Introduction

André Burger & Associates have been operating in the Australian Immigration industry since 1998 and have offices in Sydney and Darwin, Australia and Johannesburg, South Africa.

 

We have successfully obtained permanent and temporary Australian visas, Australian Citizenship, business sponsorship, state sponsorships, skills assessments, etc. for thousands of satisfied clients from across the globe. We can provide advice on a large variety of Australian visas and assist with successful immigration to Australia.

 

Our migration consultants are Registered Migration Agents and have a wealth of knowledge and experience with Australian migration issues.

 

In response to the Global Economic situation, the past few years have seen constant and extensive changes to many of the most commonly applied for Australian visas, such as the General Skilled Migration (GSM) program and the temporary working visa program (Subclass 457).

 

The GSM program has seen the removal of the Migration Occupation in Demand List (MODL), the introduction of the Critical Shortage List (CSL), re-evaluation and eventual removal of the CSL, the introduction of the Priority processing list, which has also been re-evaluated a number of times and the introduction of a totally new Skilled Occupation List (SOL) as well as the introduction of the Consolidated Sponsored Occupation List (CSOL).

 

This constant re-evaluation and amending of the Migration Regulations has continued with the introduction of an “Expression of Interest” system called SkillSelect along with extensive changes to the Employer Nomination and Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme.

 

The subclass 457 temporary Working Visa program has undergone regular changes, including increasing minimum salary levels, the introduction of trade tests, increased English language levels for trade occupations, followed by an extensive restructure. Minimum salary levels (MSL) have now been scraped with the introduction of the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) which continues to be indexed upwards. 2011 brought a change to the eligible occupation list for the 457 program with July 2012 seeing the move to the new Consolidated Sponsored Occupation List (CSOL). Further changes to this program continued in July 2013, with more changes expected in 2015 with the release of the 457 review.

 

Skills assessment criteria have changed for many assessing authorities including both Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) and Vetassess. The introduction of the Australia New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) further complicated both visa and skills assessments. With the introduction of the new points system, assessing authorities are now also assessing employment experience as well as qualifications.

 

Visa application charges (VAC) have continued to increase and apply to each applicant, with 2014 also seeing the introduction of an additional surcharge.

 

Taking into account that your migration process may well be one of the most important decisions that you will ever make in your life, and in light of the fact that currently Australian Immigration Law has never been more complex, dynamic and expensive, it is more important than ever to use the services of a reputable and registered organisation, capable of providing you with the best opportunity for successful visa procurement.

 

Not getting the process right can be a costly mistake as the time and expense required to repair failed applications, is much more costly and time consuming than procuring the visas clinically and expeditiously on the first occasion.

 

Our agents not only attend regular seminars to keep them updated on the latest changes to Migration Regulations and Policies, but also present Continuing Development Programs and lectures to other Migration Agents on behalf of the Migration Institution of Australia and Migration Training Australia.

 

We can provide advice and assistance on how to obtain an Australian Visa, immigration to Australia and all aspects of Australian visa requirements.

 

If you are applying for a visa or are simply considering and evaluating your Australian visa options, contact one of our offices and speak to our friendly consultants, who will assess your particular situation against the latest Migration Regulations. You will then be provided with accurate and reliable written advice, in relation to your enquiry.