Monthly Archives: April 2023

Migration and legal experts have warned the true number of visa decisions affected by invalid refusals of ministerial intervention is likely to be in the tens of thousands, after the high court rejected bureaucrats’ ability to block applications.

A majority of judges of the high court found that home affairs department decisions in line with the 2016 instruction not to send cases to the minister unless they met subjective criteria were not consistent with the Migration Act, which gives the power to intervene to the minister “personally”.

Department of Home Affairs suggests in the relevant period after 2016, it routinely received in excess of 1,000 applications a year for ministerial intervention. The decision may also affect “people who arrive by boat and are at the mercy of the minister’s powers” before they can apply for a bridging visa, including 12,000 people who were refused protection visas through the fast-track process.

Children born in Australia to Kiwi parents who meet certain criteria will be given automatic Australian citizenship, under new changes announced by the federal government.

The new rules mean New Zealanders who are on the visa will be able to apply for citizenship without having to become a permanent resident first, as long as they have lived in Australia for at least four years.

Speaking on Sunday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also announced that, from July 1, 2023, children who are born in Australia to New Zealander parents who hold a Special Category visa and are permanent residents will automatically become Australian citizens.

“We know that many New Zealanders are here on a special category visa while raising families and working and building their lives in Australia,” he said.

“So I am very pleased to provide the benefits that citizenship provides.”

Mr Albanese described the relaxing of the citizenship rules as “common sense”, given Australians living across the Tasman are already afforded similar rights.

Australians will soon be able to renew their passport online in major changes to the way official documents are handled.

The government is finalising moves to allow digital statutory declarations and deeds in all states to streamline passport renewals and electoral roll registration.

It will mean an end to visits to the Post Office with bundles of paperwork signed in person by Justices of the Peace for those wanting a new passport.

Instead they will be able to simply confirm their identity though the Australian Tax Office’s MyGovID app.

The system will also allow the use of digital e-signatures to countersign electronic documents once it is incorporated into the MyGov website and app.

What is Anzac Day?

Anzac Day, 25 April, is one of Australia’s most important national occasions. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.

On this day the Australians honour this by taking part in the dawn service held across the country. The main dawn service is held in Canberra at the war memorial.
 

What does ANZAC stand for?

ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The soldiers in those forces quickly became known as Anzacs, and the pride they took in that name endures to this day.
 

Why is this day special to Australians?

When war broke out in 1914 Australia had been a federated nation for only 13 years, and its government was eager to establish a reputation among the nations of the world. When Britain declared war in August 1914 Australia was automatically placed on the side of the Commonwealth. In 1915 Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula in order to open the Dardanelles to the allied navies. The ultimate objective was to capture Constantinople (now Istanbul), the capital of the Ottoman Empire, an ally of Germany.