The long-heralded imposition of the Skilling Australians Fund levy will become effective August 12, 2018, and payable for employer-sponsored nomination applications for temporary or permanent skilled work visas. SAF will be managed by the Department of Education and Training, to underwrite skills development of Australians. It replaces the previous requirement of nominating employers to prove [...]
The most recent Department statistics show that on 31 March 2018 there were 194,875 people in Australia on bridging visas, up by 41,066 on the same date last year and the number keeps on rising due to the government’s lack of action on finalising most substantive* applications already in the pipeline. While the Department of [...]
The Department of Home Affairs (DOHA) has updated processing times for the new TSS visas (replacing the previous 457 work visa). Estimates have 90% of applications for both the short-term stream and the medium-term stream finalized in just 11 to 18 days! It seems the previously lodged 457 visas waiting time of 5 to 9 [...]
Effective July 1st, the Australian Government has released further changes to the skilled occupation lists affecting Temporary Work (Skilled) Subclass 457 visas, the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) Subclass 186 visa, and the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) Subclass 187 visas. Exemptions for high-income earners (with an annual salary of at least $180,001) have been revoked. [...]
Last April, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the upcoming abolition of the Subclass 457 Temporary Skilled Work visa, replacing it with the more intensive Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa stream. Changes are being rolled out in stages, and here are the changes coming into effect on the 1st of July 2017: Police Clearance All 457 [...]
Following the Australian Government’s April 2017 announcement of the abolition of the 457 visa program and rem, Expat presents a detailed timeline of the changes applied and changes pending in relation to the relevant skilled visas. Why are the changes being made? The government has announced that changes are being made in order to better [...]
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has announced the abolition of the existing 457 visa program, to be replaced by a new visa classes that will tightly regulate foreign workers coming into Australia, ensuring they meet a genuine skills shortage in the country. Under the new visa program will be a short-term two year stream, with [...]
As of March 2, 2017, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has ended the Fast Food Industry Labour Agreement, which the Gillard government introduced in 2012 due to a labour shortage in fast food workers. Around 500 workers were brought in on the agreement, with McDonald's bringing in nearly 300 employees, KFC bringing in nearly 100 employees [...]
The Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) program has been reduced from two visa subclasses (Subclass 856 Onshore and Subclass 121 offshore) to one, Subclass 186. Under the new visa criteria, eligible applicants may apply for a Subclass 186 ENS visa from inside or outside of Australia. Eligibility criteria for the ENS visa will depend on which [...]
Expat International has been advised that LAFHA changes announced in the Federal Budget on May 8 and scheduled for implementation on July 1 have been deferred until October 1, 2012. Please refer to: http://www.lafha.com.au/Home.aspx Employers have necessarily made urgent arrangements to prepare for the sudden and mandatory curtailment of LAFHA, and while the 3 month [...]