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The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has issued a statement aimed at shedding light on the Australia visa process which allows large numbers of foreign skilled workers to work on some of the country's biggest mining projects.

The first Enterprise Migration Agreement (EMA) was granted earlier this year to the world's richest woman Gina Rinehart for her multi-billion dollar Roy Hill project in Western Australia. The EMA allowed Ms Rinehart to employ up to 1,715 foreign workers on an Australia visa.

The Australian government has announced plans to attract more overseas recruits for its armed forces by offering to accelerate Australian citizenship applications for family members.

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) currently runs a recruitment program designed to sponsor currently serving or ex-servicemen and women from the British armed forces.

The state of Queensland has perhaps benefited from the resources and mining boom in Australia more than all other states and territories other than Western Australia. However, Australia visa requirements are determined at state level, not federal level and Queensland has fallen way behind in numbers of skilled migrants.

Overseas workers will have more opportunities to work in the mines in Queensland as the government moves to boost its skilled migration visa availabilities.

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen has confirmed that Australia visa allowances for the parents and grandparents of Australian citizens and permanent residents would be relaxed to allow for extended visits.

Mr Bowen said the new Australia visa rules, which are expected to be in place by the end of the year, would allow parents and grandparents to visit their Australian citizen or permanent resident relations for up to 12 months.

"The government will grant five year tourist visas with a 12 month stay on each entry to suitable applicants who have applied for a parent visa outside Australia," said Minister Bowen.

The full conditions for a new visa designed to encourage significant migrant investment into Australia were released today by the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen MP.

The significant investor visa, first announced in May, is being introduced as a key component of the Government’s business innovation and investment program, and requires visa holders to invest at least AUD 5 million.

The visa will commence from 24 November this year, when applicants can submit an expression of interest through SkillSelect.

On 1 August 2012 the first automated round of invitations to apply to migrate under the skilled independent and skilled family sponsored visas was completed under SkillSelect.

As SkillSelect is a new system, the first run of invitations was reduced in size, to allow us to ensure that all elements of the SkillSelect and electronic lodgement system are working smoothly. While this first round of invitations was small, we expect to be increasing the number of invitations issued in future invitation rounds, so that Australia can benefit from the high quality client submitting Expressions of Interest through SkillSelect. It is anticipated that the next run of invitations will occur on 1 September 2012.

Australia's settlement services are the backbone our of migration program and designed to support new migrants and refugees settle in the community, the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Senator Kate Lundy, said today at the launch of a new settlement publication in Canberra.

'I am delighted to launch The Settlement Journey: Strengthening Australia through migration, which outlines the government's settlement policy and suite of services available to help new migrants build a new life in Australia,' Senator Lundy said.

Australia's Department of Immigration says it wants to fill some Australian mining jobs with U.S. former war veterans.

In May 2012, Australia streamlined procedures for American nationals, with new Australian visas allowing skilled workers to stay in the country for four years. Now the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship says it wants to fill 400-500 mining jobs in Australia with workers from the USA, and former war veterans could fit some of the roles.

According to Australian government officials, employment consultants and mining company representatives, U.S. veterans have some of the skills they need.

The Minister for Tertiary Education, Senator Chris Evans, has welcomed the Queensland Government's decision to allow international students with Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) to access treatment at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital.

Senator Evans wrote to the Queensland Government earlier this year urging them to ensure international students received the treatment they were entitled to.

"This decision recognises the entitlement of international students to health care in Australia under their OSHC insurance, and the important contribution that international students make to Queensland's economy and society," Senator Evans said.

Australian immigrants under 457 visas do not take jobs from Australians in the mining industry, a pilot study shows.

The study called "457 visa workers in the Western Australian resources industry – the benefits and costs for business, migrant families and the community" was conducted by the Edith Cowan Law Faculty in Western Australia in collaboration with the Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA).