Tasmanian Skilled Migration State Nomination Program Update – 5 July 2023

Application Gateway expected to be available by 4pm on Friday 7th July 2023

2023-24 Tasmanian Skilled Migration State Nomination Program.

Registrations of Interest and nomination applications cannot currently be submitted through the Migration Tasmania Application Gateway because it is undergoing maintenance and modifications. On Friday, July 7, 2023, at 4 p.m., it should be back online.

The Skilled Migration State Nomination Program’s new features for 2023–24

Programme adjustments for 2023–24 have been kept to a minimum. For ROIs and applications submitted starting on July 3, 2023, new minimum eligibility standards and priority attributes will be in effect. Candidates may want to withdraw their current ROI and submit a new one once the Gateway is accessible in circumstances where the new requirements are likely to be advantageous.

The changes are:

• extending the Tasmanian Skilled Employment pathway to all professions, expanding eligibility for subclass 190 nomination
• Tasmanian Onshore Skilled Occupation List, updated
• Requirements for massage therapists are changing.
• Income threshold adjustments based on revisions to the median and average salaries in Australia as well as the income threshold for temporary skilled migration
• Modest modifications to priority attributes
• The Additional Information, Exclusions and Definitions section of the Migration Tasmania website contains more comprehensive policy guidance.

The service fee to apply for nomination has increased to $330 (including GST). There is no charge to submit a Registration of Interest

Applications submitted prior to July 1, 2023

Applications for nomination that have been submitted but not decided upon before to 1 July 2023 will still be handled in accordance with the standards in effect at the time of submission. After the Australian Government releases nomination allocations for the 2023–24 programme year, they will be nominated in SkillSelect if authorised.

Registrations of Interest Submitted Before July 1, 2023

Prior to July 1, 2023, submitted Registrations of Interest (ROIs) will be valid for the 2023–24 programme year.

The conditions and parameters that were in effect at the time of the ROI submission will apply if you are requested to submit for nomination.

Applications submitted after July 1, 2023

The allocation of nominations for the programme year 2023–2024 has not yet been verified by the Australian government. After the allocations for the 2023–24 programme year are determined, successful applications for Tasmanian nomination submitted after July 1, 2023, will be nominated in SkillSelect.

CFS class action over grandfathered commissions reaches $100m settlement

A $100 million in-principle settlement has been struck between Slater & Gordon and Colonial First State Investments Limited (CFSIL).

Members of the Colonial First State FirstChoice Superannuation Trust were charged the fees between 1 July 2013 and 1 June 2020.

In a separate group process, Slater & Gordon is also suing Colonial First State and Commonwealth Bank for violating the members of superannuation funds’ trust by putting their retirement funds with the parent bank even though it did not have the best interest rates.

ACT solicitor accuses Supreme Court judge of ‘enforcing’ racism

A Supreme Court judge has been charged with encouraging “hatred” and “unfavourable treatment” of persons of colour in the legal profession, according to a lawyer who previously claimed the ACT Law Society was racist.

Emmanuel Ezekiel-Hart made outrageous claims that the Law Society approved only “white lawyers” who had been found guilty of criminal or professional charges “without delay” while delaying the issuance of his practising certificate due to his race.

Additionally, Mr. Ezekiel-Hart asserted that Justice Mossop had determined that “the effect of the discrimination and victimisation was continuous, was wrong, and was intended to punish the appellant and oppress him for seeking protection from the court in a helpless situation.”

The verdict “achieved an unintended result of perpetual alienation of the appellant from the ACT with ongoing punishment of discrimination and victimisation for seeking his rights,” he continued.

This argument is founded on false premises. Chief Justice McCallum stated that Mossop J. did not identify any victimisation or discrimination of Mr. Ezekiel-Hart, much less that it was ongoing.

Justice McCallum denied Mr. Ezekiel-Hart’s request for leave to appeal after concluding that it “is without merit.”

Crown casino’s $450m AUSTRAC penalty questioned by court

As a judge weighs whether a $450 million fine is sufficient punishment, Crown, the casino operator, has been exposed in Federal Court for its shady and maybe illegal behaviour.

Following the casino group’s admission that it had broken anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing legislation, Justice Michael Lee is currently reviewing the exchanges of sizable sums of money in the private rooms of the Crown Melbourne and Crown Perth.

In these rooms, there were at least 75 recorded suspicious events, 58 of which originated from the SunCity rooms, which ran out of Crown rooms but had junkets based in Macau.

Police also made 11 queries to the casino regarding a high-risk patron who had received a 19-month prison term in June 2014 for supplying methamphetamine. The same patron was leaving the casino with $1.3 million in machine payouts.

Justice Lee stated that he was interested in learning who at Crown “knew what and when they knew it” in order to make his decision.

It will be brought up again on Tuesday morning.

$450m Crown penalty gets green light with major condition

The Crown Casino Group and the financial watchdog reached a $450 million penalty agreement, which the Federal Court has authorised with one condition that might subject them to further legal action.

Crown’s counsel Philip Crutchfield requested Justice Michael Lee to approve the sum and the instalment plan established with AUSTRAC on day two of proceedings to secure the court’s permission for the penalty, regardless how much “discomfort” it may bring him.

Another $125 million should be paid within the year, and the remaining $200 million was ordered to be paid in the next two years.

There will also be no interest on the payments.

Justice Lee included a provision that would allow AUSTRAC to make a future court application if the financial position changed.

If the Crown failed to comply with the payments, it would be required to hand over the entire sum immediately with interest.

Former Qantas pilot sentenced for pretending to be a lawyer

A former Qantas pilot who pretended to be a lawyer to provide legal services, including a court appearance, has been sentenced.

Nathaniel Whitehall, 55, received three community correction orders and a $4,500 fine in the Sydney Downing Centre Local Court for eight offences of working as a lawyer without a practising certificate.

In sentencing remarks, Magistrate Juliana Crofts said Mr Whitehall left his clients without “protection” and open to “serious ramifications”.

Ms Crofts added she was concerned for his lack of understanding about the seriousness of his conduct.