Month: December 2021

Australia reopened its borders on 15 December, and many students planning to work and study are already arranging their return — some have even arrived. The Australian Prime Minister, along with New South Wales and Victoria (the more economically developed and populous states), has repeatedly emphasised the need to live with COVID-19, maintain open borders, and not return to lockdowns.

Subclass 190 grants permanent residency in one step, while Subclass 491 is a ‘near-PR’ — a five-year visa that entitles holders to Medicare. Holders must continuously live and work in a designated regional area (anywhere outside Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane), and must use three Notice of Assessment documents — one per financial year — to demonstrate pre-tax gross income of at least $53,900 in each of three financial years before applying for Subclass 191 permanent residency. Pre-tax income is not limited to salary; it can also include ABN self-employment income, small business income, interest, and other income sources.

The New South Wales state government released a series of updates ahead of the holiday period — and these are significant updates.

Queensland state nomination has been open for nearly two months this year, and the small business stream has been the standout performer: invitations have been fast, with the quickest applicant receiving an invitation just 2 weeks after submission and nomination materials approved in 3 days; invitation scores have been low, with 65-point clients receiving invitations with ease.

Updated on the 16th, the Department of Home Affairs has updated the general waiting times for applicants who received a grant in November 2021,

On 22 November, the announcement that Australia’s borders would open to fully vaccinated students and most work visa applicants from 1 December flooded social media feeds. However, on 29 November, the policy was temporarily pushed back to 15 December due to the impact of a new variant. This Monday, both the Prime Minister and the Minister for Health confirmed there will be no further delays — you can return on the 15th!

This morning, the long-anxious wait over Australia’s border reopening finally came to an end! At this morning’s press conference, the Health Minister clearly confirmed that the border will open on the 15th as planned!

Don’t have an overseas qualification but have years of industry experience — worked your way up from junior to senior — only to find the migration pathway seems to ask you to start over as a student?

December is graduation season in Australia. Based on our years of experience and recent consultations, many students are weighing up whether to continue their studies in Australia — progressing from undergraduate to postgraduate, or pursuing a second master’s degree — or whether applying for the Graduate Work visa better suits their situation. This article provides a detailed breakdown of which path works best for you, especially for those with migration plans: making the most of your work visa period is a critical step on the road to permanent residency!

It’s that time of year again — graduation season. Where should you go after graduation? Stay in Australia, or head straight back home? Just as everyone was feeling lost, the Prime Minister came through with some exciting news.