Roundtable Discussions with the Department

Ajuria Lawyers was honoured to be one of a small group of practitioners who were invited to a recent meeting in Canberra with senior policy-makers in the Skilled Migration Division of the Department of Home Affairs.

The Department offered the following useful information:

• The abolition of the 457 visa and introduction of the TSS is seen as a large success with the higher scrutiny of visa applications and the lower visa grant numbers.
• The 457 case load has reduced from 43,000 applications as of March 2018, to 6,000 applications. It is envisaged that this backlog will be cleared by the end of the year.
• Flexibility will be applied to “accredited status” guidelines for Business Sponsors, to enable more sponsors to attain this status.
• Priority processing requests will no longer be accepted, however applications for business sponsors with “accredited status” will automatically be accorded priority.
• Officers are under no obligation to request further information before making a decision on applications.

The meeting was invaluable in understanding “which way the wind is blowing” at the Department and Ajuria Lawyers welcomes such opportunities.

DISCLAIMER This information is current as of 6 November 2018 and subject to change. The information contained in this publication is of a general nature only. It should not be used as legal advice. To the extent permissible by law, Ajuria Lawyers and its associated entities shall not be liable for any errors, omissions, defects or misrepresentations in the information or for any loss or damage suffered by persons who use or rely on such information. Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.