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Immigration Blog and Latest News

Our staff have the knowledge to deal with all immigration problems, no matter how complex. Keep abreast of immigration updates with our blog posts below.
Immigration blog
CitizenshipHealthNew Zealand

New pathway for New Zealanders to acquire Australian citizenship

The government recently announced the long-awaited pathway through which New Zealanders can more easily acquire Australian citizenship. Starting from 1 July 2023, New Zealand citizens will be eligible to directly apply for Australian citizenship without having to first obtain permanent residency. What is changing? Currently, an applicant for Australian citizenship must be in possession of permanent residency. Upon arrival, New…
Immigration blog
1 May, 2023
Immigration blog
Health

Meeting the Health Requirement for an Australian Visa

Most Australian visa applications require the applicant to meet certain health criteria. If an applicant fails to meet the health criteria, a visa cannot be granted unless a health waiver is available and exercised in favour of grant. This article will take you through: Australia’s health criteria for the grant of a visa; when a health waiver is available; and…
Immigration blog
31 March, 2023
Immigration blog
Visa refusal AAT

What can you expect at your AAT Hearing?

If you have applied for a review of your visa refusal with the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT), you may be anxious and unsure about what to expect at your hearing. This article will take you through key information about what you can expect at your AAT hearing within the Migration and Refugee Division. What is the AAT? The AAT is an…
Immigration blog
31 March, 2023
Immigration blog
CancellationCharacter test

What happens if my visa is being considered for refusal or cancellation due to character (Direction 99)

Section 501 of the Migration Act 1958 (the Act) is a provision of Australian Immigration law that enables the Department of Home Affairs (Department) to refuse or cancel a visa, if the visa applicant (or visa holder) does not pass the “character test”. We have a separate article here, which outlines what s 501 is, the “character test” and “substantial…
Immigration blog
22 March, 2023
Immigration blog
CancellationCharacter test

What is the “Character Test”? Section 501 Character Criteria for Australian visas

Section 501 of the Migration Act 1958 (the Act) is a provision of Australian Immigration law that enables the Department of Home Affairs (Department) to refuse or cancel a visa if the visa applicant (or visa holder) does not pass the “character test”. There are numerous ways with which a person could not pass the “character test”, which broadly speaking…
Immigration blog
22 March, 2023
Immigration blog
482Employer SponsoredTSS

February 2023 announcements at the Australian Financial Review Workforce Summit

On 21 February 2023, the Minister for Home Affairs (Hon Clare O’Neil) gave a speech at the Australian Financial Review Workforce Summit (see here). In this speech, the Minister talked about the ways in which Australia’s migration system is broken and what practically needs to be done to fix it. What were identified as issued? The Minister highlighted three main…
Immigration blog
23 February, 2023