Friday 25 March 2011

Australian Asylum Seeker Facts

Taken from: http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/04/17/asylum-seekers-the-facts-in-figures/
  • Number of refugees* around the world: 37.4 million — UNHCR
  • Current quota for refugees coming into Australia: 12,000  — Myths and Facts about Refugees
  • Number of requests for asylum received by European countries in the past two decades: 6.3 million  —  Myths and Facts about Refugees
  • Number of requests for asylum received by Australia, New Zealand and Japan in the past two decades: 107,000  —  Myths and Facts about Refugees
  • Number of refugee boats intercepted this year coming to Australia: 6  —  The Brisbane Times
  • Amount to be spent on detention operations, including $85.8 million for new detention contracts in 2008 — 09: $120 million  — Refugee Council
  • Amount spent on detention in 07-08: $142 million
  • Number of people granted refugee status in Australia in 2007-08, out of a total of 13, 014 humanitarian visas granted: 6004  —  Australian Human Rights Commission
  • Number of asylum applications registered in 2008 for industrialized countries according to the United Nations: 383,000  —  UNHCR
  • Number of asylum seekers who arrived last year: 4750  —  Malcolm Farr, The Daily Telegraph
  • Number who arrived by boat: 179 — Malcolm Farr, The Daily Telegraph
  • Asylum seekers found at sea off Australia so far this year: 221 — The Daily Tele
  • Percentage of asylum seekers who arrive by air: more than 95% — Malcolm Farr, The Daily Telegraph
  • Amount of money spent on the Pacific Solution over five years: More than $1 billion  — SMH
  • Cost per person to be processed in Nauru, Manus and Christmas Island: more than $500,000  —  SMH
  • The cost of holding asylum seekers on the mainland as a percentage of the running costs of the Pacific Solution, based on Department of Immigration estimates: 3.5 per cent. — SMH
  • Percentage increase in the number of asylum applications worldwide between 2007 and 2008: 12%  —  UNHCR
  • Increase in the number of asylum applications in Australia between 2007 and 2008: 19%  —  The Australian
  • Increase in the number of asylum applications in Finland between 2007 and 2008: 181% — The Australian
  • Asylum applications submitted by Afghans in 2008: 18,500 — UNHCR
  • Number of asylum applications submitted by Afghans in 2002: 29,400  —  UNHCR
  • Percentage increase in the number of asylum applications worldwide from Afghanistan in 2008: 85%  —  UNHCR
  • Asylum applications originating in Iraq in 2008: 11%  —  UNHCR
  • Average number of new asylum claims lodged by Iraqis between 2000 and 2002: 50,000  —  UNHCR
  • Number of new asylum claims lodged by Iraqis in 2008: 40,500  —  UNHCR
  • Asylum seekers who made it to Australian shores at the height of the Vietnam crisis in the late 70s: 1000  —  Daily Telegraph
  • Number of refugees accepted into Australia in the early 1980s: 20,000  —  Myths and facts about Refugees
  • Cost of detainment per person, per day on Christmas Island (as of 2007): $1830  — SMH
  • Cost of detainment per person, per day at Sydney’s Villawood detention centre (as of 2007): $238  —  SMH
  • Number of people who overstayed their visas as of 30 June 05: 47,800  —  Immigration Department
  • Places offered for resettlement of Iraqis in 08-09 who have assisted the Australian military (at a cost to Australia of $42 million over four years) — up to 600  — Refugee Council
  • Number of persons in immigration detention at some time during 2006-2007: 5485  —  HREOC
  • Total number of persons in immigration detention in Australia as of 12 September 2008: 274  —  HREOC
  • Number of these detained people who were unauthorized boat arrivals: 6  —  HREOC
  • Number of these detained people who were unauthorized air arrivals: 40  —  HREOC
  • Number of refugees in Colombia due to conflict between government and illegal armed groups and drug traffickers) (2007): 1.8-3.5 million  —  CIA
  • Year when the United Nations High Commission for Refugees became operational: 1951 — HREOC

Monday 21 March 2011

Australian Prospective Marriage Visa (subclass 300)



A Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) is designed for you to come to Australia for the intention of marrying your spouse.

You must genuinely intend to marry your fiancé. You must also genuinely intend to live with your fiancé as husband and wife. The Department of Immigration will assess your relationship to be genuine based on the questions within the application.
There is an application charge for this visa. This will usually not be refunded if your application is unsuccessful, or if you decide to withdraw your application after you have lodged it. The application charge is $1,735 at time of writing. Fees may be subject to adjustment at any time. Visa Application Charges may be subject to adjustment on 1 July each year. This may increase the cost of a visa.. The Visa Application Charge must accompany your application and is generally not refunded if the application is unsuccessful.
Generally processing time for this Visa is about 3- 6 months (except for those on the African continent - you can expect to wait between 9-12months).


With this visa, you:
  • must enter Australia before you marry your fiancé
  • may leave and re-enter Australia as many times as you wish before your visa ceases (nine months after visa grant)
  • can work in Australia
  • can apply for a Partner visa in Australia after you marry your fiancé
  • can study, but you will not have access to government funding
  • may use Australia's medical expenses and hospital care assistance scheme, Medicare, but only if
Note: The subclass 300 visa is designed for those whose Fiancé’s are overseas - you prospective husband or wife MUST be overseas when this visa is granted.

Thursday 17 March 2011

To Be Sure To Be Sure

To all the fellow Guinness Lovers out there today, Happy St Patrick's Day.  

If you out in Perth like me, I'm sure I'll see you down at Rosie O'Gradys.

Monday 14 March 2011

Spouse Visa's

An application for a prospective spouse visa  can be lodged by those in a relationship wishing to emmigrate to Australia and marry their fiance who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident (namely their sponsor).

You must be outside of Australia when the application for this visa is submitted, and you also must be outside of Australia when it is granted.

The prospective spouse visa is a temporary visa which is valid for nine months during which time the applicant must traveled to Australia and marry their sponsor.

Once the applicant and their sponsor have been officially married, an application for an Australian Spouse visa can then be lodged. The Department of Immigration will continually assess your application as being genuine during the whole process.
 

Marrying Before Grant of Visa
Applicants who have married their fiance before their prospective spouse visa has been granted can change their application to a spouse visa for Australian immigration at no extra charge.
This can be done by sending a written notification to the relevant department processing your application along with the evidence of your marriage such as the extract from the marriage registry office certified by a JP.

Not Marrying Your Fiance After Granting of Visa
If you do not marry your fiance within the nine-month period after the visa is granted, your prospective spouse visa will be canceled and assuming you are in Australia, you will be required to leave the country.  
Conditions for Eligibility
Before applying for a prospective spouse visa, you must:
  • be of the opposite sex to your fiance,
  • be sponsored by your fiance,
  • have met and be acquainted with your fiance in person,
  • be legally free to marry your prospective spouse,
  • be over 18 years of age,
  • have a genuine intention of marrying and living with your prospective spouse as husband and wife, and
  • meet health and character requirements.