Australian Immigration Law Update Surrogacy – Australian Citizenship by descent Applications for Australian citizenship by descent may be made on behalf of children born through surrogacy arrangements but legal advice in relation to this point is essential as this is...

There has been quite a lot of press coverage relating to Australia’s policies on Parent visas.   Unfortunately, much of the coverage has either been misinformed or deliberately inaccurate with claims that Australian citizens or permanent residents wishing to...

From 1 July 2023, Australian Student visa holders (subclass 500) and Working Holiday / Work and Holiday visa holders (subclasses 417 and 462) had the work restrictions on their visas re-instated. Before employing candidates on these visas, it is important to...

Employer-sponsored visas offer a pathway for skilled workers to contribute their expertise and fill labour shortages in Australia. To ensure that local workers are given priority and opportunities for employment, the Australian Department of Home Affairs has...

From 1 July 2023, the Department of Home Affairs increased government lodgement charges; costs that must be paid to lodge a visa or citizenship application. The Department have advised that the revised lodgement charges have been adjusted to reflect current...

Before submitting a tending for an Australian project it is important to consider immigration requirements so that these costs and timeframes can be built into your finalised tender document. Failing to do so can result in the below negative outcomes: Budget blow out...

The Minister of Home Affairs, Clare O’Neil, used her recent address to the National Press Club to announce two major changes to the Temporary Skills Shortage (subclass 482) visa / Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) programs. These include: Increasing the...

The Australian government has implemented changes to citizenship requirements for New Zealand citizens living in Australia. The changes come into effect from 1 July 2023 and provide an opportunity for eligible New Zealanders to become Australian citizens and have...

Wesley Mission’s recent announcement that it would cease providing aged care services due to the inability to comply with new federal government laws has highlighted the pressing issue of labour shortages within the industry. The new rules will require aged care...

The Australia and United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement The agreement has now become cemented legislatively in the United Kingdom, where the Bill has been scrutinised and successfully passed through its parliamentary houses, receiving Royal Assent. Once all legislative...

The report by the Productivity Commission tabled on 17 March 2023 makes some important recommendations which if accepted are likely to result in major changes in the Australian migration program. The aim of these changes is to yield better productivity benefits. We...

The Department of Home Affairs (the Department) continues to improve processes and do its part to support the Australian economy. Here are some recent updates from the Department which you may have missed. Student visa work rights The student visa framework has work...

Australia is one of the most popular destinations for international students seeking a world-class education and a path to a promising career. To encourage more students to stay and contribute to the Australian economy, the Australian Government has recently made some...

Australia's demand for skilled migrants has been high in recent times. However, a recent report by the ABC 7.30 program highlights that there are barriers to attracting and retaining the necessary talent in the country. Fethi Mansouri, director of the Alfred Deacon...

Australian Immigration Law Update Special Purpose Visas for Fiji and Timor-Leste defence forces and personnel Migration Amendment (Status of Forces Agreement—Fiji and Timor-Leste) Regulations 2023 - F2023L00125, amends the Migration Regulations to add Fijian and...

Australian Immigration Law Update Increased work rights for Australian student visa holders The Australian Minister for Home Affairs has announced that Australian student visa holder work rights will be increased to change from 1 July 2023 to assist in Australia's...

In an announcement made last week, Immigration Minister Andrew Giles announced that all the refugees who were in Australia on the three year Temporary Protection Visa (TPV) (subclass 785) or the five Safe Heaven Enterprise Visa (SHEV) (subclass 790) would now be able...

The Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visa is a temporary work visa that allows employers (who have appropriate sponsorship approval) to fill positions with overseas skilled workers when they cannot find suitable Australian workers within the local market. 482...