Guest Justin JIANG Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 I just received this response to my complaint to the commonwealth ombudsman. It doesn't say much, but I guess at least they may investigate! Thank you for your complaint about the new priority processing changes for General Skilled Migration visas announced by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC). The priority processing changes were a result of the Minister’s Direction No. 40 - Order of Consideration of certain applications for sponsorship, nomination and visas under the Skill Stream of the Migration Program and the Temporary Residence Program. The Commonwealth Ombudsman’s office investigates complaints about the actions of Australian Government agencies. However, under our legislation we cannot investigate the actions and decisions of the Minister, therefore we cannot assist you with this matter. You can view a copy of our Service Charter and our brochure Making a complaint to the Ombudsman, which explain the Commonwealth Ombudsman’s role in more detail at http://www.ombudsman.gov.au. We have noted the details of your complaint and have included the issues you have raised with those of several other similar complaints that we have received about this matter. As the Ombudsman’s office is already considering how these issues might be addressed at a more general level, we will not be investigating your complaint. If we are able to achieve any changes to the priority processing directions, DIAC will advise you about any change and any action you might need to take. If you wish to seek advice on your migration options, you may consider engaging the services of a registered Migration Agent. Details of registered Agents are available on the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority’s (OMARA) website: www.mara.com.au. Thank you for taking the time to raise this matter with us. If you want to discuss this further, please contact me using the details at the end of this email. Hi Wannabeoz, Thanks for the action you've taken. It does help in some way if we made more complaints to DIAC, ombusments, public media and so on. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McKlaut Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 what exactly will be discussed? Situation with Aus skilled migration and 23/09 changes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Freaks Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 I just received this response to my complaint to the commonwealth ombudsman. It doesn't say much, but I guess at least they may investigate! I received exactly the same response today..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McKlaut Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 That is EXCELLENT,Radio National has a huge audience and if they are going to cover this issue then you have possibly the best opportunity so far to bring the issue to the attention of the public at large.I suggest everyone affected take the chance to provide feedback as advised. This may really be an effective way of getting your opinions heard. Well done to Mcklaut to pursuing this avenue of protest.:yes: I would suggest the same too. I also think we should email them our personal stories before the program is broadcast so Peter Mares can include some of them in his talks. Here is the link to their website. The National Interest Everybody can post via "Contact us" option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sparamjit Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 Same here this is what I got from Ombudsman people, maybe someone may here us. Looks like many people have complained to them, I will also write to IOM today as suggested by some members, This is what I got from them... Dear Mr Singh Thank you for your complaint about the new priority processing changes for General Skilled Migration visas announced by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC). The priority processing changes were a result of the Minister’s Direction No. 40 - Order of Consideration of certain applications for sponsorship, nomination and visas under the Skill Stream of the Migration Program and the Temporary Residence Program. The Commonwealth Ombudsman’s office investigates complaints about the actions of Australian Government agencies. However, under our legislation we cannot investigate the actions and decisions of the Minister, therefore we cannot assist you with this matter. You can view a copy of our Service Charter and our brochure Making a complaint to the Ombudsman, which explain the Commonwealth Ombudsman’s role in more detail at http://www.ombudsman.gov.au. We have noted the details of your complaint and have included the issues you have raised with those of several other similar complaints that we have received about this matter. As the Ombudsman’s office is already considering how these issues might be addressed at a more general level, we will not be investigating your complaint. If we are able to achieve any changes to the priority processing directions, DIAC will advise you about any change and any action you might need to take........ it continues further Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sparamjit Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 Thanks Mcklaut for the link I will just write my story to them now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Freaks Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 I would suggest the same too. I also think we should email them our personal stories before the program is broadcast so Peter Mares can include some of them in his talks. Here is the link to their website. The National Interest Everybody can post via "Contact us" option. Sent them our story...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sparamjit Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 Sent them our story...... Just sent them ours too. :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ellnaz Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 I would suggest the same too. I also think we should email them our personal stories before the program is broadcast so Peter Mares can include some of them in his talks. Here is the link to their website. The National Interest Everybody can post via "Contact us" option. That's a great idea and I appreciate u.:wubclub: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merlino Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 Keep up the spamming guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramot Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 Thank Mcklaut, Have sent submission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jamie Smith Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 To help get a proper response and apply pressure in the necessary directions, please ensure that all letters to media, ombudsmen, Ministers and anyone else also addresses the key issue of : "Why were DIAC continuing to ask me to get information and reports together at great personal expense in terms of money and time, and process the visa and gove me notice of progress of my application towards being granted, when they had already been instructed by the Minister to suspend processing on my visa category. This is most unfair and financially disadvantageous. Now that I cannot complete my application because of XYZ I have not been given the option of a refund or compensation for my time and money that was wasted unnecessarily at DIAC's request." Those are the key points for argument and they give everyone a good shot at getting media attention or Ministerial reconsideration. The change in processing priority would be considered an overdue necessity by many. How it was changed without compensation and how instructions were ignored will get more traction and public support. Most will defer to Government in managing the volumes of migrants hence the priority change is a non-starter in my media book, but NOBODY likes being ripped off or having families split up by Government. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taz2008 Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 I found this which was broadcasted last month, not sure if you have seen it or not but thought I would post it: IQ2 Debate: Is Our Rate of Immigration Too High? -, 17 September 2009 10:00 ABC Fora- IQ2 Debate: Is Our Rate of Immigration Too High?# John Sutton is the Vice-President of the ACTU, and the National Secretary of the CFMEU. He is a member of the Australian Department of Immigration's Skilled Migration Consultative Panel - His argument was that immigration was too high, which is a shame as he is a member of the skilled migration consulative panel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottntina Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 Hi Wannabeoz, Thanks for the action you've taken. It does help in some way if we made more complaints to DIAC, ombusments, public media and so on. Cheers! Just to let you know guys, i received exactly the same email today too.... Tina:wacko: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jamie Smith Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 I found this which was broadcasted last month, not sure if you have seen it or not but thought I would post it: IQ2 Debate: Is Our Rate of Immigration Too High? -, 17 September 2009 10:00 ABC Fora- IQ2 Debate: Is Our Rate of Immigration Too High?# John Sutton is the Vice-President of the ACTU, and the National Secretary of the CFMEU. He is a member of the Australian Department of Immigration's Skilled Migration Consultative Panel - His argument was that immigration was too high, which is a shame as he is a member of the skilled migration consulative panel. CFMEU are one of the more die hards unions, not at all open to the ideas of needing migrants to replace older people leaving the workforce. Most unions are ignorant of demographic trends, deliberately so or otherwise. They're on the consultative panel to be heard but that is smart play, Govt is paying homage to the unions for their support in getting elected, but only paying lip service to their point of view. Fortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merlino Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 CFMEU are one of the more die hards unions, not at all open to the ideas of needing migrants to replace older people leaving the workforce. Most unions are ignorant of demographic trends, deliberately so or otherwise. They're on the consultative panel to be heard but that is smart play, Govt is paying homage to the unions for their support in getting elected, but only paying lip service to their point of view. Fortunately. What backward thinking indeed. Kudos to the unions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyT Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 Hi, Thanks to McKlaut and Jamie, I have sent my story to ABC and have included some tips from Jamie. My story involves my daughter being 18.5 years by the time we are looking at a visa, we can't leave her behind, therefore we won't be able to complete our visa. This will hopefully get some interest in our campaign. Tracey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jamie Smith Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 Hi, Thanks to McKlaut and Jamie, I have sent my story to ABC and have included some tips from Jamie. My story involves my daughter being 18.5 years by the time we are looking at a visa, we can't leave her behind, therefore we won't be able to complete our visa. This will hopefully get some interest in our campaign. Tracey Goodonyerm8:wubclub: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jamie Smith Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 What backward thinking indeed. Kudos to the unions. Not much Sharan whatshername the CEO of the unions grudgingly admits that the ageing population issues and employer sponsorship obligations are not well understood by unions. Where individual unions have had the chance to discuss the workings of the visas and understand the employer's commitment with the MIA or its RMA members they have generally tended to be a bit more conciliatory. But not the CFMEU. Being a kiwi, I can say that the Aussie work and political environment is more unionised than where I came from 5 yearas ago, but their numbers are dwindling. A few unionists have been jailed recently for on-site intimidation, a few were booted out of the Labour Party for being derisory of employers or getting more physically intimidating in their behaviour, most notably when Kevin Rudd was trying to get elected and feared an anti-union backlash. Labour need union support and a lack of public fear of unions to get elected and remain so. Now they ahve the dilemma of rising skills and worker shortages that need migration in volume, and having to sell that to their union members. So they get included in the high level meetings but the common union anti-migrant story is not taken up as easily as some might hope. Furthermore, I'm not surprised that the CFMEU was represented at that level, Labour will be trying to educate them about what is needed for the workforce to remain strong and not just highly paid. If they can get the CFMEU to soften their stance on migrants, the other less militant unions will follow suit. Embrace your enemy is the strategy.:wubclub: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stillwaiting79 Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 Hi all, new update that might interest you'll http://www.vetassess.com.au/download...l_with_occ.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taz2008 Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 :GEEK: ABC News reports: Skills shortage looming, warns industry group The Australian Industry Group says the country faces a severe skills shortage coming out of the financial downturn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spurious Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 There's always the possibility that by drawing so much attention to this, we're actualy playing into Chris Evans' hands, though.... part of the reason for the changes may well be the federal election in the country next year, and what government doesn't want to be seen to be "doing something" about immigration? It's the same in the UK as well. If media attention is given to Chris Evans slowing down immigration (and the debate will very quickly move on to that subject because not many people are going to be interested in some foreigner losing a bit of cash) then the whole thing could backfire badly and end up getting Evans more support than we anticipate. Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jamie Smith Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 Mmmmm, maybe not. DIAC are under huge stress as a result of sustained changes across all areas of their business. Any change management consultant would say you'll break the business if you change too much too quickly. DIAC's rally cry of People Our Business is currently inappropriate. People are not being served! Same goes for policy. Too many policy changes means the lower skilled ANZSCO 5 case officers, plus DIAC management and migration agents plus applicants don't know what is really required. If you press down here and something pops out there as an unintended consequence then either you haven't thought things through well enough or you just don't know your own business. Do it twice or in this case five times and it means you're in the wrong business. Five times? The fiasco with the recent rush of illegal immigrants is one yadstick showing that Govt policy settings are not right and that the Govt did not think though or admit to knowing there would be consequences associated with relaxing the settings on illegal immigration. Add to that fiasco these ones: the TRA pathway D debacle and subsequent closure as an overreaction, the statutory deposit mess and subsequent closure as an overreaction, the sudden introduction of the "emergency" CSL, the abrupt change and disenfanchisement of tens of thousands on September 23 which comes from late overreaction to earlier failures in student visa policy settings, and we're really starting to see a pattern of political and policy ineptitude mixed with undue haste to reform things. I don't deny that reform is needed in many areas and some of the initiatives are very welcome, but the close timing is not! This Govt's desire to be seen as the agent of change risks a real system meltdown inside DIAC, and we're already seeing signs of that in many parts of the industry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kangaroo Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 I still can't find an answer why the priority processing changes have been applied to all GSM applications, both unallocated applications and applications already allocated to Case Officers and in the process of being finalized. What's the extra benefit for Evans? Can someone explain that to me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McKlaut Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 I still can't find an answer why the priority processing changes have been applied to all GSM applications, both unallocated applications and applications already allocated to Case Officers and in the process of being finalized. What's the extra benefit for Evans? Can someone explain that to me? You have no privilege or rights to ask such questions. Only "white australians" have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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