482 visas: SE Asian countries to be exempt from LMT; Some prospective marriage visas extended to 31 Dec 2022

The list of countries exempt from labour market testing for a subclass 482 – Temporary Skill Shortage nomination will grow again once related legislation comes into force.

A new instrument registered last week adds the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) to the list of agreements under Australia’s international trade obligations.

The RCEP will, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), be the world’s largest free trade agreement, despite a very large market, India, indicating it could not ratify the agreement. It encompasses member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) and ASEAN’s free trade agreement partners, consisting of Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea.

This instrument and the RCEP have not yet come into force as related legislation has not been enacted. The RCEP will commence 60 days after six ASEAN nations and three non-ASEAN nations have ratified the agreement.

Prospective marriage visas extended to 31 December 2022 if held on 15 September 2021 and outside Australia

After some subclass 300 – Prospective Marriage visa holders and former holders who were outside Australia had their visas extended, and in some cases re-granted, until 31 March 2021, similar treatment will occur for those who held this visa on 15 September 2021.

For those who held a prospective marriage visa on did on 15 September 2021 and were also outside Australia on that date, their visa will be extended until 31 December 2022 according to amendments to the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth) that were registered last week, but will retroactively apply from 15 September 2021.