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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Annual report season: Processing woes; permanent migration places to remain at 190 000

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Annual report season: Processing woes; permanent migration places to remain at 190 000

The Department of Home Affairs and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal released their 2017-18 annual reports. Both provide good insights into their performance over the last year and their shortcomings, namely that processing of certain applications have slowed.

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