Stories From The Shadows

This week, the Global Immigration team at Smith Stone Walters would like to highlight the following recent updates from Canada, Denmark, Hungary, Ireland & Kazakstan. Canada: New Permanent Residence Pathway for Ukrainian Nationals Effective 23 October 2023, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will introduce a new permanent residence pathway for Ukrainian nationals. To qualify, Ukrainian nationals must be in Canada with temporary resident status and have one or more family members in Canada. Those who are eligible include Ukrainian spouses, common-law partners, parents, grandparents, siblings and children or grandchildren of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. Ukrainians holding a Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) visa will have until 31 March 2024, to travel to Canada under the temporary special measures. Following the end of overseas applications under CUAET on July 15, 2023, Ukrainians and their family members can still apply for a tem...

Ontario immigration has issued Notifications of Interest to 95 candidates in a new draw through the Express Entry-linked French Speaking Skilled Worker stream. The July 25 Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program draws saw NOIs issued to candidates with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score between 321 and 374. To qualify, candidates also needed work experience in TEER Category 0, 1, 2 or 3 of the National Occupational Classification (NOC). To qualify for both draws, candidates had to submit Express Entry profiles within the last year. Candidates must have a minimum of Canadian Language Benchmark 7 in French and 6 in English to qualify for the FSSW program. Latest Ontario FSSW Draws Date NOIs Issued CRS Score Range Express Entry profile submission date July 25, 2023 95 321-374 July 25, 2022 – July 25, 2023 What Are The Requirements For The Ontario Express Entry: French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream? To qualify applicants must have: Pending application under the Federal Express Entry sys...

About 380,000 New Zealanders will gain the right to apply for Australian citizenship without becoming permanent residents first, under sweeping changes restoring reciprocity to the rights of expats of the two countries. On Saturday the Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, and immigration minister, Andrew Giles, will announce the changes ahead of a visit by New Zealand prime minister Chris Hipkins. Before 2001, New Zealanders who came to Australia were automatically granted permanent residency but under changes by the Howard government, new arrivals were placed on a special category visa. This allowed New Zealanders to live and work in Australia indefinitely but placed limits on their access to Medicare and welfare and required them to apply for permanent residency before seeking citizenship. Permanent visas such as the subclass 189 skilled independent visa were subject to medical and income tests, leaving some without a pathway to Australian...

Your student visa requires you to enroll in a full-time study load each semester (24 credit points) or research period (1.0 EFTSL). If you are unable to study full-time due to compassionate or compelling circumstances, you may be able to apply to reduce your study load. For coursework, it means that the majority of your units are completed during the standard semesters. For Teaching Period 1, you must enroll in at least 24 credit points from January to June. At least 18 credit points need to be completed in the Semester 1 session, or sessions other than Intensive January, Intensive February or Intensive June. For Teaching Period 2, you need to enroll in a minimum of 24 credit points from July to December. At least 18 credit points need to be completed in the Semester 2 session, or sessions other than Intensive July or Intensive December. The Equivalent Full-Time Student Load (EFTSL) of each research period varies for research. A full-time student load is 1.0 EFTSL. A part-time load is ...

The body established to advise the government on workforce training and skills shortages will be made permanent, and its remit broadened to include consultation with the states and territories and the ability to undertake targeted studies. Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) was established by the new Labor government in July last year in an interim capacity. While a Director was appointed and the body commenced its work, the government consulted broadly on how it should operate going forward. These consultations have now concluded, and the government has acted to make JSA permanent and significantly expand its scope. The Jobs and Skills Australia Amendment Bill was introduced to the lower house on Wednesday by Minister for Skills and Training Brendan O’Connor. As part of the changes, a Ministerial Advisory Board will be established to provide advice to JSA, with its members sourced from the states and territory governments, unions, employers and experts. “Advice from the Ministerial Advis...

Introduction Studying abroad is an enriching experience that not only offers academic growth but also provides a platform for personal development and cultural exchange. Australia has emerged as one of the top destinations for international students, offering world-class education and diverse opportunities. To attract and retain talented graduates, the Australian government introduced the Subclass 476 visa, also known as the Post-Study Work Visa. In this article, we will delve into the details of Subclass 476, exploring its eligibility criteria, benefits, and application process. Overview of Subclass 476 Subclass 476 is a temporary visa that allows recent engineering graduates from recognized institutions to gain valuable work experience in Australia. This visa is unique as it does not require a job offer for application, making it a popular choice among international graduates seeking employment opportunities in Australia. Eligibility Criteria To be eligible for the Subclass 476 visa,...

The Australian government will be extending the Temporary Graduate Work visa (subclass 485) for more than 400 bachelor’s and master’s programs and all Ph.D. programs from July 2023.  This means undergraduates in any of these 400 programs will now be able to stay and work in Australia for four years, rather than two years. Master’s students studying within the selected disciplines will be able to stay for five years, rather than three.  Ph.D. graduates in any discipline will be able to stay in Australia for six years instead of four.  Degrees Selected for Extension of Post-Study Work Rights  The government announced that the extended post-study work rights would apply to graduates of qualifications for certain occupations including: - Medicine  - Psychology  - Optometry  - Pharmacy  - Teaching  - Engineering  - Information and communication technology  - Agriculture  - Food technology  Students are expected to check whether...

New visa fees, reinstated work caps for international students, extension of the Temporary Graduate Visa, post-study work rights and raised temporary skilled migration income threshold are some changes commencing from July 1 2023. Here's a snapshot of all the major visa changes coming into effect this year. From July 1 2023, the Australian Government will implement many reforms on various visa categories in Australia's migration program. Last month, Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil announced significant changes to almost every visa category following a review that found that the country's current migration system needs to attract the most skilled people. Speaking to SBS Punjabi, Perth-based migration consultant Narinder Kaur Sandhu offers insights into the changes to visas in Australia for the 2023-2024 financial year and the implications of these changes. Here are some major changes she explained are taking place in the new financial year. New Visa Fees Effective Fro...

Payroll jobs rose 0.3 per cent in the month to 10 June 2023, following a 1.1 per cent rise in the previous month, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Bjorn Jarvis, ABS head of labour statistics, said: "We saw a broadly similar pattern in the latest data to that seen last year, with slower growth in payroll jobs between mid-May and mid-June following the recovery from the low around the Easter holiday period." The end of the financial year usually involves a higher degree of reporting variation, as employers finalise their employees' earnings information and the financial year is reset in payrolls. "It can be more challenging to interpret short-term changes in the labour market from this data around June and July. As payroll reporting becomes more complete, there tends to be a slightly higher level of revision than usual across this period." "At this time of the year it's useful to take a longer view of the d...

Australia's skilled migration program is a popular pathway for Indian professionals  seeking to immigrate to Australia based on their skills and qualifications. The program offers several visa options, including the Subclass 189 and 190 visas, both designed to attract skilled workers who can contribute to the Australian economy.  While both visas lead to permanent residency in Australia, they significantly differ in eligibility requirements, the application process, and benefits. Therefore, it is important to understand the differences between the two visas before applying. In this blog post, we will explore and compare the Subclass 189 and 190 visas and provide insights into which visa may be the better option for your circumstances.  Difference Between Australia Subclass 189 and 190 Visa Factor Subclass 189 Visa Subclass 190 Visa Visa Type Independent Skilled Visa Skilled Nominated Visa State/Territory Nomination Not required Required from an Australian state/territory ...