Migration Law Archives - Page 2 of 2

23 April

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A Visa Application Refusal and Visa Cancellation Matters

Changed decision-making requirements: Ministerial Direction #90 To help protect the Australian community, the Australian government refuses visa applications by non-citizens that have engaged in serious conduct. A visa holder could have their visa cancelled because they have engaged in criminal activity. If a visa application is refused or a visa cancelled, there can be huge ramifications for the individual involved. The non-citizen’s Australian family members too can experience repercussions. Children living in Australia are severely impacted if their parent or caregiver’s visa is cancelled, and they are subsequently removed from Australia. The decision to refuse a visa application or to cancel a visa...

01 April

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New Ministerial Direction for Visa Cancellation Decision Making Potential Retroactive Impact

Posted by Tom Foran

in Migration Law

This article warns readers of an upcoming change in the way that decisions about visa cancellation (and visa application refusal) on character grounds will be made. The changes could impact upon non-citizens that have a criminal record and that have applied for a visa; those that have received a notification from the government that their visa might be cancelled; and those that have already had their visa cancelled and would like to get it back. If you have already made a response to the government about one of these types of matters and await the outcome, you should read on! Potential...

02 February

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15 November 2020 Australian Citizenship Test Changes

Posted by Tom Foran

in Migration Law

By Tom Foran The Australian government has announced changes to the Australian Citizenship Test. The new testing regime will come into effect from 15 November 2020. This article explains who needs to take the Australian Citizenship Test. If you have recently applied for Australian Citizenship, then depending upon whether you have applied under Citizenship by Conferral or Citizenship by Descent, you may be impacted. We will look at the exceptions. Some applicants that would normally be required to take the test are exempt. There is going to be an overlap between the existing system and the new system. If you are going to...

23 December

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Family Violence and Australian Partner Visas

Posted by Tom Foran

in Migration Law

1000 Partner visa application approvals each week and a very common problem. According to statistics published by the Department of Home Affairs, in the 2019 to 2020 financial year, 52,479 Australian Partner visa applications were lodged. That is about 1000 applications each week. 96,361 applications were in the pipeline at the end of June 2020, awaiting processing. An article in the Medical Journal of Australia[1] explains that it is difficult to specify the incidence rate of family violence. The incidence rates depends upon the definition used; and whether the data comes from community crime victim surveys, community samples, or prevalence studies in...

26 July

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Public Interest Criterion 4020: Lessons from Wehbe v Minister for Home Affairs

Posted by Chris Korbel

in Migration Law

In the High Court matter of Wehbe v Minister for Home Affairs [2018] HCA 50 the court upheld the delegate of the Minister’s decision to refuse a visa applicant on the basis of a bogus document pursuant to the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth) (‘the Regulations’) Schedule 4 Public Interest Criterion 4020. There are important lessons from Wehbe for visa applicants who are required to satisfy Public Interest Criterion 4020. We provide some equally important key takeaways of this case further below. In our article Everything you need to know about public interest criterion 4020 we discussed the requirements of Public Interest Criterion...

11 July

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Appealing a Visa Refusal or Visa Cancellation – Merits Review and Judicial Review

Posted by Chris Korbel

in Migration Law

A person’s visa may be refused or cancelled under various grounds pursuant to the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) (the Act). Depending on the person’s circumstance and whether the person’s visa refusal or visa cancellation was valid or not, there may be a right to appeal the decision. Generally, among other things, a valid Notice of Refusal of Application or Notice or Cancellation will state whether the application for a visa is a reviewable decision or not, and will usually specify a strict time period if the decision can be appealed. To ascertain whether the respective notice is valid and/or whether the decision...

11 July

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Removal or Deportation from Australia: A Civil and Criminal Overlap

Posted by Chris Korbel

in Migration Law

The commonality between whether a person is removed or deported from Australia is that in both cases they are forcibly removed from Australia. There are important distinctions and applications between the two mechanisms available to the Minister and the Department of Home Affairs. In short, removal is an automated process when an unlawful non-citizen is held in immigration detention and has failed to satisfy strict statutory requirements. Deportation requires a specific deportation order to be made against an Australian permanent resident pursuant to the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) (the Act) In either case, a person will usually be interviewed prior to being removed...

10 June

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Everything you need to know about Public Interest Criterion 4020

Posted by Chris Korbel

in Migration Law

Has your Visa been refused under Public Interest Criterion 4020 Notice? Here’s What You Need to Know The occurrence of fraud or accidental provision of fraudulent documents across the visa applications process poses a high risk for not only the Department of Home Affairs but also for society at large. The concerns of the Department seem to stem from a real risk of visa applicants who fraudulently misuse their visa to facilitate illegal and heinous acts, including people smuggling, human trafficking, drug trafficking or terrorist operations. While these are justified and compelling policy factors, which are in the public’s interest, the vast majority...

27 April

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Cancellation of visas for those who commit crimes in Australia

Posted by Cameron Browne

in Migration Law

Non-citizens: Can I remain in Australia if I have a criminal conviction? For non-citizens, including permanent residents and special category visa holders (New Zealanders), having a criminal conviction may lead to deportation or involuntary removal from Australia. A criminal conviction (even if no conviction is recorded) may also affect those on work or travel visas. What is the “character test”? Section 501(3A) of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) states that the Minister must cancel a visa that has been granted to a person if the person does not pass the “character test”. A person will fail the character test if: the person has a “substantial criminal record”...

A Visa Application Refusal and Visa Cancellation Matters

New Ministerial Direction for Visa Cancellation Decision Making Potential Retroactive Impact

15 November 2020 Australian Citizenship Test Changes

Family Violence and Australian Partner Visas

Public Interest Criterion 4020: Lessons from Wehbe v Minister for Home Affairs

Appealing a Visa Refusal or Visa Cancellation – Merits Review and Judicial Review

Removal or Deportation from Australia: A Civil and Criminal Overlap

Everything you need to know about Public Interest Criterion 4020

Cancellation of visas for those who commit crimes in Australia

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