NEWS

Let’s Go Australia Seminar – 4th of June, London

admin — Thu, 09 May 2013 21:05:04 +0000

WHY AUSTRALIA?

In 2013 there are more opportunities than ever for skilled people to live and work in Australia.

- Australia has a great climate
- Australia offers a great lifestyle
- Australia has gone 21 years without a recession

Craig James, chief economist at CommSec said recently:
“Australia has a Goldilocks Economy – not too hot, not too cold, in fact just about right…Inflation is under control, unemployment is low, the economy is growing
at a ‘normal’ pace and our government deficit and debt levels are low compared with other advanced nations.”

REGISTER NOW!

The seminar is designed to provide people looking to emigrate to Australia with a first-hand account of:

• Life in Australia
• Obtaining a visa for Australia
• Other aspects of emigration to Australia

The organisers and presenters of our seminar are Australians or ex-pats who work in the immigration industry in the United Kingdom and Australia, and individuals whose core business is to assist skilled migrants to get to Australia – including assisting with banking, money transfer, and shipping.

At the seminar, you will be encouraged to ask questions and will be able to speak to the presenters in an informal setting where there are no queues.

Email us to book your place and to find out more:

info@sortoutmyvisa.com

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Sort Out My Visa is a registered and licensed Australian and NZ visa specialist, providing visa and migration services to individuals and families wanting to travel to, conduct business, work or live in Australia or New Zealand. Visit Sort Out My Visa for more information.

NSW State Sponsorships – Subclass 190 Nominations – Closed Until July 2013

admin — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 21:29:09 +0000

Applications for NSW nomination under the Skilled Nominated Subclass 190 visa for the 2012-13 financial year have reached full capacity and have closed for this year.

Applications for the Subclass 190 visa will open again in July 2013.NSW continues to accept applications for nominations for other visa classes, including the Significant Investor Visa.

Applications received for NSW nomination under the Skilled Nominated Subclass 190 visa up to close-of-business on 11 April 2013 will be processed as usual. Any application that has already been received and is currently being processed will continue to be processed. Details of the 2013-14 intake for the Subclass 190 visa will be available in July 2013.

We have been advised that applications for NSW nomination under the Skilled Nominated Subclass 190 visa for the 2012-13 financial year have reached full capacity and have closed for this year.

We have also been advised that the State will resume accepting applications for subclass 190 nominations in July 2013.

In the meantime the State will continue to process applications received up to close-of-business on 11 April 2013.

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Breaking News – VETASSESS New Assessing Authority for Many TRA Assessed Trade Occupations

admin — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 09:34:17 +0000

VETASSESS was approved to undertake Skills Assessments for occupations and countries that were for previously for 457 only.

If your clients have current applications with TRA they are required to send them a written letter requesting to have your application withdrawn. You can complete a Refund Request Form for the refund of fees paid.

TRA will advise whether your request to have your application is granted, depending on the stage of the assessment.

• Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Mechanic (342111) *

• Automotive Electrician (321111)

• Baker (351111)

• Bricklayer (331111)

• Cabinetmaker (394111)

• Carpenter (331212)

• Carpenter and Joiner (331211)

• Chef (351311)

• Cook (351411)

• Diesel Motor Mechanic (321212)

• Driller (712211) (Only available for The Philippines)

• Electrical Linesworker (342211) *

(Only available for South Africa, Ireland, India, Philippines and United Kingdom)

• Electrician (General) (341111) *

• Electrician (Special Class) (341112) **

• Electronic Equipment Trades Worker (342313)

• Fitter (General) (323211)

• Fitter and Turner (323212)

• Fitter-Welder (323213)

• Joiner (331213)

• Metal Fabricator (322311)

• Metal Fitters and Machinists (nec) (323299)

• Metal Machinist (First Class) (323214)

• Motor Mechanic (General) (321211)

• Motorcycle Mechanic (321213)

• Panel Beater (324111)

• Pastrycook (351112)

• Plumber (General) (334111) *

• Pressure Welder (322312)

• Sheet Metal Trades Worker (322211)

• Small Engine Mechanic (321214)

• Technical Cable Jointer (342212) *

(Only available for South Africa, Ireland, India, Philippines and United Kingdom)

• Toolmaker (323412)

• Vehicle Body Builder (324211)

• Vehicle Painter (324311)

• Welder (First Class) (322313)

http://www.vetassess.com.au/migrate_to_australia/assess_my_trade_skills.cfm

VETASSESS has been approved to undertake Skills Assessments for occupations and countries that were for previously for 457 only or which were previously assessed by the TRA.

For applicants residing in either Brazil, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Fiji, India, Ireland, Korea (Sth), Papua New Guinea, Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Vietnam, or Zimbabwe these occupations will now be assessed by Vetassess:

• Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Mechanic (342111) *

• Automotive Electrician (321111)

• Baker (351111)

• Bricklayer (331111)

• Cabinetmaker (394111)

• Carpenter (331212)

• Carpenter and Joiner (331211)

• Chef (351311)

• Cook (351411)

• Diesel Motor Mechanic (321212)

• Driller (712211) (Only available for The Philippines)

• Electrical Linesworker (342211) * (Only available for South Africa, Ireland, India, Philippines and United Kingdom)

• Electrician (General) (341111) *

• Electrician (Special Class) (341112) **

• Electronic Equipment Trades Worker (342313)

• Fitter (General) (323211)

• Fitter and Turner (323212)

• Fitter-Welder (323213)

• Joiner (331213)

• Metal Fabricator (322311)

• Metal Fitters and Machinists (nec) (323299)

• Metal Machinist (First Class) (323214)

• Motor Mechanic (General) (321211)

• Motorcycle Mechanic (321213)

• Panel Beater (324111)

• Pastrycook (351112)

• Plumber (General) (334111) *

• Pressure Welder (322312)

• Sheet Metal Trades Worker (322211)

• Small Engine Mechanic (321214)

• Technical Cable Jointer (342212) * (Only available for South Africa, Ireland, India, Philippines and United Kingdom)

• Toolmaker (323412)

• Vehicle Body Builder (324211)

• Vehicle Painter (324311)

• Welder (First Class) (322313)

If you have current applications with TRA please send them a written letter requesting to have your application withdrawn. You can complete a Refund Request Form for the refund of fees paid. You will be advised by TRA whether your request to have your application will be granted, depending on the stage of the assessment.

For more information, please visit the Vetassess Website.

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Simplified Visitor Visas for Australia

admin — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:58:03 +0000

A new Visitor Visa structure will be introduced later this month as part of the Australian Department’s aim to reduce the number of currently available types of visas.

From the 23rd of March this year the existing 10 types of Australian Visitor Visas will be reduced to 5 types of Visitor Visas, as outlined here: New Visitor Visa Subclasses

For more information please visit the DIAC website.

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Spam Emails – not from the Department of Immigration

admin — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 12:58:39 +0000

We have heard reports that individuals and colleagues are receiving emails purporting to be from the Department of Immigration DIAC.

These emails have been sent from the following address:

“diac.Contact.Centre.noreply@immi.gov.au”

We have been advised that these are NOT from the Department and should not be opened. The emails may contain malicious code and should be deleted.

If you have received this kind of email, please do let the DIAC know.

WARNING: Dangerous Emails

Following an alert from some MIA Members that they have received suspicious emails purporting to be from DIAC, the Department has now has advised the Institute that emails from “diac.Contact.Centre.noreply@immi.gov.au” do not come from DIAC and that this is NOT a valid departmental email address.

The Department advises any agent who receives an email from this address to NOT open it and toIMMEDIATELY DELETE it as it may contain malicious code.

It would assist the Department’s technical teams to know any email addresses that are the recipients of this email “from” DIAC. MIA Members can advise the Institute if they would like their email addresses passed on to DIAC.

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Update on New Australian Parent Visas and New Australian Working Holiday Visas

admin — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 16:51:20 +0000

Long Parent Tourist Visas

We have recently posted up some news about the Department’s creation of some new Parent Tourist Visas.
The Department has announced that these will come into operation on the 24th of November.

More information about these visas is available here:

http://www.minister.immi.gov.au/media/cb/2012/cb189679.htm

New Countries to be added to the Working Holiday Visa Scheme

The Department has also announced that it has begun negotiations with the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Israel, Latvia, Poland and the Slovak Republic with a view to extending the working holiday visa scheme to nationals of these countries.
The Department has not yet indicated a timeframe for these negotiations.

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SmartGate – Fast Entry into Australia for Australian, NZ and USA Passport Holders

admin — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 08:34:17 +0000

SmartGate

Service Description

SmartGate gives some travellers arriving into Australia’s international airports the option to self-process through passport control. It uses the data in the ePassport and face recognition technology to perform the customs and immigration checks that are usually conducted by a Customs and Border Protection officer. SmartGate can be used by Australian and New Zealand ePassport holders, aged 16 or over.

SmartGate is available at Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth and Gold Coast international airports. A SmartGate kiosk is also available at Auckland airport departures, enabling eligible travellers to undertake the first step of their entry process into Australia before they depart New Zealand.

What if I hold dual or multiple passports?

To use SmartGate, you must use the same passport that you use at check-in overseas so that your details match.?For Australian citizens, this means you must use your Australian passport, even if you use a foreign passport overseas.

Who can use this service?

SmartGate can be used by Australian and New Zealand ePassport holders and will be gradually opened to other nationalities that have ePassports.

Currently, there are some ePassport holders that cannot use SmartGate including:

• those aged under 16 years

• New Zealand ePassport holders travelling on military orders.

What is needed to use this service?

Travellers wishing to use SmartGate must have an e-Passport.

All Australian passports issued after 24 October 2005 and all New Zealand passports issued after November 2005 are called ePassports. An ePassport has a microchip embedded in the centre pages and an international ePassport symbol on the front cover. The microchip contains the same personal information that is on the colour photo page of the ePassport, including a digitised photograph.

USA Added to Eligible passports for Accessing SmartGate – from 01.11.12

New Legislative Instrument IMMI 12/102 [F2012L02053] Migration Act 1958 – Determination under section 175A – Eligible Passports – October 2012 adds United States of America ePassports as eligible passports for the purpose of accessing the SmartGate automatic border processing, at Australian international airports.

Australian ePassports and New Zealand ePassports are already eligible, and United States of America ePassports will be eligible from 1 November 2012.

SmartGate gives eligible travellers the option to self process through passport control. Travellers can use SmartGate with their ePassports provided they are 16 years or over and an Australian, New Zealand or American citizens.

Further information about SmartGate is available on the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service website.

http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page5831.asp

SmartGate is a new system that gives some passport holders the option to self-process through passport control on arrival from international destinations. It is a little bit like self-checkout at the supermarket, and it can be used by Australian and New Zealand ePassport holders, aged 16 or over.

The Department of Immigration has just announced that from 1 November 2012 it will also be available for USA Passport holders.

The system is available at Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth and Gold Coast international airports. It is also available at Auckland airport departures and can be used by Australians, New Zealanders and Americans who have an e-Passport.

For more details about how StartGate works, and looks, please click here.

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New Temporary Visas introduced by DIAC Australia

admin — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 16:48:17 +0000

NEW Subclass 401 (Temporary Work (Long Stay Activity)) visa?The Subclass 401 visa will replace the Exchange (Subclass 411) visa, Sport (Subclass 421) visa, and Religious Work (Subclass 428) visa, and establish a single Long Stay Activity sponsorship. This new visa will have the following three streams:

1. Exchange stream (for applicants participating in an exchange of staff);

2. Sport stream; and

3. Religious Worker stream.

NEW Subclass 402 (Training and Research) visa?The Subclass 402 visa will replace the Occupational Trainee (Subclass 442) visa, the Visiting Academic (Subclass 419) visa, and the Professional Development (Subclass 470) visa and establish a single Training and Research sponsorship. This new visa will have the following three streams:

1. Research stream;

2. Occupational Trainee stream (requires nomination by a Training and Research sponsor); and

3. Professional Development stream (requires nomination by a Professional Development sponsor).

NEW Subclass 403 (Temporary Work (International Relations)) visa?The Subclass 403 visa will replace the Subclass 406 (Government Agreement) visa, the Subclass 415 (Foreign Government Agency) visa, Subclass 426 (Domestic Worker – Diplomatic or Consular visa, and the Privileges and Immunities provisions currently in the Subclass 456 (Business (Short Stay)) and Subclass 457 (Business (Long Stay)) visas. This Subclass will not require sponsorship and will have the following three streams:

1. Applicants covered by an international government agreement, or who direct the operations in Australia of certain language institutes;

2. Applicants who are to be employed as representatives of certain foreign government agencies or as foreign language teachers in Australian schools; and

3. Applicants who undertake domestic duties in the households of holders of diplomatic visas; and applicants accorded privileges and immunities.

AMENDED Subclass 420 (Temporary Work (Entertainment)) visa?Amendments to the Subclass 420 visa will:

• Relocate provisions relating to overseas film crew currently in the Subclass 423 (Media and Film Staff) visa to the Subclass 420 (Temporary Work (Entertainment)) visa; and

• Continue to provide some other provisions currently in the Subclass 423 (Media and Film Staff) visa in the Subclass 457 (Business (Long Stay)) and Subclass 456 (Business (Short Stay)) visas.

AMENDED Subclass 457 (Temporary Work (Skilled)) visa?Amendments to the Subclass 457 visa will:

• Repeal the existing Subclass 427 (Domestic Worker (Executive)) and Subclass 422 (Medical Practitioner) visas (the Subclass 457 visa has provided for medical practitioners since 14 September 2009 and the Subclass 422 visa was closed to new primary applicants on 1 July 2010); and

• Manage provisions relating to the Subclass 427 visa under the Labour Agreement provisions of the amended Subclass 457 (Temporary Work (Skilled)) visa.

These changes are part of the Department’s ongoing visa simplification process that aims to reduce the number of temporary work visa Subclasses by 50 percent and streamline the requirements for sponsorship, nomination and visa application and grant.

The Department of Immigration (DIAC) has announced the following new visas:

A new Temporary Work (Long Stay Activity) Visa, ?subclass 401, will replace the current Exchange (Subclass 411) visa, Sport (Subclass 421) visa, and Religious Work (Subclass 428) visa.

The new visa will have the following three streams:

1. Exchange stream (for applicants participating in an exchange of staff);

2. Sport stream; and

3. Religious Worker stream.

A new Training and Research Visa, subclass ? 402 visa, will replace the Occupational Trainee (Subclass 442) visa, the Visiting Academic (Subclass 419) visa, and the Professional Development (Subclass 470) visa.

This new visa will have the following three streams:

1. Research stream;

2. Occupational Trainee stream (will require nomination by a Training and Research sponsor); and

3. Professional Development stream (will require nomination by a Professional Development sponsor).

A new Temporary Work (International Relations) Visa, subclass ?403 visa, will replace the Subclass 406 (Government Agreement) visa, the Subclass 415 (Foreign Government Agency) visa, Subclass 426 (Domestic Worker – Diplomatic or Consular visa, and the Privileges and Immunities provisions currently in the Subclass 456 (Business (Short Stay)) and Subclass 457 (Business (Long Stay)) visas.

This Subclass will not require sponsorship and will have the following three streams:

1. Applicants covered by an international government agreement, or who direct the operations in Australia of certain language institutes;

2. Applicants who are to be employed as representatives of certain foreign government agencies or as foreign language teachers in Australian schools; and

3. Applicants who undertake domestic duties in the households of holders of diplomatic visas; and applicants accorded privileges and immunities.

These new visas will replace the old (above mentioned visas) on the 24th of November.

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Down Under Live Expo: Come and have a chat with us, and find out all about Australia and New Zealand

admin — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 12:08:50 +0000

Lauren and Veronika will be in Birmingham at the Down Under Live Expo on the 29th and 30th of September, to answer all of your questions.

They will be able to answer all of your questions regarding visas for Australia and New Zealand, and to provide any other information you may need about your plans to move to Australia or New Zealand.

There will also be other exhibitors, including State representatives, shipping companies, and employers, who will be able to provide further information about your move to Australia or New Zealand.

Show Days 29-30

September 2012

Show Times Saturday 10am – 4pm, Sunday 10am-3pm

Down Under Live Expo Days:
29-30th September 2012

Down Under Live Expo Times:
Saturday 10am – 4pm, Sunday 10am-3pm

Ticket Prices:
Tickets cost £10.50 if bought in advance or £15 at the door.

For more information about the Down Under Live Expo please click here.

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New Parent Tourist Visas for Parents of Australian Citizens and Permanent Residents

admin — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 10:53:25 +0000

The Department of Immigration has announced a new type of tourist visa scheme for parents of Australians: The scheme will allow parents of Australians or Australian Permanent Residents to visit Australia for longer periods of time than the traditional 3 months which are normally available on the generic tourist visas.

The new visas will be available for up to five years, a will permit up to 12 months stay on each entry for parents who are outside Australia and in the Parent (Subclass 103) visa queue; OR they will be available for up to up to three years with 12 months’ stay on each entry for parents who are outside Australia and not in any Parent visa queue.

Holders of the new longer tourist parent visas will have to have adequate health insurance, they may not be able to apply for further visas while they are in Australia, and they will be expected to maintain extended periods of absence between their visits to Australia.

The new visas should be available by the end of 2012.

For more information please click here.

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