More potential Australia immigration issues could be on the horizon following the visa processing changes made by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) on 23 September.

While further announcements may be made in the near future which could change things again, we always advise that anyone applying for an Australia visa follow the current legislation and policy as it stands now, and prepare for the possibility that it may remain in place for some time.

With that in mind, one of the potential issues is that of dependent applicants growing beyond dependency before the application is finalised.

Therefore, should you have a dependent child aged 15 or above included in your visa application, this blog really should be considered essential reading.

Why could there be an issue with my dependent children?

Under current legislation, once a child reaches the age of 18, dependency is no longer assumed and must be proven at the end of the process (i.e. when the visa application is assessed and a decision is made).

It is possible that DIAC will begin to assess applications as per an applicant's circumstances at the time of lodgement. Should they announce this, or introduce some other form of leniency or provisions to account for applicants with dependants, then we do not anticipate this will be an issue.

However, should DIAC choose to keep the requirement that any dependants REMAIN dependent throughout the application process and at the end of processing when assessing applications and your child is 18 or over at that time, you may be asked to prove that they remain dependent on you. If you are unable to prove this, there is no guarantee that they will remain eligible to remain on the application.

How can I prove dependency?

Dependency is demonstrated through providing:

• A completed Form 47A (Details of child or other dependent family member aged 18 years or over); AND
• Third party evidence (such as confirmation that your dependent child is in full-time education or requires financial support to meet their basic needs).

If they are in work this would need to be declared, although payslips are accepted as proof of low income.

We'll cover this issue in more detail as further information is released, and at this stage, we are simply encouraging Australia visa applicants to keep it in mind so that if there is a significant wait before your application is processed, appropriate decisions can be made to ensure that migrating dependants remain verifiably dependent.

This issue, among several others, is one which we hope DIAC will address in the near future, and we'll be sure to update our blog with more information as firmer directions on this issue are released.

- Lauren Mennie is Casework Department Manager of the Australian Visa Bureau

©Visa Bureau 2003-2009

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

It's been almost two months since 23 September's changes to the visa processing priorities, and applicants are still reeling from them; unsurprising, considering that thousands of people who were within weeks or months of receiving an Australia visa grant have now been told that they will have to wait until 2012 for their application to be finalised.

It was a move by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) that we described as "badly researched, ill conceived, poorly managed and a step backwards for Australian immigration policy" in this blog, which seems to be an opinion shared by many of the applicants affected by the changes.

In fact, some are so frustrated by DIAC's "extremely unfair practice" that they have set up an online petition to protest the changes. Click here to see it for yourself, or read on for Frank Claassen's introduction to the petition:

"On September 23 2009, the Australian Department of Immigration & Citizenship announced its new list of processing priorities for the General Skilled Migration program effective immediately. Unlike prior changes, the latest changes have been applied to all GSM applications, both unallocated applications and applications already allocated to Case Officers and in the process of being finalized.

We feel the implementation of these changes to applications already in the process of being finalized to be an extremely unfair practice and respectfully ask the department to reconsider this decision. We ask that DIAC apply fair practice and not penalize applications already in the process of being finalized.

It is unfair to make applicants wait even longer when we are so close to the end of what is a most stressful experience and have already spent thousands on medicals, police clearances and other associated costs which will now go to waste and probably have to be redone.

Many of us have been involved with the immigration process for very long periods, some close to two years or more. Each time we get close to getting our visas, the rules change and our families are placed under further undue stress and we have to continue living in limbo.

This petition is also in support of the petition against the changes that were implemented in January 2009 which have negatively affected applications lodged under the 2007 - 2008 rules, which can be viewed here."

While it's always encouraging to see the Australian immigration community band together like this, DIAC aren't in the habit of bending to public pressure (as Minister of Immigration Chris Evans emphasised in his recent radio interview, where he stoically defended the department's actions).

Sadly, with DIAC under pressure from other governmental departments and Australian bodies to more tightly target Australia’s skills needs with the General Skilled Migration program, it seems unlikely that the petition will become anything more than a cathartic way for frustrated applicants to let their feelings on the changes be known.

However, with the soon to be announced MODL review set to make sweeping changes to Australia immigration, hope is still on the horizon for the thousands of affected applicants. While it seems very unlikely that the September 23 changes will be reversed, the MODL review could provide a new pathway for affected applicants, or at least provide more applicants with access to priority processing. Unfortunately though, any positive updates to the Australian migration process will only be made as and when DIAC are ready.

- Tom Blackett is Online Editor for the Australian Visa Bureau

©Visa Bureau 2003-2009

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

While the Australia visa processing delays are big news to us and our clients, the news hasn't really permeated mainstream media. However, it was gratifying to hear Australian Immigration Minister Senator Chris Evans questioned by presenter Peter Mares on ABC radio's 'The National Interest' programme last Friday.

You can listen to it for yourself by clicking here; the entire interview is just under 15 minutes in length, and is recommended listening for anyone caught by the Australian visa processing changes (although Senator Evans' statement that "it's not a delay in processing, it's a prioritising" is unlikely to provide any relief to applicants who have had their application 'prioritised' until at least 2012).

The interview was full of interesting quotes from Senator Evans including his statement that there are now approx. 30,000 onshore and 105,000 offshore visa applicants delayed as a result of the processing priority changes), but see below for some more choice quotes from the Australian Immigration Minister:

Senator Evans on the status of applicants caught by the processing changes:

"They're not on hold. What people do is they apply for permanent migration to Australia, and they're assessed, and we determine, based on the needs of Australia and our priorities, who gains permanent migration. We operate the scheme in support of the national interest so people may be facing longer waits in some occupations but others are getting quicker treatment if they're in occupations which are necessary for the growth of our economy."

Senator Evans on the changes to priority processing and the long waits many visa applicants are facing:

"They've always had to wait. We determine the size of the migration program. Quite frankly, if we decide that it's going to be 10,000 people next year, they might be waiting 20 or 30 years. We're trying to give them an indication on the current policy settings and current levels of migration on when they're likely to have their application considered. Applying to migrate to Australia doesn't give you the right to migrate to Australia."

Senator Evans on the possibility of refunds for General Skilled Migration applications:

"I've asked my department to have a look at whether we can't we can do something in terms of people who've have paid application fees but seek to discontinue their application, because I do think the current system doesn't do well in that area." 

(Minister Evans later clarified his position, stating that that the government is "not in the position to give refunds as the legislation prevents it" but stating that they "keep accepting applications from people who don't qualify" and they are looking at alternative systems so "people aren't paying the money up front".)

It will be interesting to see if Senator Evans provides any further comment on the current Australian visa processing priorities situation, although an announcement regarding the MODL review changes should be made relatively soon, which might finally provide potential migrants with an understanding of what to expect from the Department of Immigration in the future.

- Tom Blackett is Online Editor for the Australian Visa Bureau

©Visa Bureau 2003-2009

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

In contrast to the Stirling, the Australian Dollar is performing well but Director of Halo Financial, David Johnson, says there are still ways to take full advantage of currency spikes and make your money mean more when you emigrate to Australia.

Although we speak the same language (give or take a vowel or two) and drive on the same side of the road, there are very many differences between Australia and Britain. Barbeques in Britain are sporadic and a little damper, Australian prawns would be called lobsters in a British restaurant and thongs are worn on the feet in Australia (don’t ask).

But currently, the other very significant difference between the UK and Australia is where each economy sits in its economic cycle. That’s important because it is directly affecting the value of your funds as you move them from Sterling into Australian Dollars to start your new life Down Under. 

As well as being 10,000 miles apart, Britain and Australia are a world apart in the condition of their respective economies. Technically speaking, Australia didn’t actually fall into recession, unlike the UK which is still in decline; Australia exports a wide variety of raw materials used by manufacturers in the Far East while the UK is largely an importer of far eastern finished goods and Britain’s exporters mainly rely on Europe and America as overseas markets but neither of these economies are completely free from recessionary pressures.

The other major difference is that the Australian authorities only felt compelled to heft AU$20 billion into the economy to avert the impending recession whereas the British authorities have already provided £200 billion of quantitative easing and some 40 billion of bank support.

That gargantuan hole in the books of the UK government and the decades that it will take to balance the books again are very worrying for investors who are steering clear of the Pound and, lured by the high and rising level of interest available on Australian deposits, are investing in Australia in their droves.

Consequently, until there is a seismic change in the state of the UK economy or until other interest countries hike their interest rates sufficiently to compete with Australia, we have to consider any spikes in the Sterling - Australian Dollar exchange rate to be AUD buying opportunities. I tend to agree with Whitney M. Young, Jr. who said “It is better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one than to have an opportunity and not be prepared.” That preparation in this instance is to make use of the resources available to you.

Be prepared and take advantage of opportunities

Making use of a specialist currency provider like Halo Financial means you will not only know how high the exchange rate is likely to rise and be able to have a target exchange rate monitored on a 24 hour basis but even if that advantageous exchange rate occurs before you are ready to convert your funds, a specialist will be able to help you secure that rate by booking a forward contract for settlement on a date that fits in with your plans.

There are numerous other services that a specialist can offer but which are not generally available from high street banks but the most crucial is the fact that Halo Financial’s clients receive exchange rates which are much closer to the real market prices rather than the bureaux de change type exchange rates or the rather expensive ‘rate for the day’ that many high street banks offer for these kinds of transactions. 

In fact, just like the UK and Australia, it could be said that the services available from banks and currency specialists are worlds apart but at least you don’t have to take a 24 hour flight to test out the services that Halo Financial offers. Those are just a phone call or the click of a mouse away.

- Halo Financial is a leading specialist provider of commercial foreign exchange services for both international business and private individuals who require foreign currency and need expert assistance in successfully managing their foreign exchange exposures. They are a partner of Australian Visa Bureau, an independent company specialising in helping applicants emigrate to Australia.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2009

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

Knowing what to do with your pension when you emigrate to Australia can be one of the hardest decisions to make. However, read on for professional advice from Adam Roderick of pension and finance experts Prism Xpat:

Right, you are moving to Australia and there is a lot to do. It’s all finally going to happen now and you need to sort out the most important things first (jobs, schools, houses) and take short cuts wherever you can. Unfortunately, one shortcut many people take is to accept the apparently common view that UK pensions should just be moved to Australia without being given too much thought. In the current financial climate though, this is one shortcut you might just regret!

This current common view is almost a complete turnaround since just three years ago, when most people and advisers would not even consider giving up the valuable terms and conditions provided by UK employment pension funds. 

A possible reason for this change of heart is Australia has recently dropped all superannuation (their word for pension funds) taxes after age 60. However, the retirement taxes weren't that high anyway, so a more likely reason is that many advisers (despite the Financial Service Authority's best efforts) still seem to operate a "salesy" approach to advice and get commissions only if their customer moves money (hence why many of them are still advocating a transfer regardless of the migrant's specific situation).

What do I need to know?

What migrants need to know is that there are important subtle factors with pensions that will have a significant effect on their final retirement income. For example, over a 25 year period just a 2% extra investment return each year, after tax, will mean 50% more retirement income to live off! That could mean enjoying $30,000 per year instead of just getting by on $20,000 per year for the rest of your life.

Did you know Australian superannuation funds have annual taxes on the investment returns within the fund each year? Or that Australian funds tend to have much higher annual charges than UK employer or stakeholder funds? You may have heard that even simple UK funds (money purchase funds) can have terms that provide a guaranteed income in retirement.  These impacts can easily turn the tables on whether or not a cross border pension transfer is worthwhile. The list goes on and on...

What is my Critical Yield?

A Critical Yield tells you: "What investment return would my new fund need to earn between now and retirement, to be high enough to provide an income equal to what my employer’s fund will pay me?"

The Financial Services Authority suggests only high risk takers should consider a pension transfer unless the critical yield is under 7% per annum. By this, I mean that the mandatory "Transfer Value Analysis" that must be done would need to produce a result where you would only need 7% returns each year (or less) to buy an annuity equal to your final salary fund’s promise. 

If you're interested in taking this route, then good luck but it is extremely rare that you’ll see critical yield calculations this low in the current market. Generally you’d need much higher returns to beat your final salary income. 

What to do?

Despite all these examples, there are situations where it can be valuable to proceed. To avoid all the confusion you need to obtain top quality advice in analysing your pension scenario.

For more information on the key rules, including what happens if you miss Australia’s 6 month window for a tax free transfer, please use our online financial assessment or call +44 (0)845 450 4004.

- Prism Xpat is a trading style of Xpat Ltd which is authorised & regulated by the Financial Services Authority. They are a partner of Australian Visa Bureau, an independent company specialising in helping applicants emigrate to Australia.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2009

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

Opening an Australian bank account is one of the most pressing things for any new migrant to do upon arriving in Australia, and Rebecca Jolis from the National Australia Bank (NAB) has news of a new update for their customers:

NAB announced on 15th October it would be abolishing more bank fees on customer accounts. Fees to be abolished include current $4 and $5 monthly account service fees on NAB’s most popular everyday personal transaction accounts: Classic and e-Banking.

There is no asterisk, no disclaimers and no rule requiring customers to make a minimum monthly deposit. The fees will be abolished with effect from January 22, 2010.

Monthly account service fees are one of the most unpopular fees charged by banks, and commonly cost customers between $3 and $10 a month, or up to $120 a year, and more than 860,000 NAB customers will benefit from the decision to abolish these fees.

Today’s announcement means monthly account service fees will be abolished or waived for around 97% of all NAB personal transaction account customers.

Monthly account service and a range of transaction fees will also be abolished on 10 other transaction and savings accounts with effect from January 22, 2010.

This will mean the only personal transaction account with a monthly account service fee will be NAB’s premium Gold Banking product which provides extra benefits like purchase protection, overseas travel insurance and no NAB fees on overseas transactions.

If you would like more information on banking in Australia or opening an account before you leave the UK, please contact the NAB Migrant Banking team on 0208 6149 320 or email migrant.banking@eu.nabgroup.com.

- NAB are a partner of the Australian Visa Bureau, an independent company specialising in helping migrants with their Australia visa application.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2009

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

Following on from yesterday's blog, we received further news today on the VETASSESS changes set to come into action from January 1, 2010. If you are a professional looking to emigrate to Australia, it's vital that you keep aware of this information.

See below for some of the key points we've received in direct correspondence from VETASSESS, as well as our comments.

"EXPIRY DATE FOR SKILLS ASSESSMENT

All Skills Assessments issued under the new arrangements will have a validity period of two years.  The expiry date will be twenty four months from the date of issue of the original Skills Assessment."

What this means is that, as hinted at in the initial announcement, skills assessments will now have an expiry date. They will no longer be accepted as sufficient evidence of an Australia visa applicant's skills once 24 months have passed since the positive assessment's date of issue.

"TRANSITION ARRANGEMENTS

All new applications received from January 2010 will be assessed under the new process.  VETASSESS recommends that applicants who apply in 2009 should submit all relevant documents and payment by 18 December 2009 to ensure that their application is assessed under the current system.  Otherwise, the new criteria may apply.  For applications received by VETASSESS in 2009, DIAC has allowed a three-month grace period from January to March 2010 for VETASSESS to finalise its pipeline cases for the general occupations.  However, no applications under the old process will be accepted in 2010.

 DIAC has advised assessing authorities that they will introduce ANZSCO to the skilled migration program later in 2010.  ETASSESS will consult with DIAC about the transition arrangements from ASCO to ANZSCO."

By 'pipeline cases', VETASSESS means all cases which have been lodged but not resolved by January 1, 2010. These cases will be given until March to be finalised, so should VETASSESS request additional information, applicants emigrating to Australia will still have a window in which to submit this.

The second piece of information relates to the MODL review which is yet to be fully revealed by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC), part of which is the switch from the Australian Standard Classification of Occupations (ASCO) to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).

Few timeframe details have been released regarding when this switch will happen, but it is interesting that VETASSESS state that this will happen 'later in 2010'; it remains to be seen whether by this they mean 'in the latter half of 2010' or simply 'after 1 January'.

"OCCUPATIONAL PROFILES

VETASSESS has developed lists of relevant fields of study and relevant tasks for its general occupations. It is in the process of contacting relevant industry and professional bodies for feedback on those occupational profiles.

A range of resources were used to develop these occupational profiles including the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s Australian Skills Recognition Information (ASRI) website; the Australian Bureau of Statistics websites for ASCO and ASCED (the Australian Standard Classification of Education); the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations website for Job Guide; the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) website sponsored by the US Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration; and education provider websites."

What this means is that VETASSESS has consulted a number of different official sources to qualify what will and won't be defined as 'relevant' (i.e. what is a 'highly relevant field of study' or 'relevant employment' to a specific nominated occupation).  Unfortunately, we still don't know whether or not they will be transparent in this process and make it clear to applicants emigrating to Australia what is and isn't relevant.

"TECHNICAL INTERVIEWS

Under the new arrangements, as part of the assessment process, VETASSESS will telephone some applicants to clarify information in the application, and to discuss the applicant’s occupational skills. No additional charge will apply for a technical interview."

While VETASSESS have not given any further details on this, the indication seems to be that applicants emigrating to Australia should be prepared to complete a telephone interview as part of the new assessment process.

"FEES AND APPLICATION FORMS

New fees will apply to applications for a skills assessment under the new process. The new fee schedule will be available on our website from 11 November 2009.  The new application forms will be on our website in December."

I think this is self-explanatory, as it indicates that necessary updates will be made to the application forms and fees. Unfortunately, no further details have been given regarding what the new fees will be.

I'll keep reporting on this issue as we get more updates in, but the message remains the same; stay calm but if you are able to, lodge your assessment with VETASSESS ASAP.

- Lauren Mennie is Casework Department Manager for the Australian Visa Bureau

©Visa Bureau 2003-2009

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

Moving all your possessions across to the other side of the world can be a daunting prospect. But take heart with  professional advice from Hayden Hills of the international moving company Anglo Pacific.

Life presents us with choices every day of our lives, and many of us have a problem deciding which options to take. One of the first decisions we have to make each day is which shirt or top to put on that morning. There are factors which help us make up our mind, like what we are doing that particular day, be it work or leisure related, the weather and what we like the look of and feel comfortable wearing.

If only choosing a mover were that easy. You will be presented with a lot of choice, and unless you have moved internationally before you’ll probably be moving with a company you have never used before. This is sure to make some people wary and apprehensive that their final decision is going to be the right one. After all, you will only really know if your decision was the right one after several weeks, when your worldly possessions are delivered to your new home many thousands of miles away.

Hopefully, this article will help you and your final decision that much easier to make. As long as you follow a few simple rules you can select a company that is experienced and knows what is required to get your home moved safely.

"Start by deciding how many quotes you want to get."

Three to four is really all you need to be able to find the right company for you, and a little research before you contact the movers can save you wasting your time. There are literally thousands of companies offering shipping services, but in reality there are not that many who specialise in overseas moving.

If you check out the websites of any companies you are considering, you should be able to determine where their speciality lies. Most domestic movers and some office movers will say they can move you internationally, but can they? Do they have the specialist packing skills, and will they know how to tackle all the government requirements of exporting from the UK and importing into a foreign country? Maybe they will, but by deciding on a specialist you have a better chance of a successful move.   

The British Association of Removers has an overseas group, and you would be wise ensuring that your chosen moving company is a member of this group. It operates the Advance Payment Guarantee Scheme, which protects your payment if a company in its membership ceases trading. The peace of mind that this gives comes at no cost to you, and there are enough companies offering it that you really don’t need to take any chances by going elsewhere, as there will be a BAR Overseas Bonded company which suits you.

FIDI is an association of international movers, which has about 600 members worldwide. Every FIDI member is an accredited international mover, having had its finances and operational expertise vetted by independent auditors before it is given its FAIM (FIDI Accredited International Mover) kite-mark. You’d be smart looking for a FIDI/FAIM mover, safe in the knowledge that they have a degree of experience some others will not have.         

Before you call potential moving companies, think carefully of some questions to ask them over the phone. Normally, the representative of a company visiting you will be well versed in selling you a service. That person is not usually the person who will actually manage your move, so by asking questions on the phone you will get a good feel for their knowledge and skill and how well the company will look after you.    

"Lastly, be careful not to fall in to the trap of looking for a cheap bargain."

You don’t get "something for nothing", and the best companies will expect to be able to charge you for the level of professional service and expertise they offer. When you are choosing your mover aim to get value for money. The main priority you should have is the safe shipment of your belongings, in a timely manner.

If you would like to find out further information about your household move or like to request for a free no obligation home survey then please visit Anglo Pacific online or call Hayden Hills on 020 8838 8493.

 - Anglo Pacific is a partner of Australian Visa Bureau, an independent company specialising in helping applicants emigrate to Australia.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2009

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

VETASSESS have just announced they are to implement a new policy for assessing all people applying to emigrate to Australia on 1 January, 2010.

The full announcement can be viewed as a PDF by clicking here, but I'd like to take the time to answer a few immediate questions you might have, should you be applying for an Australian skilled visa on the basis of having a positive assessment from VETASSESS .

Some of the occupations VETASSESS are responsible for assessing include:

• Office Manager (ASCO) 3291-11
• Urban and Regional Planner (ASCO) 2523-11
• Property Manager (ASCO) 3293-13
• Construction Project Manager (ASCO) 1191-11
• Financial Investment Advisor (ASCO) 3213-11  

Please note: These changes only apply to general professional occupations assessed by VETASSESS, NOT trades occupations. 

What changes are going to be made by VETASSESS?

Currently, VETASSES only demand that an applicant have a qualification 'comparable to the Australian standard' in order to receive a positive assessment, with no criteria set regarding the qualification content or work experience.

However, in order to receive a positive skills assessment through VETASSESS from 1 January 2010, applicants will now need to have:

• A qualification that is in a 'highly relevant field of study' to your nominated occupation; AND
• Between 1 year and 3 years (depending on occupation) of 'relevant employment' to your nominated occupation.

This clearly sets the bar higher for VETASSESS applicants, demanding that they present far more evidence demonstrating their experience and study as it directly correlates to their nominated occupation. Unfortunately, with the key term 'relevant' still remaining undefined, it's hard to provide more information on exactly how the new requirements will work.

Who will the changes affect?

The changes have the potential to affect anyone in a general professional occupation who is looking to be assessed under VETASSESS, but especially those who lack the necessary qualification or work experience to be positively assessed in their nominated occupation under the new rulings. 

It's also worth noting the following quote included in the announcement from VETASSESS:

"DIAC will continue to accept all VETASSESS Skill Assessments from both the old and new system provided that your nominated occupation remains on the Skilled Occupation List and VETASSESS is the designated assessing authority for that occupation.  However, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship may ask you to have a current VETASSESS assessment if there is a significant gap between the date of assessment and the date of applying for your visa."

Based on this quote, we can take it that anyone with a successful VETASSESS assessment but is currently holding off on lodging their visa application should look into proceeding ASAP, especially if they have any fears that they will not qualify under the new requirements.

What should I do at this time?

A number of migration pathways have been tightened or closed off due to restrictions implemented by both the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) and the various Australian states and territories. As a result, some migrants could find that without the ability to receive a positive skills assessment from VETASSESS in a specific nominated occupation, they will lack any route to Australia.

Therefore, I strongly recommend that anyone who has had a request to apply for assessment from VETASSESS to apply ASAP, making sure to send as complete and 'decision-ready' application as possible.

VETASSESS are stating that if you lodge a complete application before 31 December, you will be assessed under the current rules (with the further recommendation that applicants ensure to send their applications no later than 18 December, in order for VETASSESS to receive the application in time).

However, if anything is missing from your application, then it is likely you will be assessed under the new criteria.

Even if you feel confident that you will qualify under the new criteria, it would still be preferable to be assessed under the current familiar criteria and be in the best position possible to avoid any potential hurdles to your migration.

- Lauren Mennie is Casework Department Manager for the Australian Visa Bureau

©Visa Bureau 2003-2009

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

From the 9th of November 2009, a new piece of legislation will be introduced to help expedite the onshore Australian partner visa application visa process for couples in de facto / same-sex relationships.

Current migration legislation allows married couples to be granted a temporary Australian partner visa without having to provide evidence of cohabitation, while those in de facto / same-sex relationships must still demonstrate evidence of cohabitation for the previous 12 months in order to be granted the visa. 

However, from the 9th of November, these same de facto / same sex couples can forego this evidentiary requirement when applying for a temporary partner visa, with the only obligation being that they register their relationship under one of the following prescribed Australian states or territories:

• Victoria
  
  For more information on the process of registering your de facto / same-sex relationship with the Victorian state government and to see the official application form, click here.
  
• Tasmania
  
  For more information on the process of registering your de facto / same-sex relationship with the Tasmanian state government and to see the official application form, click here.
  
• Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
  
  For more information on the process of registering your de facto / same-sex with the Australian Capital Territory government and to download the official application form, click here.

Australia has typically been one of the world's more progressive countries when it comes to recognising and acknowledging same sex relationships, and by introducing this new piece of legislation, the Australian government takes another step towards equality for couples from all backgrounds.

- Lauren Mennie is Casework Department Manager for the Australian Visa Bureau 

©Visa Bureau 2003-2009

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.