Australian business visas affected by DIAC changes.
The Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship have announced a cap on numbers of Australian business visas granted up to 30 June 2010 and a change in the requirements for Australian citizenship.
Australian Immigration Minister Chris Evans has capped business visa numbers at 6,530. Once the number of visas granted reaches this maximum limit, no more visas will be considered until after 30 June 2010. The maximum number has not yet been reached but it is thought to only be a matter of weeks before this happens.
This capping will affect the following visa subclasses:
·        132 Business Talent
·        160 Business Owner
·        161 Senior Executive
·        162 Investor
·        163 State Sponsored Business Owner
·        164 State Sponsored Senior Executive
·        165 State Sponsored Investor
Further changes have been made to the criteria for Australian residency. In order to apply for Australian citizenship there is now only one general requirement that everyone who is over the age of 16 will have to meet.
Applicants must now have been living in Australia on a valid Australian visa for four consecutive years before applying – including a year as a permanent resident and you must not have been absent from Australia for more than a year during that time.
These changes are thought to affect those who try to fulfill the residency requirements of Australian citizenship along with overseas travel for prolonged periods.
For further Australian immigration news updates, including all the latest visa changes, bookmark this page. To discuss any of the above changes or simply to chat to likeminded people, join our busy online forum.
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