed of your money by a dodgy agent? So to ensure you have a great migration agent on your side, here are our top 10 tips on how to choose the best migration agent for your trip to Australia! TIP 1 – Watch out for sale/commission driven agents! This is a huge signal to avoid! When a migration company or agent is trying to make you sign something or puts you under pressure to commit with them, it is best to look choose a different migration agent. There are some companies that use sale representatives to gather more business flow and will have them working on commission, so they will tell you whatever you want to hear just so you sign or start with them. There have been cases heard of where these clients unknowingly didn’t even have the requirements for meeting the visa criteria for which they have had already paid for. There is a huge difference with applying for a visa and meeting the criteria for that visa. You can apply for any visa you wish to apply for but if you don’t meet the visa criteria for that specific visa type, you will not be granted your visa.  A good migration checks your circumstances and will inform you about whether or not you are eligible to apply for a certain visa. Visa applicants who don’t qualify for a visa at the time of the agreement are not bound by any contracts as that is basically theft and is wrong for the migration agent to convince their client into paying money for something that the migration agent is aware they won’t receive. Migration agents in Australia MUST be registered with MARA (Migration Agents Registration Authority) so as to regulate the services provided to potential clients. Migration agents that are NOT registered have their own terms and conditions and nobody to report to, which means that you can’t prosecute them for doing the wrong thing… so it is always better to go with an Australian registered migration agent for your Australian visa. Registered migration agents must adhere to the Code of Conduct and if there are any issues, you can report these and the agent to the Migration Agents Registration Authority. TIP 2 – Choose a migration agent with experience It’s not hard to see why this is such a crucial requirement for a migration agent as experience is such a large part of the profession. It is always best to choose a migration agent, who has been in the field for a solid amount of time as they will know from experience exactly what is looked into by Home affairs case workers and what is acceptable to submit in an application. With legislation and areas in migration continually changing, it is better to trust someone who has experience and is keeping up with the latest immigration changes, than someone freshly graduated still starting out in the business. Look for a migration agent with at least 5 years of practical experience in the industry. They generally speaking have a better understanding of interpreting the legal requirements in your favour, which will strengthen your visa application. Granted a more experienced agent will sometimes cost more than an inexperienced one. Depending on your budget you may need to go with someone with slightly less experience, but make sure that they are not charging you the same price a more experienced agent would. TIP 3 – Look into their customer feedback       This is an absolutely brilliant way to see the success a migration agent has had in the past, go onto the company media pages, website testimonials or their reviews on google to see what previous clients have to say about their services. Another good way of looking into your migration service is to check in with MARA (Migration Agents Registration Authority) and see if there is any information of value on the company you are interested in. TIP 4 – Make sure your migration agent is registered An absolute must to choosing your migration agent is always and we can’t stress this enough to make sure the migration agent is registered! The difference between a registered and an unregistered agent is UNREGISTERED Unregulated No CPD (Continuing Professional Development) No authority to report to  REGISTERED Regulated Mandatory annual CPD (Continuing Professional Development) A relevant authority to report to Continual observation and consequences to their actions  How to check if your migration agent is registered? Follow this link to search the register of registered migration agents. Type in either your migration agent’s name or MARA number. If they are registered you will be taken to their profile. For example, if you type in “Goyal” under “Agent’s Last Name” you will see both our agents show up in the registry (see Praveen Goyal’s registration and Abhinav Goyal’s registration). Once again checking the MARA (Migration Agents Registration Authority) will confirm for you if they are registered. TIP 5 – Make sure you’re not being charged too much Often a confusing part of choosing your migration agent, fees are quite varied depending on the visa, circumstance and the experience of the migration agent themselves. There are a number of factors contributing to what you would be charged such as: Consultation charges To start the

Every 6 months the Skilled Occupations Lists for Australia are checked for possible removals and additions from and to the different lists. The below changes are proposed by the Department of Jobs and Small Businesses and summarise the flagged occupations and the proposed changes. A “Traffic Light” System is used with those occupations that are flagged to be taken off the skilled occupation lists and others to be moved between the Short Term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL), Medium to Long Term Strategic Skilled List (MLTSSL) and the Regional Occupations List (ROL). What Visa Applications might be affected? It seems the proposed changes will affect mostly employer sponsored visa applications as well as the General Skilled Migration. What Visa Applications might be affected? It seems the proposed changes will affect mostly employer sponsored visa applications as well as the General Skilled Migration. Which Occupations are flagged to be removed? The below occupations are currently on the STSOL and are flagged to possibly be entirely removed: 133411 Manufacturer 211499 Visual Arts and Crafts Professionals nec 212312 Director (Film, Television, Radio or Stage) 212314 Film and Video Editor 212315 Program Director (Television or Radio) 212316 Stage Manager 212317 Technical Director 212318 Video Producer 241311 Middle School Teacher 323215 Textile, Clothing and Footwear Mechanic 323316 Watch and Clock Maker and Repairer 342411 Cabler (Data and Telecommunications) 342413 Telecommunications Linesworker 399211 Chemical Plant Operator 399312 Library Technician 411715 Residential Care Officer 599612 Insurance Loss Adjuster Which Occupations might be moved between the lists? The bellow occupations are currently on the MLTSSL and might be moved to the STSOL: 221112 Management Accountant 234111 Agricultural Consultant 312212 Civil Engineering Technician The bellow occupations are currently on the STSOL and may be moved to the MLTSSL: 452411 Footballer The bellow occupations are currently on the STSOL and may be moved to the ROL, which means the position needs to be based in a regional area of Australia: 252312 Dentist 253211 Anaesthetist What does that mean for ENS Direct Entry Applications? If you wish to apply for an ENS Direct Entry application but your occupation is no longer on the MLTSSL, you will no longer be eligible to apply for this visa type. If you do submit your application before the proposed changes come into effect, your application is most likely being processed under the “old conditions” even if your occupation is removed while you are waiting for an outcome on your visa application. What happens to the 482 Visa Applications? You might be affected negatively if your occupation is removed completely from the STSOL prior to getting your 482 TSS Visa granted. If you submit your visa application for a TSS Visa AFTER the changes take effect in mid of 2018 you might not be eligible for this visa type any longer. The same goes if you have lodged your TSS Visa application but are still waiting for a decision. If your occupation is moved from the STSOL to the ROL before you have lodged your TSS Visa application and your position is NOT in a regional area of Australia, you are not likely to be eligible for a TSS Visa. If your occupation is moved between the ROL and the MLTSSL, the length of your TSS Visa might be affected as well as your permanent residency pathway options. What do the changes mean for General Skilled Migration Applications? Based on previous cases and decisions by the Department of Home Affairs, it is expected that applicants who are affected by these changes in moving from one list to the other, will be impacted in regards to their permanent residency options. This might mean limitations to some occupations but more options for other occupations. We expect, however, that applications who have received invitations to apply for subclass 489, 189 or 190 and haven’t lodged their applications yet, will remain eligible for the visa they have been invited to apply for. What to do now? If your occupation is affected by any changes, we advise you look at lodging your visa application as soon as possible before the changes come into effect. If you need us to guide you on the best options for you, please don’t hesitate to contact us or if you need an in-depth consultation, simply book it now online. References: https://docs.jobs.gov.au/documents/skilled-migration-occupation-list-submission-guidelines https://docs.jobs.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/180530_-_tlb_brief_mid_year_update.pdf    

The last few months in Australian immigration have caused a lot of headache and confusion among everyone involved. From politicians, to migration agents to migrants wishing to come to Australia and start a new life here. Yes, as the migration numbers shrink one questions remains one of the most frequently asked ones: ‘How to get PR (Permanent Residency) in Australia?’ That is what every potential migrant wants to know. In 2018 there are 190,000 spots available – the permanent residency limit for permanent migrants and those places are filled with well-organised and highly skilled people from hundreds of occupations. In response to future migrants concerns, this is your absolute ultimate guide on how to get permanent residency in Australia and what you need to know. Get comfortable people…and prepare to be informed! “How to get permanent residency ? Which way do I go?” There is not just one path to permanent residency and that’s a good thing! With each person having a different situation whether it be love, family, or employment, there are a variety of avenues depending on your circumstances to gain PR and call yourself a permanent resident of Australia! 1.Family-Based Australian Permanent Residency Family-Based PRs are applicable to anyone who currently has family, relatives or a loved one (married/de facto) that are already citizens or permanent residents of Australia. Visas are usually expensive, so make sure your loved one or family members fit the criteria thoroughly before throwing away money on visas. 2.Skill-Based Australian Permanent Residency Skill-Based PRs are ideal for skilled workers who want to learn more and immerse themselves in Australia while working full time. This visa is also beneficial to Australian communities as it promotes economic growth and the bonus is you can also bring your family with you in most cases. There are many visa options in this group, so find one that best suits you ideal work plan or use our free assessment and we will tell you which of those categories you might be eligible for. 3.Special Eligibility Permanent Residency This covers visas for those in special circumstances that do not fit into the other streams. This can include permanent residents returning to the country after a period away, this isn’t the usual way to a visa but you can find more information to this special area here. 4.Child Permanent Residency There will be at least 3,485 child places outside the migration programme in 2017-2018.  This is more for children (under 18) who are joining their parents in Australia, not exactly relevant to your own permanent residency application. You can also see more information on the subclass visas of each group. To check which one suits you best, you can contact us and find more information on the Homepage of the Department of Home Affairs. TIP #1 – Assess yourself first! Don’t waste your time by applying and spending valuable money on a visa you will never get. Assess your own eligibility first or get us to assess it for you complimentary here. “Before you submit your PR application” Research like you’ve never researched before… go through all the information on our site (use the search box to find everything you need) and also don’t hesitate to refer to some reliable Australian Immigration sources such as: Australian Government Department of Home Affairs Australian Government Parliament of Australia (Migration Program) Also don’t forget to read through our blogs and subscribe to our newsletters. The reason we are saying this is not for our own benefit but because you knowing your chosen visa and the immigration department inside and out will ensure that you Fit the visas criteria Know what you are talking about Will be able to understand any issues that arise Will be able to deal with these issues If you prefer one of our migration agents to handle your case, we’d love to hear from you. Simply fill out the form above or call (02) 4626 1002. “Where do I start for getting my permanent residency?” Okay, so you know which visa you are applying for? (If you’re not sure still, use our free assessment and we will tell you). Listen up, you now need to bring your OCD organizer side out… Seriously, something well known by migration agents that people tend to forget, is that the case officer going over your application sees absolutely thousands of applications during their careers. So if you make a mistake, do not include something of value, or cause any reason for alarm, the case officer is going to want to move on from your case as soon as possible due to lack of information, which is completely reasonable. So to avoid that situation make sure your application for permanent residency is: Structured (case officers need this to properly assess the information, make sure everything is consistent such as being sent facing the right way up, spelling errors corrected as much as possible etc.) Timely (It’s not like an exam you can just cram everything in the night before its due … documents and statements can take weeks or even longer to get sometimes. So make sure if you are asked for any further information that you start on in IMMEDIATELY!) Honest (falsifying any information is a VERY serious situation and will result in your visa application being cancelled and possibly serious charges or bars from applying again) Documented (anything you reference in your application MUST be accompanied by documents, even if you think it does not require it…do it anyway! Whether it be payslips, qualifications, receipts etc.) TIP #2 – Make a Documents Checklist…we all love checklists Write down all the relevant information you are submitting to the Government for getting your PR. Then on top of your pile write each document/form you need to submit with your Permanent Residency visa application. Gradually cross off down the list and when the list is complete, only then submit the application. Visas will often require different documents depending on your choice of visa subclass that you are applying for. This

In an unseen turn of events, The Australian Council of Trade Unions, Australian Industry Group and other significant migrant groups have signed a national compact on permanent immigration. This compact is a written statement signed by powerful bodies that speak to the Government in hopes to prevent the threshold of 190,000 permanent immigrants each year being reduced. “Australia is a country based on multicultural values where migrants enjoy the equality of opportunity to participate and benefit from Australia’s social, economic and political life. As our economic opportunities in the Asia Pacific continue to advance and our population ages, Australia will need migrants to bring skills and youth to complement and develop our domestic workforce and to help to grow the national income needed to support our high standard of living.” This group formation came together to highlight the contributions that permanent residency and immigration made to the Australian society and to promote the compact in the hopes of keeping the threshold at its current level. The groups felt this was a necessary action after some recent concerns were being raised by Government officials and Australian Citizens on the rapid growth of immigration numbers and the country’s ability to cope with that growth. Tony Abbott also had called out for the immigration levels to be dropped to 110,000 which is closer to half the intended quota annually. The permanent migration program to Australia is currently capped at 190,000 intakes (excluding the humanitarian program which is 16,250 currently) and has been that way since 2015 where it was raised to that point by the Labour Government’s involvement. This 190,000 intake is divided between multiple visas which is roughly 1/3 family reunion visas and 2/3 skilled visas. The national compact, signed by multiple significant bodies, outlines that permanent migration has been crucial to Australia’s development and will be critical to the country in the future. “Our permanent migration program has been central to Australia’s economic and social development and will be critical to Australia’s future as a productive and globally integrated economy and society”  While the Government has confirmed that there are no plans to reduce the 190,000 for migrants they have been vague with what the next step will be in the immigration paths. “We have made it very clear we’re not proposing to reduce that 190,000 number but it is a ceiling, it’s not a target,” Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has explained to Sky News that the Government has no plans in reducing migration numbers despite the gossip surrounding the 190,000 threshold. And so we will wait to hear if the contract signed by these significant bodies will make an impact on the future decisions in Government.   Subscribe to stay updated and contact us today to see how we can bring you safely through to the other side of Permanent Residency.