Australian Immigration News October 09

Upcoming Australian Immigration Seminars

Johannesburg:  5 November 2009 – Balalaika Hotel, Sandton at 7pm.
Consulting:  6, 7 and 8 November

 

Durban:  9 November 2009 – Riverside Hotel at 7pm.
Consulting: 10 and 11 November

Cape Town: 12 November 2009 – Newlands Southern Sun Hotel at 7pm.
Consulting: 13 and 14 November

Singapore: 17 October 2009 – Orchard Hotel at 12.30pm
Consulting: Afternoon of 17 October as well as whole day 18 and 19 October

Kuala Lumpur: 20 October 2009 – Renaissance Hotel at 7.30pm
Consulting: Whole day 21 and 22 October and morning of 23 October

Changes To Immigration Processing Times

1. applications from people who are employer sponsored under the ENS and the RSMS
2. applications from people who are nominated by a State/Territory government and whose nominated occupation is listed on the Critical Skills List (CSL)
3. applications from people who are sponsored by family and whose nominated occupation is listed on the CSL
4. applications from people who are neither nominated nor sponsored but whose nominated occupation is listed on the CSL
5. applications from people who are nominated by a State/Territory government whose nominated occupation is not listed on the CSL
6. (i) applications from people whose occupations are listed on the Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL) and;
   (ii) applications from people who are sponsored by family and whose nominated occupation is not listed on the CSL.
7. all other applications are to be processed in the order in which they are received.
   
   The implications of all of this are that without an occupation on the CSL, or sponsorship by an employer, State Government or family member resident in Australia, your application will not be processed until after 2012.

The consolation is that perhaps now is not particularly the best time to be looking for an offer of employment in Australia

# Applications which fall into the first three priorities
* Applications which fall into the first three priorities

Subsequent entrants for provisional GSM visas are processed in the order in which the application is lodged. The priority processing order for GSM visas is available on our website.

#Applications which fall into the first three priorities

Note: Applications for these visa applications closed on 1 September 2007.

Subsequent entrants for provisional GSM visas are processed in the order in which the application is lodged. The priority processing order for GSM visas is available on our website.

Australia Population Growth -- Some Statistics

Melbourne's approximately 4,000,000 by December

Brisbane -- 2 million

Perth -- 1,650,000

Sydney -- 4.34 million

National population forecast to reach 22 million in November and adding 1 million every 2 1/2 years.

Net migration last year - 253, 415

Population forecast -- to exceed 35 million in 40 years

Australia Ranks Second For Quality Of Life

According to a recent United Nations human development report 2009 on migration and development Australia has the second highest quality of life in the world and could surpass Norway for the pole position.

There were 128 countries in the survey that measured factors such as life expectancy, school enrolments and income. United States ranked 13th, United Kingdom 21st and propping up the bottom of the table was Niger and Afghanistan.

South Africa ranked 129th, Singapore ranked 23rd and Malaysia 66th and New Zealand 20th.

The Shipping News – Let's Keep It Clean

When planning the shipment of one's household goods to Australia as part of an emigration, it will be important to be able to separate myths from facts regarding Australia's import quarantine regulations.

This article will aim to clarify what may and may not be included in your shipment , as well as tips to ensure that the quarantine inspectors from the Australian Quarantine Inspection Services ( AQIS ) find little of interest among your goods.

Your mover will make it your responsibility to ensure that all your items are clean and free of contaminants.

The general rule to follow is that ALL items must be free of soil, grass, seeds and insects of any kind. Special attention should be paid to high risk items such as sporting goods, bicycles, camping equipment, vacuum cleaners, garden furniture, saddlery, etc. Such items will be singled out by the quarantine inspectors for inspection. Dairy and egg products, uncanned meat products, animals, seeds and nuts and live plants should never be included in your shipment.

As part of the clearance process to enter your goods into Australia, you will have to complete a form B534, which can be viewed at http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/resources/Files/b534.pdf .

On this form you will have to declare whether your goods contain among other things, articles manufactured from wildlife; animal products such as skins, feathers, shells, etc; equipment used with horses or other animals ; articles of plant origin ; furniture of wood , cane or bamboo. Misdeclaration will lead to fines , confiscation or destruction of the items ( see www.aqis.gov.au ).

Once your shipment has arrived in Australia, it will be moved into a quarantine-approved facility for unloading and inspection. This is unlike the procedure in most other countries, where your sealed container can be delivered to your new home for unsealing.

A fee applies for the quarantine inspection, and further charges will be due for the treatment of any items found to be contaminated. The alternative may be a fine, forced re-export or gamma irradiation treatment. Aside from ensuring that all your items are free of possible contaminants, one can also have shipments fumigated prior to shipment. Fumigation is done by "gassing" all items with Methyl Bromide at a minimum treatment of 48 grams per cubic metre. This treatment however only deals with timber infestation , and does not treat quarantine risks associated with soil, grass, seeds, etc - so pre-shipment fumigation is no guarantee that no further treatment will be ordered. The treatment required for motor vehicles, motor cycles, caravans and trailers is pre-shipment steam cleaning by an approved cleaning facility. Any timber packaging or crates used must either be constructed from heat treated timber , or must have been fumigated prior to shipment and be accompanied by a treatment certificate.

It should be noted that Australian quarantine inspectors, although often viewed as pedantic, are tasked with protecting Australian interests from possible outside infestation - and as such take their jobs very seriously. So keeping it clean will go a long way to ensuring a happy move and entry to Australia.