Security Checks after July '11

[User Name]

According to a news article I subscribed, there are changes to the way security checks will be conducted by ASIO.

 

Changes to Security Clearance Arrangements

 

ASIO will reduce the number of security clearances conducted for applicants for migration to Australia, and is budgeted to save $6.9 million over the next 4 years. Under the new arrangements, security clearances will only be required where the applicant is likely to be a risk. However, security clearances will still be required for all boat arrivals. Currently, security clearances can lead to significant delays in processing of visa applications - these can take 12 months or more for some countries. This change is a welcome one as it removes a significant processing bottleneck, and it is hoped that processing times for people applying for migration to Australia can be reduced.

 

My guess is that instead of automatically sending everyone from Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh and few others for these checks, they will handpick the unlucky ones for checks.

 

However does it mean that security checks will be quicker for those whose applications have already been sent for these checks after this new system for ASIO kicks in?

 

Hope any agents can shed some light on this.

 

SOURCE:

http://www.acacia-au.com/immigration_portfolio_budget_2011-12.php

 

http://www.theage.com.au/business/federal-budget/immigration-department-faces-staff-program-cuts-20110510-1ehh6.html

[User Name]

Bump...

[reza]

Thanks for your post. Instead of putting discriminating roles they should manage to make necessary arrangement to accelerate security checks and reduce the delay.

I have been under security checks for over the past 5 months for no reason.

 

I have not been involved in terrorist actions and am not a criminal.

I don't know why I should wait for a year and even more while other Applicants who have lodged their application after me are getting their visa.

July changes are coming and definitly will affect my application

I have enough points experience and all required documents for granting visa but may never obtain Australian PR.

It is very sad

Regards

[User Name]

Thanks for your post. Instead of putting discriminating roles they should manage to make necessary arrangement to accelerate security checks and reduce the delay.

I have been under security checks for over the past 5 months for no reason.

 

I have not been involved in terrorist actions and am not a criminal.

I don't know why I should wait for a year and even more while other Applicants who have lodged their application after me are getting their visa.

July changes are coming and definitly will affect my application

I have enough points experience and all required documents for granting visa but may never obtain Australian PR.

It is very sad

Regards

 

I believe the process of security checks by ASIO is going through a big revamp. But there still remains some ambiguity.

 

How does it affect those who are already in sent for these checks? Would they exclude most of us from the checks on only include those who are deemed "threat"? Or is it going start this new system with the new batches of applicants from the very HR countries.

 

Either way if the logjam is cleared for ASIO, it'll mean somewhat faster processing of these security checks for everyone.

[Guest guest41018]

According to a news article I subscribed, there are changes to the way security checks will be conducted by ASIO.

 

My guess is that instead of automatically sending everyone from Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh and few others for these checks, they will handpick the unlucky ones for checks.

 

However does it mean that security checks will be quicker for those whose applications have already been sent for these checks after this new system for ASIO kicks in?

 

Hope any agents can shed some light on this.

 

SOURCE:

http://www.acacia-au.com/immigration_portfolio_budget_2011-12.php

 

http://www.theage.com.au/business/federal-budget/immigration-department-faces-staff-program-cuts-20110510-1ehh6.html

 

 

If true, it's good news for many. It's sad, but you are better off (currently) as a criminal with as much a year in jail from an A-list country than someone with no criminal record, excellent credentials and the misfortune of being born in a C-list country.

 

One should assume, if they are serious about clearing the backlog, that those applications currently sent for security checks, but which do not fit the new criteria for referral, should be sent back to case officers; there is no point in continuing with these assessments just because they have started, otherwise one might get to the situation where those who apply after July 2011 might end up with visas quicker than those with identical/similar credentials who applied a year or more ago.

 

The number of adverse assessments appears, from the information on the net, to average in the low single figures. If that is the case and there are around 13 thousand visa assessments done every year then it is clearly a waste of resources. I bet they have done their research and realised that those (few) who are issued adverse assessments tend to be known figures who tend to be on watch lists of the respective countries anyway - finding out whether someone is on one of those lists should be a quick task and the rest can be spared a long and pointless full-blown assessment. The key question will become whether or not you have been denied a visa from any country in the past.