Raul Senise

There is no official word from the Government in this regard. We are hoping that a reasonable approach will be adopted, as these positions will still be needed once things settle down. Processing of 186 applications seems to have slowed considerably.

Generally processing times all round seem to be slowing down. The Department may be re allocating resources where they are needed most. Only time will tell.

Alan Tudge MP, Acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs issued a media release over the weekend detailing the Government response for temporary visa holders in Australia during the current Coronavirus emergency. The official media release can be viewed here. Some of the key points from the media release: Temporary visa holders who are unable to support themselves under these arrangements over the next six months are strongly encouraged to return home. Students who have been here longer than 12 months who find themselves in financial hardship will be able to access their Australian superannuation. Temporary Skilled visa holders who have been stood down, but not laid off, will maintain their visa validity and businesses will have the opportunity to extend their visa as per normal arrangements. Businesses will also be able to reduce the hours of the visa holder without the person being in breach of their visa condition. These visa holders will also be able to access up to $10,000 of their superannuation this financial year. Working holiday makers who are working in critical sectors will be exempt from the six month work limitation with the one employer and eligible for a further visa to keep working in these critical sectors if their current visa is due to expire in the next six months.

As your situation is not straight forward, there are many variables and the Australian visa situation is changing regularly, you would be well advised to consult a Registered Migration Agent to formulate a visa strategy.

It is always a good idea to be on the same 457 visa when applying for a 186 as the rules as a secondary applicant are much more lenient. This is due to the Regulatory definition of member of family unit.

Very unlikely.

I'm investigation whether laid off sponsored staff will be able to access some of their Superannuation like Australians who have lost their jobs. It appears they may meet the latest requirements. See here for the Government fact sheet. Early release of superannuation The Government will allow individuals in financial stress as a result of the Coronavirus to access up to $10,000 of their superannuation in 2019-20 and a further $10,000 in 2020-21. Eligible individuals will be able to apply online through myGov for access of up to $10,000 of their superannuation before 1 July 2020. They will also be able to access up to a further $10,000 from 1 July 2020 for another three months. They will not need to pay tax on amounts released and the money they withdraw will not affect Centrelink or Veterans’ Affairs payments.

When it comes to Citizenship applications there is no "normally". Processing tines are very erratic and there does not seem to be any pattern to it. I have had clients approved very quickly and other take a very long time.

For a 186, you can pay for everything except the training levy. This is uncertain at the moment. One of the requirements for the 186 is that the position must be available for at least 2 years. Time will tell how lenient the Government is due to this crisis. This is also still uncertain. We have asked the Government to introduce concession so sponsors and sponsored staff are not in breach for reducing salaries and hours. We will see if this is adopted, but nothing yet.

You are correct, he does not need to be divorced. However, if he is not divorced, you cannot register the relationship or get married. Therefore you can only meet the requirements by being a de facto couple, which would require 12 months of co habitation in most cases.

Do you not have an Agent handling the AAT appeals? If you are just asking random Agents who don't know the specif details of your case for an opinion, you are bound to get conflicting answers. Both of the reasons for refusal you have sighted appear quite serious and need to be taken seriously.

There is not enough information in your post to answer your question. As a start you will need a positive skills assessment and 3 years of full time, skilled employment experience. It depends on many factors. The current published processing time is 83 days to 6 months.

This is not a simple question. Seek professional advice specific to your situation.