News

News May 31, 2021 newstarsec

New financial year skilled migration quota breakdown released! 491/190/189/employer-sponsored all increase! GTI and investor migration decrease!

Today, the Federal Parliament's Senate website released the meeting transcript documents for the 2021–2022 Budget Estimates, including the transcripts from last week's two-day hearing on the 24th and 25th, which questioned the Department of Home Affairs and the immigration authorities. Budget Estimates hearings are typically held by a dedicated parliamentary committee within a few weeks of the budget being handed down, calling on the heads of various portfolios to explain how specific budget-related decisions were made. Naturally, what we care about most is the questions relating to the Department of Home Affairs' immigration programs — particularly the migration quota issues tied to the budget.

News May 31, 2021 newstarsec

Weekly Visa, Invitation & Skills Assessment Data Roundup (24–30 May)

This data is Newstars Education & Migration's internal data. Date range: 24–30 May; provided for reference only.

News May 30, 2021 newstarsec

[Video] The Complete Guide: 6 Australian Investor Migration Pathways!

Is an investment of 100,000 enough? Is there an age requirement? How do policies change around each state's financial year? Who is each of the six pathways best suited to? Wherever you are on your migration journey — whatever confusion or difficulty comes up — you'll find your answers with MigrationStar Insights.

News May 28, 2021 newstarsec

Covid-19 Vaccine Weekly Update (21–28 May 2021)

As of this Friday, Australia had administered a total of 4,031,539 vaccine doses. Over the past 7 days, an average of 79,800 doses were administered daily (up from an average of 70,300 doses daily the previous week). At the current rate, it will take more than 18 months to reach herd immunity.

News May 27, 2021 newstarsec

Australia’s genuine long-term shortage occupation! Plenty of jobs ~ high pay ~ high visa grant rates ~ placement included! Plus a range of current visa and policy concessions!

Many students who come to Australia to work while studying part-time, or who need to renew their visa after their Subclass 485/WHV visa expires, often ask: Is it easy to find work in this or that occupation? Is the pay good? Will I really be able to find a job after I graduate?

News May 26, 2021 newstarsec

Latest! Government considering extending or temporarily freezing the 485 work visa! A new renewal pathway for many international students — full-time work for 1 year, plus no visa application fee!

Immigration Minister Alex Hawke touched on a wide range of migration and visa issues in an interview with Sky News yesterday — covering the New Zealand citizen stream, refugees, and temporary visas — before turning to graduating and soon-to-graduate international students. Many have had their Subclass 485 visa go to waste due to COVID-19 travel disruptions, given that this visa only offers one chance as a primary applicant, and — apart from those who graduated within a specific window while offshore — must be applied for within 6 months of graduation.

News May 25, 2021 newstarsec

189/190 actual visa grant waiting times! Over 3,000 people still waiting for a visa under NSW 190! The industries with the most approved critical-skills border entry exemptions!

In terms of current visa processing speed, state-nominated categories managed by state governments are relatively fast — for example, the group of students who received NSW pre-invitations two weeks ago have, from last weekend through this week, received their formal nominations after submitting their complete documents, and the next step is lodging the visa application. Right now, apart from engineering/ICT/accounting plus PMSOL pandemic-era critical-skills occupations, most applications are stuck at the Department of Home Affairs' visa processing stage.

News May 24, 2021 newstarsec

[Video] 189/190 “old applications” being cleared! Minister reveals new financial year migration program reform details! Victoria/Tasmania/Canberra invitation news!

April visa processing speed update! Is it finally the "old backlog's" turn? Victoria's final ROI round for this financial year! Tasmania quota and processing update! Canberra continues weekly invitations! Petition for parents to enter? More details on investor migration reform? For more news, watch episode 39 of "Australia Migration Need-to-Know" (17 May – 23 May)

News May 24, 2021 newstarsec

A “flexible either way” migration major — multiple pathways to PR, or a well-paid career back home! No relevant background needed, and language shortfalls can be fixed too!

In this era of frequently changing Australian migration policy, a "flexible either way" study-abroad major (letting you work back home AND migrate) has become the must-have first choice for people completing their qualification in Australia. Being a migration major that also allows a return home for career development is the top priority for many students and parents alike!

News May 21, 2021 newstarsec

A Letter to You, Caught in an Impossible Bind on the Migration Journey.

Even before the pandemic, things were getting harder and harder. Picture someone adrift at sea, struggling to reach the shore — the difficulty back then was like a levee being built higher bit by bit. You kept swimming ahead, kept climbing, and even though you had to absorb blow after blow from that rising wall, at least you could see a direction, a target.