Business Innovation and Investment programme (Subclass 188 (Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional)) visa and Subclass 888 (Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent)) has a new Entrepreneur stream.

The new stream is designed to enhance the programme and attract individuals who are under 55 years old (unless the age requirement is waived by a nominating state or territory) and have obtained capital backing from a third party to develop and commercialize innovative and entrepreneurial ideas in Australia, with a pathway to permanent residence made available for those who demonstrate a successful record of undertaking entrepreneurial activities in Australia.

https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2016L01391 Schedule 1

IMMI 16/075 This instrument specifies activity requirements for applicants who may receive funding as part of their complying entrepreneurial activity: 

https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2016L01417

IMMI 16/074 This instrument specifies entities from which applicants may receive funding as part of their complying entrepreneurial activity:

https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2016L01415

There will be new 5 points in the points test for 189/190/489 visa available to prospective applicants who have completed at least two full academic years of post-graduate studies at doctoral or masters (research) level in specified fields, which may include science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or information and communication technology (Specialist Educational Qualification).

The Specialist Educational Qualification must be obtained at an Australian educational institution.

https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2016L01391 Schedule 2

IMMI 16/076 This instrument specifies fields of education for a person to meet the requirement for the award of a specialist education qualification:

https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2016L01412

• Parent (Migrant) (Class AX) and Aged Parent (Residence) (Class BP) visas: 1550; 
• Other Family (Migrant) (Class BO) and Other Family (Residence) (Class BU) visas: 520

https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2016L01398

Oral visa aplications for RRV will not possible. The online and paper application methods remain.

 https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2016L01390 Schedule 1

PayPal merchant fee surcharge of 1% for fees will be introduced.

Visa or MasterCard: from 1.08% to 0.98%
American Express or Japan Credit Bureau (JCB): 1.99% to 1.4% 
Diners Club International: 2.91% to 1.99%

https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2016L01390 Schedule 2 and Schedule 3

Applies to 309/300/820 visas.

The Government is strongly committed to reducing the rates of family violence in this country. Everyone in Australia has the right to feel safe and live without fear of violence. The Government has publicly declared that the issue needs to be elevated to our national consciousness, and has made it clear that domestic, family or sexual violence is unacceptable in any circumstance.

https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2016L01390 Schedule 6

New Partner Visa Framework

- BILL (NOT APPROVED YET)

Major partner visa changes are set to be implemented on 1 July 2017. There is a bill (Migration Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Bill 2016) introduced to the Parliament on 1 September 2016 which if approved will completely change the current partner visa framework.

The explanatory memorandum states that the intention is to:
· separate sponsorship assessment from the visa application process for family sponsored visas;
· require the approval of persons as family sponsors before any relevant visa applications are made;
· impose statutory obligations on persons who are or were approved as family sponsors;
· provide for sanctions if such obligations are not satisfied;
· facilitate the sharing of personal information between a range of parties associated with the program; and
· improve the management of family violence in the delivery of the program by allowing the refusal of a sponsorship application; and cancellation and / or barring of a family sponsor where inappropriate use of the program or serious offences are detected – especially those involving family violence.

Our understanding is the practical effect of these changes will be that a separate sponsorship application will be needed before a visa applicant is able to lodge a partner visa application. Employer sponsored visa applications are subject to a similar process. If this bill becomes a law, the accompanying regulations will reveal further details.

As a result, we can expect more paper work, more evidence and more scrutiny on partner visa applications. The sponsorship applications might be subject to a fee.

The bill can be accessed here: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2016B00094/Explanatory%20Memorandum/Text

Anyone interested about the progress of this bill can follow this link:

http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r5688

Temporary activity visa framework changes

Source: http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Work/temporary-activity-visa-changes

Legislation: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2016L01743

From 19 November 2016, the following visas would be closed to new applications:
Subclass 401 Temporary Work (Long Stay Activity) visa
Subclass 402 Training and Research visa
Subclass 416 Special Program visa
Subclass 420 Temporary Work (Entertainment) visa
Subclass 488 Superyacht Crew visa.

There would be four new visa subclasses introduced from 19 November 2016:
Subclass 400 Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa
Subclass 403 Temporary Work (International Relations) visa
Subclass 407 Training visa
Subclass 408 Temporary Activity visa.

The above scheme can be downloaded here

There will be a new single class of sponsor for 407 and 408 visas, called the ‘temporary activities sponsor’. This class of sponsor replaces six classes of sponsors:

- professional development sponsor;
- special program sponsor;
- superyacht crew sponsor;
- long stay activity sponsor;
- training and research sponsor; and
- entertainment sponsor.

The requirement for sponsors to complete a nomination in relation to sponsored visa applicants have been removed for all but the occupational training stream of the Subclass 407 visa. 

A uniform $275 visa application charges will apply to the new Subclass 407 and Subclass 408 visas, and the existing Subclass 400 and Subclass 403 visas.