Apply now: General Skilled Migration Assessment

I was very happy with the service and advise provided by Tracey and the Team. They were very helpful and always willing to provide support. Thank you guys.

Awesome people, helped tremendously with our journey to Australia. Highly recommended !!

Australian Migration Specialists is a boutique migration agency with the aim of being a trusted advisor and partner to our clients throughout the Australian immigration process. Our focus is to build close relationships and become an extension of our client’s family or business and to find the best solutions to bring value whilst achieving positive results. We wish to set ourselves apart from the traditional migration agents that treat the immigration process like a transaction or a commodity. With over 20 years of experience, we can say with certainty that this method of immigration service does not achieve the goals of the business or individual. We believe that shifting the thinking from simply transactional and reactive to becoming a trusted advisor and partner who is strategic and capable of identifying opportunities and creating value, will present positive outcomes as we take on the immigration process together.

As your immigration business partner will ensure that you are ahead of the game, and allow you to leverage from our extensive experience and insights from helping hundreds of other individuals and businesses to grow through strategic immigration. We ensure that we take the time to understand each of our client’s specific situations and needs. Whether you’re a corporate, small business or individual, we get to know you first and develop a strategy based on your particular circumstances. Once we have the strategy down, the rollout of the process becomes seamless, foreseeable and efficient. 

Our approach is that we treat immigration as a people business. Each immigration process is different and so we tailor each strategy to meet the needs of each business or individual’s objectives. As your immigration guide, we will ensure that you are catered to and understand the process each step of the way and that you are well aware of what documentation is required for a successful visa application. We check all applications thoroughly to ensure the best possible outcome and take on the task of ensuring the completion of all necessary forms, confirming that the regulations are adhered to at all times and submit them to the relevant authorities once we have confirmed that they meet the relevant policies. Once submitted, we liaise with the Department of Immigration and Border Protection throughout the processing of the application. We do so timelessly whilst keeping you well informed throughout each stage of the process. 

Once a decision is made on a visa application we will ensure that the decision is correct and in line with current policy and regulations. Post visa approval we will provide you with information on all aspects of living in Australia. It is a daunting task but we are here to stand with you throughout the journey and offer you peace of mind throughout the successes and pitfalls of the immigration process. 

By continuously building and harnessing in-depth knowledge about all aspects of the migration application and by collaborating with specialised businesses and individuals who truly have become an extension of our team. Over the years, we have worked extensively with businesses, individuals, partners of Australians and parents of Australian children.

You cannot make a success of a global enterprise without integrity and reputation and we always strive to do the best for our clients (and their families), driven to tenaciously perform at the highest level, regardless of the challenges. Let Australian Migration Specialists be your partner in immigration.

Get in touch: We look forward to partnering with you and being your ‘tour guide’ throughout the immigration journey.

At Australian Migration Specialists we are always eager to hear from you. Whether you are just starting out with the Australian migration process and are looking for advice, or if you are a long-standing client with a question, we are happy to assist in any way we can.

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On 19 December 2019, the Australian Minister for Home Affairs announced a public consultation process, seeking submissions from stakeholders to inform the Department’s review of the Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP) with a view to getting a better deal for Australia.  The consultation process closed on 14 February 2020.

Stakeholders were asked for their views on whether:

• There are opportunities to streamline the BIIP to maximise the value the program generates. 
• Increased investment thresholds and different investment types could provide better economic benefits to Australia compared to the current settings used for the Investor visa and Significant Investor visa.

Stakeholders provided written responses to six questions outlines in the consultation paper:

1. How can the investment thresholds be increased to provide the best outcome for Australia?
2. How could we achieve better outcomes for the Australian economy through the composition of designated investments for the Investor and Significant Investor visas? 
3. How could a simplified BIIP framework make the program more efficient and effective in maximizing benefit to Australia?
4. How can the points test be adapted to encourage investments above the minimum threshold?
5. How can incentives be provided to encourage prospective migrants t to operate a business in regional Australia?
6. What factors should be considered in introducing any changes, including phasing in changes over time?

41 written submissions were received and nine roundtable discussions were held with a range of stakeholders, including state and territory governments, Commonwealth agencies, fund managers and migration agents.

At that time, it was expected that the review outcomes would be announced sometime in March 2020, but by then Covid-19 intervened and the finalization of the review was put on hold.

In mid-December 2020, the Minister for Home Affairs finally announced some of the review outcomes with others to follow prior to the end of April with all changes to be implemented on 1 July 2021.

Review outcomes

The Government will put in place measures to ensure the BIIP is well-placed to support Australia’s post-COVID-19 economic recovery by maximizing its economic contribution.

Key changes (in effect from July 2021)

• From 1 July 2021, the program will be simplified from nine to four streams:  Business Innovation, Entrepreneur, Investor, and Significant Investor.  There will be a clear pathway to permanent residency for each category.  
• The permanent subclass 132 Business Talent visa will be scrapped and it is likely no new 132 visa applications will be accepted after 27 April 2021. 
• The Premium Investor, Significant Business History and Venture Capital Entrepreneur visas will be closed to new applications from July 2021.  Applications already lodged for these visas will still be processed. 
• Provisional visa holders in all four streams will be able to apply for permanent residence if they meet the requirements after three years, but the provisional visa will now be valid for five years, meaning they have additional time to meet the requirements. 
• Business Innovation and Significant Investor visa holders will also continue to be able to extend their provisional visas if they do not meet the business and residence thresholds in the required timeframes. 
  • Business Innovation provisional visa holders can apply for a two-year extension provided they demonstrate a realistic commitment to continuing to manage a business that has been actively operating in Australia for the previous two years. 
  • Significant Investor provisional visa holders can apply for two 2 year extensions provided they continue to maintain their complying significant investment. 
• The requirement for Business Innovation visa holders will be increased to ensure the program is attracting migrations with proven business skills. Business Innovation visa holders will be a requirement to hold business assets of $1.25 million (up from $800,000) and have an annual turnover of $750,000 (up from $500,000) to prove their business acumen.
• The $200,000 funding threshold required for Entrepreneur visa applicants will be scrapped, but applicants will need to be endorsed by a State or Territory government. 
• The Government will also be consulting widely with industry to inform changes to the Complying Investment Framework and these changes are expected to be announced by the end of April 2021.

Action Required

1. Fill in the business application form at https://www.australianmigration.co.za/visas/business-assessment
2. Contact Garry on +61 404 371 683 or Tracey on +27 82 419 3696 or Michelle at the office on +27 11 783 9440

This section is under construction and will be available to clients of Australian Migration Specialists, and you will need a username and password to login to this section of our website.  The information is intended to assist you in making your immigration to Australia as painless as possible and to familiarise you with Australian lifestyle aspects before your departure.

Under the current circumstances we are providing information on the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) which exists to ensure energy consumers are better off, now and in the future. Consumers are at the heart of their work, and they focus on ensuring a secure, reliable and affordable energy future for Australia. They recognise that energy is an essential service for Australian households and businesses and a critical contributor to the long term success of the Australian economy. 

Click here for the AER’s State of the Energy Market 2021 reports and click here for the AER’s Strategic Plan 2020 – 2025.

Just a few areas that will be highlighted here are:

• Taking your pets to Australia
• Opening bank accounts in Australia
• Pre-migration checklists and information on shipping goods
• Things to do on arrival in Australia
• The healthcare system
• The schooling system
• Housing
• Employment

We are endeavouring to get this information to you as soon as possible.

​People travelling to Australia will no longer have to complete a Digital Passenger Declaration (DPD) to declare their COVID-19 vaccination status, following changes to the Biosecurity Act, which come into effect from midnight AEST on Wednesday 6 July 2022.

“This is great news for families coming home from school holidays who now don’t need to use the DPD,” Minister for Home Affairs, Clare O’Neil, said.

The Biosecurity Act changes, which were made following health advice from the Chief Medical Officer, also mean that all visa holders can travel to Australia without needing a travel exemption.

“As more and more of us travel internationally and we get more confident in managing our risk of COVID, our airports are getting busier,” Minister O’Neil said.

“Removing these requirements will not only reduce delays in our airports but will encourage more visitors and skilled workers to choose Australia as a destination.

“And for Australian citizens, with the removal of these requirements, returning home will be much easier.

“I know anyone who has travelled internationally since the borders have opened will find this as one less thing to worry about – especially as more Australians get back to travelling overseas.

“We’ve also listened to feedback about the DPD. While in time it will replace the paper based incoming passenger card, it needs a lot more work to make it user friendly”

Those arriving by sea will also benefit, and no longer need to complete a Maritime Travel Declaration. Airlines, cruise ship operators and other countries may still have specific requirements that travellers need to comply with.

In 2020, Australia introduced a new class of visa, called The Global Talent Visa.  This falls under subclass 858 for Distinguished Talent.

Distinguished Talent

The Distinguished Talent (DT) (subclass 858) is a permanent visa for applicants who have an internationally recognized record of exceptional and outstanding achievement in a recognized field, or have been recognized as providing a specialized assistance to the Australian Government in matters of security.

The applicant  

• Must have an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement in a profession, a sport, the arts or academia and research.  
• Must still be prominent in the area
• Would be an asset to the Australian community
• Would have no difficulty in obtaining employment or in becoming established independently in Australia in the area
• Needs to be nominated by an Australian citizen, permanent resident or organization, who has a national reputation in relation to the area

If the applicant has not turned 18 (or is at least 55 years old at the time of application) would be of exceptional benefit to the Australia community.

Global Talent

The Global Talent Independent (GTI) is a prioritized visa for highly skilled and talented applicants with internationally recognized and exceptionally talented skills in one of 10 target growth sectors.  The GTI program is facilitated using the DT (subclass 858) visa.

The new program, announced in 2018, is designed to attract skilled migrants at the top of their profession to Australia.  It was announced in October 2020 that the planning level has been increased from 5000 to 15000 places for the program year 2020-2021.

The target sectors are Resources, Agri-Food and AgTech, Energy, Health Industries, Defence/Advanced manufacturing and space, Circular economy, DigiTech, Infrastructure and tourism, Financial services and FinTech and Education.  Priority processing is provided to these applicants where the FWHIT (high income) is met (at least A$153,600).

All you need to know

Australia’s financial year usually runs from 1 July to 30 June, but the current financial budget release was delayed to October 2020, due to Covid. The 2020-2021 level will remain at 160,000 migrants but the distribution of the numbers have changed.  The General Skilled Migration Program numbers have been significantly reduced for both the Subclass 189 and State Nominated Subclass 190. 

Priority will be given to Employer Sponsored, Global Talent, Business Innovation and Investment Program visas.

Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP) 

Changes to this program seek to improve the quality of applicants. Places have been increased from 6,862 to 13,500 and the government will prioritise the processing of these applications. It is further been announced that a revamp of the BIIP is being undertaken with changes possibly being announced by the end of this year. These will ONLY be implemented in July 2021. Applications submitted by 30 June 2021 will not be impacted by these changes.  

Possible changes include 

• Discontinuation of the  permanent  Subclass 132  Business Talent visa in its current form with any new visa in this category being an initial temporary residence visa  as with all of the other BIIP visas.
• Subclass 188 A Business Innovation and Investment (Innovation Stream) visa- expected that the  required business investment level will increase.
• Subclass 188 B Business Innovation and Investment (Investor Stream) visa  – expected that required investment will increase from A$1.5M to A$2.5M.
• Subclass 188 Significant Investor visa (SIV) – it is likely that the current investment requirement of A$ 5M will not increase but there is no firm clarity on this at this stage

Global Talent Independent Program (GTI) 

Places in this program have been tripled to 15,000 to increase the flow of globally recognised skilled professionals and entrepreneurs.  

Global Business and Talent Attraction Taskforce 

A new whole of government Global Business and Talent Attraction Taskforce will be established to attract international businesses and exceptional talent to Australia, to support the post-COVID 19 recovery and boost local jobs. This initiative will build on the GTI initiative and the Business Innovation and Investment Program.

2020-21 Migration Program Settings

2019-20 Migration Program Outcomes

Globally, economies have taken a knock in 2020, all as an impact of the Corona 19 Virus. South Africa has not been spared the shock of economic instability, and there is growing trepidation in the minds of many about their futures. As the effects of the global pandemic unfold, many business owners and skilled individuals among all of society continue to evaluate their options. The 2020 Global Wealth Migration Review quoted that a significant number of South Africa’s HNWI (High Net Worth Individuals) will emigrate over the next few years. And globally, Australia is one of the preferred destinations for those with capital looking to secure their futures.

Why do South African’s opt for Australia as a first choice for emigration? Well, firstly, being in the Southern Hemisphere, the climate is similar, then there is the sports culture – cricket and rugby are much loved sports. Both countries enjoy a great outdoors and whether you call it a braai or a barbie, the love for outdoor cooking is another shared interest. Aside from this, the good health program and the schooling are also attractive benefits to a life in Australia.

What are your next steps? 

It is a complex process, with many caveats. AMS with it’s Registered Migration Agent Garry Loseby, an Australian, being leaders in their field, are well placed to advise you on your best option, handle your application process and assist you to migrate to Australia. 

Contact AMS on +27 11 783 9440 or info@australianmigration.co.za for more information.