Forex alloawances for South Africans

Earlier the year the foreign exchange control requirements for South Africans were amended.

What is still not widely appreciated is that South African residents (natural persons), who are over the age of 18 years may be permitted to avail of a single allowance within an overall limit of R500 000 per individual per calendar year, without the requirement to obtain a tax clearance certificate, to cover the following discretionary allowances –

•      monetary gifts and loans;

•      donations to missionaries;

•      maintenance transfer;

•      travel allowance;

 

This discretionary allowance is in addition to the existing R2 million individual foreign capital allowance. To ensure accurate and comprehensive reporting of all data and cross border transactions, applicants must provide accurate information to enable the authorised dealers to correctly report the purpose of the transaction via the reporting system.

Australian Migration - three things to consider

Australia’s Immigration policy is cornerstone to the economic growth and future success of the country. At a time when economic concerns engulf our attention one needs to consider the impact on this policy. What is known is that the Australian Government is proactive and the policy is dynamic and this means that changes can occur relatively quickly.

 

At present Australia is facing a significant skills shortage. The number of skilled migrants for 2008/09 is at an all time high and overall the forecast number of migrants for the period is 190300, up 20% over the previous year. However Prime Minister Rudd has gone on record stating that advice would be sought where skilled workers are needed and that immigration is not a one-size-fits-all across the country.

 

Therefore as migration agents we urge our clients that if they qualify for a visa today that they do not procrastinate and they must lodge the application as soon as is practically possible, as they simply may not have that opportunity tomorrow. 

 

Skilled migrants comprise the bulk of the program i.e. 133000 with South Africans comprising approximately 3.5% of permanent additions (Dec 2007). Permanent additions comprise of those persons who while already in Australia on a temporary basis are granted permanent residence status and those persons who arrive from overseas and are entitled to stay permanently in Australia.

 

Given that South Africans are willing to settle in Australia and the fact that they are held in fairly high regard in the work place, implies that they are a very attractive pool of talent. South Africans do however make active use of the temporary stream which allows them, once sponsored by an employer, to remain in Australia temporarily for up to four years. One point we believe that is not well communicated is the fact that this strategy of obtaining a temporary visa does not necessarily result in permanent residence. We therefore advocate that should an individual embark on this route that it is done so in conjunction with a well structured strategy for permanent residence. The process is stressful enough without having to put your family’s future at risk of being disrupted again should you fall out of favour with your employer, not to mention the cost and emotional upheaval of having to return.

 

As registered migration agents we see the full gambit of individuals planning a new future down-under and by the time someone approaches us they have inevitably made their mind up. We really act as a facilitator in the process and ensure that the minefield of regulations and legal criteria are handled in the correct order and manner. There is no doubt that Australia has a highly complex and legally technical visa system which requires applications to be carefully prepared in order to succeed. Up to 50% of those who apply for a visa fail, this is mainly because they are refused, apply under the wrong visa class or pull out.  A registered migration agent will ensure that your case is presented in the best way possible.

 

It would be fair to say that the reputation of the Australian migration industry has fallen under some scrutiny in recent years, particularly in regard to unregistered offshore agents and there are many of these agents operating in South Africa. South African’s are generally ignorant to the fact that they may be dealing with and are often being poorly advised and exploited by an unregistered agent who is not subject to any regulatory control or censure. Using an unregistered agent denies you the protection and peace of mind that your agent has passed the required character tests, complies with the MARA code of conduct (www.themara.com.au) and possesses the necessary immigration law qualifications. You also need to be sure as to whether your registered migration agent is the one in fact giving you the advice and you have reasonable access to the agent or are you being advised by an unregistered employee based in South Africa.

 

In summary, we therefore urge you to have a well structured migration plan that does not naively ignore the permanent residence aspect of migration. Should you decide to use an agent you use an agent that is registered with The Mara; and finally, if you qualify for an Australian visa, act now because the landscape may change tomorrow.

 

By Andrew Heathcote - Registered Migration Agent MARN 0850850

 

 

Minimum salary Levels and Occupations for 457 visa's

According to the Department of Immigration (DIAC) from the 1st August minimum Salary Levels under Subclass 457 program are to increase.

 

The 457 Visa  is the most commonly used program for employers to sponsor overseas workers to work in Australia on a temporary basis (3 months to 4 years). There are also special arrangements for employers in regional areas across Australia.

 

On 1 August 2008 a new Legislative Instrument (Gazette Notice) was issued, increasing the Minimum Salary Level (MSL) by 3.8 per cent.

 

This instrument applies not only to new sponsored worker visa applicants, but to all sponsored workers.

 

This means that the formula for calculating the MSL will apply to every sponsored worker who is paid in accordance with an MSL.

 

Refer to the attached PDF on the DIAC website for more details.

 

IELTS some very useful information

We get many questions regarding the degree of difficulty of the IELTS exam. Obviously this is difficult to answer, as what one might find basic others might find somewhat challenging. There are many resources available on the web that you may find useful in your preparation. Here are two such videos I found on YouTube and there are many many others on sites such as Youtube which you may find of interest.

What is the latest on the $100,000 capital investment bonus points?

Prior to 1 September 2007 GSM visa applicants could earn 5 bonus points if they deposited at least $100,000 in a designated security for a term of not less than 12 months. The NSW, Queensland and NT Treasury Corporations and the SA Government Financing Authority had been State and Territory authorities participating in these arrangements (the Western Australia Government withdrew from 1 July 2007).

 

Each of the participating States and Territories have notified the department of their withdrawal of support for the use of treasury bonds for this purpose. This means that no State or Territory will issue a security in which an investment is a ‘designated security’. There is no compulsion on States or Territories to participate in the scheme. Whether the State or Territory government authorities actually issue a security is ultimately a matter for them to determine.

 

The new visa arrangements for the GSM Program introduced from 1 September 2007 did not include the provisions for the lodgement of designated securities. This change in arrangements only affect visa applications lodged before 1 September 2007.

 

While a decision regarding theses visa applicants is still awaited by DIAC, DIAC has now put an FAQ in relation to the issue on its website. It can be found at: http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/capital-investment-scheme-faqs.htm

 

 

 

Settling and relocation services

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Foster's Australia's Famous Beer is not that big in Monza Italy

New centres of excellence opened

On 1 July 2008 the department of Immigration opened three (3) new centres of excellence to process:

•             Subclass 457 – Business (Long Stay)

•             Subclass 459 – Sponsored Business Visitor (Short Stay)

•             Subclass 422 – Medical Practitioner applications with Australian business sponsors.

 

These centres are designed to improve client services by reducing processing times and developing areas of staff expertise.

 

The centres of excellence are located in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. There will be a geographic split of responsibility for processing new applications. Where your application is processed will depend on where the sponsoring business is located. If the business has more than one location, the processing centre will depend on where the business’s head office is located.

 

Hopefully this will see the processing times for these visa classes improve.

 

Immigrants details to go online

A project that aims to produce an online catalogue of the millions of people who have immigrated to Australia has been launched in Canberra.

The Making Australia Home project was launched on Wednesday along with special citizenship ceremonies in Canberra and Brisbane, arranged to mark Constitution Day.

The National Archives has already digitised 74,000 items, providing online access to the details of many of the more than seven million people who have resettled in Australia since Federation.

The records contain details such as the name of the person who migrated, when they migrated and their place of birth, including those who resettled under assisted passage arrangements and post-war displaced person schemes.

Cabinet Secretary Senator John Faulkner, who launched the project, said much of the story of Australia's migration history, from a government perspective, is told in the records held by the National Archives.

That rich history would now be accessible to all Australians, Senator Faulkner said.

"The records reflect changing attitudes towards migration and the evolving patterns of population movements over the 20th Century," he said.

"They are of immense historical and personal significance."

The migration records catalogued to date can be found on the National Archives website at www.naa.gov.au .

Source: AAP

 

Minimum Salary Level increase for 457 visa holders

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, today announced on Friday, 23 May 2008 that Minimum Salary Levels (MSLs) for temporary skilled overseas workers will increase by 3.8 per cent from 1 August 2008.

The change will increase the current standard MSL from $41,850 to $43,440 per annum. For ICT professionals, the MSL will rise to $59,480 from $57,300.  In regional areas, the MSL will rise to $39,100 (from $37,665) and $53,530 (from $51,570) for ICT professionals.

There are currently more than 68,000 primary 457 visa holders working in Australia, most of whom are professional employees on incomes higher than the MSL.

http://www.minister.immi.gov.au/media/media-releases/2008/ce08050.htm