The Australian Government released its New Migration Strategy on December 11, 2023, focusing on the skilled migration and education sectors. The strategy outlines eight significant reforms in various areas. One of these actions is to strengthen the integrity and quality of the education system. For this purpose, the Department of Home Affairs Australia has implemented stringent measures for the Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485) and a student visa (subclass 500).  Stricting the 485 visa English requirements is one of the significant changes that is introduced to attract only th ..read more

  Are you planning to migrate to Australia with your family in 2024? If so, it is essential that you understand the process for getting a dependent visa in Australia in 2024.  A dependent visa in Australia provides spouses, children, and even parents the invaluable chance to rejoin their primary visa holders, thereby actively promoting family unity and connection. This visa allows partners or de facto spouses of New Zealand citizens, Australian permanent residents, or citizens to visit the country for a specified period.  However, the applicant must have a positive relationship ..read more

  If you are studying in Australia and want to change your course in 2024, you must know that the Australian Government has introduced strict measures to switch courses. According to the new updates,  the Department of Home Affairs will consider several factors while taking action on course change in Australia, including the duration of the student’s previous course, visa type, and the new course to which they want to enroll. A clarification from the federal home legislation about course change in Australia states that:   “The Minister cannot approve the change unless satisfied ..read more

The Australian Government launched a General Skilled Migration Program to attract skilled migrants who possess the potential and skills to boost the Australian economy and occupy vacancies that cannot be filled by local workers. Internationally skilled migrants and workers have high job participation rates in Australia, thus contributing to the country’s economic growth and resulting in more jobs. Moreover, the Department of Home Affairs is now prioritizing the Australian skilled migration visa to overcome the skills and labor shortages in regional areas. The government has set a new target of ..read more

  The New South Wales (NSW) Government has announced the opening of NSW 491 pathway 1 nominations for 2024. A candidate with a track record of employment with a regional NSW employer can directly submit their application to Investment NSW. The purpose of this pathway is to:  “Support applicants who have been employed in regional NSW for almost 12 months and are already making substantial contributions to the region.” Moreover, the NSW Government has significantly modified the nomination requirements for the Skilled Work Regional visa (subclass 491), pathway 1. These new changes to th ..read more

  The Australian Government is set to implement a “no further stay” 8503 visa condition on visitor visas in Australia in 2024. The purpose of this is to avoid the use of visitor visas as a way to bypass offshore student visa integrity checks. Therefore, if you were planning to migrate under a tourist visa (attached to the 8503 visa condition) and subsequently change it to a student visa, change your mind. Because this will not happen in 2024. You will have to apply for a student visa offshore to study as an international student in Australia.  Visas under the imposition of an 8503 vi ..read more

In Australia, when companies hire or invite international skilled workers to the country to fill a certain designated vacant position that cannot be filled by local workers, they undergo a labor market testing. It is mandatory for employers and sponsors to provide evidence that they have assessed the local labor market before inviting foreign workers to the country.   However, the requirement of Labor Market Testing (LMT) is applied to Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visas and Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (subclass 494) visas. Therefore, if you are sponsoring a skilled ..read more

The Department of Home Affairs Australia has launched a Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) program for immigrants. This program is designed for visa holders, employers, educational institutions, and other organizations to monitor the progress of their visa applications online. The Australian immigration department allows visa applicants to determine their visa status via the official portal available on  ImmiAccount website. It is a crucial step in the application process for various Australian visas as candidates can independently verify whether the Department of Home Affairs ha ..read more

Undoubtedly, obtaining Australian citizenship is an exciting and valuable experience. However, to obtain citizenship in Australia, you will have to pass the Australian citizenship test, which is an essential part of the application process. The test assesses your familiarity with the political system, values, history, and culture of Australia. It is important for you to understand these components carefully; otherwise, you will not be able to get citizenship in Australia. According to a report, the Department of Home Affairs has received 288,603 citizenship test applications since August 2023 ..read more

  The Department of Home Affairs Australia has introduced significant reforms in the migration strategy, targeting the education sector and international students in the country. One key change is replacing the Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) with the Genuine Student Test (GST). Although these reforms have yet to be implemented and the Government is working on the details, students must prepare themselves for the latest changes.  This change aims to improve the quality of education sectors by allowing only talented students to enter the country. Moreover, the new strategy also stream ..read more