Glossary

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Accredited community language: You must have been accredited at the paraprofessional level or above for interpreting or translating in a language they offer accreditation in by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters.

Actively operating: For a main business to be assessed as actively operating the applicant must provide evidence of business activity of a repetitive, continuous and permanent nature.

Adult Migrant English Language Program (AMEP): The Adult Migrant English Language Program (AMEP) provides up to 510 hours of free English language tuition to eligible migrants from the skilled, family and humanitarian visa streams, to help them learn basic English to assist with their settlement in Australia. For further information about the AMEP, visit Adult Migrant English Program.

Adverse information

Adverse information is unfavourable information that could impact on your suitability as an approved sponsor.

Adverse information is information that could affect your suitability to:

be an approved sponsor, or
nominate someone for a visa

Adverse information could be about:

you
your organisation
someone associated with you or your organisation

How adverse information affects sponsorship

Anything adverse we learn about you affects our decision on your sponsorship if it:

raises doubts about whether you are suitable to be a sponsor
relates to something that happened in the previous 3 years

What we might do about adverse information

We might:

refuse your application to become an approved sponsor
refuse your application to sponsor or nominate a visa applicant

If you are already an approved sponsor, we might:

cancel your approved sponsorship
apply administrative sanctions

What we consider adverse

We consider it adverse if you or your organisation has become insolvent under the Bankruptcy Act 1966 and the Corporations Act 2001.

We also consider it adverse if, in relation to a Commonwealth, state or territory law, you or your organisation:

has been found guilty by a court of an offence
has been found to have contravened the law by a competent authority
has been the subject of administrative action, including being issued a warning, by a competent authority
is being investigated
has been subject to disciplinary or legal action

The Commonwealth, state or territory law must relate to:

discrimination
immigration
industrial relations
occupational health and safety
people smuggling or related offences
slavery, sexual servitude and deceptive recruiting
taxation
terrorism
people trafficking or debt bondage

Some adverse information is unlikely to affect our decision. For example, it is not relevant if we learn your business was fined for operating an unregistered vehicle on a public road. But it would be relevant if we learn your company director is being investigated for people trafficking offences.

Annual income: Annual income means how much money you make in a year. See details on what you can include as an evidence of annual income.
Evidence of your annual income could include a tax assessment notice showing the income you earned during a period ending less than 12 months before you submitted your visa application. For example, a tax assessment issued in December 2017 is acceptable evidence for a visa application you submit in July 2018.
The annual income you must demonstrate varies from visa to visa.

Applicant: An applicant is a person who is applying for a visa or for citizenship.