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The Government has confirmed the eligible occupations for Australia’s new Regional Visas and importantly, the lists will establish new Permanent Residence (PR) pathways for skilled migrants from 16 November 2019.   The 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (SESR) Visa The 494 SESR Visa will enable businesses with operations in Perth, the Gold Coast and regional/remote areas to sponsor skilled migrants under a significantlyRead more

Over the weekend, the Government announced the new definition of ‘Regional Australia’ will change to encompass all areas of Australia except for Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane from 16 November 2019. As a result, both Perth and the Gold Coast will be reclassified as regional areas for visa and migration purposes to allow more skilled migrants toRead more

This week, Interstaff’s Managing Director, Sheila Woods commented on how the upcoming Regional Skilled Visa changes will impact businesses in the Resource Industry in an article for The Australian Mining Review and The Australian Oil and Gas Review newspapers. With the new Regional Skilled Visas commencing on 16 November 2019, the article provides some timely informationRead more

Australia’s permanent migration intake has fallen to its lowest level since 2008 with only 160,323 permanent residence visas granted in 2018-19, according to recent Department of Home Affairs statistics. In 2019/20 and over the next four years, we can expect this figure to plateau with Australia’s new planning cap formally set at 160,000 permanent visasRead more

As part of Australia’s focus on regional migration, the composition of the Australian Skilled Migration program has shifted to promote a larger percentage of skilled migrants in regional areas. While this has created more opportunities for permanent residence in regional areas, the number of placements for visas that allow migrants to live in any areaRead more

Interstaff’s Managing Director, Sheila Woods recently had the pleasure of presenting at the 2019 WA HR Leadership Forum to share insights on fundamental shifts in Australia’s Skilled Migration Program. Sheila discussed how Australia’s new regional policy direction will impact businesses with operations in regional or remote areas. Here’s a summary of our presentation.   AdaptingRead more

Out of 140 major cities across the globe, four Australian major cities made it into the top 20 most liveable cities in the world this year according to The Economist Intelligence Unit’s annual Global Liveability Index. Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide ranked in the top 10 most liveable cities, while Perth held onto last year’s numberRead more

Figures released by the Department of Home Affairs show 229,000 people held a Bridging Visa in Australia in March 2019 while a decision was being made to grant their substantive visa. This is a significant increase considering the number of people on a Bridging Visa in 2014 was 107,000. The media has compared the newRead more

From 16 November 2019, a new visa known as the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (SESR) Provisional 494 Visa will replace the existing regional visa sponsorship program, known as the Subclass 187 Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme Visa. The new 494 Visa will provide employers greater flexibility to sponsor visa holders for regional work. Australia will introduceRead more

The new Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (SESR) 494 Visa will commence on 16 November 2019 and replace existing permanent residence pathways to sponsor overseas workers in regional areas. If your business employs Subclass 457/482 Visa holders in regional areas, it’s important to know how the changes will impact permanent residence options for employees.   HowRead more

The Government has launched a parliamentary inquiry into Australia’s migration program as part of its focus on encouraging migrants to live and work in regional areas. While Australia’s permanent migration intake rate has already been formally reduced by 30,000 places each year over the next four years, temporary migration figures are now coming into theRead more

If you’re an expat moving to Australia, you would know navigating visa requirements is only one piece of the puzzle when seeking to work abroad. It helps to have access to a pool of resources and a supportive group of like-minded individuals. Recently, Interstaff have been working closely with Expat Network – a leading UK-basedRead more

You may have heard in the media last month that the Courier-Mail reported the Government may not pursue legislative changes that will require permanent residents to wait longer and meet tougher tests to become eligible for Australian Citizenship. The Federal Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has since denied reports that changes to the Citizenship test willRead more

Amended legislation to relax Australia’s Work and Holiday Visa arrangements commenced on 1 July 2019. The Work and Holiday Maker program is now available to more young migrants and provides a pathway for visa holders to stay an additional year to assist farmers and regional businesses with critical labour shortages.   A pathway to aRead more

The bar has been raised even higher for skilled migrants requiring points for a 189 Visa invitation, particularly for high-demand occupations such as accountants, engineers and IT professionals. The 189 Visa is highly sought by skilled migrants because it provides permanent residence without the need for employer sponsorship. However, the visa process is very competitiveRead more

The Department of Home Affairs has confirmed less invitations will be issued to skilled migrants for a General Skilled Migration visa in 2019-20. As per our previous article, last month in April only 100 invitations were issued for a Subclass 189 Skilled Independent Visa Australia-wide – the lowest amount offered in 2018-19. The trend continuedRead more

WA Day! We’re very lucky in Western Australia to have a public holiday dedicated to everything that makes our state a great place to live, work and explore. This Monday 3 June is WA Day and there will be plenty of family activities on – both in Perth and right across WA. Celebrations will carryRead more

Following the 2019 Federal Election, we now have greater certainty of Australia’s immigration policy directions over the next three-year Government term. Prime Minister, Scott Morrison will continue to lead the Australian Government and immigration policy changes that were previously announced under his direction are likely to progress. This includes a focus on regional migration, aRead more

After winning the 2019 Federal Election, Prime Minister Scott Morrison will lead the Coalition through its third consecutive term of Government in Australia and has already selected which Ministers will form the new Cabinet. While there were some changes in ownership across Ministerial portfolios, responsibilities for immigration and related policies in the new Cabinet remainRead more

The privilege to vote and have a say in the shaping of our nation is just one of many good reasons to become an Australian Citizen. For those who are Australian citizens – whether it’s your first time voting or not – why not celebrate your freedom to vote with a Democracy Sausage? Community groupsRead more

Skilled visa applicants across Australia may face a longer wait to be invited by the Government to apply for a Subclass 189 Skilled Independent Visa, due to a reduction in the number of invites being issued. The Subclass 189 Visa is highly sought by skilled migrants because it provides permanent residence without the need forRead more

In the lead up to the Federal Election, debate and discussion has again been raised on how Australia should manage its skilled migration programs. Congestion busting in metropolitan areas remains a contentious issue, and the Opposition has criticised the Coalition’s population policy for failing to address high numbers of temporary skilled visas. It has claimedRead more

Recent debate in the lead up to the Federal election has highlighted the issue of extremely long wait times and high fees faced by many who apply for Australia’s Parent Visas. There is significant demand to bring parents to Australia, however only 7,371 permanent Parent Visas were issued in 2017-18. The recently introduced Temporary SponsoredRead more

The Government has introduced legislation for Australia’s new Skilled Regional Visa options, which will require migrants to work for three years in regional areas before becoming eligible to apply for permanent residence. Currently, migrants can directly apply for permanent residence in regional areas through the Subclass 187 Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) visa. However, underRead more

The Government’s points test changes from 16 November 2016 could mean migrants will be able to claim extra points to qualify for Australia’s independent skilled visas. Details of the revised points allocations were released under the Migration Amendment (New Regional Skilled Visas) Regulations 2019, as part of the Government’s review of Australia’s Regional Skilled Visas.Read more

Overseas-trained nurses wanting to apply for permanent residence through the General Skilled Migration program may soon need to undertake an outcomes-based assessment instead of a three-month bridging program to qualify. The outcomes-based assessment will require overseas-trained nurses to be assessed based on cognitive and behavioural components, and previous qualifications and experience. The Nursing and MidwiferyRead more

Perth is a great place to celebrate Easter with family and friends. There are always plenty of events and activities on offer each year. If you’re currently in Perth on a vacation (or staycation for permanent residents), here’s our rundown of things to do and places to see over the Easter long weekend from FridayRead more

The Department of Home Affairs has confirmed that major changes to introduce a sponsorship application to the Partner Visa process will no longer commence on 17 April 2019. The Migration Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Act 2018 provides for a family sponsorship framework to be established, in which sponsors need to be approved through aRead more

From 17 April 2019, the Department of Home Affairs will begin accepting Sponsorship applications from Australian citizens/permanent residents and eligible New Zealand Citizens to sponsor their parent(s) to come to Australia for up to 10 years on the new Subclass 870 Temporary Parent Visa. As the visa will be capped to only 15,000 people perRead more

The Australian Governor-General yesterday proclaimed that the Partner Migration Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) will commence on 17 April 2019. The changes may result in a more onerous and lengthier process to obtain a Partner Visa, and will particularly impact those lodging their application from within Australia. The legislative amendment will allow the Department of Home Affairs to: Require the AustralianRead more

2019 Federal Budget outcomes Last night’s 2019 Federal Budget announcements confirmed Australia will continue to focus on encouraging migrants to live and work regionally, with nearly $50 million of spending to be allocated to new regional visas over the next five years.   Other key take-aways for the migration program included: A 5.4% increase in the cost of visaRead more

Employers and Subclass 482 Visa holders may be interested to know a new permanent residence option has opened up for an additional 31 occupations in the Oil and Gas, IT, Science, Professional services and Arts industries (among others) through the General Skilled Migration program. Prior to the Skilled Occupation List changes on 11 March 2019,Read more

Does your business struggle to find local workers for its regional operations? Do visa processing times get in the way of your business securing the workers you need? According to the Government’s $19 million plan to tackle the uneven distribution of Australia’s population growth over the next four years, businesses will soon be able toRead more

This month, the Government announced the Accredited Sponsorship Scheme will be expanded to allow more businesses to access priority processing times of up to 5 business days for a 482 visa, compared to the current average wait of 42 business days for a 482 Visa. Currently only 900 businesses have been accredited under the SchemeRead more

Employer sponsored doctors from overseas who are intending to practice in Australia will first need approval to work in a designated area from a Rural Workforce Agency (RWA’s) before applying for their visa. Due to a new condition on the revised Skilled Occupation Lists announced on 11 March 2019, overseas trained doctors in the belowRead more

The Government today revealed Australia’s permanent migration intake would be reduced by 30,000 people as details of the new population policy were released. Under the policy changes, Australia’s annual permanent migration intake will be set at 160,000 places for the next four years, formally reducing the number of permanent residence visas available to migrants byRead more

Interstaff recently attended the Australian Oil and Gas (AOG) Exhibition and Conference held on 13-15 March 2019 at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre. Each year the AOG Expo provides an opportunity for our team to network with peers in the oil and gas industry and learn more about the needs of Australian and internationalRead more

Immigration was the subject of contentious political debate in 2018 and discussions shifted from the size of Australia’s permanent migration intake to how to distribute issues of apparent overcrowding in Sydney and Melbourne. We expect many of the discussions that began in 2018 will continue this year and could result in further visa changes inRead more

Businesses have long been advocating for more flexible migration laws to accommodate for labour shortages in regional areas – and it looks like the Government is listening. As part of its focus on alleviating population pressures in Sydney and Melbourne, various regional migration agreements are being fast-tracked across the country. Read on for updates onRead more

A new Temporary Parent Visa option is opening for eligible Australian citizens or permanent residents to bring their parents to Australia temporarily for up to ten years. The new visa will however be capped to only 15,000 people per year. Read on to discover more and find out if you could be eligible to sponsorRead more

Every six months, the Government reviews its lists of eligible occupations for a skilled visa to ensure the migration program continues to reflect Australia’s changing labour needs. The latest revisions came into effect on 11 March 2019. No occupations were removed from the Medium to Long Term Skilled Lists, however 5 occupations were removed fromRead more

Australia is known for its world-class education system, which is part of the reason why so many people choose to raise their family here. Giving your kids a good education is so important and is an integral part of the Australian lifestyle. If you’ve chosen to base you and your family in Perth, you mightRead more

This Australia Day long weekend, people across the country will be celebrating everything that makes our nation so amazing. In Perth, there will be plenty of activities for families and friends to enjoy. Here are our top 5 ways to celebrate the Australia Day long weekend in Perth – and best of all, they’re free!Read more

If you are on a skilled visa or applying for one you may be interested to know that as a result of recent legislative changes, the Government can now request your Tax File Number to cross match your financial records with your visa information and more easily identify cases of non compliance with visa andRead more

The Government is cracking down on businesses who fail to meet sponsorship obligations and has introduced new laws to be able to publicly name and shame businesses that have not complied with their sponsorship and visa requirements. While most organisations strive to do the right thing when sponsoring visa holders, business owners and human resourceRead more

Migrating to Australia has become more complex than ever with statistics showing visa refusal statistics increased by 46% in 2017-18. As part of our 30 year anniversary special, Interstaff takes a closer look into how the growing refusal rate is impacting individuals wanting to live and work in Australia, as well as businesses requiring migrationRead more

We have certainly seen a number of changes to Australia’s migration landscape since Interstaff was first established in 1988 three decades ago. One of the most significant changes recently has been the replacement of the 457 Visa scheme with the Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) Subclass 482 Visa. The 457 Visa program was historically the mostRead more

There will be major changes to the Partner Visa process as the Government has passed legislation governing the way in which couples can apply for a Partner Visa. Find out what has changed and why, as well as how the changes impact you and your partner.   Partner sponsors to be approved before a PartnerRead more

Australia’s Immigration Minister, David Coleman is accelerating negotiations for regional migration agreements as part of the Federal Government’s plans to address labour shortages and alleviate population pressure in major cities. As a result, the Department of Home Affairs has been directed to fast track negotiations to establish Designated Area Migration Agreements without the former requirementRead more

Australia’s International Trade Agreements can determine whether employers are required to undertake Labour Market Testing for visa applicants from certain countries. Usually employers first need to have undertaken Labour Market Testing in the local labour market for suitable candidates before sponsoring a visa holder on a subclass 482/TSS visa – however exemptions may apply inRead more

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is calling on State Premiers to prepare individual population policies for their state with an aim to reduce Australia’s permanent migration intake of 190,000 migrants per year. Australia’s permanent migration intake is historically reviewed by the Department of Home Affairs as a national figure, however as mentioned in our previous article,Read more

This week, Interstaff had the pleasure of presenting on the topic, ‘Reimagining Skilled Migration’ at the 2018 WA HR Leadership Forum. As you may know, this year’s replacement of the 457 Visa scheme with the Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) Subclass 482 Visa and broader changes in Australia’s migration arrangements have presented key challenges for HumanRead more

Employer sponsored migration will be a key focus for Australia’s Immigration Minister, David Coleman according to his speech to the Migration Institute of Australia in October 2018. Mr Coleman stated Australia’s skilled migration policies should emphasise visa categories providing the highest economic benefits, such as employer sponsored migration and regional skilled migration. His speech indicatedRead more

The Government has announced it will relax Working Holiday Visa program restrictions relating to age limits, areas of work, employer flexibility and length of stay to help agricultural businesses struggling with labour shortages while the Government considers creating a dedicated agricultural visa for a long-term solution. The Working Holiday Visa program is also relied uponRead more

Last week, the Government announced Irish and Canadian citizens can now apply for a Working Holiday Subclass 417 Visa in Australia up to the age of 35. Prior to the change on 1 November 2018, people over the age 31 were ineligible for the program. The increased age limit therefore opens an opportunity for moreRead more

Interstaff is pleased to welcome our new Registered Migration Agent to the team, Melissa Phan (MARN: 1808239). As part of our Registered Migration Agent team, Melissa advises clients on migration solutions for businesses and individuals according to current migration legislation and manages all aspects of the visa and/or sponsorship application process on our clients’ behalf. MelissaRead more

Interstaff had a great lawn bowls night recently with WA Singapore Business Connect. Have you ever tried your hand at lawn bowls? It was a first for a few of us in the Interstaff team at the South Perth Lawn Bowls Club. Trying lawn bowls for the first time and being welcomed into WA SingaporeRead more

One Fine Day There’s plenty of free things to see and do in Perth and they don’t have to cost you the Earth! We are lucky to have so many natural attractions to visit and with the weather beginning to heat up, we’re excited to start heading out for a good walk to soak upRead more

The latest on plans for Australia’s new migrants to live in regional areas Australia’s Population and Urban Infrastructure Minister, Alan Tudge recently confirmed the Government is progressing plans to develop a new landmark population policy that will introduce visa conditions requiring overseas workers to settle outside Sydney and Melbourne for five years to ease congestion in the two major cities. AtRead more

The WA Graduate Occupation List is now in effect, which means that apart from our world class universities, international students now have another reason to choose to study in WA – a priority pathway to stay in Australia. The WA State Government recently introduced the Graduate Occupation List to provide eligible international students in WARead more

How will Australia manage its population growth? Since Scott Morrison became Prime Minister, we have been keen to see how he would begin to shape Australia’s immigration policies and population growth. It seems he is already beginning to shift debate on the size of Australia’s annual immigration intake, revealing facts which challenge common immigration mythsRead more

Interstaff is pleased to announce we have appointed Michelle Collins to join us in advising on your migration requirements as one of our Registered Migration Agents. Michelle holds a Bachelor of Law and Arts from the University of Notre Dame as well as a Graduate Certificate in Australian Migration Law from Murdoch University. She brings to the role aRead more

Skilled migration data has been released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics which reveals some fun facts about the people that choose Western Australia as their home to work and live. The below skilled migration data captures a broad snapshot of permanent migrants arriving in WA between 2000 to 2016. Did you know?  People fromRead more

A day after being announced as Australia’s new Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure, Alan Tudge has confirmed he is exploring different ways to incentivise migrants to work regionally to help ease congestion in Sydney and Melbourne. Alan Tudge attributes Australia’s population pressures to the disproportionate number of migrants settling in Melbourne and SydneyRead more

David Coleman will be sworn in as Australia’s New Minister of Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs on 29 August 2018, after last week’s leadership spill culminated in the appointment of Scott Morrison as Australia’s new Prime Minister and a subsequent cabinet reshuffle. Scott Morrison has decided Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs will be managed byRead more

If you are wondering how SAF Fees apply in cases where TSS Visa holders are changing sponsors, the Government has indicated employers will only be required to pay a portion of the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) Fees when engaging workers currently in Australia on a Subclass 457/482 Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) Visa to work forRead more

The WA State Government has announced a priority pathway to permanent residence will be made available for high-achieving graduates from WA universities through the introduction of a Graduate Skilled Migration List in coming months. WA University graduates with a PhD, Masters, Honours or other higher degree graduates will have access to priority consideration for permanentRead more

New legislation governing the Labour Market Testing (LMT) and advertising requirements to be undertaken before sponsoring a Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) Subclass 482 Visa holder came into effect on Sunday. The below legislative changes apply to nominations made on or after 12 August 2018. Labour Market Testing Requirements  At least two advertisements that meet the following: Advertising must be undertakenRead more

Further to our announcement last week, we would like to confirm the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) commenced on Sunday 12 August 2018 and is now in effect with SAF refunds available in some circumstances. Businesses are now required to pay a ‘Nomination Training Contribution Charge’ (NTCC) into the SAF for each visa holder sponsored on a: Subclass 482 Visa (Temporary Skills Shortage –Read more

Changes to Australian Citizenship eligibility requirements are likely to be confirmed in coming months as amendments to the legislation have now been scheduled for review in parliamentary sittings. If the changes proposed in the Australian Citizenship Legislation Amendment Bill are passed into law, we can expect the eligibility requirements to tighten and result in moreRead more

Contributions into the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) Levy will be payable on all nomination applications for Subclass 482, 186 and 187 Visas from Sunday 12 August 2018.  The SAF was approved by the Australian parliament in May 2018. The fund has been established to provide training for Australians in areas of need as identified by the Commonwealth government in association withRead more

This year’s Avon Descent is coming up on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 August. Head on down to the events spanning Northam, Toodyay, Belmont, Bassendean and Bayswater and see competitors from around the world tackle our white waters. There will be free entertainment, an international food festival and lots of family fun. Don’t miss out – enjoy the bestRead more

Citizenship Minister Alan Tudge has indicated it should become mandatory for intending migrants to first stay in Australia on a temporary visa to allow the Government time to assess their adoption of Australian values before granting permanent residence. While this has raised controversy and debate on whether there is a need for Australia to introduceRead more

In a speech to the Australia/UK Leadership Forum in London recently, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs Minister Alan Tudge discussed the Government’s plans to introduce an Australian values test before granting new migrants permanent residence. Why introduce an Australian values test? A significant part of the controversy is centred around whether Australia needs a Values testRead more

Recently released statistics show the Department of Home Affairs only accepted 162,417 people on a permanent residence visa in 2017/18 in comparison to 183,608 in the previous year. The figure is well below the permanent migration planning level of 190,000 placements, and confirms several trends we have seen developing over the past year. These are:Read more

The CEO of WA’s Chamber of Minerals and Energy, Mr Everingham has shown support for a Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) to address shortages in WA’s Goldfields mining region. The Shires of Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie-Boulder and the Citizenship and Multicultural Minister, Mr Alan Tudge met last month to discuss the DAMA and if approved, the agreement wouldRead more

The Department of Home Affairs has announced the pass mark has increased from 60 points to 65 points to become eligible for a visa under the General Skilled Migration program. This change came into effect on 1 July. The change in the pass mark demonstrates a further narrowing of Australia’s permanent skilled migration program following the restrictions introduced to employer-sponsoredRead more

Over the past few years, the Interstaff team have seen the Government become increasingly selective of the occupations that get accepted onto Australia’s skilled occupation lists and become eligible for skilled migration to Australia. In April 2017, fundamental changes were announced which split eligible occupations into two skilled occupation lists. Occupations on the Short TermRead more

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has announced the Federal Government is considering changes to ensure all permanent residence applicants, including dependent partners or family members, can meet English requirements at least at a primary school level before being granted permanent residence. The Government is considering a range of options, from mandatory language classes to a newRead more

Over the past few months, the Interstaff team have noticed the Department of Home Affairs are requiring businesses to provide more substantial levels of evidence for Subclass 400 Visas. As you may know, the Subclass 400 visa enables businesses to engage highly skilled applicants with knowledge or experience that cannot be easily found in theRead more

  Sheila Woods Industries facing local labour shortages, such as the hospitality industry, can often find it difficult to source stable, ongoing employees – and the impacts of this can be especially difficult for small businesses. A business owner of a bakery shared these particular concerns with us, expressing how instability in the labour marketRead more

Bonnie Durmic I recently assisted a couple who were struggling to meet the character requirements for a partner visa. The applicant wanted to marry his partner and stay with her in Australia, however he did not meet the character requirements for his visa application due to a criminal conviction received when he was younger. ProgressingRead more

Elain Flynn A client in the resource industry urgently required a specialist to come to Australia for repair and maintenance work for a key project. Timelines for the project were critical and delays in the person arriving to Australia would have compromised on-site health and safety requirements and cause the delay of major project milestones.Read more

Sheila Woods | Registered Migration Agent | Over 10 years experience in visa appeals   A couple came to see us very distressed following their partner visa being refused by the Department of Home Affairs. The husband, who was the visa applicant, had a period of 21 days to leave the country and had contactedRead more