New Work and Holiday Maker arrangement with the Philippines
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed a Strategic Partnership with President of the Philippines HE Ferdinand R Marcos Jr during his visit to Manila on 8 September.
One of the initiatives to boost ties with the Philippines is a new reciprocal Work and Holiday visa for Australians and Filipinos, supporting stronger economic, cultural and people-to-people links.
This new Work and Holiday visa arrangement will allow up to 200 young Filipinos and Australians each year to enjoy a 12-month holiday in each other’s country, during which they may undertake short-term work and study.
Read the Prime Minister’s Announcement Here
Offshore Family Visa Applications by Afghan nationals
Following a recent discussion with the Department of Home Affairs we understand that:
- The Department is pro-actively processing offshore family visas applications by Afghan nationals in lodgement date order.
- The Department encourages applicants to obtain or renew their passports. Afghan passports are now being issued in Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan.
- Health checks can be carried out in Afghanistan. Biometric collection however cannot. The Department does not encourage travel to another country in order to provide biometric data due to safety concerns when travelling. If biometric data cannot be collected, the Department will place an application on hold until such as time as it is possible to collect it.
- The Department is identifying and prioritising those cases where there are dependent children who are soon to turn 23 years old. A dependent child will typically cease to be eligible for a visa if they turn 23 years old before the application is decided.
In February 2023, the Australian Government revoked Ministerial Direction 80 and replaced it with Ministerial Direction No.102, which removes the lowest processing priority imposed under Direction 80 for applications where the sponsor is a permanent visa holder who entered Australia as an unlawful maritime arrival. This is particularly relevant as previous SHEV/TPV holders are granted permanent Resolution of Status (Subclass851) visas. Family stream visa applicants who were previously affected by the lowest processing priority do not need to contact the Department or take any further action to ensure their application is processed.
VETASSESS – Trade Occupations Application Pause
VETASSESS has temporarily suspended the acceptance of applications for the occupations listed below due to an overwhelming volume of pending applications. As a result, individuals seeking a skills assessment for any of these occupations are advised to explore alternative assessing bodies:
- Chef, ANZSCO Code 351311
- Cook, ANZSCO Code 351411
- Diesel Motor Mechanic, ANZSCO Code 321212
- Motor Mechanic (General), ANZSCO Code 321211
- Fitter (General), ANZSCO Code 323211
- Electrician (General), ANZSCO Code 341111
- Metal Machinist (First Class), ANZSCO Code 323214
Anyone wanting to apply for a skills assessment in one of these occupations should review alternative bodies at RTOFinder | Trades Recognition Australia.
The occupation Plumber (General) ANZSCO Code 334111- is also being paused while new occupation pathways are assessed.
International Students – Visas and Compliance
In a joint media release Minister’s Clare, O’Connor and O’Neil announced a number of changes within the international student sector.
Increase in savings required
Evidence of savings for international students will need to show evidence of A$24,505 in savings from 01 October 2023, this is a 17% increase on the current levels.
Changing courses
Taking effect immediately, the Government has changed the ability of international students who have been in Australia for less than six months, to change from genuine study to arrangements such as ‘concurrent enrolment’ that facilitated working in Australia.
Aged care work concessions
The Department of Home Affairs have confirmed that a change of employer is acceptable, provided all other relevant criteria are met, for student visa holders working in the aged care sector. This applies to those who are eligible for the concession to the working hours cap until the end of December 2023.
If PLAYFAIR can assist you with your global mobility and immigration needs, please reach out to us now via email at info@playfair.com.au or call our office on (02) 9233 8899.