The Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) has just updated their website with the occupation ceilings for the 2015 - 2016 programme year. You can find the occupation ceilings information here: SkillSelect and click on "Occupation ceilings" tab. The list already includes Cabinetmakers and Panelbeaters which were recently added on the Skilled Occupations List (SOL). The […]

To view the Skilled Occupation List, click here. The following article is sourced from minister.border.gov.au​: Joint media release - Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection and Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham, Assistant Minister for Education and Training Panelbeaters and cabinet makers will be added to the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) for […]

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) posted an update to the White Paper on Developing Northern Australia: Our North, Our Future. The White Paper includes a range of visa initiatives to encourage tourism to northern Australia, and to support development in the north. For further information see the White Paper on Developing Northern Australia: Our […]

On 1 July 2015, The Department of Immigration and Border Protection will launch a new website - https://www.border.gov.au. This will replace immi.gov.au and customs.gov.au. This is to reflect the Department of Immigration and Border Protection and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service integrating into a single organisation - the Department of Immigration and Border Protection […]

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) updated their Occupation Ceilings page on their website on 22 June 2015. The table below shows the top 10 occupation based on their ceiling value and their respective results to date. Occupation ID Description Ceiling Value Results to date 2544 Registered Nurses 15042 2811 3411 Electricians 7854 191 3312 Carpenters […]

The Australian Government has released its White Paper on Developing Northern Australia: Our North, Our Future on June 18, 2015. It includes a range of visa initiatives to encourage tourism to northern Australia, and to support development in the north. The visa initiatives will include a trial of 10 year validity Visitor visas for Chinese tourists. […]

DIBP announced that changes for the Visa Application Charges (VAC) will take effect in 1 July 2015 and these changes will be will fund investment for improvements to support stronger border and national security initiatives. You can find more details about the changes in VAC here. They also announced that The Department of Immigration and […]

27 May 2015, DIBP has announced that a Work and Holiday Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between Australia and the Slovak Republic. This means that Slovak Republic and Australia now have a reciprocal arrangement for Work and Holiday Visa (subclass 462) for the 2 countries. This would allow 200 young adults from each other's […]

Starting 1 July 2015, the Government is introducing a price increase to a few Visa Application Charges. The price increase will be used to fund for improvements to support stronger borders and national security initiatives. Permanent Migration Stream, Skilled Graduate, Temporary Long Stay Business (Subclass 457), Visitor and Student visa streams. 2.3% increase. Temporary Resident Short Term Business […]

DIBP posted an update that starting 22 May 2015, they will start collecting biometrics from applicants who are in Hong Kong at the time of making a visa application for Australia, unless exempted or excluded based on Australian Government Policy. Exemption: Holders of Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, British National Overseas, and People's Republic of […]