Pollyana

Visa Application Charges (VACs) will change from 1 July 2015.

These adjustments include:
• A price increase in line with inflation (2.3 per cent) on visas which face strong international competition or have been impacted by recent price increases.

These include specific visas within the Permanent Migration Skill Stream, Skilled Graduate, Temporary Long Stay Business (Subclass 457), Visitor and Student visa streams.

• A 5 per cent price increase on visas which continue to see strong demand despite previous increases, or are likely to see a sustained volume increase through policy changes under consideration.

These include specific visas within the Temporary Resident Short Term Business and Entertainment visas, Working Holiday visas, Resident Return and Retirement Investor visas, and Contributory Parent visa streams.

• A 10 per cent price increase on specific visas within the Other Family (Remaining Relative, Carer and Aged Dependent Relative) visas, and (non-contributory) Parent visa streams where the underlying demand is not expected to be impacted by the price increase.

• A 50 per cent increase to the Significant Investor Visa (SIV) stream in the permanent migration Skill stream category where the VAC is a very small component of the minimum $5 million of investments required under the visa regulation.

• An alignment of VAC prices where a differential currently exists for lodging an onshore and offshore application for specific visa subclasses.Electronic Travel Authorities (ETA) , eVisa and Refugee and Humanitarian visas will not be affected by these changes. A comprehensive list of VAC price increases is included on the link below

http://www.immi.gov.au/pub-res/Docum...fact-sheet.pdf

Pollyana

One of the biggest changes I've spotted so far is that there will no longer be any difference in the cost of Spouse Visas - onshore and offshore will cost the same.

TeeTMI

It looks as if this will apply to a variety of visas. From the budget report "VACs for all visa applications made overseas will increase to align them with application charges in Australia, with the exception of Child Visas, for which domestic VACs will be reduced to match overseas VACs"

Veronika

Hello,

The link above does not work for me, so here is another link that should take you to details of the new charges:
http://www.immi.gov.au/pub-res/Docum...fact-sheet.pdf

Cheerio,
Veronika

jmm2905

Subclass 309/100 visas are increasing by $2235!

Pollyana

Yep, as I said above the offshore price is being increased to match the onshore one.

MarkHoath

You also be aware that the 300 subclass, Prospective Marriage Visa (which has no onshore equivalent) is increasing to $6865. It is unclear from the released information what the payment will be for the subsequent onshore 820 visa application.

Traditionally the total cost of the combined 300 / 820 has been the cost of the 820 visa. Whether of not this will be true into the future... will be known shortly !

TeeTMI

UPCOMING OUTAGES TO IMMIACCOUNT

The DIBP has announced that we should expect some outages of the online system leading up to 1st July. Therefore, you should allow plenty of time to lodge applications.

· There is an expected outage for eLodgement between 9pm (AEST) on Friday 26 June until 8am (AEST) on Saturday 27 June 2015. A second outage between midnight 30 June 2015 to 7am (AEST) 1 July 2015 is expected.

· It is further likely that a high volume of applications will be received in the days leading up to 1 July 2015. The resulting load on online channels may result in delays in online lodgments.

· The department will take no responsibility for any negative consequences as a result of the outages.

TeeTMI

Accounting Occupations Skills Assessment Core Units changes

Accounting Occupations:
The skills assessment Core Study areas to change as of 1st July.


The total number of core knowledge areas will be consolidated to nine (9) from the current twelve (12).

Accounting Occupations - skills assessments: New Core Areas | Taylor Made Immigration

or see the relevant assessing authority web page


Applications received after that date will be assessed on the new criteria.
If you are undertaking further study to meet the requirements check that you will still do so.

Pollyana

UPCOMING OUTAGES TO IMMIACCOUNT


ImmiAccount today is warning:

PLANNED SYSTEMS MAINTENANCE

ImmiAccount will be unavailable on the following dates/times AEST (GMT +10):
* 2pm to 6pm Saturday 6 June 2015
* 9pm Friday 26 June to 8am Saturday 27 June 2015
* 7pm Tuesday 30 June to 7am Wednesday 1 July 2015.

Pollyana

New Immigration Website coming on July 1st

All change once again....

New website - border.gov.au

From 1 July 2015, The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS) will integrate with the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (the Department) and the Australian Border Force will be established.

To support the integration, a new website will be launched at Australian Government Department of Immigration and Border Protection. From this date, internet searches for immi.gov.au and customs.gov.au will redirect to the new address.

Applications that are currently accessed using the immi.gov.au or customs.gov.au websites, such as ImmiAccount, VEVO, ICS or the Customs Connect Facility, will not be affected by this change and will continue to function as normal.

Pollyana

This thread is for factual information about the changes coming on July 1st.

Please don't post speculation or questions about what is coming as if it isn't already in the thread, none of us know about it! As more info comes out about the next 12 months in Immigration, we will post it in here.

TeeTMI

To add to the list

New Immigration Email Addresses as of July 1st

From DIBP for info
"From 1 July 2015 email addresses will change from '@immi.gov.au' or '@customs.gov.au' to '@border.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 - on 1 July 2015. At this time the Australian Border Force will be established within the Department. Please update your records and systems to reflect this change.

netad

Effective 1st July, South Australia is bringing changes in English Requirements for Engineering and ICT occupations. Now the requirement will be Proficient English in each band score or an overall band score of proficient plus.

Revised South Australian State Occupation List from 1 July 2015

Pollyana

The new Immigration website is here - http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visi

Please bear with the Mods as we try to update any dead links!