Issue  1  April  2014  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Welcome  to  the  1st  Edition  of  Modern  Migration  Australia’s  newsletter.  We’ve  started  the  newsletter  because  we  want  to  share  with  you  important  and  topical  information  about  current  migration  issues  and  the  work  we  do  at  Modern  Migration  Australia.    Talking  of  the  work,  its  fair  to  say  our  job  centers  on  helping  you  achieve  your  migration  goals.  We  do  this  because  everyone  at  Modern  Migration  Australia  has  there  own  migration  story  and  this  is  our  motivation  for  being  professionals  in  this  industry.  My  own  personal  migration  story  begins  with  my  parents  who  were  pre  and  post  war  migrants  from  Southern  Europe.  In  later  life,  my  first  ever  visa  application  was  a  Partner  visa  for  my  wife  who  is  from  North  Asia  (and  yes,  we  do  specialise  in  Spouse/Partner  Visas  as  well  as  Family  and  Child  visas  ...  J).      We  also  work  for  skilled  migrants  seeking  Permanent  and  Temporary  visas,  Small  and  Medium  enterprises  seeking  short  and  long  term  skilled  worker  solutions  and  students  seeking  study  and  post  study  options.  As  you  can  see,  the  pathway  to  Australia  is  quite  diversified.  And,  Pathway  Planning  is  very  much  what  we  

#1  Mod

ern  Migratio

n  Australia  

Aliquam   2  Suspendisse  lobortis,  quam  ac  euismod  sodales,  diam  turpis  luctus  nunc,  vel  porta  mauris  enim  quis  ipsum.    

 

Welcome  to  our  first  edition  of  MMA  News    A  message  from  the  Director,  Filippo  Pellegrino    

Easter

Edition

2

do  from  the  very  first  day  we  meet  you.      Now,  this  1st  edition  takes  a  close  look  at  the  Department  of  Immigration’s  new  Form  80  Personal  particulars  for  assessment  including  character  assessment  (or  as  we  affectionately  refer  to  it  –  the  history  of  your  life  and  your  family!).  This  is  a  key  form  that  the  Department  uses  to  gather  information  about  an  applicant  and  assess  them  in  a  range  of  ways.  We  explore  some  of  the  possible  scenarios,  which  we  feel  are  of  concern  and  the  additional  stress  and  burden  these  places  on  applicants.  There  are  other  concerns  especially  with  genuine  errors  and  omissions  and  how  these  may  be  interpreted  against  the  wide  reaching  Public  Interest  Criteria  4020.    

In  following  additions,  we’ll  look  at  various  other  topics  and  processes  and  how  to  look  at  visa  options  for  creating  pathways  for  your  future.  Welcome  and  thanks  for  reading  our  1st  Edition    

Filippo  Pellegrino  BA(Hons),  Dip.Ed  MBA  GCMLaw  Managing  Director  and  Senior  Migration  Agent    

 

 

  Issue  1  April  2014  

2  

 

 

Modern  Migration  Australia   staff  member,   Shota   Hitomi,   is  currently   studying   a   Graduate  Certificate   in   Migration   Law   at  Murdoch   University,   after  completing   a   Bachelor   of   Laws  and   a   Bachelor   of   Asian   Studies.  Shota   also   holds   a   Graduate  Certificate   in   Chinese   Law   and  has   a   strong   interest   in  Australian-­‐Asian  relations.    

Shota   is   from   a   Japanese  background,   and   having   studied  at   a   Japanese   university   for  twelve   months,   he   is   fluent   in  

Japanese.   Shota   is   also  undertaking   casual   studies   in  Mandarin.    

Shota  has  worked   at   various   law  firms   whilst   studying   his   law  degree   and   has   experience   in  commercial   and   family   law.      Having   come   from   a   migrant  family   and   wanting   to   combine  his   expertise   in   law   and   Asian  studies,   Shota   has   decided   to  pursue   a   career   in   migration  upon  completing  his  studies.      

Shota   hopes   to   practice   as   a  registered  migration   agent  when  he   graduates   in   June   2014.

STAFF  PROFILE  

Introducing  Shota  Hitomi  

Keep  up  to  date  and  add  us  on  Facebook    

Our  services:  • Resume/ CV assessments • Preparation of visa

applications for all major visa subclasses

• Migration advice • Advice on the SkillSelect

process for General Skilled Visa Applications

• Full visa application service

• Preparation and submission of Migration Review Tribunal and Ministerial Appeals.

• Job search and job referral for Employer Nominated and Sponsored Visas.

• Relocation and settlement services

 

 

  Issue  1  April  2014  

3  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The  changes  to  the  personal  particulars  for  

assessment  form,  otherwise  known  as  Form  80,  is  causing  a  stir  in  the  migration  industry.        Form  80  requires  applicants  to  disclose  ‘privacy  information,’  which  includes:  previous  employment  history,  places  of  domicile,  previous  education  and  travel  history.  Under  the  changes,  clients  are  obligated  to  provide  the  Department  of  Immigration  and  Border  Protection  (DIPB)  with  their  entire  employment  and  education  history.  In  addition  to  this,  clients  must  also  provide  thirty  years  of  addresses  and  travel  history.    Given,  these  onerous  requirements,  which  clients  often  fail  to  satisfy,  it  is  with  little  wonder  that  the  amendments  have  been  met  with  criticism.    

Without  doubt,  the  new  Form  80  has  created  an  unnecessary  burden  on  clients.  At  Modern  Migration  

Australia,  many  of  our  clients  have  had  difficulty  meeting  the  rigorous  requirement  of  providing  an  excessive  amount  of  detail,  covering  their  entire  life.  It  is  near  impossible  for  some  clients  to  recall  where  they  lived  as  an  infant  or  child,  and  in  many  cases  

records  do  not  exist.  For  European  clients  especially,  it  is  difficult  to  evidence  where  they  have  travelled  over  the  last  thirty  years,  as  they  have  lived  in  a  ‘borderless’  environment’.      

The  unreasonable  changes  have  sparked  high-­‐level  discussion  between  the  DIBP  

and  Migration  Industry  bodies.  The  Migration  Institute  of  Australia  (MIA),  through  its  National  President,  has  engaged  with  the  DIBP  in  rigorous  discussion.  Following  these  discussions,  the  MIA  also  claimed  “it  may  not  have  been  DIBP’s  choice  that  the  changes  were  made  [to  form  80].”  It  remains  to  be  confirmed  who  or  which  body  is  then  responsible  for  the  changes.  What  the  MIA  did  confirm  is;  they  have  received  “many,  many  Member  complaints”-­‐  including  ours.    

Feature  Article  

The  New  Form  80:  More  Information,  Less  Sense      

“many,  many  member  complaints”  

MIA  representative    

 

 

  Issue  1  April  2014  

4  

In  early  April,  the  DIBP  finally  responded  to  the  MIA’s  enquiries.  In  a  fairly  ambiguous  statement,  the  DIBP  claimed  the  changes  were  to  establish  client  identity  and  character,  in  an  effort  to  combat  identity  fraud  and  transnational  crime.  The  DIBP  also  stated  the  previous  Form  80  failed  to  articulate  the  address  history  requirement  and  incomplete  information  led  to  delays  in  processing.  This  response  by  the  DIBP  reveals  a  complete  lack  of  understanding  of  the  difficulty  Form  80  imposes  on  clients,  and  its  excessive  requirements.    

In  addition  to  the  industry  backlash,  Form  80  is  being  questioned  at  other  levels.  The  Migration  Review  Tribunal  has  demonstrated  a  level  of  disregard  towards  the  Form  80  requirements.  In  one  particular  case,  an  application  for  a  Subclass  309  visa  failed  because  of  a  lack  of  sufficient  detail  given  by  the  applicant,  in  an  earlier,  less  onerous  version  of  Form  80.  However,  the  Tribunal  found  a  failure  to  comply  with  Form  80  does  not  necessarily  result  in  a  failure  by  the  applicant  to  satisfy  the  character  test  prescribed  by  the  Migration  Act  1958.  Thereby,    a  decision  to  reject  a  visa  on  the  grounds  that  Form  80  has  not  been  complied  with  is  seemingly  redundant  if  the  character  test  has  already  been  satisfied.              

At  Modern  Migration  Australia  we  have  been  assisting  clients,  who,  for  a  range  of  reasons,  cannot  recall  or  access  their  life  history,  to  provide  alternative  declarations  in  support  of  their  personal  information.  The  use  of  declarations  is  becoming  industry  practice  and  begs  the  question,  what  purpose  do  the  rigorous  Form  80  requirements  

actually  serve?  Particularly  because  the  legislated  character  test  can  still  be  satisfied,  even  when  all  of  the  information  required  by  Form  80  is  not  provided.    

The  rationale  behind  the  Form  80  amendments  is  not  entirely  clear,  but  what  is  clear  is  the  discontent  it  has  generated.  The  Government,  and  in  turn,  the  DIBP  are  creating  hurdles  for  clients,  however  they  can  generally  be  circumvented  through  declarations.    The  industry  waits,  with  bated  breath,  to  see  if  the  Government  responds  to  the  criticism  of  the  arduous  and  wholly  unnecessary  amendments.    In  the  mean  time  we  will  continue  to  assist  clients  with  their  options.    

If  you,  or  someone  you  know,  if  having  difficulty  with  Form  80  or  visa  applications  in  general,  please  call  us  on  +61  65557718.  

     

  Our  new  office  on  Adelaide  Terrace  in  Perth  

Do you have a migration story you would like to share in our

newsletter? Is there an issue you would

like us to address in our next edition?

Email us on: admin@mmavisa.com.au

 

 

  Issue  1  April  2014  

5  

Modern  Migration  Australia    wishes  all  of  our  Clients,  Supporters  and  Colleagues    

A    

 

 

  Issue  1  April  2014  

6  

 Photo  Credits  Page  2:  The  Herald  Sun,  08  February  2011  [accessed  at  http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/many-­‐hands-­‐shape-­‐us-­‐all/story-­‐e6frfhqf-­‐1226001862932];      Good  WP  [accessed  at  http://www.goodwp.com/animals/26444-­‐australia-­‐kangaroo-­‐sunset-­‐sea-­‐beach-­‐jump-­‐sun.html]      Page  3:  Tami  Chappell/Reuters,  published  in  The  Atlantic  [accessed  at  http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/07/your-­‐airport-­‐is-­‐a-­‐petri-­‐dish/260228/]    Page  4:  The  data  recovery  blog  [accessed  at  http://www.thedatarecoveryblog.com/2013/02/18/exchange-­‐migrations-­‐got-­‐you-­‐down/]    

 

The  views  and  opinions  expressed  are  those  of  the  authors  and  do  not  necessarily  reflect  the  position  of  Modern  Migration  Australia  Pty  Ltd.    

©  Modern  Migration  Australia  Pty  Ltd