Carina Ford Immigration Lawyers in Footscray, Victoria, Australia | Immigration lawyer

Carina Ford Immigration Lawyers

Locality: Footscray, Victoria, Australia

Phone: +61 3 9396 0207

Address: Level 5, 1 McNab Avenue 3011 Footscray, VIC, Australia

Website: http://www.carinafordlawyers.com/

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25.01.2022 Carina Ford Lawyers continues to deliver all of our services and lawyers remain fully available. We will continue as we have been doing since March 2020 delivering our services remotely including attendances at hearings, preparing and lodging applications, assisting with travel exemption advice, cancellation and visa issues that arise. New and existing clients can continue to make appointments virtually. Although our firm is operating a little differently with our staff wo...rking safely and remotely, we want to assure our clients that our dedicated lawyers will continue to work on client matters and can be contacted as required during the Metropolitan Melbourne stage 4 lockdown period. Note that visa deadlines remain current, and hearings are also being allocated, so it’s vital that you continue to check your emails and respond to requests. Existing clients Our phone lines will be diverted and our staff will continue to answer your calls, however we encourage all existing clients to EMAIL their lawyers directly (using their CFIL client matter number) with any queries and their lawyer will endeavour to respond or return calls promptly. New Clients For any new clients seeking immigration assistance, please contact our office on 03 9396 0207 or email [email protected] Please leave a short message with your name, contact number if the lines are busy and will return your call asap. We will continue to arrange a consultation for you with a lawyer from our senior legal team. Our consultations are currently being conducted via telephone, Skype or Zoom. The current consultation fee with one of our senior lawyers has been reduced to AUD$200. Our Partners (Carina Ford and Rick Gunn) are also available for consultations and their fee is AUD$300 as we understand the impact COVID19 pandemic has had on clients and businesses across Australia and globally. We ask that all clients please be patient and understanding with us during these uncertain times. If you have any questions or issues regarding the above, please email our Practice Manager, Renella Linardon at [email protected]

24.01.2022 Carina Ford appeared on behalf of the Law Institute of Victoria this week at the Parliamentary Inquiry into Working Holiday Maker Program, together with some other colleagues. Measures to guard against exploitation of vulnerable workers on working holiday visas must be introduced as part of any extension of the current program, the LIV told a parliamentary inquiry last week. See the report on the LIV's website here:... https://www.liv.asn.au//Working-holiday-program-needs-bett

24.01.2022 When choosing your migration agent or lawyer, please remember to check that the person you are receiving advice from is registered with the Office of Migration Agent Registration Authority (MARA). Every migration agent or lawyer who is giving immigration advice should have a OMARA number, and you should be able to find them listed on this website https://www.mara.gov.au/search-the-register-of-migration-a/ A reminder that only lawyers can provide you with advice on appealing your Administrative Appeal Tribunal (AAT) or Immigration Assessment Authority (IAA) decisions to the courts. Migration Agents who are not lawyers can’t not provide such advice and can not assist with the applications to the Court including where you are lodging on your own behalf.

24.01.2022 From 2021, graduates from regional educational institutions may be eligible for a second 485 visa. From 20 January 2021, holders of 485 Graduate visas in the *Post-Study stream* will have the opportunity to apply for a second Graduate visa in the same stream if they satisfy specific regional requirements. The second Subclass 485 Graduate visa in the Post-Study Work stream will be granted with a visa validity of one or two years from the date of grant.... The Post-Study Work stream is open only to international students who have recently graduated with an eligible higher education degree from an Australian educational institution, regardless of their field of study or occupation. From 20 January 2021, holders of Graduate visas in the Post-Study stream will have the opportunity to apply for a second Graduate visa in the same stream if they satisfy specific regional requirements. The second Subclass 485 Graduate visa in the Post-Study Work stream will be granted with a visa validity of one or two years from the date of grant. One Year visa A one-year graduate visa will be granted to applicants who studied their Australian qualification anywhere other than the major cities (Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane), and who, while holding the first Graduate visa, lived (worked or studied) only in areas that were outside those cities for at least two years immediately before applying for the second visa. It will be a condition of the second visa that the holder lives (and works or studies, if relevant) only in a designated regional area, which in practice means areas outside Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. This condition will also apply to all family members of the primary holder who are granted a second Subclass 485 visa. Two Years visa A two-year graduate visa will be granted to applicants who studied their Australian qualification in a regional centre or other regional area, and who, while holding the first Graduate, lived (worked or studied) only in a regional centre or other regional area for at least two years immediately before applying for the second visa. It will be a condition of the second visa that the holder lives (and works or studies, if relevant) only in a regional centre or other regional area. This condition will also apply to all family members of the primary holder who are granted a second Subclass 485 visa. In both cases, the new visa condition imposed on the second subclass 485, will require visa holders to remain in a regional area for the duration of their new visa.

18.01.2022 Our Managing Associate, Dushan Nikolic was interviewed by ABC radio yesterday in relation to the employer sponsored program. Have a listen on this link below https://www.abc.net.au//aussie-born-melbourne-boy/12575666

18.01.2022 Carina was recently interviewed in relation this article about the SHEV visa - interesting reading. https://thenewdaily.com.au///refugees-shev-visa-australia/

17.01.2022 Victorian State Sponsorship Update - 491 and 190 Victoria’s 2020-21 Victorian skilled visa nomination program (subclass 190 and 491) will open on Tuesday 8 September, 2020. The Department of Home Affairs has provided Victoria with a limited number of state nomination visa places until the Federal Budget on 6 October 2020. A focus of the Victorian nominations is those working in health or medical research and contributing to Victoria’s economic recovery and/or health response.... This is intended to mean those working in nursing and/or the aged care sector. More information can be found by visiting the following link: https://liveinmelbourne.vic.gov.au//2020-21-skilled-migrat. Further developments will come after 6 October 2020.

17.01.2022 We think this article sums up the situation with our Sri Lankan family pretty neatly... https://www.theage.com.au//this-family-is-not-playing-funn

15.01.2022 This morning, Carina Ford appeared on Channel 7's Sunrise program talking about our Tamil family's decision yesterday in the Full Federal Court.

15.01.2022 Great way to end the week with two positive outcomes! A win at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for one of our Lebanese families seeking protection in Australia, and the revocation of a visa cancelled under s 501! Congratulations to our lawyers Galen and Thuy.

12.01.2022 Skilled Migration Processing Priorities We received the following skilled processing updated as of 24 November 2020: For the below visa subclasses, the current processing priorities (with the highest priority listed first) are:... 1. Visa applications for any points-tested subclass where the Department has determined that the applicant has an occupation within a Critical Sector. 2. Subclass 491 (non-Critical Sector) applicants are in Australia 3. Subclass 491 (non-Critical Sector) applicants are outside of Australia 4. Subclass 489 (non-Critical Sector) 5. Subclass 190 (non-Critical Sector) 6. Subclass 189 Points tested stream only (non-Critical Sector) The current processing priorities came into effect from 31 August 2020 and apply to applications lodged with the Department on or after this date and to applications that had been lodged previously with the Department and have not been nalised including those in the nal stages of processing.

11.01.2022 Carina Ford Immigration Lawyers and one of our Sri Lankan clients are celebrating another great result in the Federal Court of Australia! We successfully argued that the Immigration Assessment Authority (IAA) failed to consider crucial evidence and made incorrect findings when assessing our client’s SHEV application. As a result, the application is going back to the IAA, who must now assess his claims for protection according to law.

11.01.2022 There has been a development for subclass 485 visa applicants and 'time of application' criteria for English test results The Department of Home Affairs will be allowing additional time for Temporary Graduate 485 applicants to provide results for English language testing where COVID-19 has disrupted access to services. For Time of Application requirements to be met, COVID affected applicants must provide, at time of lodgement, evidence they have an appointment booked for a En...glish language test, or provide evidence that are unable to book a test where the centre is closed. The requirement must still be met in full, that is, applicants must provide evidence they have sat and achieved the appropriate score in an English language test in order for their Temporary Graduate Visas to be granted. Please note the English language test must be administered by a Departmentally accredited provider. Currently, online or home edition test results are not acceptable forms of evidence. We note that this is contrary to what the regulations actually state, however it seems to be a common sense solution during the pandemic.

10.01.2022 Skilled migration news for NSW State Sponsorship NSW will continue to operate an expression of interest and invitation model to address NSW’s skill needs. Under direction from Home Affairs, NSW will continue to prioritise applicants with skills to support NSW economic recovery and public health response.... They will only invite applicants currently in selected health, ICT and engineering occupations, and who are residing in NSW. Regional migration NSW will shortly announce changes to the management of the Skilled Work Regional Visa (subclass 491). Information on changes will be announced on our Skilled Work Regional visa (subclass 491) web page. https://www.business.nsw.gov.au//skilled-work-regional-vis

10.01.2022 Both Tasmania and Queensland have released their 2021 subclass 491 and 190 sponsorship lists: Tasmania Tasmania has released the attached factsheet and FAQs on the changes to state nomination occurring on 29 January 2021, when the updated Tasmanian SOL will be released. There are some changes for the Tasmanian Graduate category affecting those who begin their studies after 30 June 2021 and the Working in Tasmania category who begin their employment after 29 January 2021.... More information can be found here: https://www.migration.tas.gov.au//2020-2021_program_year_u

08.01.2022 From all the staff at Carina Ford Lawyers, we would like to extend our warm wishes to you and your family for the festive season and coming New Year. Our office will be closed from 5:00pm, Wednesday 23 December 2020 and will re-open on 9:00am, Monday 11 January 2021. If you require assistance during this time, please call our office and leave a message and one of our staff will contact you as soon as possible. If your matter is urgent, please call 0436 193 719. Thank you for all your support and patience through-out this extraordinary year and we look forward to a less restricted 2021!

08.01.2022 Carina has been recognised by 'Best Lawyers' as being one of Australia's leading immigration lawyers. Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Its methodology is designed to capture the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area. Congratulations Carina!... https://www.bestlawyers.com/lawyers/carina-ford/248194

07.01.2022 See here for information about the Queensland subclass 491 and 190 sponsorship lists today. The lists are highly limited and very Covid-specific: https://migration.qld.gov.au/skilled-occupation-lists/

05.01.2022 Carina Ford Lawyers is very proud to announce that Dushan Nikolic and Leah Perkins, both Managing Associates with our firm, have been officially recognised as Accredited Specialists in Immigration Law by the Law Institute of Victoria. The accreditation is in recognition of their expertise and ongoing commitment to clients in the area of Immigration Law. Congratulations Dushan and Leah!

05.01.2022 Migration NSW has just released its guidelines for subclass 491 nomination starting in February 2021. Applicants need to meet ALL of the criteria within one of these streams: 1. Living and working in regional NSW;... 2. recently completed study in regional NSW; or 3. living and working outside of regional NSW. See here for details: https://www.business.nsw.gov.au//skilled-work-regional-vis

01.01.2022 Stage 4 lockdown update for our Melbourne clients. BUPA is currently closed for health checks for visas. Clients with upcoming bookings, your appointment will need to be rescheduled when restrictions have eased. ... https://www.bupa.com.au/bupamvs

01.01.2022 Nina Merlino, one of our senior lawyers, is thanked as one of the Pro Bono lawyers who provided assistance to Women's Legal Services Victoria. Well done Nina! Carina Ford Lawyers is active in providing Pro Bono legal advice to suitable applicants. We take this responsibility very seriously as an obligation we have as lawyers to help people in need of legal assistance. Decisions to undertake work on a Pro Bono matter are made on a case by case basis. https://womenslegal.org.au//Impact%20Report%202020%20-%20F

01.01.2022 Merry Christmas from everyone at Carina Ford Immigration Lawyers! Have a safe and happy holiday season and we will see you in 2021. The office reopens on 11 January 2021.