Immigration Forum / Australia and NZ / August 2007

I don't claim to know that much about current requirements, but  

1/ The migration regulations have been changed, not that long
ago.         

2/ There is a large Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
summit in Sydney next month, and there is a good possibility
that there will also be a trilateral meeting involving leaders of
US, Japan, & Australia on the sidelines as well.  See:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/08/25/2014901.htm

3/ There is a good possibility that the Prime Minister will call
a Federal election in the next couple of months after this is
over.

.....So my guess is that the immigration department is simply
"flat out" with work and there are probably more delays than
usual.  After all, there is a lot of security involved in the
APEC conference, and I would think they might be looking
at both tourists and migrants pretty close at the moment
to try to forestall a possible terrorist incident.

Current top news on ABC is that today's horse race meetings
have been called off statewide, including Randwick, as result of
an equine influenza scare.

http://www.abc.net.au/default_800.htm

This is the first time it has happened, as Australia has
previously been  free of this horse disease.

The appearance of the disease could also cause
breeders millions.  To quote some bits from
AM, the ABC current affairs program yesterday morning:

"As a result, 79 horses arriving in Australia for stud duties
have been quarantined for 30 days at facilities in Sydney and
Melbourne. With the breeding season due to start on the first of
September, the hold-up is likely to cost breeders millions of
dollars." . . .

"ASHLEY HALL: Throughout breeding season, each stallion would
ordinarily service five mares a day. At about $150,000 per
service for a sought-after stallion, that's $750,000 of lost
revenue per horse per day. And that's not considering the mares."

Full transcript at
http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2007/s2013877.htm

This may also impact on the running of the Melbourne cup, an
event that virtually shuts down most work nationwide on
the day that it is run.   See "breaking news" from the Australian

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/breakingnews/

I expect that it would.  

I cannot either.  There have been a lot of abuses of the migrant
system in the past by people seeking to use this to attain
citizenship.