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. Advocates fear the court’s decision on Tuesday rejecting a Coalition-era policy that cases must show “unique or exceptional circumstances” could result in a hasty legislative fix. Instead, they are urging the government to consider granting visas to desperate applicants including women fleeing domestic violence, asylum seekers who arrived by boat and exploited workers. 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”. Abul Rizvi, former deputy secretary of the immigration department, said it was an “extraordinary decision”. Department of home affairs documents suggest in the relevant period after 2016, it routinely received in excess of 1,000 applications a year for ministerial intervention under section 351. Rizvi said given the act contains several powers of personal intervention it was “a certainty” the number of applicants affected since 2016 would run into the tens of thousands. Sanmati Verma, managing lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre, agreed that tens of thousands of decisions were probably affected, given the many applicants “who are forced to supplicate before the minister for a better outcome than they received at the tribunal”. Verma said 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. “The decision has far-reaching consequences for these people and the administration of the minister’s personal powers across the board,” she said. Verma noted that justice James Edelman had observed the act could be amended to permit departmental officials “to exercise a liberty to decide whether to refer to the minister an application for the exercise of the personal override power”. The decision shows “the need for a serious reckoning about the minister’s powers under the act”, she said. Stephanie Lee, a senior solicitor at the Immigration Advice and Rights Centre, said a legislative fix is most likely but her community legal centre “hopes that the outcome of this case results in the minister looking into more of these cases”. “They’re people at the end of the road, who’ve exhausted every other avenue … in very desperate situations,” she said. Lee cited women fleeing domestic violence whose partners promised but then failed to apply for partner visas, leaving them with “Australian citizen children and no other visa options in Australia”. “We see this form of immigration-related abuse occur frequently,” she said. Another category of applicants is exploited workers, who due to the exploitation no longer meet the criteria for nomination for permanent residency, resulting in their presence in Australia unlawful. “We’re very excited by this case,” Lee said. “We hope for more oversight by the minister considering these situations more closely.” On Thursday Giles said the decision was “very substantial” and the government is “carefully considering [it] and taking advice”. Asked if thousands could be affected, Giles repeated that taking advice was “the only responsible course of action”. Source: The Guardian
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With wages failing to keep up with inflation and cost of living pressures intensifying, many Australians are on the hunt for higher paid work. While record numbers are turning to side hustles, others are jumping ship to new organisations or even industries for more lucrative remuneration. Unlike the United States, the ‘Great Resignation’ did not eventuate in Australia, however one in three workers aged between 25 and 55 are currently considering quitting their jobs. This is not necessarily due to the desire for higher pay—it could also include burnout, lack of career progression or dissatisfaction with management. However, pay and wellbeing are consistently ranked as the two most important things to employees. With that in mind, here are some of the most lucrative professions in Australia. The Highest Paying Jobs in Australia in 2023The five highest paying jobs in Australia in 2022 and 2023 are surgeons, anaesthetists, internal medicine specialists, financial dealers and psychiatrists, according to the Hays Recruitment Salary Guide. Please note that salaries may vary according to a number of factors, such as the state you live in or if you live in an urban or rural area, your specific qualifications and the length of time you’ve been employed with a particular company or in a specific role. The incomes below are a guide. 1. Surgeon – $406,068Surgeons make an average of $406,068 a year and report high levels of job satisfaction as well, according to Hays. Average taxable income: $406,068 Average take-home income: $244,549 Number of individuals in the profession: 4,159 2. Anesthetists – $388,814Anaesthetists, like surgeons, have a hugely important role and make an average of $388,814 a year and there are only approximately 3500 of them in Australia, according to the ATO. Average taxable income: $388,814 Average take-home income: $235,405 Number of individuals in the profession: 3,509 3. Internal medicine specialist – $310,848Internal medicine specialists comprise specialist physicians, cardiologists, endocrinologists, neurologists and paediatricians. They earn an average of $310,848 per year. Average taxable income: $310,848 Average take-home income: $194,083 Number of individuals in the profession: 9,906 4. Financial dealer – $279,790The second highest paying industry in Australia after medical is financial services. Financial dealers include stockbrokers and those who buy and sell securities on behalf of clients. Average taxable income: $279,790 Average take-home income: $177,622 Number of individuals in the profession: 4,754 5. Psychiatrist – $252,691Psychiatrists earn an average of $252,691 per year. The current shortage of psychiatrists has been flagged by the federal government as a concern by 2030 unless an intervention is made – and in the meantime it will only drive salaries higher. Average taxable income: $252,691 Average take-home income: $163,260 Number of individuals in the profession: 3,030 What Are The Highest Paying Jobs In Australia That Don’t Require A Degree?Of course, the top professions we have just listed all require extensive university training and qualifications. The three highest paying jobs that do not require a university degree are ICT managers; chemical, gas, petroleum and power generation plant operators; and ICT sales professionals, according to the Monarch Institute.
Average Australian Salaries in 2023The median full-time worker in Australia earned $78,800 in 2022, while the median part-timer took home $32,400 last year, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). When both types of employees are combined, the median salary is $65,000. That is to say, half of all employees in Australia earned more than this, and half earned less. A taxable income that was $131,501 or higher was within the top 10% of earners in Australia last year. About 5% of taxpayers had incomes above $180,000. Someone who earned more than $253,066 was in the top 1%. When discussing the ‘typical’ wage, averages are less representative than medians, because there are a handful of very high earners who skew the results by earning millions or even billions of dollars. A middle-income household typically comprises a couple with children living off one full time job of around $85,000 and a part-time job of around $30,000 per year. This middle 20% has a combined weekly income of $1,884 ($97,986 annually), according to a report by the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS). Are You Looking For A Higher Paying Job?If so, you aren’t alone. Many people are facing day-to-day financial stress as living expenses remain at record highs. It is therefore unsurprising that one in three employees is considering quitting their jobs, according to a PwC report. Pay and wellbeing were ranked as the top two most important factors in a job, according to the report. Source: Forbes
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November 2023
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