Naz (Migration) - [2019] AATA 1144

Naz (Migration) [2019] AATA 1144 (3 April 2019)
DECISION RECORD
DIVISION:Migration & Refugee Division
APPLICANTS:  Mrs Uzma Naz
Mr Mirza Danish Baig
Miss Kashmala Baig
CASE NUMBER:  1817875
HOME AFFAIRS REFERENCE(S):           BCC2017/1146211
MEMBER:Cathrine Burnett-Wake
DATE:3 April 2019
PLACE OF DECISION:  Melbourne
DECISION:The Tribunal affirms the decisions not to grant the applicants Employer Nomination (Permanent) (Class EN) visas.
Statement made on 03 April 2019 at 8:15am

CATCHWORDS
MIGRATION – Employer Nomination (Permanent) (Class EN) visa – Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) – no response to s 359A letter – not entitled to appear before the Tribunal – Temporary Residence Transition stream – Hairdresser – subject of an approved nomination – nomination application refused – decision under review affirmed
LEGISLATION
Migration Act 1958 (Cth), ss 65, 359C, 360, 363A
Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth), Schedule 2, cl 186.223
CASES
Singh v MIBP [2017] FCAFC 67
STATEMENT OF DECISION AND REASONS
APPLICATION FOR REVIEW

This is an application for review of a decision made by a delegate of the Minister for Home Affairs on 1 June 2018 to refuse to grant the applicants Employer Nomination (Permanent) (Class EN) visas under s.65 of the Migration Act 1958 (the Act).
The applicants applied for the visas on 24 March 2017. At the time of application, Class EN contained one subclass: Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme).
The criteria for the grant of a Subclass 186 visa are set out in Part 186 of Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994 (the Regulations). The primary criteria must be satisfied by at least one applicant. Other members of the family unit, if any, who are applicants for the visa need satisfy only the secondary criteria. Applicants seeking to satisfy the primary criteria must meet the ‘Common criteria’, as well as the criteria of one of three alternative visa streams: the Temporary Residence Transition stream, the Direct Entry stream, or the Labour Agreement stream.
In the present case, the first named applicant (the applicant) is seeking the visa in Temporary Residence Transition stream, to work in the nominated position of hairdresser.
The delegate refused to grant the visas because the applicant did not meet cl.186.223 of Schedule 2 to the Regulations because the nomination lodged by the sponsor, Besame Discretionary Trust, was refused by the Department, as such, there was no approved nomination.
On 18 March 2019, the Tribunal wrote to the applicants pursuant to s.359A of the Act and provided particulars of information that it considered at the time would be the reason, or part of the reason, for affirming the delegate's decision, and it invited the applicant to comment on or respond to the information.
The particulars of the information were that the application for approval of the nominated position made by Besame Discretionary Trust (the nominator) was refused by the delegate of the Minister for Immigration. The nominator sought a review of that decision but it was recently affirmed by the AAT. Meaning, that the nominator’s application for the nominated position has not…

Grounds of appeal

[14] The appellant contends that the primary judge erred in finding that the respondent had discharged the onus of establishing the matters required under the relevant provision.

[15] It was submitted that his Honour failed to give adequate weight to the evidence of the second witness, and that the findings of fact were not reasonably open on the material before the Court.

[16] The respondent, for its part, submits that no error is disclosed, and that the conclusions reached were well within the range of outcomes available to the primary judge.

Consideration

[17] It is convenient to deal first with the question of construction, as the resolution of that issue informs the remaining grounds advanced by the appellant.

[18] For the reasons that follow, we are of the view that the appeal should be allowed in part and the matter remitted for further determination.

Continue reading Naz (Migration)

Details

AGLC: Naz (Migration) [2019] AATA 1144
Case: [2019] AATA 1144
Decision Date: 3 April 2019

CaseChat Overview and Summary

This matter concerned an application for Employer Nomination (Permanent) (Class EN) visas, Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme), in the Temporary Residence Transition stream. The applicants sought review of a decision to refuse their visa applications. The Tribunal was required to determine whether the applicants met the criteria for the Subclass 186 visa, specifically focusing on the requirement for an approved nomination.

The primary legal issue before the Tribunal was whether the applicants had satisfied clause 186.223 of Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994. This clause requires, among other things, that the nomination in relation to the position has been approved and has not been subsequently withdrawn, and that the visa application was made no more than six months after the nomination was approved. The Tribunal also considered whether the secondary visa criteria were met for the spouse and child of the primary applicant.

The Tribunal reasoned that the Department had refused the Company's nomination application. Despite the applicants lodging a review application with the Tribunal, they failed to provide any response or comment to information provided by the Department. As the nomination application had not been approved, the Tribunal concluded that the applicants did not meet the criteria in clause 186.223(2). Consequently, the Tribunal affirmed the decision to refuse the Subclass 186 visas to the primary applicant and, pursuant to clause 186.311, also affirmed the decision to refuse visas to the spouse and child, as they did not meet the secondary criteria and there was no evidence they met the primary criteria independently.

Orders

Orders of the court

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Background

Background to the litigation

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Evidence

Evidence Before The Court

For the following reasons, the Tribunal has concluded that the decision under review should be affirmed.CONSIDERATION OF CLAIMS AND EVIDENCE The issue in the present case is whether there is an approved nomination. Clause 186.223 as applicable in this case is set out in full in the attachment to this decision. Essentially, it requires that the position to which the application relates is the subject of an application for approval of a nomination in the Temporary Residence Transition stream that identifies the visa applicant. The position must be the one that was the subject of the declaration that was required to be made as part of the current visa application. In addition, this criterion also requires that:·the nomination has been approved and has not been subsequently withdrawn·there is no ‘adverse information’ known to Immigration about the person who made the nomination or a person ‘associated with’ that person (within the meaning of r.1.13A and r.1.13B); or it is reasonable to disregard any such information·the position is still available to the applicant, and·the visa application was made no more than six months after the nomination of the position was approved. The Company's nomination application was refused by the Department and although a review application was lodged with the Tribunal, this review application was affirmed. The applicants failed to provide any response to, or comment on, this information. As the nomination application for the position to which the applicants Subclass 186 visa application relates has not been approved it follows that the applicant does not meet the criteria in cl.186.223(2) of Schedule 2 to the Regulations. Therefore, cl.186.223 of Schedule 2 to the Regulations is not met. The applicant has only sought to satisfy the criteria for a Subclass 186 visa in the Temporary Residence Transition stream. No claims have been made in respect of the other visa streams. As the requirements that must be met by a person seeking the visa in the Temporary Residence Transition stream have not been met, the decision under review must be affirmed. Pursuant to cl.186.311, the Tribunal must also affirm the decision to refuse to grant subclass 186 visas to the second, third named applicants (the applicant’s spouse and child) as they do not meet the secondary visa criteria to be members of the family unit of a person who holds a subclass 186 visa, and there is no evidence that they meet the primary criteria in their own right.DECISION The Tribunal affirms the decision not to grant the applicants Employer Nomination (Permanent) (Class EN) visas.Cathrine Burnett-WakeMemberATTACHMENT A186.223(1) The position to which the application relates is the position:(a)nominated in an application for approval that seeks to meet the requirements of subregulation 5.19(3); and(b)in relation to which the applicant is identified as the holder of a Subclass 457 … visa; and(c)in relation to which the declaration mentioned in paragraph 1114B(3)(d) of Schedule 1 was made in the application for the grant of the visa.(2) The Minister has approved the nomination.(3) The nomination has not subsequently been withdrawn.(3A) Either:(a)there is no adverse information known to Immigration about the person who made the nomination or a person associated with that person; or(b)it is reasonable to disregard any adverse information known to Immigration about the person who made the nomination or a person associated with that person.(4) The position is still available to the applicant.(5) The application for the visa is made no more than 6 months after the Minister approved the nomination.

Decision

Reasons for decision

Pursuant to cl.186.311, the Tribunal must also affirm the decision to refuse to grant subclass 186 visas to the second, third named applicants (the applicant’s spouse and child) as they do not meet the secondary visa criteria to be members of the family unit of a person who holds a subclass 186 visa, and there is no evidence that they meet the primary criteria in their own right.DECISION The Tribunal affirms the decision not to grant the applicants Employer Nomination (Permanent) (Class EN) visas.Cathrine Burnett-WakeMemberATTACHMENT A186.223(1) The position to which the application relates is the position:(a)nominated in an application for approval that seeks to meet the requirements of subregulation 5.19(3); and(b)in relation to which the applicant is identified as the holder of a Subclass 457 … visa; and(c)in relation to which the declaration mentioned in paragraph 1114B(3)(d) of Schedule 1 was made in the application for the grant of the visa.(2) The Minister has approved the nomination.(3) The nomination has not subsequently been withdrawn.(3A) Either:(a)there is no adverse information known to Immigration about the person who made the nomination or a person associated with that person; or(b)it is reasonable to disregard any adverse information known to Immigration about the person who made the nomination or a person associated with that person.(4) The position is still available to the applicant.(5) The application for the visa is made no more than 6 months after the Minister approved the nomination.

Ratio Decidendi

Legal Principle Established

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