Insights

                If you ever applied for a Partner Visa (subclass 820/309), you know that a processing time for this visa subclass can be up to 20 months. This means that partner visa applicants and their sponsors have to wait for a decision for almost 2 years before they…

On 17 January 2018 the Australian Government released another set of important changes to the lists of eligible skilled occupations for Australia’s skilled visa programs.             The following changes have already taken effect: three occupations were added to the lists of eligible skilled occupations (Property Manager, Psychotherapist, Real Estate Representative);…

Good news for the 457 Visa Holders and Applicants! In November 2017, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection has announced in its official communication that 457 holders and applicants as of 18th  April 2017 will NOT need to meet all of the new requirements.  Namely, the transitional provisions still apply to so called “grandfathered” 457 holders,  which…

PHILLIP SILVER REPRESENTS OUR CLIENT (AN EMPLOYEE) AND WINS IN THE COURT OF APPEAL SUPREME COURT NEW SOUTH WALES AGAINST STATE TRANSIT AUTHORITY (EMPLOYER) ON 24 OCTOBER 2017   Our client, Mr Jamal Marroun  worked for the State Transit Authority (“STA”) for some 38 years. On 19 May 2015, he was dismissed from his employment. Mr Marroun appealed against…

Last week was incredibly successful for our team of immigration lawyers and migration agents. The Department of immigration and Border Protection have approved Permanent Residency for several of our clients. Namely, we have received three PR visa approvals for the following types of visas: the subclass 186 employer sponsor approval the subclass 189 skilled migration…

  As you may probably know, certain legislative changes to the 457-visa program have been introduced by the Australian Government in the last several months. We have summarised below the most important provisions affecting new applicants and current 457-visa holders. Changes affecting new 457-visa applicants    Occupations The Department of Immigration have reviewed the Occupations…

A Brisbane-based Australian Business sponsor was  investigated by the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) for allegedly ordering an overseas worker on a 457 skilled worker visa to pay back $18,000 of his wages through an unlawful cash-back payment. The sponsor was ordered to pay more than $180 0000 in penalties. The worker’s contract stated he was to…

By now, you would probably have heard about the recent changes to the 457-visa program introduced by the Turnbull Government and its eventual abolition which will come in March next year. Some of these changes have already taken effect while others are being incrementally introduced. By March 2018 the 457-visa program will cease and will…