Immigration

From 16 November 2019, current international students, workers and other temporary visa holders can apply for two new skilled regional visas which may allow them to:

• live and work in regional Australia for up to 5 years
• apply for a permanent visa without a second nomination stage through the proposed subclass 191 visa which will commence from 16 November 2022

Eligibility Criteria

Although the eligibility criteria for the new regional visas and the proposed permanent visa are not currently available, we expect that:

Subclasses 494 and 191 will require applicants to have the minimum taxable income of at least the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold which is currently $53,900 (unless concessions are agreed). [...]  READ MORE →

If you are a permanent resident or citizen in Australia, you may be able to sponsor your parents to stay and live in Australia.

Process

The process involves time and expense but naturally can be very rewarding! It includes:

• paying application fees
• completing necessary paperwork
• selecting the right pathway
• being patient

Categories

The two categories of permanent visas are “normal” and “contributory”. Their common features are:

• for applications that have to be made offshore, your parents do not need to meet the age requirement at the time of their application and they are not required to go through the health and character checks prior to queuing
• for applications which can be made onshore, they need to meet the age requirement, however, there is an exception which allows a non-aged applicant in Australia to make a valid application for an offshore subclass visa whilst in Australia
• certain applicants are eligible for bridging visa A without conditions (only in limited circumstances)

Key features of a “normal” visa include:

• the application fee is significantly lower than visas in the contributory category
• it has a longer queuing time (exceeding 15 years in some cases)
• your parents may be entitled to a bridging visa which allows them to remain in Australia during the processing time

Key features of a “contributory” visa include:

• it has a higher second visa application cost
• a higher assurance of support bond is required from you and for a longer period of time
• it has a faster queuing time (around 2 years)
• the application fee starts at around $48,000 per parent
• it has two stages – you apply for the temporary visa (valid for 2 years but which cannot be extended or renewed) and then you apply for the permanent visa after payment of visa application cost

Sub-Classes

Within the two categories of parent visas, there are six visa subclasses (excluding the new temporary visa subclass) which need careful consideration and selection. [...]  READ MORE →

With the introduction of the temporary skill shortage visa, it has become more difficult to sponsor foreign workers to Australia.

New Requirements

A business looking to nominate foreign workers (a nominee) should be mindful of the new requirements as non-compliance would risk refusal of your application, delay in the sponsoring process and negatively affect your business plan.

Pre-Conditions

The majority of businesses cannot immediately lodge a nomination application without having first completed two important processes: [...]  READ MORE →