February at Nomos
As we bid farewell to summer, we look back warmly on the action-packed month of February:
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- Mardi Gras Fair Day was a fabulously resounding success! We are so thrilled to have been part of this year’s Fair Day celebrations, which took place on 19 February 2023 at Victoria Park, Sydney. We met so many people (and dogs!) throughout the day and were especially glad to see such a vast turnout after Covid-19 restrictions hindered the last few years. It was truly wonderful to be amongst all the bright colours, joyful sounds and expressive people this year, and made us really appreciate the vibrancy of our Sydney LGBTQIA+ community once again.
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- February proved to be a month of changes in the immigration sphere. The Federal Government announced some significant changes to both the subclass 500 Student visa and subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa programmes this month in response to ongoing skills shortages in Australia. From 1 July 2023, work restrictions for Student visa holders will be increased to 48 hours per fortnight while the Temporary Graduate visa will be able to be granted for a longer period for some students. For more details, please view our previous blog post on the topic.
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- The Government also fulfilled a key election promise, creating a pathway to permanent residence for some holders of subclass 790 Safe Haven Enterprise visas (SHEV) and subclass 785 Temporary Protection visas (TPV). This means that roughly 19,000 refugees will now finally have the opportunity to apply for a permanent Resolution of Status visa. This visa will mean that they will finally be able to access HECS, the NDIS and other government support, they will have the opportunity to sponsor relatives for an Australian visa and will be able to officially call Australia home. It is expected that the pathway will open to applicants at the end of March 2023.
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- With all the changes afoot at the moment, there’s no better time to get advice on your visa options. Please feel free to contact us if you think you might benefit from some professional immigration advice.
That’s the Nomos wrap-up for February. See you next month!
*This is general information only, as at the date of publication, and should not be interpreted as legal advice. For an accurate and current assessment of your circumstances and visa options, please contact us to receive this advice.
