Migration Point-in-Time Service Updates

The Migration Point-in-Time Service has been updated to include the Migration Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Act 2018 (Act 162 of 2018), as well as commenced amendments from the National Security Legislation Amendment (Espionage and Foreign Interference) Act 2018 (Act 67 of 2018) and the Migration and Other Legislation Amendment (Enhanced Integrity) Act 2018 (Act 90 of 2018).

Act 162 of 2018

The Migration Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Act 2016 amends the Migration Act 1958 to introduce a sponsorship framework for the sponsored family visa program.

To address the integrity issues currently experienced in the sponsored family visa program (the program), the Act will extend relevant aspects of this sponsorship framework to apply to family sponsored visas with a view to:

• separate sponsorship assessment from the visa application process for family sponsored visas;
• require the approval of persons as family sponsors before any relevant visa applications are made;
• impose statutory obligations on persons who are or were approved as family sponsors;
• provide for sanctions if such obligations are not satisfied;
• facilitate the sharing of personal information between a range of parties associated with the program; and
• improve the management of family violence in the delivery of the program by allowing the refusal of a sponsorship application; and cancellation and / or barring of a family sponsor where inappropriate use of the program or serious offences are detected – especially those involving family violence.

These amendments have been updated in the Point-in-Time Migration Service current to 4 February 2019. (NB: Subscription required).

If you are not already a subscriber to this or other Point-in-Time Services then please contact us to find out more or to take a free trial.