In the media
Reforming skilled migration to improve Australia's
competitiveness
The Government will reform the 457 visa programme for skilled
migrants, while maintaining strong safeguards against abuse. The
changes to the SIV will take effect during 2014-15, with the
Premium Investor Visa to be introduced from 1 July 2015. The 457
programme must be a means of filling genuine skills gaps in the
local labour market while not placing unnecessary administrative
burdens on business (14 October 2014). More...
Introduction of Premium Investor Visa
The Australian government plans to sell a 12-month "pathway
to permanent residency" to business migrants for $15 million
under new premium investor visa (PIV) announced as a part of Tony
Abbott's Industry Innovation and Competitiveness Agenda (21
October 2014).
More...
Immigration, Customs plan cull of bosses for merged
entity
The Immigration Department and the Customs Service are planning to
cull their senior management ranks, as the department's
secretary Mike Pezzullo prepares Immigration for the emergence of
"Australian Border Force". This will see Immigration
merged with Customs to create the new entity. In what has been
dubbed the "Transition Process" the merger of the two
agencies will have to overcome numerous challenges, such as wage
disparities and cultural changes, before it officially launches in
July 2015 (23 October 2014).
More...
More...
Citrus farm overhauls worker visa checks after
immigration raid
Passports of citrus pickers will now be checked weekly at a
southern New South Wales farm, where immigration raids were carried
out earlier this month. Hillston property owner Ken McDougall says
he's no longer using a contractor and will have to employ
someone to perform the routine background checks on employees (24
October 2014).
More... More...
Published – articles, papers, reports
Annual reports highlight government achievements in
strengthening our borders
The Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) and the
Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS) annual
reports released this week highlight the continued dividends of the
Coalition's strong and successful border protection policies.
Main outcomes from the annual reports included: meeting the
migration programme allocation of 190,000 places; meeting the
humanitarian programme allocation of 13,750 places including 5000
for Special Humanitarian Programme entrants, up from just 500
places in the last year of the previous Labor Government; granting
4.7 million visas to visitors coming to Australia; and 163,000
people becoming Australian citizens (17 October 2014). More...
The DIBP Annual Report. More...
The ACBPS Annual Report. More...
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