This article is updated regularly. Last updated: Friday, 5th January 2024

At Work Visa Lawyers, we understand that the Government’s processing times are important to your expectations and how you plan your life. Unfortunately, as with all visa processes, these are difficult to predict and are never guaranteed. We write about our experiences across many Global Talent visa applications, to help you to gain an understanding of the processing times which might lie ahead if you choose to pursue a Global Talent visa.

Since the outbreak of Covid, thousands of international students have been stranded overseas. Most of them choose to continue their studies online while they are in their home country but this raises the question... if the Student Visa expires during this time, do you need to apply for another Student Visa?

In a media release from the Australian Government on 23 August, it has been confirmed that the Australian Agriculture Visa will go ahead in 2021. In the statement it was announced that new Regulations would be in place by the end of September 2021. Speculation about the promised visa has been widespread since Australia’s Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management, David Littleproud, announced in June that it would be coming soon. We wrote an article about the Agriculture visa at the time of the announcement, based on Minister Littleproud’s assertions, but the scope of the visa seems to have expanded substantially over the last few months creating more places in more industries.

我有资格申請吗？

要将您的父母带到澳大利亚，您首先要滿足作爲兒女的擔保要求。作爲兒女，您需要：

• 是澳大利亚公民、澳大利亚永久居民或符合条件的新西兰公民；
• 在澳洲居住2年以上；
• 通过家庭平衡测试；和
• 至少有 1 个但不超过 3 个符合条件的担保人（經濟担保人）

If you're an engineer, getting a nominator just got easier! In positive news for engineers with who fit the Global Talent visa criteria, Engineers Australia has been accepted as a certified nominating organisation for the Global Talent visa program. This means engineers who could not find a suitable nominator for the Global Talent visa can now apply to EA for a nominator.

If you are looking at the Global Talent visa (GTI visa) you must be nominated by a senior professional in your field. This person will vouch for you and can speak on your behalf about how your talent can bring benefit to Australia. This is a key part of the Global Talent visa process but one that is often overlooked. Here are our tips on how to find a Global Talent nominator.

Click here for Global Talent visa criteria

Senator James Paterson, Chair of the Joint Committee in Intelligence and Security has announced that skilled visa applicants coming to Australia from Hong Kong will receive priority processing, a sentiment which Minister for Immigration Alex Hawke confirmed on 30 July 2021 on ABC Radio.  While filling the void in Australia’s skilled labour force is certainly a driving factor in this decision, Paterson said it was also a moral obligation and " the right thing to do after the Chinese Communist Party broke its promise to protect the freedoms of the people of Hong Kong."  While Australia is already fast-tracking business, investment, and global talent visas for Hong Kong nationals, this is a new opportunity for those who could not previously obtain an Australian visa to escape the political turmoil of their homeland. 

If you're a Permanent Resident of Australia, congratulations!  You've already come so far and done so well.  But you're looking to take things one step further, you might consider becoming an Australian Citizen.  Citizens have the privilege of voting rights, financial assistance for education, government jobs, and protection from deportation.  It's definitely worth pursuing!  So how do you become a citizen of Australia?

July is the start of the new immigration program year and this is the latest news on the upcoming changes for Australian immigration.

On 15 April 2021, the Minister for Immigration gave a directive to expand the definition of “character reasons” as a reason for visa cancellation.  The new rule, Ministerial Direction 90, focuses on family violence and means some Australia visa holders who were previously ok to stay, could have their visas cancelled.