Did you know that gay and lesbian applicants can successfully obtain an interdependent (partner) migration visa even when they have a serious health condition? They can seek what is known as the health waiver.

This means that as long as health costs are not excessive, they can obtain the visa.  This benefits applicants who have a serious health condition, such as being HIV positive.

The standard health test applied by the Australian Department of Immigration does not leave much room for visa applicants with an illness or condition. It certainly rules out applicants who have HIV or any serious condition which might cost some A$26,500 over a five year period to treat.

This is a short case note on the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Bilksi et al v Kappos [Wikipedia link].

The applicant was unsuccessful in seeking to patent a business method. It was a method to calculate the risk of price changes in the energy sector caused by seasonal changes in the weather, to be used in the creation of fixed bill energy contracts for consumers.

This particular method or process patent application failed to be eligible as a patent because it was found to be a mere concept, an abstract idea, that basically boiled down to a mathematical formula, to be applied to the energy industry.