The Australian government in recent times is taking a much harder line when it comes to granting citizenship to a person who has a criminal record. It is a requirement that any person applying for citizenship must be of ‘good character’. Good character is not defined in the Citizenship Act…
In a previous post on September 16, which can be found here, I discussed the upcoming changes to the Australian Student Visa Framework, as well as the increase in the number of student visas which have been cancelled in the year ending June 2015. This blog post will discuss some…
If so, our team of qualified migration lawyers and agents may be able to help with submissions to the Department in relation to the Notice of Intention to Consider Cancellation (NOICC). Under the Migration Act 1958, there are several situations in which the Minister may cancel the visa of a…
Are you the current holder of an Australian visa? Did you know that your visa may have certain conditions attached to it, and that failure to comply with the conditions of your visa can render your visa liable to cancellation? Between July 2014 and June 2015 nearly 11,000 student visas…
Have you had a visa application refusal? Are you unsure what avenues of appeal or appeals are available? If you lodge an application with the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) for a visa and the application is refused, there will generally be mechanisms through which you can have…
On July 1 2015 Australian Customs and Border Protection Service was officially disestablished, and together with the pre-existing Department, the new Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) was created. The DIBP will still be responsible for visa applications, while the Australian Border Force will be the operational arm…
The Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) have announced that as of the 1st January 2015, the partner visa application fee will be increasing by 50%. The new Partner Visa Application fees will be: Offshore Partner Visa - $6,865; Prospective Marriage Visa - $6,865; and Onshore Partner Visa -…
This is a further update regarding a previous post about Family Visas and the announcement from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection that as of June 2 2014, certain family visa subclasses would be ceasing. As of 25 September 2014, the following visa subclasses have again become available: the Non-Contributory…
On 14 October 2014, the Australian Government released the findings of a review into the Business Innovation and Investment Programme, which covers the Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188). Already containing three streams (Business Innovation, Investor, and Significant Investor), the subclass 188 visa is designed to cater for…
If you are a New Zealand citizen in Australia on a Special Category Visa (Subclass 444), you may be able to apply for citizenship. Have you been in Australia since before 26 February 2001? If you entered Australia before the 26th February 2001 on a 444 visa and you have…
If you are engaged to marry your Australian partner you might be eligible for a Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300). This visa is aimed at couples who intend to marry in Australia within 9 months of the visa bring granted. It is often a better option for engaged couples as…
As per our blog on 11 June 2014, July 1 has seen some changes to both the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) and the Consolidated Sponsored Occupation List (CSOL). You’ll need to check the new SOL if you’re looking at lodging any of the following visas: Independent points-based skilled migration who…