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Changes in the Upper Age Limit for General Skilled Migration

Changes in the Upper Age Limit for General Skilled Migration

As announced by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP), there will be a number of changes to be introduced on 1 July 2017. One of the major changes include changing the upper age limit for the General Skilled Migration (GSM) program, which encompasses the following visa subclasses: Skilled Independent (subclass 189) Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) Skilled Regional (Provisional) (subclass 489) From 1 July, the maximum age limit for the above visas will be

Skills Assessment - A Vital Step to Permanent Residency

Skills Assessment - A Vital Step to Permanent Residency

Due to ongoing changes to the legislative framework of the subclass 457 visa and its impact on permanent employer sponsored visas, it is becoming increasingly important to consider other permanent visa options, such as the Skilled Independent Visa (subclass 189) and the Skilled Nominated Visa (subclass 190). A requirement to proceed for these visa options is to obtain a positive skills assessment in the nominated occupation. A skills assessment is basically an assessment of y

Further news on proposed Citizenship changes

Further news on proposed Citizenship changes

On 15 June 2017 the bill for proposed changes to Australian citizenship requirements was released. It is currently being debated in the House of Representatives. In addition to the English requirements (Competent English) and Residency requirement (4 years residence as a permanent resident), a number of proposed changes likely to cause controversy include: Citizenship by Descent Applicants must be of good character irrespective of their age. The age limit of “over 18” is remo

Bridging Visas

Bridging Visas

Many applicants find bridging visas a confusing topic. Different Bridging Visas are issued in different circumstances, and the conditions of each vary. Bridging Visa A and Bridging Visa B When applicants lodge a valid application whilst in Australia holding a substantive visa, a Bridging Visa A is granted. A Bridging Visa A does not necessarily come into effect when granted. A Bridging Visa comes into effect at the expiry of the substantive visa and allows the applicant to re

457 Visa Skills Assessment

457 Visa Skills Assessment

Employees seeking to obtain a 457 visa must meet the required skill level prior to lodging the visa application. Not all trade occupations need to go through the 457 Skills Assessment Program because it only applies to applicants who work in a certain occupations and hold a passport from a certain country or Special Administrative Region (SAR). Currently, there are twenty three (23) trade occupations that need to obtain a positive skills assessment, including chef, cook and w

New Citizenship Legislation to be introduced to Parliament this week

New Citizenship Legislation to be introduced to Parliament this week

The Australian Government will introduce the new legislation regarding Australian citizenship to Parliament this week. It is expected that the some of the key changes will include the following: Residency: Applicants will be required to have lived in Australia as permanent resident for at least 4 years before applying for citizenship – significant increase from current arrangement of 1 year as a permanent resident before applying for citizenship; English: A new stand-alone En

Changes to the 457 Program - FAQs

Changes to the 457 Program - FAQs

The 457 program is being abolished, what happens to my current visa? The 457 visa program is due to be replaced by the TSS Visa Program in March 2018. 457 visas which have been granted still remain in effect. My occupation has been removed from the occupation lists. What happens to my current 457 visa? Your 457 visa still remains in effect. If you change employers a new 457 nomination would need to meet the current requirements and occupation lists. I am applying for a new 4

Client Profile - Pieter and Nicola

Subclass 186- Employer Nomination Scheme SCA Connect assisted our family with both a 457 visa and then a permanent residency application under Subclass 186- Employer Nomination Scheme. We know how difficult and time consuming it can be to prepare visa documentation, so we wanted to do it properly first time. Registered Migration Agents know exactly what immigration are looking for, and the format they want everything to follow. They guide you through the whole process, step b

Employee Spotlight - Sona Iplani

Employee Spotlight - Sona Iplani

Tell us more about you. What do you do a SCA Connect? I am a Registered Migration Agent at SCA Connect. I am glad to assist people from various countries and backgrounds to achieve their migration goals for Australia. My major responsibilities include assessing, preparing and lodging applications for a wide range of visa streams for both corporate and individual clients. Equally interesting part of my role is to help creating tailored visa solutions for our prospective client

Visa Application Fee Increases

Visa Application Fee Increases

Visa application charges will be increased by approximately 2% from 1 July, in line with the forecast Consumer Price Index (CPI). This indexation is applied to both primary and secondary visa applicants of the 1st Instalment only. For instance, a primary applicant of 186 Employer Nomination scheme will need to pay $3,670, and a secondary applicant aged 18 or over will be required to pay $1,835 from 1 July 2017. Fee increases for some common visas are outlined in the table bel

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