The Australian Government has introduced new rules that bar visa applicants from entering Australia for ten years if they provide false or misleading information in their visa applications or indulge in visa fraud. The new rules will be effective from November 18, 2017 vide proclamation of the Migration Legislation Amendment (2017 Measure No. 4) Regulations 2017.
Prior to the implementation of these new rules, applicants who have provided false or misleading information in their Australian visa applications were barred from applying for another Australian visa for a period of one year, after which they were eligible to re-apply.
As stated by Minister Peter Dutton, the Australian Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, the intention of introducing this amendment is to deter visa applicants from circumventing the rules and to maintain the integrity of the visa framework.
With the implementation of these new rules, all visa applicants who have provided fraudulent documentation or false or misleading information to the Australian Immigration Department, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal or the Migration Review Tribunal within the last ten years may be barred from applying for an Australian visa for ten years.
Isha Kalwant Singh, Legal Intern
(Keywords: Fraud, False, Misleading, Visa application, Ten years)
