Latest Australian Immigration News

The latest news on Australian immigration, including changes to regulations, government policy announcements, and analysis of media releases affecting current and future applications.

Latest Australian immigration news

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Disclaimer: Any posted material is not intended to be immigration advice and does not purport to represent all requirements for a successful application or applications. No person should act on the basis of the material contained in any post without obtaining advice relevant to their situation, and without considering and taking professional advice where necessary. All opinion expressed is that of the author and nobody else.

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October 07, 2020

2020-21 Budget: Planning levels remain at 160,000; Partner visa places up 82 per cent, sponsor framework and English language tests soon

October 07, 2020/ Alex Petrakos

The Federal Budget handed down last night came with a number of surprises to Australia’s permanent migration programs. Of note is the prioritisation of certain skilled visas and onshore applicants and a one-off boost to partner visa processing numbers. Partner visa applicants and some sponsors will need to meet English language requirements along with an increase in requirements to be a sponsor.

September 17, 2020

2019-20: 88 per cent of Australia’s migration planning levels reached, 140,366 visas granted

September 17, 2020/ Alex Petrakos

There were 140,366 permanent visas granted, which is 88 per cent of a total of 160,000 visas set aside for the 2019-20 migration program year. This distribution was not even as some visa programs and subclasses met their targets while others missed their mark.

July 31, 2020

Australian citizenship test results are in: 86% pass rate, 14% fail rate; 200,000 granted citizenship in 2019-20

July 31, 2020/ Alex Petrakos

The coronavirus pandemic did not stop the administration of more Australian citizenship tests in 2019-20 than 2018-19. The fail rate for the citizenship test was over 3 per cent higher in 2019-20 at 15.6 per cent. Last year also saw a record number of people conferred citizenship with more than 200,000 people becoming Australian citizens by conferral.

July 24, 2020

189/491 visas: “Targeted” invitation rounds for May 2020 and June 2020 due to COVID-19

July 24, 2020/ Alex Petrakos

The much-anticipated May 2020 and June 2020 invitation rounds have finally been published by the Department of Home Affairs (Home Affairs). While there has been an increase in invitations issued from the dismal April 2020 round, the goalposts have been moved from highest points first to a “targeted” invitation system due to COVID-19.