Employer Nominated Permanent Resident Visa Reforms
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship has announced that there will be changes to the Employer Nomination Scheme Visa program from 01 July 2012. The restructuring involves changes to Employer Nomination Scheme visa subclasses, the introduction of new visa streams and the creation of a consolidated sponsored occupation list. Are these changes relevant to [...]
read moreLiving Away From Home Allowance (LAFHA) Reforms
The Government is seeking to reform the legislation on Living Away From Home Allowances (LAFHA). LAFHA currently provides tax-free benefits for food and housing costs of employees who are required to live away from home on a temporary basis in order to perform their employment duties. Currently 457 visa holders working in Australia may [...]
read moreSubclass 457 Employer Sponsorship Obligations, Compliance and Business Monitoring
It is critical that businesses which sponsor employees on Subclass 457 visas are aware of their business sponsorship obligations. Breaches of these obligations can result in fines and sponsorship cancellations. This article will introduce these obligations and the current business monitoring regime. Employer Obligations There are a number of obligations that employers must [...]
read morePost Study Work Visa Announcement
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship has announced a raft of changes to enhance the competitiveness of Australia’s declining international education sector. The changes are in response to the report, Strategic Review of the Student Visa Program 2011, by the Hon Michael Knight AO which was released on 22 September 2011. Among the reforms that [...]
read moreHamilton Watts now in Canberra and Perth
WITH more than two decades of experience servicing the Sydney and Melbourne markets, Hamilton Watts Migration Services is bringing its expertise to Canberra and Perth. Clients in Canberra and Perth can now benefit from our experience and client-focused service model. At the core of Hamilton Watts are several former senior managers and officers of [...]
read moreNew Migration Measures to Counter Perth’s Mining Worker Shortage
The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen MP, has announced new measures to assist Perth businesses attract the workers they need and alleviate skills shortages in the resources sector. Recent mining investment in Perth is expected to lead to a shortage of 36 000 tradespeople by 2015. To encourage new skilled migrants to settle [...]
read moreSubclass 457 visa program Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) Increase
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has introduced an increase to salary thresholds that apply to the 457 visa program. The temporary skilled migration income threshold (TSMIT) will be indexed by 3.9 per cent for all new nominations, in line with the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) report on average weekly earnings. The [...]
read moreBudget 2011-12: Immigration and Business Visas
The Federal Government has announced a range of immigration initiatives in the new Budget. The key themes were building Australia’s workforce to support Australia’s growing economy and addressing labour needs in regional areas. It was also announced that application fees charged by the Department of Immigration are expected to increase by 15 percent from [...]
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