Beacon Migration

04/12/2024

New Core Skills Occupation List to target the skills Australia needs

​​On 3 December 2024,​ the Australian Government announced the release of the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL).

The new CSOL fulfils the Government’s commitment to replace complex, out of date and inflexible occupation lists in our temporary skilled visa program. The CSOL is a single consolidated list, informed by labour market analysis and stakeholder consultations by Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) that provides access to temporary skilled migration for 456 occupations.

The CSOL will apply to the Core Skills stream of the new Skills in Demand visa, which will replace the Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visa on 7 December 2024. The CSOL will also apply to the Direct Entry stream of the permanent Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa.

More details on other reform taking place on 7 December 2024, including the Skills in Demand visa and National Innovation visa, will be announced shortly.

Source: Department of Home Affairs Australia

04/12/2024

Get your visitor visa application right the first time and avoid common mistakes that will delay your visa decision.

You will get a faster visa outcome if your application has all the required information and documents we need to make a visa decision the first time - so check it twice before submitting.

Visit our website for tips on how to submit a complete and correct visitor visa application the first time 👉 https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/check-twice-submit-once/visitor-visa

28/11/2024

28/11/2024

On 14 November 2024, the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) cancelled the registration of a migration agent for a period of five years.

This followed the investigation into three complaints in relation to the agents conduct.

This sanction decision was made after the registered migration agent was found to have breached their obligations under the Code of Conduct while registered.

The OMARA regulates the registered migration agent (RMA) profession to protect consumers seeking RMA services.

27/11/2024

Protection visas (subclass 866) are for asylum seekers – people who face a real risk of significant harm or persecution in their home country.

They are not for people who just want to extend their stay in Australia to work.

If you are thinking about applying for a Protection visa, you should access the free legal advice from a specialist refugee and immigration legal provider.

10/10/2024

Permanent residents are urged to check visa before travelling overseas to avoid being stranded:
As a permanent visa holder, you must understand the conditions of your visa and your right to re-enter Australia before travelling overseas.

To return to Australia as a permanent visa holder, you must have a valid travel facility linked to your visa. Without a valid travel facility on your visa, you risk being stranded outside Australia.

A travel facility allows you to re-enter Australia multiple times during its validity period.

If you travel without a valid travel facility, or if it expires while you are overseas, you must be granted a Resident Return visa (RRV) before returning to Australia as a permanent resident.
For more information, contact us on [email protected]

10/10/2024

New Work and Holiday visa ballots
On 1 October 2024, a pre-application process (visa ballot) commenced under the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) program.

Visa ballot registrations opened for the following high-demand Work and Holiday (subclass 462) countries: China - India and Vietnam.
Visa ballots provide an equitable, streamlined and transparent way to randomly select first Work and Holiday applicants from partner countries where demand exceeds the number of places available in a program year.

The Department will conduct random selections of registrations over program year 2024-25.

We will notify​ those randomly selected by email and instruct them to apply for a first Work and Holiday visa online.

Applicants will need to meet all the standard eligibility requirements of the subclass 462 visa to be granted entry into Australia.

To learn more about the Work and Holiday visa ballots, including registration and selection periods, refer to https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/news-media/archive/article?itemId=1246 #
Source: Department of Home Affairs

28/08/2024

New York, the city that never sleeps....

22/07/2024

** New citizenship application fees from 1 July 2024 **

​​​​From 1 July 2024, new citizenship application fees will apply. Fees are changing to reflect the cost of processing applications. On 1 July each year, indexation is applied to citizenship application fees based on the consumer price index (CPI).

The new fees apply to all citizenship applications received by the Department of Home Affairs (the Department) at or after 12 am (AEST) on 1 July 2024.​
For more information, feel free to contact us via [email protected].

08/07/2024

Are you planning to apply for a Student or Student Guardian visa? Some important changes took effect on 1 July.

Temporary Graduate, Visitor, Maritime Crew and certain other temporary visa holders can no longer apply for a Student visa or a Student Guardian visa when in Australia.

To find out more about this change, visit: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/news-media/archive/article?itemId=1211

29/06/2024

As we at Beacon Migration do not process Employer Sponsored Visa subclasses, we gladly partner with Wickham Lawyers , who are not only highly experienced, but equally a pleasure to engage with as a client. They recently opened another office in Perth. Feel free to get in touch with them if you require sound Employer Sponsored Visa advice and remember to refer to this post.

28/04/2024

New Subclass 192 – Pacific Engagement Visa
A new permanent resident visa program for nationals of participating Pacific Island countries and people from Timor-Leste has been established.
The PEV’s goal is to grow the Pacific diaspora in Australia, and in doing so, enabling stronger people-to-people links, as well as creating robust cultural, business and educational exchange. This visa will commence this year and provide 3,000 permanent places for Pacific Island people. The quota is in addition to Australia’s existing permanent migration program.
People from the Pacific region who want to access the PEV are placed in a ballot which provides equal access regardless of skill level, occupation or gender. Applicants must also meet certain criteria, including:
- be aged between 18 and 45
- have a formal job offer in Australia
- meet other visa requirements, including English language testing, character and health checks.
PEV holders are subject to the same four-year Newly Arrived Resident Waiting period as other permanent residents, which applies to income support payments, including Job Seeker.

28/04/2024

Graduates! Big news! Australian Government's Migration Strategy brings changes to Temporary Graduate visa programs (subclass 485) from 1st July 2024, pending legislative approval.

Highlights:

▪️Lowering maximum age to 35
▪️Renaming 'Graduate Work' stream to 'Post-Vocational Education Work' stream
▪️Renaming 'Post-Study Work' stream to 'Post-Higher Education Work' stream
▪️Tweaking stay periods

https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/temporary-graduate-485/changes

🇦🇺

25/04/2024

Core Skills Occupations List (CSOL - Draft)
Employer-sponsored visas have become increasingly important in the current migration program year, especially as the number of invitations for state nominations and skilled independent visas has decreased.

The Government's plan to reform the sponsored program by introducing a new Skills in Demand visa in late 2024 appears to support a broader goal of a more targeted and responsive immigration system and complement the updates on the different Designated Area Migration Agreements.

Central to this reform and initiative is the Core Skills Occupations List (CSOL), currently in the draft stage and undergoing consultation to ensure it aligns with labour market needs.

The draft CSOL, based on the 2022 ANZSCO catalogue, includes occupations from ANZSCO Skill Levels 1 to 3. It is divided into categories for recommended inclusion, exclusion, and those needing targeted feedback based on labour market data and stakeholder input.

24/04/2024

Yes, us Registered Migration Agents have to abide by a strict Code of Conduct. Hence, it is important you do your 'homework' when choosing a Migration professional; someone you would feel very comfortable with to look after your best visa & immigration interests...

Since the beginning of 2024, four migration agents in Australia have been sanctioned by the Office of the Migration Agent Registration Authority (OMARA). According to OMARA, they have violated several obligations related to their duties as registered migration agents. Two of these sanctions have bee...

24/04/2024

Let's stay tuned:​​​​

The Government’s Migration Strategy was released on 11 December 2023. The strategy outlines a new vision for Australia’s migration system. It contains a policy roadmap with 8 key actions and over 25 new policy commitments and areas for future reform.

One of the key areas of future reform outlined in the Migration Strategy is to explore a reformed points test to better identify migrants to drive Australia’s long-term prosperity.

Australia uses a points test which attributes weightings and a pass mark to tailor the points tested visa programs. This reflects Australia’s long-term labour market needs. We invite independent migrants to apply for a visa based on their skills, attributes, and suitability for employment.

The points test objectively compares candidates’ skills sets and attributes needed to succeed in the Australian labour market and society. The current general points categories are:

Age;
English language proficiency;
Employment experience, both overseas and in Australia;
Educational attainment, including specialist qualifications and study in regional Australia; and
English language proficiency of the migrant’s partner.

The points test applies to the following visa programs:

Skilled Independent visa (Subclass 189) visa – for migrants with high levels of human capital
Skilled Nominated visa Subclass 190 visa – for migrants that have secured a nomination from an Australian State or Territory Government, and
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491) visa – for migrants nominated by a state or territory government agency, or sponsored by an eligible relative and intending to live and work in regional Australia.

(Source: Department of Home Affairs)

Testing for prospective migrants to Australia to obtain visas is set to undergo its first overhaul in more than a decade as part of a revamp of the country's immigration system.