On 1 July the Australian Department of Immigration will be introducing
the following legislative changes to the way visa application are dealt
with and to the criteria that apply to visa applications:
There will be an increase in most visa and citizenship application fees
(see our previous post for more details) of 4.4% to 20%. There will also
be the inevitable form changes that usually accompany the DIAC’s
legislative changes.
Contributory Parent visa applicant couples will both have to apply for
their contributory parent visas together and at the outset, rather than
trying to save money by applying individually and then via the
partner/spouse visa route.
A change in sponsor for remaining relative and parent visa applicants
will now be permitted anytime up until the time of decision on a visa
application. Provided of course that the new sponsor can meet all
sponsorship requirements.
All parent visa applicants will have to satisfy Balance of Family Test
criteria at the time of making their visa application, rather then at
the time of decision.
Retirement visa (subclass 410) holders will no longer be restricted to
just 20 hours of work per week.
Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa applicants (tertiary educated 18
to 30 year olds from Chile, Malaysia, Thailand, Turkey and the USA)
will now have 12 months to enter Australia from the dates of their visa
grants.
All applicants for 175, 176 and 475 skilled visas with a nominated
trade occupation who are not UK, USA, Canada or NZ passport holders or
otherwise meet the English Language requirements, will have to provide
evidence of an IELTS score of 6.0 in each of the four parts of the
IELTS test.
The Concessional Competent English level for sponsored 475 visa
applicants has been raised from an average of IELTS 5.5 to an average
of IELTS 6.0.
For full details of the above 1 July 2009 changes, and all other
legislative changes to Australian migration law
Regards
Janaka
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janaka
Posted via the forums at http://www.gettingdownunder.com
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