CAHILL VICTORIA PTY LTD ATF SINGH FAMILY TRUST (Migration)

[2023] AATA 2568

CAHILL VICTORIA PTY LTD ATF SINGH FAMILY TRUST (Migration) [2023] AATA 2568 (11 July 2023)

DECISION RECORD

DIVISION:Migration & Refugee Division

APPLICANT:  CAHILL VICTORIA PTY LTD ATF SINGH FAMILY TRUST

CASE NUMBER:  1925950

HOME AFFAIRS REFERENCE(S):          BCC2019/2641226

MEMBER:Stephen Witts

DATE:11 July 2023

PLACE OF DECISION:  Melbourne

DECISION:The Tribunal affirms the decision under review to refuse the nomination.

Statement made on 11 July 2023 at 11:59am

CATCHWORDS

MIGRATION – approval of a nomination – Direct Entry stream – occupation of Chef – genuine need – annual market salary rate – applicant business deregistered – decision under review affirmed     

LEGISLATION

Income Tax Assessment Act 1997
Migration (Skilling Australians Fund) Charges Act 2018
Migration Act 1958, ss 140, 245
Migration Amendment (Skilling Australians Fund) Regulations 2018
Migration Regulations 1994, r 5.19

STATEMENT OF DECISION AND REASONS

APPLICATION FOR REVIEW

1. This is an application for review of a decision made by a delegate of the Minister for Home Affairs on 2 September 2019 to reject the applicant’s application for approval of the nomination of a position under reg 5.19 of the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth) (the Regulations).

2. The applicant applied for approval on 21 May 2019. The requirements for the approval of the nomination of a position in Australia are found in reg 5.19 of the Regulations, which contains general requirements for approval and additional requirements for approval set out in three alternative streams: a Temporary Residence Transition stream, a Direct Entry stream and a Labour Agreement stream. If the application meets the requirements for approval then the application must be approved: reg 5.19(3)(a). If any of the requirements are not met then the application must be refused: reg 5.19(3)(b).

3. In this case, the applicant has applied for approval of a nomination, seeking to satisfy the criteria in the Direct Entry stream to working in nominated occupation of chef in accordance with ANZSCO code 351311.

4. The delegate refused the application on the basis the applicant’s nomination did not satisfy reg 5.19(4) of the Regulations because the delegate was not satisfied application identifies a need for the identified person to work in the nominated occupation of chef under the nominator’s direct control.

5. The Tribunal notes that the applicant was invited on 15 May 2023 to attend a hearing on 6 July 2023 to provide evidence and present arguments in relation to this application. The Tribunal notes also that there was no response to this invitation.

6. The applicant was also contacted three times on the nominated telephone number provided and did not respond.

7. The Tribunal has considered this matter carefully and has decided to make a decision in regard to this application on the material before it given that the applicant was given every opportunity to attend the hearing.

8. For the following reasons, the Tribunal has decided to affirm the decision under review to refuse the nomination.

   CONSIDERATION OF CLAIMS AND EVIDENCE

9. The issue in this case is whether the applicant meets the general requirements for approval of the nomination set out in reg 5.19(4) and the stream specific requirements set out in 5.19(9) which are extracted in the attachment to this decision. For the nomination to be approved, all the requirements must be met.

10. The Tribunal has considered all the material before it including evidence provided prior to the hearing which the applicant did not attend.

11. The Tribunal notes that it has been provided with a copy of the relevant delegates decision record by the applicant. In that decision it was asserted by the delegate that it was not satisfied that the applicant has determined the annual market salary rate (AMSR) in accordance with the relevant legislative instrument IMMI 18/033.

12. The Tribunal also notes that it was contacted by the applicant’s representative on 25 April 2023 in the following terms:

    “Please be advised that Cahill Victoria Pty Ltd has been deregistered.”

13. The Tribunal further notes that information was provided to it by the applicant’s representative that the company was deregistered by ASIC on 20 September 2021.

14. Based on the above the Tribunal finds that the applicant has not satisfied regulation 5.19(4).

    Application requirements – reg 5.19(4)(a)

15. Regulation 5.19(4)(a) requires that an application for approval be made in accordance with a number of requirements set out in reg 5.19(2). Regulation 5.19(2) requires that an application must:

    ·be made in accordance with approved form 1395 (Internet);

    ·identify the position;

    ·identify a person in relation to the position;

    ·identify an occupation in relation to the position,

    ·identify the subclass and stream to which the nomination relates;

    ·be accompanied by the fee mentioned in reg 5.37; and

    ·include a written certification by the nominator stating whether or not the nominator has engaged in conduct, in relation to the nomination, that constitutes a contravention of s 245AR(1) of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) (the Act).

16. Applications made on or after 12 August 2018 must also be accompanied by any nomination training contribution charge the nominator is liable for, and identify the annual turnover for the nomination: regs 5.19(2)(fa), (fb). The liability is imposed by s 140ZM of the Act and the charge is imposed by the Migration (Skilling Australians Fund) Charges Act 2018 (Cth), with the amount specified in the Migration (Skilling Australians Fund) Charges Regulations 2018 (Cth) (Charges Regulations). ‘Annual turnover’ is defined in the Charges Regulations for liable persons operating a business in Australia as the total ordinary income (within the meaning of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (Cth)) derived in the most recent income year (within the meaning of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (Cth)) ending before the day on which the nomination application is made. In any other case, it is defined as the total income the person liable derived in the ordinary course of business in the most recent financial year ending before the day on which the nomination application is made.

17. Further, if the subclass identified in the application is Subclass 187, the application must be made before 16 November 2019.

18. The Tribunal has considered all the material before it including evidence provided prior to the hearing date. As above, the Tribunal notes that the applicant did not present to this hearing.

19. The Tribunal notes that it has been provided with a copy of the relevant delegates decision record by the applicant. In that decision it was asserted by the delegate that it was not satisfied that the applicant has determined the annual market salary rate (AMSR) in accordance with the relevant legislative instrument IMMI 18/033.

20. The Tribunal also notes that it was contacted by the applicant’s representative on 25 April 2023 in the following terms:

    “Please be advised that Cahill Victoria Pty Ltd has been deregistered.”

21. The Tribunal further notes that information was provided to it by the applicant representative that the company was deregistered by ASIC on 20 September 2021.

22. Given the above findings, the Tribunal is not satisfied that the application complied with the requirements in reg 5.19(2) and finds that reg 5.19(4)(a) is not met.

23. For these reasons the Tribunal is not satisfied that the applicant meets the requirements of reg 5.19. Accordingly, reg 5.19(3)(b) requires that the nomination must be refused. The decision under review must be affirmed.

    DECISION

24. The Tribunal affirms the decision under review to refuse the nomination.

    Stephen Witts
    Member

    
    

    Attachment – extracts from the migration regulations 1994

    5.19Approval of nominated positions—Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) visa and Subclass 187 (Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme) visa

    Application

    (1)A person (the nominator) (including a partnership or unincorporated association) may apply to the Minister for approval of the nomination of a position in Australia.

    (2)The application must:

    (a)be made in accordance with approved form 1395 (Internet); and

    (b)identify the position; and

    (c)identify a person (the identified person) in relation to the position; and

    (d)identify an occupation in relation to the position; and

    (e)identify the subclass and stream to which the nomination relates, which must be one of the following:

    (i)a Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) visa in the Temporary Residence Transition stream;

    (ii)a Subclass 187 (Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme) visa in the Temporary Residence Transition stream;

    (iii)a Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) visa in the Direct Entry stream;

    (iv)Subclass 187 (Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme) visa in the Direct Entry stream;

    (v)a Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) visa in the Labour Agreement stream; and

    (f)be accompanied by the fee mentioned in regulation 5.37; and

    (fa)be accompanied by any nomination training contribution charge the nominator is liable to pay in relation to the nomination; and

    (fb)identify the annual turnover (within the meaning of the Migration (Skilling Australians Fund) Charges Regulations 2018) for the nomination; and

    (g)include a written certification by the nominator stating whether or not the nominator has engaged in conduct, in relation to the nomination, that constitutes a contravention of subsection 245AR(1) of the Act.

    Approval of nomination

    (3)The Minister must, in writing:

    (a)approve the nomination if the Minister is satisfied that the requirements set out in subregulation (4) are met; or

    (b)otherwise—refuse to approve the nomination.

    Requirements for approval—general

    (4)The requirements to be met for the nomination to be approved are as follows:

    (a)the application is made in accordance with subregulation (2);

    (b)either:

    (i)there is no adverse information known to Immigration about the nominator or a person associated with the nominator; or

    (ii)it is reasonable to disregard any adverse information known to Immigration about the nominator or a person associated with the nominator;

    (c)if it is mandatory, in the State or Territory in which the position is located, for a person to:

    (i)hold a licence of a particular kind; or

    (ii)hold registration of a particular kind; or

    (iii)be a member (or a member of a particular kind) of a particular professional body;

    to perform tasks of the kind to be performed in the occupation, the identified person is, or is eligible to become, the holder of the licence, the holder of the registration, or a member of the body, at the time of application;

    (d)the nominator has a satisfactory record of compliance with the laws of the Commonwealth, and of each State or Territory in which the nominator operates a business and employs employees in the business, relating to employment;

    (da)any debt due by the nominator as mentioned in section 140ZO of the Act (recovery of nomination training contribution charge and late payment penalty) has been paid in full;

    (e)if the nomination relates to a visa in a Temporary Residence Transition stream—the requirements set out in subregulation (5) are met;

    (f)if the nomination relates to a visa in a Direct Entry stream—the requirements set out in subregulation (9) are met;

    (g)if the nomination relates to a visa in a Labour Agreement stream—the requirements set out in subregulation (14) are met.

    …

    Direct Entry stream—additional requirements for approval

    (9)If the nomination relates to a visa in a Direct Entry stream, the following requirements must also be met:

    (a)the nominator is actively and lawfully operating a business in Australia;

    (b)if the nominator’s business activities include activities related to the hiring of labour to other unrelated businesses—the position is within the business activities of the nominator and not for hire to other unrelated businesses;

    (c)the application identifies a need for the identified person to be employed in the position, under the direct control of the nominator;

    (d)there is a genuine need for the identified person to be employed in the position, under the direct control of the nominator;

    (e)the identified person will be employed on a full‑time basis in the position for at least 2 years;

    (f)the terms and conditions of the identified person’s employment will not include an express exclusion of the possibility of extending the period of employment;

    (g)the nominator’s business has the capacity to employ the identified person for at least 2 years and to pay the person at least the annual market salary rate for the occupation each year;

    (h)the requirements set out in subregulation 2.72(15) are met, applying subregulations 2.72(15) and (16) as if:

    (i)paragraph 2.72(15)(a) did not apply; and

    (ii)references to the nominee were references to the identified person; and

    (iii)references to the person were references to the nominator;

    (i)either:

    (i)there is no information known to Immigration that indicates that the employment conditions (other than in relation to earnings) that will apply to the identified person are less favourable than those that apply, or would apply, to an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident performing equivalent work at the same location; or

    (ii)it is reasonable to disregard any such information;

    (j)the requirements set out in subregulation (10) or (12) are met.

    Occupations for the Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) visa in the Direct Entry stream

    (10)The requirements of this subregulation are as follows:

    (a)the tasks to be performed in the position will be performed in Australia and correspond to the tasks of an occupation specified in a legislative instrument:

    (i)made under subregulation (11); and

    (ii)in force at the time the application is made;

    (b)the occupation applies to the identified person in accordance with that instrument.

    (11)The Minister may, by legislative instrument, specify occupations for the purposes of subregulation (10) and, for each occupation, specify any matters for the purposes of determining whether the occupation applies to an identified person, including matters relating to any of the following:

    (a)the nominator;

    (b)the identified person;

    (c)the occupation;

    (d)the position in which the identified person is to work;

    (e)the circumstances in which the occupation is undertaken;

    (f)the circumstances in which the person is to be employed in the position.

    Occupations for the Subclass 187 (Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme) visa in the Direct Entry stream

    (12)The requirements of this subregulation are as follows:

    (a)the position is located at a place in regional Australia;

    (b)the business operated by the nominator is located at that place;

    (c)the position cannot be filled by an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident who is living in, or would move to, the local area concerned;

    (d)the tasks to be performed in the position correspond to the tasks of an occupation specified in a legislative instrument:

    (i)made under subregulation (13); and

    (ii)as in force at the time the application is made;

    (e)the occupation applies to the identified person in accordance with that instrument;

    (f)the Minister has been advised by a body that meets the requirements set out in paragraph (g) of this subregulation about matters relating to the following:

    (i)whether the identified person would be paid at least the annual market salary rate for the occupation;

    (ii)whether there is a genuine need for the identified person to be employed in the position, under the direct control of the nominator;

    (iii)whether the position can be filled by an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident who is living in, or would move to, the local area concerned;

    (g)the body must:

    (i)be specified in a legislative instrument made by the Minister for the purposes of this paragraph; and

    (ii)be located in the State or Territory in which the position is located; and

    (iii)have responsibility for the local area in which the position is located.

    (13)The Minister may, by legislative instrument, specify occupations for the purposes of subregulation (12) and, for each occupation, specify any matters for the purposes of determining whether the occupation applies to an identified person, including matters relating to any of the following:

    (a)the nominator;

    (b)the identified person;

    (c)the occupation;

    (d)the position in which the identified person is to work;

    (e)the circumstances in which the occupation is undertaken;

    (f)the circumstances in which the person is to be employed in the position.

    …

    Meaning of regional Australia

    (16)In this regulation:

    regional Australia means a part of Australia specified in legislative instrument made by the Minister for the purposes of this definition.