Blog

COVID-19 border closures, quarantines and travel restrictions are taking place at a global, national, state and regional level in Australia and Government announcements are coming through at a very rapid pace. We hope our updates are helpful in understanding the impact of these announcements for visa holders and that you and your family are keeping safeRead more

Student Visa work hours have temporarily been relaxed for international students currently working in the aged care sector or supermarkets. Usually visa conditions prevent Student Visa holders from working more than 40 hours a fortnight during a study term, but these conditions have been relaxed to allow international students to play a greater part inRead more

It has now been a week since Australia’s extended COVID-19 Travel Ban commenced. The Government has faced unprecedented challenges to implement the ban within such a short time-frame and the process of arranging necessary exemptions is continuing with policy being developed urgently. Many people have been impacted as a result of the immediate ban, including families and travellers who haveRead more

Several business industry groups met with Minister Alan Tudge this afternoon to discuss the impact of Australia’s extended Travel Ban restrictions, which commence this evening.   Exemptions The Government advised it intends to be as flexible as possible within the constraints of the legislative framework – particularly for occupations that maintain essential and critical services and infrastructure in Australia. Oil and gasRead more

The Government’s extended Coronavirus COVID-19 Travel Ban commences this evening at 6pm AWST / 9pm AEST. It applies to all travellers to Australia who are not Australian citizens or Permanent Residents or their immediate family members.  We can confirm the travel ban applies to temporary residents including Subclass 457 and 482 Visa holders. However, Prime Minister, Scott Morrison has advised limitedRead more

Australia’s Prime Minister, Scott Morrison has announced the Coronavirus COVID-19 Travel Ban will be extended to all non Australian citizens and non residents coming into Australia from tomorrow, 20 March 2020 at 6pm Australian Western Standard Time (AWST) / 9pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST). According to Mr Morrison, anyone who is not an Australian citizen, resident or closeRead more

As more countries, including Australia, begin to impose new Coronavirus Travel Ban restrictions, here’s how the limitations currently impact travel to Australia.   Coronavirus Travel Ban Updates Australia’s Coronavirus Travel Ban currently impacts travel to Australia for travellers from Mainland China, Iran, South Korea and Italy. Read our update here. From midnight 15 March 2020, allRead more

Following on from our previous update, further restrictions for the Coronavirus Travel Ban have been added to include travellers from the Republic of Korea and Italy.   Here‘s what you need to know:   From 5 March 2020, travellers from Italy were required to undergo enhanced health screening and temperature tests. Please note, from 11Read more

Following on from our previous Coronavirus (COVID-19) Travel Ban update, travel restrictions have been extended to travellers from Iran from 1 March 2020. The Government is denying entry to temporary visa holders who have departed or transited through mainland China or Iran within 14 days of arriving in Australia. At this stage, the Coronavirus travelRead more

The size of Australia’s temporary migration intake has again come under the spotlight. In a recent policy speech, Opposition Home Affairs spokeswoman, Kristina Kenneally, emphasised that while changes to immigration policies have reduced the annual permanent migration intake, temporary migration figures continue to increase. Ms Kenneally highlighted that according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operationRead more

Australia’s Working Holiday Maker Visa rules are changing to offer backpackers an extra 6 month stay in Australia if they choose to assist with bushfire recovery efforts. The migration policy changes will benefit farmers and businesses in bushfire-affected areas as well as young travellers seeking to travel, work or volunteer in Australia for an extendedRead more

The Australian passport has again ranked in the world’s top 10 most powerful passports for 2020 according to the Henley Passport Index, which measures the most travel-friendly passports across the globe. Australia ranked in at number 9 alongside New Zealand, Malta, Czech Republic and Canada. The Henley Passport Index ranks the ‘travel-friendliness’ of a country’sRead more

The Government has announced that the Coronavirus Travel Ban from China to Australia has been extended from 15 February 2020 for a further week.   Impact for Temporary Visa Holders Travel restrictions to enter Australia will continue to apply to Temporary Visa holders (excluding Permanent Residents) who have been in mainland China. Temporary Visa holdersRead 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

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

On 22 June, the Interstaff team mascots dropped by to say hello for Take Your Dog To Work Day. Needless to say they were spoilt with plenty of tummy rubs and treats. Meet Poppy and Astra, everyone! Head on over to our Facebook page to see more of our pictures! And don’t forget to giveRead 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

If you have applied for Australian Citizenship and are waiting to hear if it has been granted, you may wish to know the average Citizenship times for government processing have blown out from 12 months in March 2016 to 16 months this financial year. Interstaff looks into three reasons why. Increasing number of applicants DepartmentRead more

The Government has announced that those on a Subclass 405 or 410 Retirement Visa may soon become eligible to apply for permanent residence through Australia’s Parent Visa streams. Retirement Visa holders wishing to transition to permanent residence will not have to meet some of the usual parent visa requirements, such as having family in Australia.Read more

Businesses and unions don’t always see eye to eye – but recently businesses and unions joined forces to release a policy document urging the Federal Government to maintain levels of permanent migration for the economic benefit of Australia. The signatories included the Australian Industry Group, representing 60,000 businesses, the Business Council of Australia, and unionRead more

Rather than cutting Australia’s migration intake, think tank The Regional Australian Institute is calling for the Government to redistribute skilled migration to regional areas and smaller cities in need of a population boost – and it appears the Government is taking note. The Regional Australian Institute presented a policy paper this month, outlining a programRead more

Despite pressure to cut Australia’s annual permanent migration intake, the Government has confirmed the migration program ceiling will remain unchanged at 190,000 visas for 2018-2019. However, Interstaff migration agent, Sheila Woods says that unlike previous years, recent trends indicate the full quota may not be reached. Although the Government has confirmed the intake will remainRead more

The 2018 Federal Budget handed down recently has revealed that employers will be able to access additional refund provisions for the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) Levy. Businesses who sponsor visa holders will be able to apply for a refund of the SAF Levy fee under the following circumstances: If the employer’s nomination is approved butRead more

The Senate has today passed legislation for the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) Levy after further debate on the Government’s bill. The SAF Levy is not yet operational however, and the Department of Home Affairs is yet to confirm when businesses will begin to be charged SAF Levy fees. Labour Market Testing legislation was also passed, introducingRead more

Are you currently sponsored by an employer on a 457 or the new Subclass 482 Visa? You may be wondering what your permanent residence options are now that the 457 visa has been replaced by the 482 visa. There are new eligibility requirements to transition to permanent residence which you and your employer will needRead more

In response to pressure from business leaders in the ICT industry, the Australian Government announced it would pilot a new visa from 1 July to provide tech businesses the ability to employ highly skilled ICT workers from overseas. ICT business leaders have widely expressed concerns of not being able to bring in suitably skilled talentRead more

To permanently migrate to Australia through the General Skilled Migration program, the Department of Home Affairs advises you need a minimum of 60 points through various points-tested requirements before getting invited to apply. Migration agent from Interstaff, Sheila Woods however believes you may need to aim much higher than this to secure your invite. ViewRead more

In response to pressure from business leaders in the ICT industry, the Australian Government announced it would pilot a new visa from 1 July to provide tech businesses the ability to employ highly skilled ICT workers from overseas. ICT business leaders have widely expressed concerns of not being able to bring in suitably skilled talentRead more

The new Subclass 482 Visa | Changes for employers and skilled visa applicants The 457 Visa was Australia’s most commonly used employer-sponsored visa program for more than 20 years and its replacement with the 482 Visa on 18 March 2018 has resulted in significant changes to the way in which individuals can be sponsored forRead more

Debate on cutting Australia’s migration intake has continuously been discussed in the media since Former Prime Minister, Tony Abbot’s call to reduce Australia’s skilled permanent migration intake by 80,000 in February. Mr Abbott had argued that migration cuts were needed saying, “At least until infrastructure, housing stock and integration have better caught up, we simplyRead more

Australia’s skilled migration intake is now 10,000 spots fewer due to the Government’s decision to merge a new skilled visa for New Zealanders with the existing skilled migration program without increasing the placements offered. New Zealanders who are already living and working in Australia on a Subclass 444 Visa will now have access to theRead more

The Government has today released legislation for the new TSS Visa and confirmed the new program will commence from this Sunday 18 March 2018. The change will mean new applications will need to be made under the TSS Visa program rather than the 457 scheme from Monday 19 March. Support throughout the changes | TSS Visa Tools The introductionRead more

If you are interested in establishing a business in Australia, there may soon be a new Business Visa option available to you. The Federal Government has proposed a new Business Visa to enable overseas entrepreneurs and investors with an innovative idea and supporting business plan to apply for a temporary visa and establish their ventureRead more

Australian Citizenship changes continue to be a topic of interest in the media, with Peter Dutton, Minister of the Department of Home Affairs continuing efforts to win the Senate’s support for changes to citizenship laws, after the changes that were originally proposed were rejected by the Senate in October last year. Currently, citizenship applicants don’tRead more

To help ensure the safety of those on a Partner Visa, the Government proposed migration amendments which would require Partner Visa sponsors to meet police and character checks. The changes were expected to commence in 2017, however the amendments still lie before the Senate and are now likely to be introduced this year. If theRead more

The Government has advised on the eligibility requirements for 457 Visa holders to transition to permanent residence from March 2018, however the arrangements are still pending final Government approval. Transitioning to Permanent Residence as a 457 Visa Holder after March 2018 In line with the introduction of the TSS Temporary Skills Shortage Visa scheme inRead more

The Department of Home Affairs plans to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology and machine learning to identify dubious visa applicants and automate the visa assessment process. The Department, previously known as The Department of Immigration and Border Protection, has already begun engaging market providers to utilise AI technology as part of its overhaul of Australia’sRead more

Following Australia’s legalisation of same-sex marriage laws, same-sex couples can now apply for a Subclass 300 Prospective Marriage Visa. The Prospective Marriage Visa Option is designed for couples intending to marry in Australia and enables your partner to stay in Australia for up to nine months while applying for a Partner Visa. The Prospective MarriageRead more

The visa process to engage skilled Singaporean nationals will now be quicker and easier for business sponsors after amendments to the Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement. The amendments from 1 December 2017 effectively mean sponsors who nominate an employee who are a citizen, national or permanent resident of Singapore will not need to undertake Labour MarketRead more

What do property managers, psychotherapists and real estate representatives have in common? Each of these occupations have been added to the Short Term Skilled Occupation List as eligible  for a Subclass 457 Visa. The Government has completed their six-monthly review of the skilled occupation lists, with changes effective immediately from 17 January 2018. Revisions toRead more

As you may know, if you are interested in applying for a skilled visa such as a 457 or Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) Visa (from March 2018), your nominated occupation will need to be listed as eligible on the skilled occupation lists: Medium and Long Term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) and the Short Term Skilled OccupationRead more

As part of the 457 Visa program’s transition to the Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) Visa in March 2018, businesses and visa holders will need to meet requirements to provide information to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) for data matching. The initiative is designed to identify non-compliance with obligations under taxation and superannuation laws and preventRead more

As you may know, the current 457 Visa program will soon be replaced by the new Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) Visa in March 2018. Under the TSS Visa, applicants will need to meet more rigorous English language requirements and mandatory police clearances. It will also be more likely for applicants to undertake a skills assessment.Read more

Interstaff will be closed over the Christmas period from 5pm Thursday 21 December and will re-open on Monday 8 January 2018. For any urgent matters, please call 08 6263 4406 to be transferred to our out-of-office mobile. We wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New 2018.Read more

Stay sharp with our updates on changes to skilled visas such as Subclass 457 Visas and 187 Visas over the next coming months. New Health Insurance Requirements for Subclass 457 Visa Applicants Subclass 457 visa applicants will no longer be required to provide evidence of their health insurance from 18 November 2017. Details will instead be confirmed viaRead more

New legislation introduced from 17 November has confirmed businesses will no longer be able to access the 187 Visa program for positions in the Perth metropolitan and surrounding areas. Since 13 March 2017, the WA Government had been declining certification requests for 187 Visas pending a decision by the Commonwealth on Perth’s exclusion from the Regional Sponsored Migration SchemeRead more

The Immigration Department has confirmed there will be an available pathway to transition to permanent residence for those who held a 457 visa or applied for a 457 visa when the visa changes were announced by the Government on 18 April 2017. Stay sharp with our update on transitioning to permanent residence from a 457 Visa.Read more

Applicants who have provided false or misleading information on their visa applications in the past 10 years will be barred from being granted an Australian visa under new immigration legislation coming into effect on 18 November. The new rules are a significant change from current legislation, which only bars individuals who have provided false orRead more

Why become an Australian citizen? Here’s 8 things Australian citizens can do that permanent residents can’t.   Hassle-free travel in and out of Australia Although permanent residents can stay in Australia as long as they wish, they do have to apply for a Resident Return Visa every 5 years so they can leave the countryRead more

After months of parliamentary discussion on whether the proposed citizenship requirements will be retrospectively applied, the Government has decided that any citizenship applications received on or after 20 April 2017 will be processed under the current citizenship legislation until 1 July 2018. The decision has re-opened a window of eligibility for those who are permanentRead more

Thinking of migrating to Australia? You might be interested to know Perth has maintained its ranking as the world’s seventh most liveable city, beating Sydney at number 11. The Economist ranked Melbourne in the number one spot, with Vienna, Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary making up the rest of the top five. The Economist’s ‘liveability’ report is aRead more

As the 457 visa program transitions to the Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) Visa, we expect to see ongoing changes to the requirements businesses need to meet in order to nominate visa holders. Here’s what has changed recently for businesses and 457 visa holders. Changes to Market Salary Rate Requirements The Immigration Department has strengthened marketRead more

The Australian Government is exploring the idea of making provisional visas a mandatory step before permanent residency, meaning migrants may need to spend a certain period of time in Australia before becoming eligible for permanent residence. According to the Immigration Department’s recent discussion paper, around half of Australia’s permanent visas were granted to people onRead more

Subclass 457 visas continue to be a hot topic in the media but lately the Subclass 400 temporary work visa category is also coming under scrutiny. The Subclass 400 visa enables businesses to engage applicants with highly specialised skills knowledge or experience that cannot be reasonably found in the Australian labour market. Depending on theRead more

Access to appropriately skilled and experienced talent has been identified by businesses across Australia as one of their biggest risk factors going forward following the 457 visa changes on 1 July 2017. MYOB Chief Executive, Tim Reed recently spoke at the Australian Financial Review Innovation Summit saying, “The number one risk that we identified inRead more

It is still possible to apply for citizenship while the legislation is being confirmed by parliament. However, it is important to note that the Government has announced that a number of reforms will apply to citizenship applications received on or after 20 April 2017. While the legislation is currently under parliamentary review, the Government hasRead more

Becoming an Australian citizen is a dream for many migrants – but for those struggling with English as a second language, higher English requirements could become a barrier to obtaining Australian citizenship if the new laws are passed. Currently, applicants don’t need to pass an English language test but those who are able to passRead more

We received a number of great questions from HR professionals and business owners during our recent seminar on the 457 visa changes. Click through to find out what Interstaff’s registered migration agents had to say about the new English requirements, how working holiday visas can lead to a transition to skilled visas, and possibilities toRead more

A number of changes to Australia’s skilled visas took place from 1 July 2017 and we have received some important updates on how the implemented changes are being managed by the Immigration Department. Here’s what businesses and skilled visa holders need to know. Training benchmark legislation updates The Immigration Department has recently updated migration legislation to reflect theRead more

Since the Government announced changes to the skilled occupations lists in April, resource and energy industry bodies have been urging for certain occupations to be reclassified to better meet industry needs. The revised skilled occupations list has since been confirmed and there have been a few wins for the industry, but there are also moreRead more

What options do you have if your occupation is removed off the 457 visa list? And what if your sponsoring company goes into liquidation? Interstaff’s Managing Director, Sheila Woods was recently live on Perth’s 6PR radio station – listen to the interview. https://interstaff-startdigital.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Tarsha-Skonis-2.mp3  Read more

We received a number of great questions from HR professionals and business owners about employee pathways to permanent residency during our recent seminar on the 457 visa changes. One of the main impacts of the 457 visa changes for businesses has been the reduced ability to secure permanent residency for employees. Previously all employees onRead more

As part of our Q&A session for HR professionals and business owners, Interstaff recently addressed how businesses employing visa holders have been impacted by Perth’s removal from the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) for subclass 187 visas. As you may know, since 2011 businesses have used the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) as a visaRead more

Recently at our Q&A session for HR professionals and business owners, Interstaff’s migration agents addressed how working holiday visas could be used as a pathway to a 457 visa. The question posed to us was: “Following the new short and medium-term arrangements for 457 visas, has the government mentioned any likely flow-on impacts to working holidayRead more

The State Government has dramatically reduced the ability for skilled overseas professionals to work in WA, with 160 occupations removed from the WA Skilled Migration List (WASMOL), however those in the health and medical field may find their occupation is still eligible for a work visa on the revised list. Only 18 occupations remain eligibleRead more

CEO’s who had applied for permanent residency before 1 July and are awaiting approval from the Immigration Department will no longer be impacted by the retrospective application of the Government’s new permanent residency rules. Foreign executives and senior managers had expressed backlash from being excluded from permanent residency and the government has since backed downRead more

We received several great questions from HR professionals and business owners at our recent seminar on the 457 visa changes. Here’s a few of our Q&A’s regarding the new English requirements, which you may find useful. One question posed to us was: “Is the Government essentially saying that if you can’t pass the English testRead more

Are you a New Zealander seeking Australian permanent residency? The Government has recently approved legislative amendments to allow skilled New Zealanders to more easily access permanent residency through a separate ‘New Zealand stream’ for the Subclass 189 visa from 1 July 2017. Under the new stream, New Zealanders will have less eligibility requirements for aRead more