News

News December 15, 2021 newstarsec

Australia Opens Its Borders Today — Live Photos! Real Opportunities for Offshore Skilled Migrants, Plus Low-Score Invitations and Offshore-Eligible Recommendations!

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!

News December 13, 2021 newstarsec

It’s Really Happening! PM and Health Minister Jointly Confirm: Borders Open on the 15th! Check International Arrival Requirements by State!

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!

News December 10, 2021 newstarsec

Accountant Approved in 1 Month, Chef Nominated in 2 Months! Processing Is Flying! International Graduates, Make the Most of Your Subclass 485 Period with a “Combined Strategy”!

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?

News December 9, 2021 newstarsec

Graduation Season Meets the New 485 Policy — How to Make Every Year Count, Maximise Your Migration Outcomes, and Secure Your PR!

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!

News December 8, 2021 newstarsec

PM confirms: borders reopen in one week — looking good so far! Unpacking the Subclass 485 new policy and how it can restart your migration plans, plus Q&A!

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.

News December 7, 2021 newstarsec

Critical Skills Shortage! Australia Invests $20 Million to Support Regional and Migrant Employment — Fees Waived! Are 70,000 Vacancies Waiting in Top Migration Occupations?!

As Australia continues its post-pandemic recovery, the country faces a serious shortage of both workers and skills — something many of you will already be aware of. Job advertisement numbers are currently at a 13-year high.

News December 6, 2021 newstarsec

PR Gave Birth Overseas During the Pandemic — What Visa Does the Baby Need to Return to Australia? Australian or Chinese Citizenship?

As borders gradually reopen, PRs and citizens who gave birth overseas — or soon-to-be PRs still awaiting their visa grant — may be planning to bring their child back to Australia. How do you apply for the child's entry visa?

News December 3, 2021 newstarsec

Waiting for Your Visa Grant? | Latest 190/491/189/489 Onshore & Offshore Grant Numbers, Backlog, New Lodgements, Key Occupations…

Over the past week or two, the news has been dominated by border reopening announcements and the new Subclass 485 visa. But what about those still waiting for their visa to be granted? What about onshore applicants holding bridging visas who have been waiting endlessly? Or those offshore waiting for their PR or near-PR visa to be granted before they can re-enter? Entering the new financial year, the rate of visa grants has once again left many feeling resigned. Today we bring you some new data — while granted visas remain few and far between, at least we're no longer completely in the dark. Our focus is on the four most popular skilled migration visa subclasses for international students: 190/491/189/489.

News December 2, 2021 newstarsec

Borders Set to Reopen — A Low-Cost Visa to Work and Study in Australia! Legal Work Rights, Easy to Obtain from Overseas!

After Australia announced last week that it would reopen borders to student visa holders and other groups from 1 December, many people began planning their visa applications for Australia. Although the reopening has been delayed to 15 December due to the emergence of a new variant, it is still just around the corner. The Australian Government’s position is that this is not a long-term control measure — just a pause button to allow authorities more time to assess the situation — and an earlier reopening before 15 December has not been ruled out.

News December 1, 2021 newstarsec

Department of Home Affairs Website Updates Subclass 485 Policy — Offshore Approval Rules Revised! Immigration Minister Questioned Over Late 485 Compensation Policy! Treasurer: No Plans for Long-Term Border Controls!

Last week's major good news, beyond the border reopening, included the Subclass 485 visa — three-year postgraduate Subclass 485 visas are already being granted, yet the new replacement visa that Subclass 485 holders stranded overseas can apply for won't be available until 1 July 2022. The first happened so swiftly, while the second has dragged on so long — it's genuinely puzzling.