Immigration To Australia | 澳大利亚移民 - Australian Immigration and Visa

Source: http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/whats-new.htm

Changes to VETASSESS assessment requirements for General Occupations from 1 January 2010 – 29 October 2009

VETASSESS have announced changes to the assessment requirements for General Occupations. These changes will apply from 1 January 2010. More information is available on the VETASSESS website.
See: VETASSESS
New priority processing directions for certain skilled migration visas – 23 September 2009

Source: http://www.immi.gov.au/migrants/family/protection-of-children.htm

Stronger Measures for the Protection of Children

The Australian Government is strengthening policies around the sponsorship of minors for visas to enter Australia because it considers that the safety of children is paramount. The Government wants to ensure that children seeking to enter Australia under partner and child visas are protected from being sponsored by people with convictions for child sex offences or other serious offences indicating that they might pose a significant risk to a child in their care.

Source: http://www.immi.gov.au/gateways/agents/medical-policy-delays.htm

The department has received a number of complaints from clients and agents regarding our current re-use arrangements for permanent visa applicants who seek to re-use previous health examination reports (such as Form 26 Medical examination for an Australian visa) obtained for a temporary visa application and 'upgrade' these for a permanent health clearance.

Source: http://www.immi.gov.au/students/_pdf/changes-occupational-trainee-visas.pdf

Changes to lodgement and processing arrangements for Occupational Trainee visas

As of 9 November 2009, all Occupational Trainee visa processing will be consolidated in the Adelaide Occupational Trainee Processing Centre (AOTPC) in Australia.

All Occupational Trainee visas, nominations and sponsorships must be lodged directly with the AOTPC from this date.
See: Changes to lodgement and processing arrangements for Occupational Trainee visas (67KB PDF file)

Source: http://www.immi.gov.au/gateways/agents/news/679-xmas-family-visitor.htm

The department receives a high volume of Sponsored Family Visitor visa applications each year during the Christmas holiday period. People intending to lodge applications for their overseas family members to visit Australia are advised to do so before Friday 6 November 2009. There is a high likelihood that applications lodged on or before this date will be assessed and finalised before 25 December 2009.

Source: http://www.immi.gov.au/gateways/agents/news/2009/student-evisa.htm

On this page
Access to the Assessment Level (AL) 2-4 offshore Student eVisa trial
Who has been suspended from the trial?
What will happen to applications from suspended agents?
Review of the facility access agreement
New procedures for access to the AL 2-4 trial
Further information

Source: http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/skilled-workers/sbs/457-visa-reforms-chan...

Subclass 457 Visa Reforms - 14 September 2009 Changes

From 14 September 2009 major reforms to the Subclass 457 visa program came into effect. These reforms include:

a new sponsorship obligations regime which provides greater clarity on sponsorship requirements
a new market salary rates system that ensures Subclass 457 visa holders received the same terms and conditions as Australian workers

Source: http://www.immi.gov.au/students/outcome-court-case.htm

Before 21 August 2009, interpretation of Schedule 5A of the English proficiency provisions with the Migration Regulations 1994 required that English language test results be submitted with Student visa applications and that the test must have been sat no more than two years before the application was made.

Source: http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/whats-new.htm

New priority processing directions for certain skilled migration visas – 23 September 2009

The Minister has set a new priority processing direction which comes into effect on 23 September 2009 and applies to certain skilled migration visas.
See:
2009–2010 Updated Priority Processing ( 64KB PDF file)
Critical Skills List ( 39KB PDF file)
Nomination by State/Territory government
Is your occupation in demand?

Tighter English language requirements from 1 January 2010

Source: http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/temporary-residence-faq.htm

If you are a sponsor

I am an employer/program provider and I currently have people working for me that were granted their visa before 14 September 2009. How do the new changes affect me?