Migration Amendment (Expanding Access to Temporary Residence Transition Stream) Regulations 2023

I, General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd), Governor‑General of the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, make the following regulations.

Dated   23 November 2023

David Hurley

Governor‑General

By His Excellency’s Command

Andrew Giles

Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs

Contents

1 Name

2 Commencement

3 Authority

4 Schedules

Schedule 1—Amendments

Migration Regulations 1994

1  Name

  This instrument is the Migration Amendment (Expanding Access to Temporary Residence Transition Stream) Regulations 2023.

2  Commencement

 (1) Each provision of this instrument specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.

Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this instrument.

 (2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this instrument.

3  Authority

  This instrument is made under the Migration Act 1958.

4  Schedules

  Each instrument that is specified in a Schedule to this instrument is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this instrument has effect according to its terms.

Schedule 1—Amendments

Migration Regulations 1994

1  Subparagraph 2.12F(3B)(c)(vii)

Omit “the 3-year requirement in paragraph 5.19(5)(e) or paragraph 5.19(5)(f) or (g) (as applicable) or any requirement for a different period of time specified for the applicant in an instrument made under subregulation 5.19(6)”, substitute “the requirement in paragraph 5.19(5)(e), or in paragraph 5.19(5)(f) or (g) (as applicable)”.

2  Subparagraphs 5.19(5)(a)(i) to (vi)

Repeal the subparagraphs, substitute:

 (i) a Subclass 457 (Temporary Work (Skilled)) visa; or

 (ii) a Subclass 482 (Temporary Skill Shortage) visa; or

 (iii) if the last substantive visa held by the identified person was a visa mentioned in subparagraph (i) or (ii)—a bridging visa granted on the basis that the person is an applicant for a visa mentioned in subparagraph (i) or (ii), a Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) visa or a Subclass 187 (Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme) visa;

3  Paragraph 5.19(5)(c)

Repeal the paragraph.

4  Paragraph 5.19(5)(e)

Omit “4 years”, substitute “3 years”.

5  Paragraph 5.19(5)(e)

Omit “3 years”, substitute “2 years”.

6  Subparagraphs 5.19(5)(e)(i) to (iii)

Repeal the subparagraphs, substitute:

 (i) a Subclass 457 (Temporary Work (Skilled)) visa;

 (ii) a Subclass 482 (Temporary Skill Shortage) visa;

7  Paragraph 5.19(5)(f)

Omit “4 years”, substitute “3 years”.

8  Subparagraph 5.19(5)(f)(i)

Omit “3 years”, substitute “2 years”.

9  Paragraph 5.19(5)(g)

Omit “4 years”, substitute “3 years”.

10  Paragraph 5.19(5)(g)

Omit “3 years”, substitute “2 years”.

11  Subparagraph 5.19(5)(h)(i)

Repeal the subparagraph, substitute:

 (i) was the standard business sponsor, or the party to a work agreement, who last identified the identified person in a nomination approved under section 140GB of the Act; and

12  Subregulation 5.19(8)

Repeal the subregulation.

13  Paragraph 1240(3)(b) of Schedule 1

Repeal the paragraph.

14  Paragraph 1240(3)(c) of Schedule 1

Repeal the paragraph, substitute:

 (c) An applicant for a Subclass 482 (Temporary Skill Shortage) visa may be in or outside Australia, but not in immigration clearance.

15  Subitems 1240(3A) and (3B) of Schedule 1

Repeal the subitems.

16  In the appropriate position in Schedule 13

Insert:

Part 123—Amendments made by the Migration Amendment (Expanding Access to Temporary Residence Transition Stream) Regulations 2023

12301  Definitions

  In this Part:

amending regulations means the Migration Amendment (Expanding Access to Temporary Residence Transition Stream) Regulations 2023.

12302  Operation of amendments

 (1) The amendment of regulation 2.12F of these Regulations made by Schedule 1 to the amending regulations applies in relation to the withdrawal of a visa application on or after the commencement of that amendment, if the nomination application:

 (a) is made on or after 18 March 2018 and not finally determined before that commencement; or

 (b) is made on or after that commencement.

 (2) The amendments of regulation 5.19 of these Regulations made by Schedule 1 to the amending regulations apply in relation to an application under that regulation:

 (a) made on or after 18 March 2018 and not finally determined before the commencement of those amendments; or

 (b) made on or after the commencement of those amendments.

 (3) The amendments of clause 1240 of Schedule 1 to these Regulations made by Schedule 1 to the amending regulations apply in relation to visa applications made on or after the commencement of those amendments.