Hunt Migration

23/05/2024

Time For Advice creates an accessible platform that simplifies getting answers to the problems that cause mountains of unnecessary stress, while being transparent in the way we operate through a passion of ethical, professional guidance.

12/03/2024

CHANGES TO THE EMPLOYERS SPONSORED PROGRAM

As we announced early last year the Department has confirmed that the current TSS program will be replaced with a three tier Skills in Demand Visa in 2024.

Three Tiered System

The Skills in Demand Visa consists of three distinct pathways based on annual earnings and occupation:

Tier 1 – Specialist Skills Pathway:

• Aimed at high-income earners, with a minimum annual earning threshold of $135,000.
• This tier does not have a specific occupation list but excludes trades workers, machine operators, drivers, and laborers.
• Offers visa processing times of approximately 7 days.

Tier 2 – Core Skills Pathway:

• Designed for individuals earning at least $70,000 annually.
• Focuses on occupations listed on a regularly updated Core Skills Occupation list managed by Jobs and Skills Australia.
• Processing of application to be completed within 21 days.

Tier 3 – Essential Skills Pathway:

• Targets occupations earning under $70,000 per year, focusing on essential skill sectors.
• This pathway is currently under assessment by the government and is expected to be more regulated and sector-specific. This pathway will involve union consultation by employers prior to applying.

To read more about the update, head to the Time For Advice Blog: https://www.timeforadvice.com/post/changes-to-employer-sponsored-program

01/03/2024

At Hunt Migration we continue to encourage clients to undertake their applications independently where possible.

Now, exclusively through time for advice (timeforadvice.com or the associated apps), our Principal Solicitor, Kenneth Hunt, is offering the following services to DIY applicants.

Ken will answer your migration questions for $50.00. This includes complex questions without attachments. Questions asked are given priority over those submitted directly through Hunt Migration.

Ken will answer your migration questions with accompanying documents for $75.00.
Ken will examine and settle your self-prepared visa application for $250.00. This includes checking the application and all necessary supporting documents. Advice will be supplied as to any remedial action that should be taken with regards the application.
Preparation of complex character or health submissions in response to a Departmental Request - $750.00.
Ken offers 30 minute video appointments for $200.00 which can be used in conjunction with any of the above services.

Ken has 20 years experience practicing in all areas of migration law, with particular experience in family and employer sponsored applications, and can guide applicants in the preparation and submission of their own applications.

Note: Settling visa applications does not include associated sponsorship or nomination applications. This service can be used for nominations and sponsorships but the questions/instructions must be posted directly by the nominating party or sponsor. This service cannot used used for the humanitarian program.

Time For Advice creates an accessible platform that simplifies getting answers to the problems that cause mountains of unnecessary stress, while being transparent in the way we operate through a passion of ethical, professional guidance.

06/11/2023

2 Year Transition to 186 Implementation Date

The government has announced the long awaited implementation date of the 186 transition changes.

From the 25th of November 2023 subclass 482 visas holders, in either the short term, medium term or labour agreement steams, will be able to transition to an Employer Sponsored 186 visa after holding their 482 visa for two years.

These changes will apply to any new or undetermined 186 application as of 25 November 2023.

It is important to remember that

The 186 has a higher English language threshold than the 482. All 186 applicants must have Competent English as evidence by a valid English language certificate or an appropriate exemption.
The new TSMIT of $70,000 per annum applies to all new 186 nominations.

If you have or will shortly have two years with your employer on a 482 visa contact Hunt Migration today to discuss your permanent residency options.

Australia's most trusted solicitors and registered migration agents. We can help you find an immigrat

13/10/2023

Hunt Migration Appointments

We have recently had feedback from some potential clients that they have rung and not received an immediate call back to discuss their migration options or issues.

We continue to offer our initial advice for free at Hunt Migration. Unfortunately this means that there is currently a wait for a call back unless there is a particular urgent issue that needs to be addressed. We understand that everyone’s issues are urgent to them, but unless you have an expiring visa in the next 7 days we will need to place you in the queue so all callers are treated fairly and equally.

Generally we prioritise enquiries as follows:

Existing clients – those who have a client agreement in place with Hunt Migration to manage an existing migration issue.
Urgent New Clients – those that have an urgent migration issue (e.g. a visa has been cancelled or a visa is expiring within the next 7 days).
New Clients – all other enquiries.

Our advice to new clients is about their migration prospects or issues and working out a migration plan for them with clear advice on potential next steps.

If you are managing your own application, or you would like your questions answered on a priority basis (or an appointment) then please use timeforadvice.com. This is a low cost paid service and lawyers will respond within 24 hours. Lawyers will respond outside normal working hours so this does not impact other clients.

We thank you for your understanding and we look forward to assisting you to achieve you migration goals.

26/09/2023

Some recent changes to the Subclass 408 Pandemic Visa means it has not yet completely closed to new applications.

To read more about it, head to our Blog here - https://www.timeforadvice.com/blogs

18/09/2023

Queensland State Sponsorship Program Open
The Queensland Government has announced it has received its allocation of places from the Federal government and the Qld Program is now open. The State governments have all received vastly reduced allocations of places, with QLD receiving 1500 places.
To read about this and more changes within Australian Migration, head to the Time For Advice Blog here - https://www.timeforadvice.com/blogs

01/08/2023

There have been a few changes in Australian Migration. Some of which include:

Lifting of the TSMIT
The Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) is now $70,000. From 1 July 2023, new nomination applications will be required to meet this threshold or the annual market salary rate, whichever is higher.

Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR)
Nominations must indicate a salary that is at least the TSMIT. For the Employer Sponsored Program, the salary must also be equivalent to the AMSR, to ensure employers aren’t using migrant workers to undercut the wages of Australians.

To read more about the details and changes, head to our blog - https://www.timeforadvice.com/blogs

14/07/2023

There have been a few changes in Australian Migration. Some of which include:

Labour Market Exemption UK Passport Holders
Which is due to the recent commencement of the Free Trade Agreement between the UK and Australia

Family members of New Zealand citizens
The backdating of permanent residence for SCV holders means that from 1 July 2023, any child born in Australia on or after 1 July 2022 to an SCV holder may automatically acquire Australian citizenship at birth.

No Income Requirement – Subclass 191
The Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa in the Regional Provisional stream is the pathway to permanent residence for eligible holders

To read more about the details of each one, head to our blog here - https://www.timeforadvice.com/blogs

05/12/2022

02/05/2022

Expanded regional areas for Brisbane and other migration updates.

There has been a significant expansion of the available regional postcode in and around Brisbane opening the door for many to access the 491, 494 and 191 visa programs. Read the full update and other changes to the program at http://tplshare.com/WUSBvh2

06/04/2022

http://tplshare.com/dNkNzjP

AGE EXEMPTIONS - 186 APPLICATIONS

The available age exemptions to make a 186 application have been extended to include 'Legacy 457 Workers'.
A Legacy 457 Workers means a person who

held a subclass 457 visa on or after 18 April 2017; and
was in Australia for at least 12 months between 1 February 2020 and 14 December 2021.

There is no age limit for those who meet the above requirements. The age exemption becomes available on 1 July 2022.

This combined with the previously announced changes to the 186 transition program opens the door those who have previously been on short term occupations or above to age limit to apply.

23/03/2022

186 PATHWAY CHANGES

Further to the previous advice on the amendments to the 186 transition pathway, we can now update our advice as follows as we have had time to fully analyse the legislative instrument.

The instrument creates two new eligible groups of ‘specified people’.

(1) Specified 457 visa holders who held a 457 visa on 18 April 2017 or was an applicant for a subclass 457 visa on 18 April 2017 that was subsequently granted, and

(2) Commencing on 1 July 2022, a person who was in Australia for at least 12 months between 1 February 2020 and 14 December 2021, and at the time the nomination is lodged is employed by a person actively and lawfully operating a business in Australia.

The amendments still require the nominee to hold a 482 visa in the Short-term stream. Other subregulations allow nominees to hold a 482 visa in the Medium-term stream or a bridging visa, however, for bridging visa holders, their last substantive visa must have been either a 457 or 482 visa. Any Temporary Residence Transition stream nomination must identify a primary 457 or 482 visa holders as part of the application.

The instrument is not limited to current 482 visa holders. If you satisfy the conditions of being a specified person in item (2) above and you subsequently obtain a 482 visa in the short term steam, then you will then be on a pathway to permanent residency through the transition stream.

457 visa holders must:

have held one or more 457 or 482 visas for at least 2 of the previous 3 years immediately prior to when the nomination application was lodged,

employed on a full-time basis in the position in relation to which the 457 or 482 visas were granted as the holder of one of these visas for at least 2 of the previous 3 years immediately prior to when the nomination application was lodged with unpaid leave not counting. If they were sponsored in an independent contractor occupation, they are required to be employed in the occupation for 2 years.

Other Specified persons as listed in item (2) above must:

have held one or more 457 or 482 visas for at least 3 of the previous 4 years immediately prior to when the nomination application was lodged,

employed on a full-time basis in the position in relation to which the 457 or 482 visa were granted as the holder of one of these visas for at least 3 of the previous 4 years immediately prior to when the nomination application was lodged with unpaid leave not counting. Again, if they were sponsored in an independent contractor occupation they are required to be employed in the occupation for 3 years.

Because most 482 visas in the Short-term stream are granted for at most 2 years those wanting to qualify as a specified person may need to apply for a further 482 visa with the same employer to achieve three years in order to apply for transition.

For both categories of persons there is no requirement for the nominated occupation to be on the 186 visa occupation list.

If due to the pandemic you took unpaid leave or had your full-time employment reduced due to related lockdowns during a concession period, which commenced on 1 February 2020 and is still going, the required 2 or 3 years of employment is reduced by that period.

The Minister had previously announced prior to the release of this instrument that certain age concessions would also be introduced. At this stage those concessions have not occurred and we shall advise further in that regard when further information is at hand.

Summary

SpecifIed 457 visa holders can still access the transition pathway after working for 2 years in the previous 3 regardless of occupation with allowable deduction for COVID related absences from work.

Other specified persons who on 1 July 2022 are a person who was in Australia for at least 12 months between 1 February 2020 and 14 December 2021 and worked for a lawfully operating business, who hold a 482 (either now or will obtain same in the future) will to eligible for the transition scheme after working on the 482 for at least 3 of the 4 year period prior to applying less any COVID related absences.

For any questions please contact Hunt Migration at [email protected] or on 1300 MY VISA

20/03/2022

PERMANENT RESIDENCY FOR SHORT TERM 482/457 HOLDERS

The Department of Home Affairs has now announced changes to the 186 transition pathway for those holding subclass 457 or 482 visas in any occupation regardless of stream in which the occupation falls.

The changes effectively open 186 transition visas to two groups of applicants as follows:

1. A person who on 18 April 2017 held a subclass 457 visa or had a pending 457 visa application that was subsequently granted.

This effectively extends the previous transition rule when the 457 was discontinued and the 482 was introduced.

If you fall into this category and you for two of the last three years have worked for a sponsoring employer you can access the 186 transition scheme for short term occupations.

2. Commencing 1 July 2022 if you are a subclass 482 holder and

- if you have been in Australia for at least 12 months between 1 February 2020 and 14 December 2021; and
- at the time of application you are employed by an employer actively and lawfully operating a business in Australia.

If you meet the above criteria and have worked for your sponsoring employer for two of the last three years while holding a 482 visa in the short term stream, you can on 1 July 2022 apply for a 186 transition visa.

The Amendments also allow applicants to apply based on two years working for their employer less any periods where they were stood down or had reduced work hours due to the pandemic.

Contact Hunt Migration today on [email protected] or call 1300 MY VISA.

08/02/2022

Full Border Opening 21 Feb 2022

The Prime Minister has announced that Australia will open its border for fully vaccinated tourists and all visa holders as of 21 February 2022.

This means tourist visas will again process as usual as well as other offshore applications. Those in Australia on a Bridging Visa A can now confidentially plan to travel offshore and return on a Bridging Visa B as long as they are fully vaccinated.

We hope, and will advise further, that the State governments now follow suit and open skilled nominations for offshore applicants in the coming weeks.

The full border opening is likely to trigger a large number of applications and as a result we expect to see processing times for all visas categories grow considerably

Contact us today at [email protected] or call 1300MYVISA

14/10/2021

UPDATE: To begin the recovery from the impact of COVID, South Australia has expanded their list of eligible occupations for offshore applicants.

High minimum work experience and English language levels apply.

The list and conditions of access can be found here: https://www.migration.sa.gov.au/news-events/skilled-migration-program-update-offshore-applicants

07/10/2021

UPDATE: We are still receiving a considerable amount of enquires about the agricultural visa. The detail of the visa was supposed to be fully released this month but we are still in the dark as to most of the detail as the release appears delayed.

We will advertise as soon as the information comes to hand.

Need instant answers on your visa application: www.timeforadvice.com