COVID-19: Fact sheets, visa cancellations on health grounds and reapplying student and visitor visa applicants

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COVID-19: Fact sheets, visa cancellations on health grounds and reapplying student and visitor visa applicants

The coronavirus, otherwise known as COVID-19, has wreaked havoc on world travel and stock markets and will no doubt have a negative impact on Australia’s education and tourism industries. The Department of Home Affairs have provided several fact sheets for those that may be affected by travel restrictions and created a pathway for those in Australia who have had their visitor or student visas cancelled under specific provisions because of not meeting tougher border control measures to reapply for these visas.

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ImmiAccount down 30 June 2019; Subclass 870 – Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa opens 1 July 2019

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ImmiAccount down 30 June 2019; Subclass 870 – Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa opens 1 July 2019

The Department of Home Affairs has announced that the online platform to lodge many Australian visa applications, ImmiAccount, will shut down for system maintenance on the night of 30 June 2019. This will be to not only adjust visa application charges as most will increase from 1 July 2019, but to also add the visa application forms for the Subclass 870 – Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa, which will be the first internet application for parent visas.

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Budget Special: VACs increase 5.4% from 1 July 2019; GSM single applicants to be awarded points, partners may become a disadvantage

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Budget Special: VACs increase 5.4% from 1 July 2019; GSM single applicants to be awarded points, partners may become a disadvantage

The Federal Budget handed down last night announced a 5.4 per cent visa application charge increase from 1 July 2019, and a change to the requirements for partner skills to be awarded for General Skilled Migration (GSM) visas. While the need for a skill assessment for the spouse or de facto partner of a visa applicant will be dropped, it may end up being a disadvantage as prospective visa applicants without partners will be awarded points for simply being single.

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Retirees pathway to a permanent visa begin 17 November 2018 but only for 8 May 2018 visa holders

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Retirees pathway to a permanent visa begin 17 November 2018 but only for 8 May 2018 visa holders

The anticipated pathway to a permanent visa for Subclass 405 – Investor Retirement visa and Subclass 410 – Retirement visa holders have been released. A permanent visa will only be eligible to those who held a retirement visa on 8 May 2018 and who have not held another substantive visa since that date other than a retirement visa. Instead of creating a new subclass, existing Subclass 103 – Parent visa and Subclass 143 – Contributory Parent visa subclasses will be amended to accommodate.

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