what’s news in immigration?

latest news 2 September 2008

Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme is more proof of Australia's new Pacific focus

20 August 2008 The Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme is a win-win for both Australia and the Pacific region as a whole and is not a cheap labour scheme according to the Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs Duncan Kerr. more...

Guest visa employers to be vetted, monitored

19 August 2008 Potential employers in the Pacific guest worker scheme will be strictly monitored to ensure short-term visa holders are not ripped off or exploited. The Australian pilot program will include one country each from Melanesia (Vanuatu), Polynesia (Tonga) and Micronesia (Kiribati), countries with a proven record of sending labour through the New Zealand Recognised Seasonal Employer Scheme. more...

457 visas now being processed faster: Evans

20 August 2008 Temporary visa applications to Australia are being processed faster and more efficiently since the setting up of three dedicated centres according to Immigration Minister Senator Chris Evans. Immigration department data released last month shows that 110,570 visas were granted to temporary skilled workers and their dependents in 2007-08, up from 87,310 in 2006-07. more...