Immigration Weekly Update: May 25, 2018

  1. Australia: Senate passes Skilling Australia Fund bill  
  2. China: Permit renewal regulation changes in Harbin 
  3. UAE: Investors and specialists eligible for 10-year residency visas

Australia: Senate passes Skilling Australia Fund bill

Sydney, Australia - The Australian Senate has passed the Skilling Australia Fund bill The Migration Amendment (Skilling Australians) bill 2017 was passed on May 8 with three notable amendments:

1) Labour Market testing must be conducted within four months prior to the submission of a nomination.

2) Advertising to meet the Labour Market Testing requirements must run for four weeks in order to provide adequate opportunity for the position to be targeted to Australians.

3) An independent review of the Skilling Australia Fund (SAF) will be undertaken in 18 months and should be completed within six months.

The legislation has been passed by the Senate but will now return for further debate and passage through the house of representatives. As it has not passed both houses, it has not yet received Royal Assent.

To find out more about the Skilling Australia Foundation, visit the website.

Australia 2018/19 budget update

Treasurer, Hon Scott Morrison MP, has announced that a number of expansions will be applied to refunds for sponsors in relation to the Skilling Australia Fund.

Refunds will be available where:

  • A visa holder leaves a sponsor’s employment within 12 months and before completion of the two- to four-year visa period. A refund request can be made for any full year that the visa holder is not employed.
  • A visa holder does not commence work with the employer.
  • An employer’s sponsorship application is approved but the subsequent visa application is refused on health or character grounds.

Announcements also included guidance that religious organizations will be exempt from paying the SAF levy under the Minister of Religion Labour Agreement or a company-specific Agreement covering certain nominated religious occupations.

This summary was prepared using information obtained from the Parliament of Australia (where further information on the Skilling Australians Fund can be found), and The Australian

Disclaimer: The above information is provided for general information purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. If you have any further inquiries regarding the applicability of this information, please contact Debra Jane Beynon, Regional Immigration Manager, APAC. 

China: Permit renewal regulation changes in Harbin

The Harbin Municipal Administration of Foreign Expert Affairs is requesting foreign employees applying for Work Permit renewals to present their Legalized Non-Crime Record and Legalized Highest Education Certificate if not provided previously.

This change is intended to bring the renewal requirements in line with those of new permit applications.

At present, Harbin is the only city in China to request these additional documents; other cities may follow suit at any time.

Key considerations

  • All foreign nationals currently residing in Harbin will be required to follow this legalization process when renewing Work Permits.
  • All foreign nationals residing in other Chinese cities should prepare for the new requirements to be implemented.

This summary was prepared using information obtained from Harbin Municipal Administration of Foreign Expert Affairs verbally. 

Disclaimer: The above information is provided for general information purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. If you have any further inquiries regarding the applicability of this information, please contact Debra Jane Beynon, Regional Immigration Manager, APAC. 

UAE: Investors and specialists eligible for 10-year residency visas

Investors and specialists such as doctors and engineers are now eligible to receive UAE residency visas valid for up to 10 years. The families of these categories of expatriates will also receive the same visa validity. Top performing students are also eligible for the 10-year residency visa scheme.

This summary was prepared using information obtained from Gulf News and The National.  

Disclaimer: The above information is provided for general information purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. If you have any further inquiries regarding the applicability of this information, please contact Ayaz Shariff, Immigration Specialist. 

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