The Minister for Immigration and Border Protection signed a new Ministerial Direction for Character Decision-Making on 22 December 2014. This new Direction will come into effect on 23 December 2014 and apply to all character decisions made on or after that date. Ministerial Direction 65 replaces Ministerial Direction 55, which will be revoked at the same time that Ministerial Direction 65 comes into effect. Ministerial Direction 65 is binding on all delegated decision-makers and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
The new Direction takes into account amendments to the Migration Act 1958 in 2014 to strengthen the existing character provisions, and includes a new part relating to the revocation of mandatory visa cancellations under section 501CA.
