Special visa arrangements for Hong Kong passport holders; new skilled occupation lists coming soon?

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Special visa arrangements for Hong Kong passport holders; new skilled occupation lists coming soon?

The prime minister has set out a plan for certain Hong Kong passport holders who hold Australian visas to extend their stay in Australia for up to 5 years. Additionally, new student graduates and temporary work visa applicants will also have access to a 5-year visa, with a pathway to a permanent visa available. The government has also set its sights on attracting Hong Kong’s best a brightest workers and businesses.

But perhaps the biggest announcement may be that revisions to the skilled occupation lists are coming sooner rather than later.

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ImmiAccount system outage from 7 pm on 30 June, credit card and PayPal surcharge increases from 1 July 2020

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ImmiAccount system outage from 7 pm on 30 June, credit card and PayPal surcharge increases from 1 July 2020

ImmiAccount and other major online services provided by the Department of Home Affairs will be down for scheduled maintenance from 7 pm (AEST) 30 June 2020 until 9 am (AEST) 1 July 2020. While there has been no news on any changes to visa application charges or other migration- and citizenship-related fees, the surcharge for Visa and Mastercard payments and PayPal will increase, with an important warning for any applicant seeking to avoid surcharges altogether by using BPAY.

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491/189 visas: SkillSelect EOI invitation numbers fall off a cliff to 100…no surprises why

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491/189 visas: SkillSelect EOI invitation numbers fall off a cliff to 100…no surprises why

The number of invitations issued for Subclass 189 – Skilled Independent visas and Subclass 491 – Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visas sponsored by an eligible relative dropped to only 100 invitations in total for April 2020. Reasons why and a brief history of recent skilled migration reforms are provided.

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COVID-19: 408 visa to the rescue for temporary visa holders stuck in Australia

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COVID-19: 408 visa to the rescue for temporary visa holders stuck in Australia

Last updated: 8 January 2021

The legislative instrument that classifies the COVID-19 as an Australian Government endorsed event was registered yesterday. Just who can (or rather should apply) for this visa appears more of a circumstance created under policy than fact.

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