Migration Amendment (Aggregate Sentences) 2023

# Migration Amendment (Aggregate Sentences) 2023 ## What it does This law clarifies how Australian migration rules apply when someone receives a single prison sentence for multiple crimes at once. Previously, it was unclear whether courts should count that combined sentence or break it into separate parts when deciding if someone should lose their visa or be deported. The new rule says: treat one sentence for multiple crimes exactly the same way you'd treat a sentence for a single crime. ## Why it matters This affects migrants and permanent residents facing deportation. Courts now have consistent guidance when someone gets, say, 12 months jail for two offences handed down together. It removes legal grey areas that could have been exploited or challenged, making decisions about visa cancellation and deportation more predictable and harder to argue against. ## Key details - **The rule:** A combined sentence for 2+ crimes counts the same as a single sentence under migration law (e.g., if 12 months triggers visa cancellation, it doesn't matter if that's for one offence or three) - **Effective date:** The day after it received Royal Assent (passed Senate, so now law) - **Who it affects:** Visa holders and permanent residents with criminal convictions; also the courts and immigration officials applying these rules

🔒 Voting closed — this bill has been decided by parliament