Australia and New Zealand Immigration News

From 1 July 2012, as part of stage two of the Knight Review changes to the student visa program, the funds required for prospective Australian student visa applicants will increase from $18,000 to $18,610 per year. This funds requirement is to show that applicants have enough money to cover their living costs while studying in Australia.

Australian immigration has announced that the pass mark to qualify for EOI - SkillSelect (Subclasses 189, 190 and 489) will be 60 points. Currently, applicants are required to earn 65 points. The new lower requirement will go into effect from 1 July 2012. This is likely to make it easier for some skilled immigration applicants to emigrate to Australia.

International students studying in Australia will in future be eligible to apply for work visas lasting two to four years after they graduate from an Australian university under immigration rules to be introduced next year.

Australian Immigration officers will be visiting several cities around the country in the next few weeks to discuss the upcoming changes to the skilled migration program and implementation of SkillSelect. Immigration officers will be visiting the following Australian cities:

The Australian government will fast-track Australian citizenship for partners and a greater number of family members of Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel, announced Australian Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen, and Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, Warren Snowdon MP.