2012 - Seminars, Policy and Tennis...
Happy New Year and can I take this opportunity of wishing you all the very best for 2012. The year has started off with a bang for us here in Melbourne – the world appears to have itchy feet, particularly in Europe and South Africa.
My team and I will be giving a series of seminars over the next few weeks at which we will be outlining the big changes coming to Australian immigration policy. For friends or family that wish to attend, dare I say this is a not to be missed opportunity.
Johannesburg - 15 February - Click here to register >>
Durban - 20 February - Click here to register >>
Cape Town - 23 February - Click here to register >>
Singapore - 3 March - Click here to register>>
Malaysia - 10 March - Click here to register>>
Although my school days are far behind me I remember the first week back at school. Invariably we had to do an essay in English on "what I did on my school holidays".
Because I spent a great deal of last year on planes, trains and automobiles presenting seminars in Singapore and South Africa I did absolutely nothing during my holidays apart from over indulge in the things that I love most; good food, good wine and good company - Melbourne abounds with all of that.
I find that South African businesses tend to close earlier in December than those in Australia. Probably because the school term ends earlier in South Africa (around 7 December) whereas the Australian school term ends approximately 20 December.
As a result most people in Australia tend to take their holidays shortly before Christmas or else in January. Businesses tend to become fully operational in Australia much later than Singapore and South Africa.
Although the Singapore school term finishes in mid-November, because of the expected work ethic I'm not sure how many of my Singapore clients manage to have a decent vacation. I think that a lunch break is the most that many can hope for.
The best weather in Victoria generally arrives in January rather than November and December and this acts as a further inducement to have one's annual break in January rather than December.
A big part of summer in this city is the Australian Tennis Open. With the onset of the Tournament and the heat of the beautiful summer Melbourne acquires a festival atmosphere. The mixed bag of weather we can get pre Christmas is replaced by long hot sunny days and the city comes alive. The trams and trains are filled with tennis fans from a multitude of nations.
However because cities like Sydney and Melbourne are so multicultural player support does not have to originate from abroad.
Juan Martin del Potro complained to the umpire about rowdy crowd behaviour in his loss to Marcos Baghdatis in Sydney. Australia has large Greek and Cypriot communities that have traditionally supported Baghdatis. Del Potro is reported to have said the following to the umpire:
"I don't know where Cyprus is, if it's close to Australia or not," Del Potro told reporters. "But many guys come to here to see his game and follow his tennis”.
Cyprus you may be aware is not particularly close to Australia.
Melbourne is reported to have the largest Greek community outside of Athens and every time Baghdatis plays in Melbourne it's like a home crowd for him.
In a wonderful two weeks Melburnians from all walks of life come out to celebrate this marvellous game.
I'm passionate about tennis and January in Melbourne is always about the heat and Australian Open time for me.
On a more back to work note there are major changes on the immigration horizon here in Australia.
There are two potential migrants need to be aware of.
State Sponsorship lists have been released and these have seen many occupations added (and a few subtracted) from the states of Queensland, Australian Capital Territory and South Australia. The ACT lists released this week were due out in July 2011. Better late than never I guess…..
These changes have resulted for example in trades being added by Queensland which open up the possibility of emigrating to Australia without needing a job offer first.
Welcome news indeed.
If you wish to read the lists you can do so by selecting the states below:
- Australian Capital Territory – because the ACT website will only be updated later this week, if you would like a copy of the list please email me: myer@immagine-immigration.com
- Queensland - 176 (Residence Visa)
- Queensland - 475 (Temporary Visa)
A significant policy change that will occur later this year (expected to be 1 July) is a change from the current fixed pass mark of 65 points for points tested general skilled migration visas (those that don't require offers of employment) to a floating pass mark system with variable pass marks depending upon the demand for an applicant’s nominated occupation. Those familiar with New Zealand policy settings will see a convergence here!
This system will apply to all applicants who submit residence visas after 1 July.
We are advising all of our clients, wherever possible, to submit their residence visa applications prior to 1 July because inevitably when policy changes there will be winners and losers.
I will be updating readers further of the 1 July policy change as and when more information becomes available.
I have always thought of New Zealand and Australia as complementary immigration destinations. New Zealanders and Australians like to exaggerate the differences between the two countries but to an ex-South African (and a New Zealander) like myself there are lots of similarities between the two cultures and I tend to regard Kiwi’s and Aussies as cousins. My business partner, Iain MacLeod from Immagine New Zealand would like to believe distant cousins (along the lines of Cro-Magnon v Neanderthal) but I am not so sure.
The Kiwis have a joke- ‘What do you call cultured Australian?”
A New Zealander…
Nothwithstanding the joke, many potential migrants to the two countries also consider them complementary destinations and would consider settling in either depending upon which one gives permanent residence with the least amount of grief.
Many people have false preconceptions as to the ease of migrating to Australia and New Zealand and I'm often asked the question as to which country is easier to get into.
The short answer some people will be eligible for one but not the other. It depends on so many factors but the beautiful thing from the perspective of Immagine Australia and Immagine New Zealand is we can now help you identify which and then help make it happen for you.
This is because I have spent the last quarter of 2011 schooling my colleagues in our Auckland office on Australian General Skilled Migration. This is vital to many of you who wish to live there but otherwise require job offers to get into New Zealand. Many people will qualify for Australia without needing the job and once you have your permanent residence in Australia you can land with your residence visa in Australia, get on the next plane, fly to New Zealand and you are automatically granted permanent residence there. All without filing a formal residence visa application to New Zealand.
Those Kiwis are nothing if not cheeky – using Australia as a back door!
Feel free to e-mail us if you would like an assessment of your immigration options on myer@immagine-immigration.com
From Myer Lipschitz - IMMagine Australia
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sir i have work visa no 3 of malaysia but now i want go austarila beucase i like go teher