Saddi (Migration) - [2020] AATA 5690

Saddi (Migration) [2020] AATA 5690 (28 September 2020)
DECISION RECORD
DIVISION:Migration & Refugee Division
APPLICANT:  Mr Puneet Saddi
CASE NUMBER:  1931658
HOME AFFAIRS REFERENCE(S):          BCC2019/4503400
MEMBER:D Triaca
DATE:28 September 2020
PLACE OF DECISION:  Melbourne
DECISION:The Tribunal affirms the decision not to grant the applicant a Student (Temporary) (Class TU) visa.

Statement made on 28 September 2020 at 10:51am

CATCHWORDS
MIGRATION –Student (Temporary) (Class TU) visa – subclass 500 (Student) visa – lower level of studies –genuine temporary entrant criterion not met– economic ties with Australia–– decision under review affirmed
LEGISLATION
Migration Act 1958, ss 65, 359, 499
Migration Regulations 1994, Schedule 2, cl 500.212
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 22 October 2019 to refuse to grant the applicant a Student (Temporary) (Class TU) visa under s.65 of the Migration Act 1958 (the Act).
The applicant applied for the visa on 9 September 2019. At the time of application, Class TU contained two subclasses: Subclass 500 (Student) and Subclass 590 (Student Guardian). The applicant applied for the visa to undertake study in Australia and does not claim to meet the criteria for a Subclass 590 (Student Guardian) visa.
The delegate in this case refused to grant the visa on the basis that the applicant did not satisfy the requirements of cl.500.212 of Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994 (the Regulations).
The applicant appeared before the Tribunal on 23 September 2020 to give evidence and present arguments. The Tribunal hearing was conducted with the assistance of an interpreter in the Punjabi and English languages.
For the following reasons, the Tribunal has concluded that decision under review should be affirmed.
CONSIDERATION OF CLAIMS AND EVIDENCE
The criteria for a Subclass 500 (Student) visa are set out in Part 500 of Schedule 2 to the Regulations. The primary criteria in cl.500.211 to cl.500.218 must be satisfied by at least one applicant. Other members of the family unit, if any, who are applicants for the visa need only satisfy the secondary criteria.
Genuine applicant for entry and stay as a student (cl.500.212)
Clause 500.212 requires as follows:
The applicant is a genuine applicant for entry and stay as a student because:
(a)the applicant intends genuinely to stay in Australia temporarily, having regard to:
(i)the applicant’s circumstances; and
(ii)the applicant’s immigration history; and
(iii)if the applicant is a minor—the intentions of a parent, legal guardian or spouse of the applicant; and
(iv)any other relevant matter; and
(b)the applicant intends to comply with any conditions subject to which the visa is granted, having regard to:
(i)the applicant’s record of compliance with any condition of a visa previously held by the applicant (if any); and
(ii)the applicant’s stated intention to comply with any conditions to which the visa may be subject; and
(c)of any other relevant matter.
Does the applicant intend genuinely to stay in Australia temporarily?
In…

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.

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Details

Case: [2020] AATA 5690
Decision Date

CaseChat Overview and Summary

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) considered the case of Saddi, who sought review of a decision to refuse a Subclass 500 (Student) visa. The primary issue before the Tribunal was whether Saddi met the criteria for a genuine applicant for entry and stay as a student, as stipulated in clause 500.212 of Schedule 2 to the Regulations.

The Tribunal was required to determine if Saddi genuinely intended to stay in Australia temporarily and if Saddi intended to comply with the conditions of the visa. In assessing these elements, the Tribunal was guided by Direction No. 69, which outlines specific factors to consider, including the applicant's circumstances in their home country and potential circumstances in Australia, the value of the course to their future, their immigration history, and the intentions of any parents or guardians if the applicant is a minor. The Direction emphasizes that these factors are not a checklist but are intended to assist in considering the applicant's circumstances holistically.

The Tribunal reasoned that the term "genuine" should be interpreted in its ordinary and natural meaning as "authentic, real or true." For a student visa applicant to be considered genuine, they must demonstrate an unqualified intention to stay in Australia for a limited period only, reflecting the temporary nature of student visas. Furthermore, a genuine applicant must also intend to comply with all visa conditions. The Tribunal's conclusion was that the decision under review should be affirmed based on its assessment of these criteria.

Orders

Orders of the court

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Background

Background to the litigation

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Evidence

Evidence Before The Court

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Decision

Reasons for decision

For the following reasons, the Tribunal has concluded that decision under review should be affirmed.CONSIDERATION OF CLAIMS AND EVIDENCE The criteria for a Subclass 500 (Student) visa are set out in Part 500 of Schedule 2 to the Regulations. The primary criteria in cl.500.211 to cl.500.218 must be satisfied by at least one applicant. Other members of the family unit, if any, who are applicants for the visa need only satisfy the secondary criteria. Genuine applicant for entry and stay as a student (cl.500.212) Clause 500.212 requires as follows:The applicant is a genuine applicant for entry and stay as a student because:(a)the applicant intends genuinely to stay in Australia temporarily, having regard to:(i)the applicant’s circumstances; and(ii)the applicant’s immigration history; and(iii)if the applicant is a minor—the intentions of a parent, legal guardian or spouse of the applicant; and(iv)any other relevant matter; and(b)the applicant intends to comply with any conditions subject to which the visa is granted, having regard to:(i)the applicant’s record of compliance with any condition of a visa previously held by the applicant (if any); and(ii)the applicant’s stated intention to comply with any conditions to which the visa may be subject; and(c)of any other relevant matter.Does the applicant intend genuinely to stay in Australia temporarily? In considering whether the applicant satisfies cl.500.212(a), the Tribunal must have regard to Direction No.69, ‘Assessing the genuine temporary entrant criterion for Student visa and Student Guardian visa applications’, made under s.499 of the Act. This Direction, which is attached to this decision, requires the Tribunal to have regard to a number of specified factors in relation to:·the applicant’s circumstances in their home country, potential circumstances in Australia, and the value of the course to the applicant’s future;·the applicant’s immigration history, including previous applications for an Australian visa or for visas to other countries, and previous travel to Australia or other countries;·if the applicant is a minor, the intentions of a parent, legal guardian or spouse of the applicant; and·any other relevant information provided by the applicant, or information otherwise available to the decision maker, including information that may be either beneficial or unfavourable to the applicant. The Direction indicates that the factors specified should not be used as a checklist but rather, are intended only to guide decision makers when considering the applicant’s circumstances as a whole, in reaching a finding about whether the applicant satisfies the genuine temporary entrant criterion. Whilst not defined in the Regulations, the word genuine may be taken to mean ‘authentic, real or true’ in according with its ordinary and natural meaning. The Regulations specify two constituent elements of a genuine student visa applicant. First, a genuine applicant is one who intends genuinely to stay in Australia temporarily. The applicant must demonstrate an intention to stay in Australia for a limited time only, not permanently. That intention must be unqualified. This requirement reflects the temporary nature of being a student.[1] Secondly, a ‘genuine applicant’ is a person who intends to comply with any conditions to which the visa may be subject.[2] [1] See Singh [2019] (Migration) AATA 2993 at [13][2] See the discussion of the meaning of ‘genuine applicant’ in Vu Vu (Migration) [2019] AATA 5740 (18 December 2019) [22] – [25] and upheld on appeal in Vu Vu & Ors v Minister for Immigration and anor [2020] FCCA 2292

Ratio Decidendi

Legal Principle Established

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