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24.01.2022 AUSTRALIAN SKILL SHORTAGES The Australian Department of Employment identified a variety of skill shortages for 2016/17. What are some of the skill shortages in Queensland (the other States and Territories have their own lists):... HEALTH: Medical Diagnostic Radiographers, Sonographers, Optometrists, Physiotherapists Occupational Therapists (Aged Care) Pharmacists and Midwives TRADES: Motor and motorcycle mechanics, auto electricians, fitters, panel beaters and bricklayers, plumbers, cabinetmakers, butchers and chefs. COMMUNITY SERVICES: diploma or degreed Child Care workers. Do you have one of these skilled occupations? Have you ever thought of living in the safe, family friendly Queensland with its beautiful sub-tropical climate? Have you thought of living in Regional Queensland (outside Brisbane or the Gold Coast) your chances then increase! Remember it doesn’t have to be Queensland. DON'T DELAY !! You won’t know if you don’t ask. Simply log into www.meridien-migration.com.au , choose the Assessment tab and fill in our easy questionnaire. We will get back to you promptly. Alternatively email me at [email protected].

22.01.2022 Important changes to Assurances of Support for Australian Family visa applications Under certain family visas (mainly parent but not restricted to parent visas) the Australian resident sponsor is required to provide an assurance of support (AOS) for the family visa applicant/s. If you are being sponsored by a family member to settle in Australia, or you are the Australian resident sponsor for a family member (like your parents) then you need to be aware of this -... The DOHA has just introduced significant legislative changes which relate to the required income of the Australian resident assurer. This has resulted in significant increases in what the assurer has to earn to be eligible to provide an AOS. The required income calculation takes into account (increasing with each additional person/s in 1 - 4 below): 1. how many adult visa applicants there are, 2. how many assurers there are; 3. whether each assurer has a partner; 4.. how many children there are under 18 years of age (both the assurer/s and the visa applicants). It is no April Fools joke that these changes are effective from 1 April 2018 ! In addition, from 1 April 2019 there will also be increases in the value of securities that the Australian assurer/s have to provide (including an increase from $10 000 to $15000 for the primary visa applicant and $4000 to $6000 for secondary applicants). It would appear that these changes will have an impact on applications not decided yet. See: Social Security assurance of Support) Determination 2018 Instrument F2018L00425 www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2018L00425

22.01.2022 Employer based skilled visas On 8 May 2018 the Australian Senate passed legislation that introduced changes to the "training contributions" for employers that sponsor visas for skilled workers . These are the sc 482 TSS (temporary skills shortage) visa and the sc 186 ENS and sc 187 RSMS visa sub classes.... For anyone who has found or is is looking to find an Australian employer to sponsor them under one of these visas: Sponsors with a turnover of less than $10 million per year will be required to make an up-front payment of: an annual levy of $1,200 for each year that a temporary skilled worker is employed, and a "one-off" levy of $3,000 for a permanent skilled visa. Sponsors with a turnover greater than $10 million will be required to pay: $1,800 for each year that a temporary skilled worker is employed; and a "one-off" fee for permanent visas being $5,000. These training contributions will be payable into a Skilling Australians Fund . The exact date of its implementation is not yet been decided. The Coalition Government originally estimated that the Fund will collect $1.5 billion from inception to 2020/21. The individual States and territories would be expected to contribute $ for $ to the fund to support a reported 300,000 more trade based apprenticeships, traineeships, pre-apprenticeships, pre traineeships, and higher apprenticeships.

22.01.2022 Is there a new visa on the way? If the article from Australian media outlet SBS is accurate, Australian regions with niche skills shortages may well benefit from getting skilled workers from overseas. Read ... https://www.sbs.com.au//exclusive-special-visas-offered-to See more

22.01.2022 Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton sounds out plans to fast-track visas for white South African farmers The Sydney Morning Herald has reported that instructions have been given by Home Affairs Minister Dutton to his department to look into whether Australia can accept these farmers through refugee, humanitarian or other visa categories. Already seen this article? Check out:... www.thesouthafrican.com/white-south-african-farmers-austra/

21.01.2022 Considering Australia? Check out the TRA website for assessment venue details (and yes, there are venues in South Africa!): http://www.tradesrecognitionaustralia.gov.au//RTO-Finder.a

21.01.2022 You don't always have to think it has to be Perth , Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane! An interesting article from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation about Regional Australia: http://www.abc.net.au//migrant-workers-needed-to-s/9784458

19.01.2022 As we all know, moving home is always stressful. Moving countries or as is the case for Australia, moving continents can certainly take the level up that stress several notches. Simple things like opening a bank accounts, renting a home, registering your children in school or getting a drivers licence, although seemingly easy, can be challenging when you don’t know where to start. The Australian Department of Social Services has published an on-line booklet The Beginning a L...ife in Australia to assist prospective and new migrants with settling in. If you or someone you know is trying to decide whether starting a new life Down Under is worth all the effort, the DSS booklet gives you a good insight into how things work in Australia and they certainly do! The link is - https://www.dss.gov.au//sett/beginning-a-life-in-australia And remember: Don’t forget to drop me a line at [email protected] if you have any questions on making the move.

19.01.2022 Changes to Points based skilled Australian visas As from 1 July 2018 there were more changes to certain Australian visa requirements, not making it easier for anyone thinking of making the shift to Down Under. If you have lodged or are thinking of lodging an Expression of Interest (EOI) with the Australian Department of Home Affairs (DOHA) for one of the following visas under the Australian Skilled Migration program -... Skilled-Independent (Permanent) Subclass 189; Skilled-Nominated (Permanent) Subclass 190; and Skilled-Regional Sponsored (Provisional) Subclass 489 please note that as from 1 July 2018, you will need to have a pass mark of 65 points to be eligible to receive an invitation to apply. This is an increase of five points. What does this change mean? If you lodged an EOI showing only 60 points before 1 July 2018 and you have: 1. received an invitation from SkillSelect before 1 July 2018 to apply for one of the mentioned visas, then the required pass mark remains at 60 points, even if you still have to apply for your skilled visa. 2. NOT received an invitation from SkillSelect yet and you only had 60 points when you applied, you will not receive an invitation. This means that you will have to submit a new EOI if you believe that you can meet the 65 point requirement. NOTE: If you have lodged an EOI and have 65 or more points, then you will still be eligible for an invitation and will not have to submit a fresh EOI. If you don’t already know, SkillSelect is a DOHA online service that enables skilled people who are interested in applying for a skilled Australian visa to submit an EOI that includes information about their skills and other attributes. SkillSelect then issues invitations to apply to migrate to Australia based on certain factors (including points) and ceilings on required occupation numbers. This service also allows staff of certain State/Territory government agencies and Australian employers to view relevant information in an intending migrant’s EOI. The ability to migrate to Australia under certain visas is becoming more and more challenging, so if you are seriously thinking about relocating Down Under and you believe that you may be eligible, don’t shelve your plans until later you may no longer qualify. The changes to 65 points is proof of that!

19.01.2022 Wishing all Meridien Migration Australia Facebook post readers a safe and happy Easter long weekend with friends and family, wherever you may be.

15.01.2022 Food for thought: Australian Parent visas If you are a parent of Australian citizen or Permanent Australian Residents and are thinking about joining your children in Australia then read on. The Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection Department (DIBP) is considering introducing a new Temporary Visa for Parents with an anticipated start-up date of 1 July 2017.... It is expected that this new visa will: be a 5 year temporary visa for parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents, renewable for a further 5 years; require the Australian citizen or permanent resident child to sponsor the parent/s; require the parent/s to hold private health cover with an appropriate Australian health care provider; require the child sponsor to provide a bond based on the Assurance of Support currently required for existing parent visa applicants; not require the parent to pass the balance of family test which put simply, required the parent/s to have at least 50% of their children to be Australian citizens or Permanent residents. A 2016 Productivity Commission Report Migration intake into Australia has advocated narrowing the eligibility for non-contributory visas as well as introducing significant hikes to the costs of a visa for the contributory parent visa subclasses (at the moment, for example more than $90 000 for 2 parents for a contributory parent visa), because of the view that parent visa holders impose a high cost burden on the Australian economy and its public services. Food for thought? Surely!

12.01.2022 THE IMMIGRATION MINEFIELD - TREAD CAREFULLY AS YOU GO! With our changing world and its ever-increasing security challenges, the Australian Government and the Department of Home Affairs (DOHA) (responsible for both security and immigration) is focusing on crime and fraud. The writer attended a DOHA seminar earlier this year where the DOHA stated that they believe up to 70% of permanent employer visas are high risk.... To help reducing the likelihood of your visa application (whatever visa that is) becoming part of the DOHA refusal statistics, make sure that: 1. you provide the correct documents. The Case Officer is required to consider everything that is uploaded to the application. 2. you provide documents of high quality. A good scanner could prove a valuable investment. 3. you don’t leave things to the last moment. If you are eligible, apply. Once you have the visa you can decide whether to move Down Under. Remember that Australian immigration law is ever changing, so being eligible now might not be the same next year. 4. You make sure that you provide all the supporting documents required, so constantly double check your checklists. 5. when you are asked for further evidence or documentation that you provide it as soon as possible. If it not provided in the required number of days (always check how many days you have been given and remember it is calendar days!) The Case Officer can decide immediately after the time period given, and if the further information is not provided, the likelihood of the visa being refused is high. 6. you consider using a REGISTERED Australian migration agent who holds a current MARA registration. Check the DOHA website for details.

08.01.2022 Wondering what life is like if you were to move Down Under? The Australian Department of Home Affairs (previously the Department of Border Protection) as some useful and interesting information in their on line booklet "Life in Australia". www.homeaffairs.gov.au/Trav/Life/Aust/Life-in-Australia-book

06.01.2022 AUSTRALIAN PARTNER VISAS A few handy things to know and remember: Do we have to be married? ... No. You do not need to be married to your partner to apply for a partner visa. Australian migration law recognises de facto partnerships as well. What is a de facto relationship? For migration purposes, you must not be related by family and be able to demonstrate that : - You have a mutual commitment to one another and am in a monogamous relationship; - Your relationship is genuine and continuing - You live together or do not live apart on a permanent basis. If a de facto relationship, does the relationship have to be for at least 12 months? Not necessarily. In some states and territories you can register your relationship. In that case, you do not have to prove the 12 months Must the relationship be heterosexual? No. Same sex partnership applicants apply in the same way. Do we have to be in Australia to apply? No. There are specific visa classes for applying in Australia or from another country. Does my partner/sponsor have to be an Australian citizen? No , your partner/sponsor can be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. What do we have to show? You both have to provide personal written statements in which you detail you support one another financially, how you operate your household, how you friends and family see the relationship and what your future commitment is to one another. This must be supported by documentation as well as statements from friends and family, including at least 2 statements from Australian citizens. Do I need to remember dates? Dates are very important in partner visa applications like dates that you met, when you regarded yourselves as being official, when you moved in together, got engaged or married. If you don’t remember the exact date of an important event, don’t make it up! Always be honest in what you state, and where possible, back it up with evidence Do I get permanent residence if I am granted a partner visa? In most situations you are only eligible for a permanent (the second stage) visa 2 years after lodging your visa application. In some cases, however, both the permanent and temporary visas can be granted at the same time (eg. Where there is a child of the relationship or the relationship has been for more than 3 years). Can children be added to a partner visa? Yes, it is possible, subject to certain conditions and requirements.

06.01.2022 New visa for highly skilled migrants Australian Media outlet SBS News has reported this morning that Australia is going to offer a new visa class for highly skilled migrants for jobs over $180,000 . For more information see www.sbs.com.au//australia-to-offer-highly-skilled-migrants

05.01.2022 What makes Australia great

04.01.2022 Hot off the press !!! Looking to live in Regional Australia and you have found a prospective Australian employer willing to nominate you under the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 187 RSMS visa), the new occupations list (effective from tomorrow 18 March 2018) has just been released! The subclass 187 RSMS visa allows you to stay in Australia PERMANENTLY.... Are you on the list? Check - you might be pleasantly surprised. www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2018L00295/Download

03.01.2022 Why Australia ??? https://au.news.yahoo.com//australia-ranked-among-worlds/

03.01.2022 Wondering where you might like to settle in Australia? Check out the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) website [the Government of South Australia] 'Places to Go' http://www.southaustralia.com/places-to-go

02.01.2022 New Global Talent Scheme pilot programme !! The Australian Government have announced a new visa pathway for highly skilled workers from around the world. As from 1 July 2018:... all Australian businesses will be given the opportunity to sponsor highly skilled and specialised people to help to grow their businesses and create more jobs. The 12 month pilot programme will provide businesses with a streamlined process to sponsor overseas workers with cutting edge skills, where they cannot source suitable Australians who would be available to fill the specialised vacancies. See: http://minister.homeaffairs.gov.au//-new-visa-pilot-to-att

02.01.2022 Know a nurse looking to relocate to Australia ?? Almost all registered nurse related occupations are presently on the MLTSSL list, which allows you a path of ultimately settling permanently in Australia. The Australian and Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) Skilled Migration Services assesses the skills of nurses and midwives who are thinking about migrating Down Under with the Australian Government’s General Skilled Migration program. It is an authorised in...dependent assessment authority ANMAC assess if an applicant has the nursing or midwifery qualifications and experience needed for permanent migration to Australia on behalf of the Department of Home Affairs. They have introduced an on line application system which will both reduce fees and waiting time for your skills assessment. To find out more check out the ANMAC website -www.anmac.org.au/skilled-migration-services

02.01.2022 ARE YOU A MECHANIC? Motor mechanic (general) Diesel motor mechanic Motorcycle mechanic... Small Engine mechanic Lift mechanic Airconditioning and Refrigeration Mechanic If you are, Australia has an availability of over 5500 possible allocations. To make it even more exciting, your occupation is on the MLTSSL occupations list, which gives you a gateway to permanent residence. You can consider the skilled (points test) route or the employer sponsored route. Interested? Fill in the short visa assessement questionnaire on www.meridien-migration.com.au and send me your resume to [email protected]

02.01.2022 R.I.P. subclass 457 visa !! Australia gets a new visa. On Sunday 18 March 2018 Australia will see the end of its employer sponsored subclass 457 Temporary Work (Skilled) visa will have a new Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) subclass 482 visa. ... This TSS visa will only be available to full time positions with a sponsoring employer. Your occupation will determine whether you are in the short term (ST) or medium-long term (MT) stream. The ST stream doesn’t give you a pathway to permanent Australian residence, whereas the MT stream does. The list of ST and MT occupations will be updated every six months and changes will depend on the demand for the occupation. The occupation will be checked against the current occupation list when you apply for the visa and is not checked later. If you are thinking about coming Down Under, note that several of the trade based occupations are on the MT list. Just remember that the list changes every 6 months, so don’t procrastinate. See www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2018L00262

01.01.2022 !!!! Over 28 per cent of Australians born overseas !!!! In interesting figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on 30 March 2017, the propo...rtion of Australian residents born overseas over the past 10 years has continued to reach new heights, with over 28 per cent of Australia's population born overseas, particularly those born in India and China, both of which have more than doubled during that time. The ABS states that in contrast, Australian residents born in Germany have had almost zero growth and those born in Italy have seen more than a 10 per cent drop. The number of Australian residents born in neighbouring Asian countries had the largest growth in the past year, including Japan (24 per cent), China (8 per cent), Malaysia (7 per cent) and India (6 per cent). The ABS provided the following interesting facts: (reference Media Release 30 March 2017 Catalogue number 3412.0 - Migration, Australia, 2015-16) ESTIMATED RESIDENT POPULATION, Australia - Top 10 countries of birth - 30 June 2016(a)(b)(c) ________________________________________ Persons Country of birth no. % of Australian population ________________________________________ United Kingdom 1 198 000 5.0 New Zealand 607 200 2.5 China 526 000 2.2 India 468 800 1.9 Philippines 246 400 1.0 Vietnam 236 700 1.0 Italy 194 900 0.8 South Africa 181 400 0.8 Malaysia 166 200 0.7 Germany 124 300 0.5 ________________________________________ (a) Estimates are preliminary - see paragraph 9 of the Explanatory Notes. (b) Top 10 countries of birth excluding Australia. (c) All population figures presented in this table are rounded. Estimates of the proportion of the Australian population are based on unrounded numbers. Australian migration for 2015-16 was estimated to be a net increase of 182,200, 3% more than in 2014-2915. At a state level the largest net gains were in New South Wales with 71,200, Victoria with 65,000 and Queensland with 20,000. More information can be found in Migration, Australia, 2015-16 (cat. no. 3412.0), available for free download from http://www.abs.gov.au/.