June and July at Nomos
The crossover from one financial (and migration) year to the next shaped up to be one of the most eventful the Nomos team has seen to date! Check out our highlights below:
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- The leadup to the end of financial year meant that June and July brought plenty of decisions for our clients. We saw more grants in the TSS (subclass 482), temporary Partner (subclass 820), permanent Partner (subclass 801), Resident Return (subclass 155), Student (subclass 500) [the result of our pro bono programme] and Visitor (subclass 600) visa categories along with a handful of Australian citizenship grants. In addition to these visa grants, we were also very pleased by the approval of several Standard Business Sponsorships and a company-specific Labour Agreement. All wonderful news for our clients!
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- The new migration year (from 1 July) saw numerous changes, some of which have been anticipated for some time and others that are brand new. One such (positive) example is, with effect from 1 July 2024, young people who hold a valid Philippines passport will be eligible to apply for subclass 462 Work and Holiday visas. Filipinos who want to apply for a Work and Holiday visa must, among other requirements, hold relevant tertiary qualifications (e.g. a degree) or have successfully completed at least 2 years of undergraduate study or post-secondary education. This is a welcome opportunity for Filipinos to travel around and work in Australia.
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- In July, the new Workplace Justice (subclass 408) visa pilot launched and is already providing some much-needed hope to migrant workers who have been or are being exploited by an employer. An individual granted such a visa will be able to remain in Australia for up to 12 months in order to pursue an active workplace claim against a former employer, and will be able to apply for subsequent visas if needs be. This pilot program is expected to run for 2 years to test its viability and effectiveness at combatting migrant worker exploitation. If you want to learn whether or not this visa is an option for you, please contact us for a confidential discussion without delay.
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- Just this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese executed a significant cabinet reshuffle which saw The Hon. Clare O’Neil MP moved from being the Minister for Home Affairs (a position she held since 1 June 2022) to being both the Minister for Housing and Minister for Homelessness. In the same change-up, The Hon. Andrew Giles MP was removed as the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs (the position he also has held since 1 June 2022) and was announced as Minister for Skills and Training. As part of this frontbencher refresh, the vast home affairs portfolio has been placed firmly within the responsibility of The Hon. Tony Burke MP, who previously held the position of Minister for Immigration, Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship briefly in 2013 under the Rudd government. Mr Burke has taken on a number of notable responsibilities as part of the cabinet shakeup, and is now the Minister for Home Affairs, the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, the Minister for Cyber Security and also the Minister for the Arts. Only time will tell as to what may come of this major frontbench overhaul and how it impacts the immigration space in Australia.
That’s the Nomos wrap-up for June and July. See you next month!
*This is general information only, as at the date of publication, and should not be interpreted as legal advice. For an accurate and current assessment of your circumstances and visa options, please contact us to receive this advice.
