フェニックス法律事務所（Phoenix Law & Associates）は、移民法・家族法に強みを持つ総合法律事務所です。多言語対応（日・韓・中・英）で、国際的なご家族や移住を検討されている方をサポートいたします。
Navigating the Sponsor’s Role in the Subclass 820 Partner Visa Application (Original Article by Phoenix Law & Associates)
The Subclass 820 Partner visa offers a crucial pathway for individuals in a genuine spousal or de facto relationship with an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen to live together in Australia. While visa applicants often focus on their own documents and eligibility, the Sponsor’s application is equally critical. In fact, the strength of the Sponsor’s application can determine the success or failure of the entire Partner visa process. Understanding the Sponsor’s responsibilities, eligibility requirements, and evidence obligations is essential to avoid delays, unnecessary stress, or visa refusals.
Why the Sponsor’s Application Matters The Sponsor’s application is not optional — it is a mandatory requirement and forms the foundation of the Subclass 820 Partner visa process. The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) assesses the Sponsor to ensure that: • ✅ The Sponsor is legally eligible to support the visa applicant; • ✅ The relationship is genuine and continuing; and • ✅ The Sponsor meets all character and legal requirements. Key Insight: Without a properly lodged and approved Sponsor application, the Partner visa cannot be processed. A strong Sponsor application also directly supports the credibility of the relationship and the Applicant’s eligibility to remain in Australia.
Who Can Be a Sponsor To be eligible as a Sponsor for the Subclass 820 Partner visa, the Sponsor must: • ✅ Be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen; • ✅ Be at least 18 years old (exceptions apply where a parent or guardian sponsors if the Applicant is under 18); • ✅ Meet character requirements by providing police clearances; • ✅ Not be barred from sponsorship due to: o Previous multiple sponsorships, o Specific criminal convictions, or o Failure to comply with previous sponsorship obligations. ⚠️ Important: The DHA imposes strict limits on repeated sponsorships. If you have sponsored partners before, you may be ineligible or face additional scrutiny.
Application Process A Partner visa involves two simultaneous applications that must be linked and assessed together:
The Applicant’s Partner visa application; and
The Sponsor’s application. Both must be lodged via ImmiAccount, ideally at the same time, to allow the DHA to assess the sponsorship and relationship concurrently. ⛔ Warning: If the Sponsor’s application is missing, incomplete, or inconsistent with the Applicant’s, the DHA may: • Delay processing; • Request additional documents; or • Refuse the visa application entirely. Key Takeaway Embedded: Submitting both applications together, with accurate and consistent information, is essential to avoid costly delays or refusals.
Documents and Evidence Required from the Sponsor The Sponsor plays a central role in proving the authenticity of the relationship and must provide comprehensive and consistent evidence, including:
Proof of Identity and Status • Australian passport, citizenship certificate, or permanent residency visa grant notice.
Relationship Evidence The DHA requires strong supporting evidence across four key categories: • Financial Commitment → Joint bank statements, shared utility bills, insurance policies. • Household Arrangements → Lease agreements, mortgage statements, proof of cohabitation. • Social Recognition → Photos together, invitations, social media history, statutory declarations. • Commitment to Each Other → Wills, superannuation nominations, and future plans.
Police Clearances • Certificates from Australia and any country where the Sponsor has lived for 12 months or more in the last 10 years.
Financial Support Undertaking • A written commitment to financially support the Applicant and any dependent children during the temporary visa period. NOTE: The DHA cross-checks all evidence provided by both parties. Any inconsistencies or missing documents can significantly delay the process or lead to refusal.
Impact on Visa Outcomes The DHA scrutinises the Sponsor’s background, sponsorship history, character, and financial capacity to ensure compliance with Australian migration law. A Partner visa may be refused if: • ❌ The Sponsor fails character or legal checks; • ❌ Misleading, inconsistent, or incomplete information is submitted; • ❌ The Sponsor cannot demonstrate financial capacity or willingness to support the Applicant; or • ❌ The relationship evidence does not meet DHA standards. Key Takeaway Embedded: The strength and accuracy of the Sponsor’s application are often the deciding factors in the DHA’s assessment. A weak Sponsor case can undermine an otherwise strong visa application.
Why Professional Guidance Matters The Subclass 820 Partner visa process can be complex, and DHA decision-makers review every detail of both applications. A single missing document, inconsistent statement, or incomplete sponsorship form can lead to months of delay — or even a visa refusal. At Phoenix Law & Associates, we: • Review both the Applicant and Sponsor’s eligibility before lodging; • Strategically prepare relationship evidence to meet DHA expectations; • Ensure consistency between the two applications; and • Guide you through the process to maximise your chances of success.
Conclusion The Sponsor’s application is not just a formality — it is the cornerstone of the Subclass 820 Partner visa process. A well-prepared, accurate, and complete Sponsor application: • Strengthens the credibility of your relationship; • Avoids unnecessary delays and refusals; and • Maximises your chances of securing your visa.
📞 1800 GET HELP 📧 info@phoenix-law.com.au 🌐 www.phoenix-law.com.au
Immigration sponsorship SBS (Standard Business Sponsorship) audit services by Phoenix Law & Associates help Australian employers comply with strict compliance required by the Department of Home Affairs when employing overseas workers under visas like the 482 (Temporary Skill Shortage) or 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional). We want to assist you to prevent or correct breaches to avoid significant penalties, and very large fines up to $315,000.
Compliance Risks Employers Can’t Afford to Ignore
Skills in Demand (SID) Visa Sponsorship Obligations. For many Australian businesses, sponsoring overseas skilled workers under the Skills in Demand (SID) visa (formerly the subclass 482 visa) has become a core workforce strategy. In a competitive labour market, access to skilled overseas talent is often critical to business continuity and growth.
What is frequently underestimated, however, is that Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS) is not a one-off approval. Sponsorship under the SID framework is an ongoing compliance regime, enforceable at any time. Once approved as a sponsor, an employer assumes continuing legal obligations that extend well beyond the initial nomination and visa grant.
Role of Australian Border Force (ABF)
Importantly, sponsorship compliance is not merely theoretical. It is actively monitored and enforced. One of the most confronting realities for sponsors is that Australian Border Force has the legal authority to attend business premises without prior notice. Australian Border Force officers may conduct unannounced site visits, interview directors, managers, and HR personnel, request immediate access to sponsorship records, and verify whether sponsored workers are performing the roles that were approved in their nominations.
These visits are not limited to large corporations or businesses suspected of wrongdoing. In practice, inspections may be entirely random, intelligence-led, or triggered by events that appear unrelated, such as payroll adjustments, visa extensions, internal restructures, or third-party tip-offs. Sponsors are often given little or no opportunity to prepare. Where records are incomplete, inconsistent, or not readily available at the time of inspection, that fact alone can raise compliance concerns.
Many employers assume that issues can be addressed if and when an audit occurs. We often hear sponsors say that compliance problems can be fixed later, that discrepancies can be explained if questioned, or that previous approvals provide a degree of protection.
Unfortunately, on-the-spot inspections do not operate that way.
During a site visit or audit, sponsors may be required to immediately produce employment contracts, payslips and payroll summaries, market salary assessment evidence, role descriptions that align precisely with the approved nomination, and records demonstrating that required notifications were made to the authorities. Where documentation is not readily accessible or does not align with the approved sponsorship framework, the situation can escalate quickly.
Sponsorship Obligations
Sponsorship obligations under the SID visa are actively enforced by the Department of Home Affairs, working closely with Australian Border Force. Compliance activity includes desk-based audits, physical site inspections, data matching with the ATO and Fair Work, and reviews conducted after nominations or variations are lodged. Many compliance actions do not arise from deliberate misconduct, but rather from operational realities such as HR staff turnover, outdated internal systems, misunderstandings about reporting obligations, or changes to business structure.
Your Risk as Sponsor
In practice, several risk areas arise repeatedly. Salary and payroll misalignment remains one of the most common issues. Sponsors must ensure that sponsored employees are paid the approved nominated salary, that the salary meets or exceeds the market salary rate, and that this requirement is satisfied at all times, including during business downturns. Even short-term discrepancies can constitute a breach.
Another frequent issue is the failure to notify required changes. Sponsors are subject to strict notification timeframes where there is a change in duties, a change in work location, periods of unpaid leave or reduced hours, or the cessation of employment. Failure to notify the Department within the required timeframe is itself a breach, regardless of intention.
Record-keeping failures also feature prominently in enforcement action. Missing, incomplete, or poorly organised records remain one of the most common reasons sponsors fail inspections. Similarly, business restructures — including new ABNs, group reorganisations, mergers, or payroll outsourcing — can quietly invalidate sponsorship arrangements if they are not managed correctly from an immigration compliance perspective.
The consequences of non-compliance are commercially serious. Ignorance is not a defence. Breaches may result in civil penalties and infringement notices, cancellation or suspension of sponsorship approval, refusal of future nominations, and risks to the visa status of sponsored employees. Reputational damage with regulators is also a real concern. For many businesses, these outcomes translate into immediate workforce disruption and operational risk.
What we can do for you
At Phoenix Law & Associates, our Migration Team provides a confidential, lawyer-led SID Sponsorship Audit Service designed to help sponsors get ahead of enforcement, rather than react to it. Our audit is not a government audit. It is a proactive compliance health check that allows employers to identify and address issues while they still control the outcome.
Through this service, we review the validity of sponsorship approval, assess whether nominated roles align with actual duties, examine payroll and market salary compliance, test record-keeping readiness, review reporting and notification obligations, and identify exposure to inspection or enforcement risk. The focus is practical, commercial, and solution-driven.
For employers who rely on skilled overseas workers, SID sponsorship compliance should be understood as a business risk management issue, not merely an immigration task. Directors, HR teams, and senior management all have a role to play. Being audit-ready is no longer optional. If your business sponsors workers under the Skills in Demand visa, has never undertaken a sponsorship audit, has experienced HR, payroll, or structural change, or simply wants peace of mind, now is the time to act — before an unannounced visit forces the issue.
Phoenix Law & Associates assists employers Australia-wide with SID sponsorship compliance audits, remediation strategies, sponsor variations and restructures, and ongoing compliance support.
📞 Contact Phoenix Law Migration Team to arrange a confidential sponsorship audit consultation | Multilingual lawyers. CALL +61731800908 or email info@phoenix-law.com.au | Level 8, 320 Adelaide Street, Brisbane #SBSaudit #SkilledWorkerVisa #OverseasWorkers #Migration #SkilledMigration #immigrationaustralia
フェニックス法律事務所（Phoenix Law & Associates）は、移民法・家族法に強みを持つ総合法律事務所です。多言語対応（日・韓・中・英）で、国際的なご家族や移住を検討されている方をサポートいたします。
Traditionally in Australia, spouses or de facto partners of an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen must prove a genuine and continuing relationship, requiring at least 12 months of de facto or registered relationship evidence, living together with a mutual commitment to a shared life.
But when faced with an appeal about a relationship between a 90-year old man and his Indonesian de facto partner, Ms Angkawijaya aged almost 60, the Full Federal Court recently considered whether there must be love and affection for there to be a genuine spousal or de facto relationship.
Is a mutual commitment to a shared life enough?
The Angkawijaya Case of 2016, and the True Test of a De Facto Partner Relationship shows that “Love”, whilst warmly appealing and compelling, is not a qualification for the grant of a partner visa.
For Australian migration law, the case of Angkawijaya v Minister was a landmark for Immigration and Border Protection. The Full Federal Court, in its 2016 judgment, emphasised that the central concern under the Migration Act is whether the couple shares a mutual commitment to a shared life, not the intensity of their emotional connection.
The circumstances were not straightforward, or line up with what the Tribunal expected to see in a relationship. When Ms Angkawijaya was asked about the reason for her partner visa application, she said that “she loved [Mr Limberiou] and she loved people generally” and that when she was asked if she loved him more than she loved people generally she said that she “loves all” and “loves everybody”.
Given her ambivalence and other concerns, about the significant age difference and unconventional dynamics, the Tribunal concluded that it was not satisfied that the couple had a mutual commitment to a shared life together. The Tribunal held that a de facto relationship which in the circumstances of this case did not include love and affection was not and could not be a de facto relationship within s 5CB(2) of the Act
In essence, the relationship was judged on personal values, rather than on statutory requirements. The Full Federal Court held that, “A couple may have a commitment to each other to a shared life together as partners in the absence of what one might call emotional or romantic love.”
Statutory Requirements – the law doesn’t demand Valentines
The Full Federal Court decisively overturned that determining that emotional intimacy is relevant but not determinative. Judge Driver emphasized that the law requires a holistic assessment under Regulation 1.09A, which mandates consideration of all relevant circumstances—not just sentimental ones. In the court’s view: “A couple may have a commitment to each other to a shared life together as partners in the absence of what one might call emotional or romantic love, just a genuine, ongoing, and exclusive commitment to building life together.
Is being in love necessary for marriage ( or a de facto Relationship?)
Examining our own attitudes towards this is interesting. It may be that compatibility and shared values: mutual respect, understanding, and shared goals can be just as important as romantic love, especially in the long term. A stable relationship can thrive on friendship, trust, and shared experiences. Many other cultures may see these values as important.
Phoenix Law and Associates are Family Law and Immigration Law specialists. This case is important as it demonstrates;
For partner visa applicants, it’s important to record solid evidence; as financial interdependence, joint household arrangements, social recognition, plans for the future, can outweigh emotional ambiguity. Demonstrating a shared life project and mutual interdependence – these are the legal markers that matter most.
Legally, it reinforces that decision-makers must not let personal value judgments trump legal criteria—it ensures fairness across diverse relationship types.
For society generally; It anchors the legal legitimacy of non-traditional, pragmatic, or caring-focused partnerships in migration processes. No matter how unconventional a couple may appear, the law judges the shared journey, not the passion behind it.
For friendly expert advice on Immigration and Family Law, talk to PHOENIX LAW & ASSOCIATES multilingual lawyers. CALL +61731800908 or email info@phoenix-law.com.au | Level 8, 320 Adelaide Street, Brisbane #JapaneseLawyers #KoreanLawyters #ChineseLawyers #southafrican #SkilledMigration #immigrationaustralia #SpanishSpeaking #crossborderlegalmatters
The decision on 23 July 2025 in Shinohara v Shinohara [2025] FedCFamC1A 126, handed down by the Full Court of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 1) signifies a substantial change in the way courts deal with “addbacks” . The parties were engaged in property settlement proceedings following the breakdown of their marriage. Among the disputed items were several agreed “addbacks” – amounts representing property that had existed earlier in the relationship but had been spent by one or both parties before the hearing.
Historically, the court has been willing to treat these amounts as current assets, adding them back to the asset pool, however, between the trial and the appeal, the Family Law Amendment Act 2024 commenced. This Act, among other changes, narrowed the definition of “property” that could be considered at Step 1 to only property that exists at the time of the hearing.
One of the issues was that the trial judge removed agreed addbacks from the financial statement, without giving either party prior notice or the opportunity to make a proposal about the impact, which was a serious procedural fairness issue. Both parties had run their cases based on an understanding that those assets would be included in the pool and removing them deeply changed the initial point for separation of property.
Read more at https://www.phoenix-law.com.au/family-law-how-marriage-or-defacto-assets-are-divided/
Key points for you to consider;
Appointing a lawyer as soon as possible after separation; in addition to reducing your stress and increasing your understanding of the law, will assist you in a number of ways .
Evidence is more important than ever. Without the “ addback” strategy, ensure you collect compelling evidence and provide it to your lawyer e.g. : Transaction records, Bank statements, Contracts and Witness testimony to explain the circumstances. The better your evidence, the more persuasive your Step 3 arguments will be.
Don’t panic if your spouse has spent assets—those actions can still be accounted for, but in a different way. Lawyers will now approach these situations with a different strategy than in past years.
Just and Equitable ; Step 3, relating to current circumstances and future needs ,must be “just and equitable” considering contributions and other factors. Your lawyer will argue on your behalf adjustments in your favour.
The Full Court’s Decision
Addbacks are no longer permitted at Step 1 Under the new legislation, the only property that can be included in the Step 1 balance sheet is property currently in existence.
Conduct still relevant—just at Step 3 While addbacks are gone from Step 1, the conduct leading to asset dissipation is still relevant to the final division. This conduct can be considered: e.g., one party’s wastage may reduce their overall contributions.
Re-exercise of discretion The Full Court recalculated the division, ultimately awarding the wife 67.5% of non-superannuation assets (approximately $416,226) and the husband 32.5% (approximately $200,405), factoring in contributions, wastage, and other considerations at Step 3—not Step 1.
In family law or other legal matters, you don’t have to do it on your own. Phoenix Law & Associates are there to guide and protect you. In addition to extensive and compassionate experience, we speak many different languages. Call us now for a free initial 20-minute chat.
In Queensland, your overseas driver’s licence may not be recognised if you have become a permanent resident. Recent changes to the Experienced Driver Recognition (EDR) program mean that drivers from certain countries will now need to pass both a road rules test and a practical driving test to obtain a Queensland driver licence. This change is being implemented across most Australian states and territories, with Queensland’s enforcement starting mid-2025 .
When Your Overseas Licence Is Recognised
If you’re a temporary resident—such as a tourist, student, or working holidaymaker—you can drive in Queensland using your overseas licence. Ensure your licence is in English or accompanied by an English translation or International Driving Permit (IDP). You’re permitted to drive vehicles up to 4.5 tonnes gross vehicle mass and carrying up to 12 people, including the driver .
When You Must Obtain a Queensland Licence
If you’re a permanent resident—either an Australian citizen or a holder of a resident visa—and have lived in Queensland for 3 months or more, you are required to transfer to a Queensland driver licence. This applies even if you’re from a country that previously had an agreement allowing direct licence conversion .
Licence Transfer Requirements
To transfer your overseas licence to a Queensland licence, you’ll need to:
Provide your overseas licence and an English translation or IDP if applicable.
Submit original identity documents and proof of Queensland residency.
Declare your medical fitness to drive; a medical certificate may be required if you have a condition affecting your ability to drive safely.
Pass a road rules test and a practical driving test, unless exempted.
Pay the applicable fees .
Some countries have agreements with Queensland that allow for direct licence conversion without additional testing. These include:
New Zealand, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, United Kingdom and the United States (excluding external territories)
For or all your Immigration queries , talk to Phoenix Law & Associates – here for all your Brisbane Legal Needs. We are immigration, personal injury, business, family and home conveyancing law experts. We speak YOUR LANGUAGE . Call 1800GETHELP or see anytime. Level 8, 320 Adelaide St, Brisbane. #JapaneseLawyers #BusinessLaw #HomeConveyancing #Brisbane #family #Australia #Conveyancing #BrisbaneLawyers https://www.phoenix-law.com.au/
Two heavyweight Asian Baseball teams delighted Brisbane baseball players and fans at Carina last Saturday. They enjoyed the display of outstanding skills and great sportsmanship, as Brisbane Samurai Japan defeated the Taiwan National Travelling Team 12-3 .
A huge crowd and many VIPs including Mr William Fan gathered at Carina Leagues Redsox Baseball Field.
We welcomed these distinguished guests ; William FAN, the Director general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office Brisbane, Charles OU YANG, the Director of Queensland Taiwan Centre, Phyllis LO, Commissioner, Overseas Community Affairs Council, Taiwan Anita HUANG, the president of Australian Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce Queensland. Koda CHEN, the President of TAIWAN FRIENDSHIP ASSOCIATION OF QUEENSLAND. Grace YU, the Brisbane Lord Mayor’s Charitable Trust Ambassador Mlib Tmetuchl, the President of Palau Major Lague Baseball Mr Daisei Yamamoto (President of Brisbane Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry) Ms Mari Kurita (President of Japanese Club of Brisbane) Ms Kumi Ikeda (Representative from Brisbane Seinendan)
The main sponsor for this game, @Brisbane Bandits generously provided the prizes for the game MVP, the Best Batter, and Best Pitcher namely:
Brisbane Bandits Game MVP – Masahiro Takahashi Best Batter – Hsiang Wang Best Pitcher – Ken Yoshida Congratulations to these players!
The game was a great opener for the QLD Baseball season. Now our Brisbane Bandits are returning to Viticon Stadium on Thursday, 21 November 2024. Visit the full details from #ABL25 Bandits schedule #Carinaleagues #BrisbaneBandits #ABL
PHOENIX LAW & ASSOCIATES is a passionate supporter of Brisbane Bandits BASEBALL. Phoenix Law & Associates speak Japanese fluently – and many other languages. Call 1800GETHELP. Level 16, 300 Adelaide St, Brisbane #baseball #BrisbaneBandits #homeconveyancing #JapaneseLawyers #BrisbaneLawyers #Urdu #Hindi #Pashtu #Mandarin #Cantonese #Korean #Japanese #Portuguese #Romanian #FamilyLaw #spanish
Preparation means seeking advice early
You don’t need to be on the brink of separation to obtain helpful family law advice. For some couples, the separation process can be over many cautious years, with a great deal of thought and preparation and the need for financial advice. For other couples, of course, it can be very different.
We find that we are more often approached for information by women first, because of concerns about financial insecurity and find that Australians from other ethnic groups may culturally have more apprehension in seeking help, and perhaps have fewer information resources to access. Overseas sole custody laws can also be seen as a powerful deterrent. However, historically, women have initiated more divorce applications in Australia than men.
Mehr – The Dowry – and other cultural and religious dimensions
In addition to the legal aspects, it is important to recognise the cultural and religious dimensions that may influence the separation process. In many Muslim communities, for instance, the concept of Mehr, a mandatory payment made by the groom to the bride at the time of marriage, serves as financial security for the bride.
This concept of financial protection extends into discussions surrounding separation and divorce. Addressing matters such as dowry and Mehr is essential within these communities, ensuring equitable outcomes and honouring religious obligations.
Our team at Phoenix Law & Associates understands the significance of such cultural nuances and can provide guidance that respects both legal requirements and personal beliefs, ensuring a comprehensive approach tailored to your unique situation. (Fatima , Solicitor Bachelor of Law; Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice)
What is Separation?
In Australia separated means you have stopped living together as a couple, and at least one person in the relationship makes the decision to separate, acts on that decision and tells the other person. Your partner doesn’t have to agree. You can be separated and still be living in the same home.
There are no legal requirements for separation. If you’re new to Australia or are worried about residency, please talk to us about that.
One person may move out of the home, or you can be still living at home together but have separate lives—this is called ‘separation under the one roof.’ You may have to prove these living arrangements to agencies such as Centrelink. When deciding if you are separated under one roof, they will consider whether:
you sleep together
you have sex or sexual activity
you share meals and domestic duties (in a different way than when you were married)
you share money and bank accounts
family and friends think of you as separated.
Both you and your spouse are equally entitled to live in the marital home during separation – ownership of the property is not relevant. Anyone can also leave the marital home during separation, but no one can be forced to.
Therapeutic, permanent and legal separation
Depending on your intentions, relationship therapists will talk about 3 possible states. Firstly, a therapeutic, healing or trial separation – which is temporary and structured time apart, to help a couple heal their broken relationship. The others – a permanent separation; and a legal separation.
Some benefits of a therapeutic or trial separation may be ;
Personal Growth: Time apart can foster personal growth and change. This evolution, coupled with a new understanding of oneself and one’s partner, can be a catalyst for reunions.
Challenges Ahead: Reunited couples are not exempt from challenges. They must address past grievances, manage external perceptions, realign after personal changes, and navigate the potential complexities of remarriage.
Foundations Matter: For a successful reunion, open communication, self-reflection, setting boundaries, and, if necessary, seeking professional counselling are crucial steps.
Divorce statistics.
The traditional expression “ the seven-year itch”, may have some truth as the average length of a marriage, at least in the United States, that ends in divorce is 8 years, and here in Australia, most divorces happen between year three and year seven of marriage. Just 4% of couples divorce after 10 years of marriage.
One-sided divorce is possible in Australia as long as the couple has been separated for at least 12 months. The crude divorce rate (divorces per 1,000 Australian residents) was 2.2 divorces per 1,000 residents in 2021, up from 1.9 in 2020. It could be estimated that 44% of marriages in Australia end in divorce.
January is sometimes considered “divorce month”, as an enforced time in a challenging relationship without the usual space that work, sports and other activities may bring issues to the fore. Lack of support and commitment is the most common reason given by divorcing couples. Other concerns may be too many arguments; Infidelity; being married too young; unrealistic expectations; lack of equality in the relationship; lack of preparation for marriage and substance or domestic violence or abuse.
Reunion rates show that between 10 to 15% of separated couples do reconcile, and approximately 6% of divorced couples remarry each other.
Preparing yourself early
As hard as separation or divorce might be, well-informed and supportive non-judgmental legal advice will lessen the emotional burden. A professional third party can help you navigate through the challenges. Often children are involved, and seeing the bigger picture may help minimise the impact on everyone.
Preparing yourself for any eventuality may include seeking mediation and protecting yourself financially by opening your bank account; separating assets or debts, and inventory assets. We can help with planning and advice, as each person’s needs differ.
Language and Culture matter
Phoenix Law and Associates have compassionate and sensitive Family Law specialists to help you through. To gain a free introductory perspective call Phoenix Law & Associates 1800GETHELP. We have multilingual lawyers who speak your language and understand your culture – Urdu, Hindi, Pashtu, Farsi, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Japanese – English, Portuguese, and Romanian.
With thanks; Legal Aid Queensland and Forbes review
The landscape of worker visas is undergoing a seismic shift, with chicken farmers and music instructors finding favour, while traditional roles like chefs and managers are left off the list. We may see the new era of the Skills in Demand Visa, slated to replace the Temporary Skill Shortage (Subclass 482) Visa in 2024. This new visa promises a four-year stint for skilled workers across three distinct streams, paving the way for Permanent Residency for all eligible applicants.
The government’s aim to streamline employer-sponsored visas hit a snag with the unveiling of the initial job list, drawing concern from sectors like construction facing acute labour shortages. Despite assurances of prioritising migrants with sought-after skills, the draft list raised eyebrows among employer groups and international students alike.
Under the Skills in Demand Visa umbrella, three pathways emerge: the Specialist Skills Pathway, catering to top-tier professionals commanding a minimum salary of $135,000; the Core Skills Pathway, featuring an updated occupation roster and a salary threshold starting at $70,000; and the Essential Skills Pathway, tailored for lower-wage earners.
While IT professionals and accountants may find themselves initially sidelined, salvation could come in the form of a government proposal granting visas to individuals earning over $130,000, regardless of their field. However, the Hospitality sector stands poised to challenge this plan, underscoring the vital role migration plays in sustaining many eateries and cafes.
Acknowledging the labyrinthine complexity of the current visa system, newly appointed ministers have pledged a simplified approach, echoing Minister for Home Affairs Clare O’Neil’s sentiment on untangling the “bowl of spaghetti” comprising convoluted visa classes and eligibility criteria.
December ushered in a clearer roadmap, condensing work visas into three streamlined streams. The top tier beckons migrants with prospective employers willing to shell out over $130,000, offering a visa irrespective of occupation. On the flip side, those earning below $70,000 may secure visas under specific circumstances, such as in aged care. For earners falling between the $70,000-$130,000 bracket, entry hinges on a revamped jobs list spotlighting high-demand skills and scarce expertise.
Gaining an Australian Visa may be a very complex business. Phoenix Law & Associates have skilled migration lawyers to assist you, who speak your language and understand your culture – Urdu, Hindi, Pashtu, Farsi, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Japanese – English, Portuguese, and Romanian – to help you.
