June 2022 wrap-up

• • Following the Federal election and the subsequent change in government last month, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs Andrew Giles MP gave his first speech in the role at the Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia (FECCA) Conference in Melbourne and used this opportunity to announce his priority to deal with the “neglect and gridlocking of the visa system” he has inherited from the previous government. We have seen this start to play out, with the month bringing a number of temporary and permanent visa grants across the programme. The government’s focus, at this stage, is on supporting the economic recovery needed after the COVID-19 pandemic, with particular emphasis on businesses that are struggling to find skilled staff to fill their open roles. From 1 July 2022, the annual reset of places in the migration programme will also allow for more opportunities for migrants, with various pathways for skilled workers increasing by more than 30,000 places. The Labour Government has also highlighted its intention to promote a focus on permanent residency pathways for temporary residents to combat the uncertainty many might feel with the increase in the intake of temporary migrants in the near future.

• • This month also marked the 30th anniversary of the landmark High Court decision (Mabo v Queensland (No 2) [1992] HCA 23) that overturned the doctrine of ‘terra nullius’, the colonial fiction that Australia belonged to no one before the arrival of the English in 1770. The decision is rightly remembered by many simply by the surname of its foremost champion, Mabo, for it was Eddie Koiko Mabo and his wife Bonita who fought to overturn the doctrine that dismissed the claims of First Nations people in Australia. 30 years on from this monumental legal decision, we honour Eddie Mabo and his family for the great impact their fight has had for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

• • Many know that June was Pride Month, a time in which we celebrate the LGBTQI+ community and offers each individual the opportunity to be proud of who they are and all the uniqueness they bring to the rich tapestry of the modern world. What many may not know, however, is that June is Pride Month (as opposed to, say, March when the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras takes place each year) as it honours the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, New York. The 1969 Stonewall Uprising was a significant tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the USA which reverberated throughout the Western world. The Stonewall Uprising, which took place over the course of 6 days, began at the Stonewall Inn, Manhattan (a gay bar) was repeatedly raided without cause by the police. Fed up with the status quo of being labelled ‘abnormal’ and oppressed for being who they were, many banded together to stand up to their government and finally say “enough is enough”. A year after the uprising, the first gay pride marches took place in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York, and within a few short years, gay rights organisations were founded across both the USA and the world beyond.

• • Across the ditch, our clients in New Zealand have kept us busy as the new Accredited Employer Work Visa framework is being phased in for full implementation next Monday, 4 July 2022. The new temporary work visa programme replaces six current work visa pathways streamlining immigration processes for New Zealand employers needing to hire immigrants to fill vacancies into a simplified, three-step single accreditation application process. If you would like to learn more about this new programme or feel it might impact you, please contact us.

That’s the Nomos wrap-up for June. See you next month!