Fascinating Facts About Australia Australia is a strange and unique land in many ways. Even the name of our country is unique. The name ‘Australia’ means ‘Terra Australis Incognito’ in Latin, translated to ‘Unknown Southern Land’ in English. Learn some fascinating facts about Australia you might not have heard before. People The average Australian drinks […]
DOHA TO INCREASE VISA APPLICATION FEES FROM 1 JULY 2018 Source: www.australiavisa.com As of yesterday – 1st July 2018, the Department of Home Affairs (DOHA) have implemented a yearly increase in visa application fees. The rise is generally around 2% across the board. This may not be terribly significant, however, for the application fees that are already […]
General Skilled Migration Points Increase 1 July 2018 Source: www.mia.org.au Legislative Instrument-IMMI18/067- Pool and Pass Marks for General Skilled Migration Visas Instrument 2018. Part 2 of this instrument increases the pool and pass mark to 65 for the following three subclasses where an application is made on or after 1 July 2018 in response to an […]
Direct Control – TRT and associated entities policy reversed Source: www.mia.org.au Following representation from the MIA, advice has been received from the Department reversing its position on the ‘direct control’ policy for TRT applications. The Department is reverting to the previous ‘wider interpretation’ which allowed the ‘direct control’ test to be satisfied when the visa holder had been […]
Will Australian citizenship requirements change in 2018? Source: www.sbs.com.au The controversial citizenship bill was struck down by the Senate in 2017. But will the amended bill pass in 2018? On October 18th 2017, before the controversial citizenship bill was struck down, the Government proposed amendments to the Citizenship Bill. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton’s last-ditch effort to water […]
State sponsorship – Vic and Qld suspend applications Source: www.mia.org.au Live in Melbourne and Business and Skilled Migration Queensland have suspended acceptance of applications for state sponsorship due to high volumes and backlogs of applications. Details for each authority are provided below and by clicking on the links to the relevant websites. Live in Melbourne No […]
Exclusive: Coalition backflips on parent visa crackdown Source: www.sbs.com.au The Turnbull government will reverse a controversial regulation that effectively doubles the income requirement for people trying to bring their parents to Australia. The Turnbull government will scrap its controversial changes to parent visa sponsorship rules to prevent an impending Senate defeat, SBS News can reveal. The backflip […]
The fascinating history of the Gold Coast We all know that Australia’s Gold Coast is famed for its laid back beach culture. However, its origins go back far beyond the holiday home surfer vibe that it is known for today. You might be surprised to realise that the Gold Coast’s origins lie in its traditional […]
Sponsored Visas: Assurance of Support (AoS) Made More Difficult Source: www.australiavisa.com AoS is a legal commitment to provide financial support to a migrant applicant so that the Australian government will not carry any financial liability. The assurer, who does not need to be the sponsor, is also bound to repay the Australian government for any welfare […]
The fascinating history of the Tweed Coast, NSW Australia New South Wales’ Tweed Coast is one of the fastest growing areas in the country. Now well-known because of a boom in tourism over the last couple of decades. More and more travellers flocking to the area, as well as retirees deciding to relocate to a […]
Australia’s top travel destinations – Our top 5 Most people put Australia right at the top of their travel wish-lists. It’s no surprise really, not when you consider the vast array of travel destinations to choose from. It’s impossible to list them all in detail, so we’ll stick to the most recognised. One thing’s for […]
IMPORTANT – Family visa announcement The DOHA head of family visas announced at the MIA conference that from 18 November 2017 any family visa applications (and perhaps others) lodged without supporting documentation will be subject to refusal with no request for further information or other 28-day notification etc… They seem to be targeting people who […]