Student visas: Financial capacity increase on 24 October 2019

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Student visas: Financial capacity increase on 24 October 2019

The annual living costs, annual school costs, and minimum personal annual income for Subclass 500 – Student visa or Subclass 590 – Student Guardian visa will increase from tomorrow after a new instrument was registered today. This year has seen rumblings in changes to student visa Assessment Levels and accusations that some students have had their Certificates of Enrolment cancelled after they have been issued.

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494 and 491 visas: Access to welfare and government services; making the provisional more permanent

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494 and 491 visas: Access to welfare and government services; making the provisional more permanent

A report released late last week by the Senate Standing Committees on Legal and Constitutional Affairs recommends that a bill is passed that will see 491 – Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa and 494 – Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa holders be deemed ‘Australian residents’ for the purposes of accessing welfare and other government services.

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Analysis: 491, 494 and 191 visas, the new kids on the block

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Analysis: 491, 494 and 191 visas, the new kids on the block

Comprehensive analysis of the policy and ramifications behind the new regional skilled visas: the Subclass 494 – Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa, the Subclass 491 – Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa, and the permanent Subclass 191 – Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa, which will come into effect from 16 November 2019.

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Permanent migration slashed to 160,000; 186/187 visa numbers increasing; two new regional visas announced

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Permanent migration slashed to 160,000; 186/187 visa numbers increasing; two new regional visas announced

The much-rumoured new population policy and cut to Australia’s permanent migration was announced by the prime minister today. Permanent visa numbers will be cut from 190,000 to 160,000, however, for employer sponsored permanent visas, Subclass 186 – Employer Nomination Scheme visas and Subclass 187 – Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme visas, they will actually increase. Two new regional visas have been revealed along with a bonus year for Subclass 485 – Temporary Graduate visas for international students who study at a regional university.

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