If you're a Permanent Resident of Australia, congratulations!  You've already come so far and done so well.  But you're looking to take things one step further, you might consider becoming an Australian Citizen.  Citizens have the privilege of voting rights, financial assistance for education, government jobs, and protection from deportation.  It's definitely worth pursuing!  So how do you become a citizen of Australia?

July is the start of the new immigration program year and this is the latest news on the upcoming changes for Australian immigration.

On 15 April 2021, the Minister for Immigration gave a directive to expand the definition of “character reasons” as a reason for visa cancellation.  The new rule, Ministerial Direction 90, focuses on family violence and means some Australia visa holders who were previously ok to stay, could have their visas cancelled.

Australia’s Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management David Littleproud, has announced an agriculture visa will become available in 2021.  The new visa is a result of Australia’s trade discussions with the UK in which it was agreed that British backpackers would no longer be required to work on Australian farms to retain their visas.  The arrangement will release British tourists from often undesired requirement, and provide an opportunity for other travellers to visit Australia.

In a media release yesterday, NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet announced a plan to return international students to Australia in 2021.  The plan will be funded entirely by local universities and will be in addition to the number of other passengers allowed to arrive per week (such as permanent residents and Australian citizens).  250 students from 14 NSW and ACT universities will be permitted to arrive in Sydney per fortnight.  Once on Aussie shores, the students will be directed to private quarantine facilities for an isolation period before they are able to move freely in the community.  The plan is expected to commence in the second half of the year. 

While Covid is keeping most Australian states and territories closed for offshore applicants, South Australia announced in May 2021 that it is now considering sponsoring offshore applicants for 491 and 190 visas.

They raised you, supported you, and loved you… and now in return, you want to bring them to Australia.  They’re your parents.  But what is the best way to get them here, and how much is it going to cost?

Minister for Immigration Alex Hawke made a statement on Wednesday 19 May on how the Business and Innovation and Investor Program will be changing in 2021.  New rules commence on 01 July 2021 and although the legislation is yet to be released, the Minister’s statement gives us a good idea how the program will operate moving forward and how the changes will affect you, the investor.

The Australian Government has announced its budget for 2021-22 and the news for migrants and international students is seriously disappointing.  With borders predicted to remain closed until mid-2022, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has structured a budget with very few opportunities for immigration, and an annual Net Overseas Migration (NOM) figure of -72,000.  It’s been 16 months since the WHO declared Covid a pandemic.  China built a hospital in Wuhan in 10 days, so why can’t Australia build quarantine facilities in a year?

Late last year, we published the states’ allocations but we have just discovered a new increase of 650 nominations for South Australia and 350 for Tasmania!  These allocations were increased without an announcement from the government and at this stage, are not widely known of.  That's 1,000 new places for Skilled Nominated visas and Skilled Work Regional visas!