AUSTRALIAN IMMIGRATION NEWS

The Australian Federal Police have announced fee increases for police checks. These fees may affect some individuals applying for visas to Australia.

Monday, 20 October 2008

Visitors from all European Union countries as well as eight other European countries will be able to apply over the internet for an eVisitor Visa from the 27th October 2008.

Tuesday, 7 October 2008

The South Australian Government is participating in the "Concessional English" provision, which will allow migrants, who may not possess competent English language levels, the ability to qualify for migration.

Tuesday, 30 September 2008

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) latest figures show that immigration accounts for over 50% of Australia's net population growth over the past year to March 2008.

Tuesday, 30 September 2008

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship Australia (DIAC) are seeking to expand the number of English language tests that are accepted as evidence of English language proficiency.

Tuesday, 9 September 2008

Statistics show that Indian students, who represent a large proportion of international students in Australia, rarely breach student visa rules.

Monday, 1 September 2008

A number of changes have been made to the student visa assessment levels for Australian immigration. These changes will come into effect on September 1, 2008.

Tuesday, 26 August 2008

Australia continues to increase its Work and Holiday scheme through signing visa agreements with new countries as well as increasing visa quotas for countries that already participate in the program.

Friday, 15 August 2008

Australia's West is now Australia's well paid West, and is selling itself to Kiwis to fill a chronic shortage of workers.

Friday, 15 August 2008

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will be addressing the 2nd Global Forum on Migration and Development and the Philippine-Australian Ministerial Meeting (PAMM) in Manila this October. He will be in Manila on an invitation extended by his Philippine counterpart President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Tuesday, 12 August 2008

It has been reported that a campaign to encourage Australian residents to take up citizenship and an overhaul of the qualifying test has been proposed in a report to Immigration Minister Chris Evans.

Tuesday, 12 August 2008

The Minimum Salary Level (MSL) for skilled workers has increased by 3.8% from the 1st of August 2008.

Wednesday, 6 August 2008

Australia has increased the total number of temporary work visas granted this year by 27% compared to last year.

Thursday, 24 July 2008

South Australia and the Philippines are in discussions to help skilled Filipino workers to work and build their careers.

Thursday, 17 July 2008

Amendments have been made to the Migration Regulations Act (1994) to encourage working holiday visa applicants to spend some time working in regional areas of Australia.

Friday, 11 July 2008

The DIAC (Department of Immigration and Citizenship) have made their annual adjustment of most of their visa application fees. The new fees came into effect from 1 July 2008 and were applied to the majority of Australian visas.

Thursday, 10 July 2008

Immigration Minister Chris Evans has called on states and territories to increase their use of the state sponsored skilled migration scheme.

Monday, 7 July 2008

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) Australia have announced changes in visa processing locations that come into effect on the 1st of July 2008.

Tuesday, 1 July 2008

The Department of Immigration & Citizenship of Australia (DIAC) announced a roll-out of improved electronic processing for Bulgarian, Polish and Romanian Citizens.

Monday, 30 June 2008

Australian federal government is expected to sign off on a plan to create a new "guest worker" program to allow 5,000 Pacific Islanders to work in Australia for a year to build their skills & experience before returning home to help strengthen their country's skills & economy.

Monday, 23 June 2008

Laurie Ferguson, Secretary for Multicultural Affairs & Settlement announced that the Australian Government would spend $34 million next financial year on services to assist the integration of migrants and refugees.

Friday, 6 June 2008

The Labor party budget for 2008-09 includes an increase of almost 300,000 visas to Australia in a bid to address labour shortages in Australia.

Tuesday, 20 May 2008

Many skilled migrants wanting to work in Australia can now look forward to faster processing times for their 457 Australian Work Visas.

Tuesday, 6 May 2008

Immigration makes Australia stronger, says the latest research by the Monash Institute for the Study of Global Movements.

Thursday, 1 May 2008

A series of information sessions about Australian Work Visas and employment for overseas workers will be presented by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) on Monday, the 28th of April 2008 in Western Australia’s Kalgoorlie.

Tuesday, 22 April 2008

Australia’s Department of Immigration and Citizenship has introduced a change to permit all initial Student Visa holders to work once they’ve started a course of study.

Thursday, 17 April 2008

If you are a teacher or/and you’re considering immigration to Australia for your family, you could soon be faced with a government who is planning to give kids in Australia the best education in the world.

Thursday, 17 April 2008

Immigration can be the answer to curbing Australian state, Victoria’s rise in housing prices because of labour shortages in commercial and residential projects.

Monday, 14 April 2008

A request has been launched to Australian Immigration to remove the age restrictions currently set for Working Holiday Visas.

Friday, 11 April 2008

If you want to travel to Australia for the Catholic Church’s World Youth Day, you’d have to apply for your visa as soon as possible, Chris Evans, Australia’s Immigration Minister advises.

Wednesday, 9 April 2008

Brits immigrating to Australia have increased double fold since ten years ago, says a new media report, making it the second most popular destination after Spain for UK immigrants.

Tuesday, 8 April 2008

Potential candidates for permanent immigration don’t have to travel as far anymore when they have to do a citizenship test for Australia.

Wednesday, 2 April 2008

Immigration is vital to Australia’s economy and now accounts for more than half the country’s population growth, said a recent report.

Tuesday, 1 April 2008

The National Farmers' Federation (NFF) is calling on the Rudd Government to ease immigration laws to allow Pacific islanders to come to Australia on a seasonal basis and pick fruit and vegetables.

Wednesday, 26 March 2008

A recent report by the Department of Immigration has revealed that overseas workers mainly in higher skilled areas are earning wages well above their Australian counterparts.

Tuesday, 25 March 2008

In order to remedy its skills crisis, Australian Immigration is coming up with plans that will influence temporary overseas workers and refugees.

Thursday, 20 March 2008

Australian Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Evans is hoping that the two-day 2008 Australia Needs Skills expo this weekend will lure more skilled workers to Australia.

Friday, 14 March 2008

The Brisbane Character Assessment Unit of Australia's Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has announced a new trial procedure for UK police checks.

Thursday, 13 March 2008

Construction workers wanting to live around the beach and wine regions could be in for a treat if Kevin Rudd follows through with immigration changes.

Tuesday, 11 March 2008

If you have kids and are planning to immigrate to Australia, you will be glad to know that the Australian Government has just invested even more funds into promoting the health of children.

Friday, 7 March 2008

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is looking into a solution to ease Australia's current housing shortage, which includes taking care of the country's other shortage: construction labour.

Tuesday, 4 March 2008

It's no secret that Australia's in high demand of skilled workers, and now, thanks to a list Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, has just released, the world now knows in exactly which sectors the country needs them.

Monday, 3 March 2008

Thanks to immigration, Australia has found it a breeze to fill more than half (53.9%) of the country's full-time jobs created over the last 12 months.

Saturday, 1 March 2008

With the Australian dollar at a 24-year high, setting your investment sights on Australian businesses while considering immigration could be in your best interest.

Friday, 29 February 2008

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) is calling for urgent action to increase the number of GPs in regional Victoria, setting its hopes on doctors considering immigration.

Thursday, 21 February 2008

A total of 6000 more Australian skilled visas have just been released by the Australian government, and are up for grabs before the end of June 2008 by overseas applicants keen on immigration.

Monday, 18 February 2008

Australia is in dire need of increased immigration, because when millions of baby boomers retire, many job vacancies will be created, according to a latest report.

Wednesday, 6 February 2008

More than 14,000 new citizens can now finally call Australia home after immigration paved their way to a new life in the world's friendliest country.

Tuesday, 5 February 2008

The Australian immigration citizenship test is in for a possible makeover, only six months after its introduction by the previous conservative Howard government on 1 October 2007.

Wednesday, 30 January 2008

The immigration of health professionals could be the answer to Australia's huge gap in the medical sector. Physiotherapists, social workers, radiologists and other health professionals are urgently needed to work in Australia.

Tuesday, 29 January 2008

In the IT industry and considering immigration to Canada? Your timing couldn't be any better, as a report issued by a group of industry professionals estimates that over 90,000 jobs in the IT sector will become available before 2011.

Friday, 25 January 2008

Afraid your immigration decision to Australia could be of ill judgement? Maybe you're in for a rather pleasant surprise.

Thursday, 24 January 2008

Students from all over the world are flocking to Australian schools and universities as part of a quest for adventure, international study opportunities and a means of immigration.

Wednesday, 23 January 2008

If you're a scientist or engineer, your immigration decision could be the answer to Australia's energy, mining and pharmaceutical industries' pleads for more qualified professionals to migrate to Australia.

Thursday, 17 January 2008

Looking at the latest statistics on bicycle sales, it's not hard to see why immigration to Australia can be like a breath of fresh air for many – literally.

Monday, 14 January 2008

According to a recent study on national happiness levels, Australians are the second happiest people in the world, second only to Iceland.

Thursday, 25 October 2007

There is renewed interest in a 1970s era copper mine which promises to bring 600 new jobs to South Australia.

Thursday, 25 October 2007

The demand for housing in Australia caused by immigration to the country could mean Australia needs 100,000 more new homes within the next year.

Tuesday, 23 October 2007

With the unemployment rate hitting a record low last week, Prime Minister John Howard has promised even better times are still to come, which will further reduce the unemployment rate.

Monday, 15 October 2007

British emigration to Australia is starting a new wave that could become an exodus. Close to 1 in 5 Britons has put serious thought into emigrating, with many wishing to leave as soon as possible.

Sunday, 7 October 2007

Australia’s Citizenship Day takes place each September 17, with ceremonies across the country to celebrate the sense of pride surrounding Australian citizenship.

Monday, 17 September 2007

A recent construction industry survey in Australian identifies that the skills shortage could hamper construction projects in Australia, with spillover into other economic sectors.

Friday, 14 September 2007

Canada's Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, has addressed Australia’s government - where he outlined shared challenges and opportunities that the two countries face.

Tuesday, 11 September 2007

Trades Recogniton Australia (TRA) have announced that they will no longer accept applications that predominantly rely on evidence of work experience.

Thursday, 6 September 2007

Australia's General Skilled Migration Programme (GSM) has undergone a significant overhaul which takes effect today.

Saturday, 1 September 2007

According to the Office of National Statistics, a record number of people are emigrating from the United Kingdom for greener, and sunnier, pastures abroad.

Friday, 24 August 2007

According to American IT Guru Prof. Larry Smarr, Australia's universities will be key to maintaining it’s high-tech knowledge based economy.

Monday, 20 August 2007

Experts in Australian migration expect that next month’s changes to the Australian Skilled Migration System could open the door for more Britons to migrate to Australia.

Friday, 17 August 2007

The 2007-2008 Australian Federal Budget earmarks $123.6 million (AUD) for a new Citizenship test for prospective Australian citizens.

Wednesday, 8 August 2007

With effect from 30 July 2007, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has announced a revised Migration Occupation in Demand List (MODL). The changes have resulted in one occupation being removed from the MODL and a further nine occupations being added.

Wednesday, 1 August 2007

A new Government study, Social Costs & Benefits of Migration into Australia, finds that immigrants to Australia are generally better educated, more willing to participate in society and less dependent on social assistance that their Australian-born peers. Newcomers from around the world provide valuable human capital to the Australian economy.

Friday, 27 July 2007

According to the Department of Immigration, Australia granted a record number of visas to Backpackers in 2006 and 2007, with 102,966 visas granted representing an increase of 15% over the previous year.

Thursday, 26 July 2007

Demand for housing in Australia is expected to grow significantly due to the influx of migrants to Australia.

Monday, 23 July 2007

The Australian economy has shown another quarter of strong fiscal growth - growing 3.8% compared to the first quarter last year.

Monday, 9 July 2007

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has instituted new application forms for most Australian visa types.

Wednesday, 4 July 2007

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Kevin Andrews has announced the launch of an industry working group to investigate and provide recommendations on the Australian trucking industry skills shortage.

Monday, 18 June 2007

The Assistant Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Teresa Gambaro has congratulated the Limestone Coast of South Australia for their commitment to refugee settlement.

Thursday, 14 June 2007

Brisbane has celebrated its annual 'Queensland Citizenship Day' by welcoming 561 new citizens.

Wednesday, 13 June 2007

Australia has committed $32 million to services aimed at helping refugees and other new migrants to integrate into the mainstream community, an increase from last year's $31 million.

Wednesday, 13 June 2007

According to the preliminary results of the 2006 Census, Australia’s population increased by 1.4% during the 12 months up to December, 2006.

Thursday, 7 June 2007

Queensland is well on the road to economic success following a recent study by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Tuesday, 5 June 2007

The Minister of Immigration and Citizenship, Kevin Andrews and the Minister of Education, Science and Training, Julie Bishop, have announced a number of dramatic changes to the current General Skilled Migration (GSM) programme.

Friday, 1 June 2007

The Australian tourism market reached a high point last week by welcoming its 300,000th Chinese visitor under the Approved Destination Scheme.

Monday, 28 May 2007

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council (ANMC) have lifted a ban on recruiting Zimbabwean Nurses, providing a fresh start and significant career opportunities for many Zimbabwean nursing professionals in Australia.

Friday, 25 May 2007

Potential Australian citizens will soon be quizzed in the form of a multiple choice citizenship test about Australia’s values, political affairs and sporting preferences. The test will consist of 20 questions drawn from a pool of 200.

Monday, 21 May 2007

Recently arrived skilled migrants are enjoying strong employment outcomes and job satisfaction, according to preliminary results of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s (DIAC) third longitudinal survey of immigrants.

Friday, 18 May 2007

Kevin Andrews, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, and Margaret Quirk, West Australian Minister for Small Business, have finalised a three-year labour agreement for the temporary entry of skilled meatworkers to Western Australia.

Thursday, 17 May 2007

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) have released details of the 2007-08 Migration Programme intake with a planning level set at 152,800 places.

Friday, 11 May 2007

The Australian Government has hinted at introducing extensive changes to the current General Skilled Migration Programme.

Monday, 7 May 2007

Changes to the controversial Skilled Temporary Visa (subclass 457) which will protect and strengthen the integrity of the 457 visa scheme, have been formally announced by the Australian Government.

Monday, 30 April 2007

Details of reforms to Australia's General Skilled Migration (GSM) programme have been announced by the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, the Hon Kevin Andrews MP and Minister for Education, Science and Training, the Hon Julie Bishop MP.

Tuesday, 17 April 2007

The Australian Labour Party (ALP) plans to stop unions from making decisions on whether a business should be allowed to recruit temporary skilled migrants. The plan comes as a bid by the ALP to show that the party recognises the need for employer sponsored visas, despite continuous campaigns against their abuse.

Thursday, 29 March 2007

The increasing number of newborn babies and migrants have driven Australia’s population growth to its highest level in five years, fuelling economic growth and generating expansion in Australia’s research-rich states.

Wednesday, 28 March 2007

The Australian Government encouraged its citizens and residents to get together on 21 March 2007 and acknowledge the nation’s cultural diversity.

Thursday, 22 March 2007

The Australian government is being urged to respond to employer groups calling for a serious increase to the size and scope of the 2007-8 migration program.

Thursday, 15 March 2007

New immigration legislation designed to strengthen Australian security was passed through the Senate on 25 February 2007.

Tuesday, 13 March 2007

More than 600 new Australian citizens from 50 difference countries were given a ‘home town welcome’ last night at a Citizenship Ceremony held in Brisbane.

Thursday, 8 March 2007

Latin America has opened its door to Australian students and professionals to work and holiday in Chile. The renewed arrangement for the ‘Work and Holiday’ visa will allow up to 500 visas per year for both Australia and Chile.

Thursday, 22 February 2007

According to a recent media release, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Teresa Gambaro has reinforced the government’s commitment to a strong and cohesive Australia through effective integration.

Thursday, 22 February 2007

Thousands of young Germans and Australians will have the opportunity to enjoy a working holiday in each other's countries following a renewed agreement in Berlin.

Tuesday, 20 February 2007

Changes to the controversial subclass 457 visa were unveiled this week by new Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews. The adjustments will introduce harsh penalties for those in breach of the sponsorship conditions and reward those who adhere to the rules.

Thursday, 8 February 2007

Australia’s unemployment rate hit an unexpected dip in figures last month sparking discussions that a lack of suitable labors will eventually generate wage and price pressures.

Thursday, 8 February 2007

Following the ceremony swearing in the new Minister and Parliamentary Secretary on Tuesday, 30th January, The Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA) has officially changed its name to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC).

Wednesday, 31 January 2007

The Australian Government's Migration Programme has released details of the highest skill stream intake on record. These figures are illustrated in DIAC’s annual publication “Population Flows: Immigration Aspects, 2007”, which details statistics for 2005-2006.

Tuesday, 30 January 2007

In a reshuffling of the Australian federal parliament, Australian PM John Howard has identified new immigration, environment and employment ministers ahead of federal elections later this year.

Monday, 29 January 2007

Australia Day, January 26, is the biggest day of celebration in Australia and is observed as a public holiday in all states and territories.

Monday, 29 January 2007

The Greek authorities have announced that as of January 1st 2007, Greek passports issued prior to January 1st 2006 will no longer be considered valid for travel.

Monday, 29 January 2007

Our UK office has relocated to vibrant "Regent Street" in central London!

Saturday, 5 August 2006

A recent poll in the UK suggests that more Britons than ever before want to make their dreams of migrating to another country a reality - with Australia as the top choice!

Friday, 4 August 2006