8 Crucial Australian Visa Reforms In 2016

Year 2016 saw some consequential Visa reforms in Australia. In the wake of new government policies, several amendments were made to various types of visas which are as under:

Student Visa

Some significant changes were brought into effect on July 1^st, 2016 to streamline student visa. With an objective to simplify student visa application process, Australia’s simplified student visa framework was introduced on the same date.

The Changes

• Irrespective of their chosen stream of study, international students will apply for a single student visa which falls under subclass 500
• Guardians of student visa applicants will require to apply for the new Student Guardian Visa falling under subclass 590
• Student visa and Guardian student visa applicants will require to apply for respective visas online by creating an account on https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/Trav/Visa/Immi

New Work Visas

4 new work visas were introduced by the Australian government on November 19^th, 2016. With an aim to curb red tape, the government has eliminated the sponsorship and nomination requirements for certain activities requiring stay for small periods.

The new sub classes are:

• Subclass 400 Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa
• Subclass 403 Temporary Work (International Relations) visa
• Subclass 407 Training visa
• Subclass 408 Temporary Activity visa.

Temporary Parent Visa Announced

New temporary parent visa was announced by the government in September 2016, which will take effect from July, 1^st, 2017. The government is working on the development of a legislation;in this regard for which they have initiated community consultations and have already invited parent visa submissions. Now that’s good news, right?

Optional Priority Service For Indian Visa Applicants

December, 5th, 2016 on-wards Indian citizens applying for a visitor visa falling under subclass 600 (both tourist and business), can opt for priority service to get the process expedited for an additional fee of $1000. This facility is available at selected Australian Visa Application centres in India inclusive of New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Pune, Mumbai (N), Mumbai (S), Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Chandigarh and Jalandhar.

Students Pursuing STEM Will Get Extra Points

September 10^th, 2016 on-wards, students who have completed Masters or Doctoral by research level qualifications in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths or certain Information technology and communication related streams from Australian institutions will be eligible for 5 extra points on the skill test.

This will increase their chances for a permanent residency in Australia.

60 Days Stay On 457 Visa

Foreign workers on 457 visa will be able to stay in Australia only for 60 days instead of 90 days as earlier post their employment ends in Australia. The announcement was made in November 2016 and the government is also considering to slash the list of occupations that bring foreign workers to Australia on 457 visa.

Automatic Visa Nomination For Phd Graduates

Australian Government is in process of introducing a more streamlined, automatic and free nomination of skilled visa migration for Phd graduates from a Canberra University. Minimal documentation, elimination of $300 service fee and faster processing will be some of the benefits, applicants will derive.

New Entrepreneur Visa Introduced

With an aim to promote entrepreneurship and encourage upcoming zealous entrepreneurs, the Australian goverment has introduced a new entrepreneur visa in September last year. This visa provision will allow entrepreneurial brains with out of the box ideas and funding of $200,000 from a third party, to bring their dreams to life. Besides, it will also increase their chances to obtain permanent residency in the country.

If you need any assistance regarding visa processing or consultation for which visa will be the best for you, feel free to get in touch with us.