As of today, 1 July, 2011, the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has implemented a number of changes to the General Skilled Migration (GSM) program, chief of which is the new Australian skilled visa points test.  However, the changes will also see an update made to Australian visa priority processing.

New Australian visa points test  

The changes to the points test have been made in order to target what the Australian government describes as the "best and the brightest", with more emphasis placed on work experience, high-level educational qualifications and English language proficiency.

The new points test is a critical part of the process involved when applying for an Australia visa, as in order to lodge an application, applicants must be able to demonstrate that they both meet the basic skilled migration requirements and are also able to pass the points test at the time of lodging their visa.

Skilled visa applicants will now have to score 65 points on the points test. The points test awards points for:

• Age;
• English Language Ability;
• Australian Work Experience;
• Overseas Work Experience;
• Qualifications;
• Recognition of Australian Study;
• Designated Language;
• Partner Skills;
• Professional Year;
• Sponsorship by State or Territory Government;
• Regional Sponsorship by Family or State or Territory Government; and
• Study in a Regional Area  

While the implementation of a new Australia visa points test is the change that will have an immediate effect on who qualifies for an Australian skilled visa, today's update will also result in an update to the priority processing arrangements for skilled migration visas.

Updated priority processing arrangements

The Australian Government prioritises the order in which skilled migration applications are processed, with the government stating that priority will go to applicants who will "bring the most benefit to Australia and are most likely to be successful".

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship has set new priority processing arrangements for certain skilled migration visas, to come into effect on 1 July 2011.

As of 1 July 2011, processing priorities (with highest priority listed first) are:

I will continue looking at all these changes over the next few days, and provide an update as I find more aspects of this major update which require clarification.

- Lauren Mennie is Casework Department Manager of the Australian Visa Bureau.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2010

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

The Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship have announced the annual review of Australia Visa application charges that are scheduled to be introduced on 1 July, 2011.

The annual review of Australian visa application fees, made as part of the release of the Federal Budget, typically sees fees increase in accordance with changes in the Australian Consumer Price Index. You can read the full Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) amendments to migration fees and regulations here.

The new visa application fees for some common skilled and family visas will be as follows:

 - Lauren Mennie is Casework Department Manager for the Australian Visa Bureau.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2010

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

Today saw some important news released regarding the the new Australian skilled migration points test that is set to be released on 1 July, 2011.

The points test is what will determine which skilled workers will be eligible to emigrate to Australia on a skilled Australia visa and is set to be radically different to the current points test. You can find the original information regarding the points test changes here, but in this blog, I've identified the following major points of news regarding the new points test:

Major points of news regarding the new Australian skilled migration points test 

Qualification points awarded where the qualification is recognised by the assessing authority in the skills assessment.

This is potentially the best news of all, as it looks like 10 points will be awarded when an applicant has passed a skills assessment where qualifications form part of the assessment. This is excellent for the following applicants whose assessing bodies assess their level of qualification as part of the assessment:

• Accountants (who are applying for their skills assessment on the basis of holding membership with CIMA, ACCA and ICAEW);
• Nurses who are diploma-qualified;
• IT professionals with vendor qualifications applying for their skills assessment with ACS; AND
• Tradespeople applying for their skills assessment under TRA pathways B, C and E.

It's still unclear how this will apply to VETASSESS Trades applicants who don’t require qualifications and are currently not given an indication as to the comparability of their qualifications to an Australian standard.

In order to know exactly how this new criteria will be applied in practice, more information on how it will work in operation is needed.

Schedule 3 of the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) has been changed, with a number of key occupations added

You can find a PDF for the full list of Skilled Occupation List (SOL) changes here. However, the key occupations added are pharmacists, fitters and metal machinists.

The real benefit of these occupations being added to Schedule 3 is that it now opens up the possibility of applicants in these occupations qualifying for the Skilled - Independent (subclass 175) visa.

Unfortunately, other occupations have now been removed from Schedule 3 of the SOL, including panel beaters and vehicle painters. It is our belief though that these occupations will remain on Schedule 4, meaning that the Skilled - State Sponsored (subclass 176) visa may remain as a possible alternative. However, we are still awaiting formal confirmation that this will be the case.

Work experience points have changed

There will no longer be limited brackets applied to points awarded for work experience (i.e. '3 years overseas work in the last 5 years', '8 years overseas work in the past 10 years', '1 year of Australian work in the last 3 years' etc.), as the new points test will instead simply look at an applicant's last 10 years of work history. This is a positive change to the new points test, as it now allows people with a combination of Australian and overseas work experience to potentially claim significant points.

To explain, in the previous draft of the points test, there was a prejudice against applicants who had worked in the UK, and then spent a few years working in Australia before returning to work in the UK for several more years, as these applicants would not fit neatly within the work experience points brackets. In fact, some individuals in this position would not have been awarded any points, despite working consistently in their occupation in both Australia and overseas.

As this final draft of the points test now allows individuals to claim the points they deserve, DIAC have remedied this potentially unfair situation. However, applicants should remember that an applicant can only claim a maximum of 20 points for their work experience.

If an IELTS (International English Language Testing System) test is required, it must be provided at the time of lodgement

You will no longer be able to submit a visa application and then sit an IELTS test afterwards to claim proficient or superior English. This makes it very important that anyone in need of an IELTS test sit it early, just in case they ever need to lodge their visa application in a hurry (e.g. due to age deadline, state migration sponsorship validity).

Unrelated degrees will be recognised

Any applicant holding a degree that doesn't form part of the skills assessment process for their nominated occupation can still seek assessment for this qualification level and potentially receive points for it. For example, a nurse that studied English Literature at university could still have this degree assessed and receive additional points as a result.

Unfortunately, we're still unsure as to how exactly such qualifications will be assessed (or if it's possible to bypass the assessment process if the skill level of the qualification is easily determined by Country Education Profiles) but we hope to receive further clarity on this point shortly.

The Skilled - Family Sponsored (subclass 176) visa has not been abolished

While the initial draft of the points test (which you can find online here) explicitly states that the Skilled - Family Sponsored (subclass 176) visa would be abolished, it appears that this is not the case.

It is true that applicants will not receive any points for permanent family sponsorship, meaning there is technically no benefit in applying for the Skilled - Family Sponsored (subclass 176) visa over the Skilled - Independent (subclass 175) visa in terms of the points test

However, there are some rare cases where individuals with medical or character issues might prefer to apply for the Family Sponsored subclass 176 visa, to allow for appeal rights in the event that the application is refused.

I will continue looking at all these changes over the next few days, and provide an update as I find more major points of new from this release and there are still a few points which need clarification. However, for the most part, this is great news and I don't think we could have expected anything better!

- Lauren Mennie is Casework Department Manager of the Australian Visa Bureau.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2010

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

Aother Australian skills assessing body has announced that they will be increasing their fees for Australian visa applicants - the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC).  They released the following statement:

"ANMAC is aware of the new DIAC visa points system coming into effect on 1 July 2011, and the implications that it may have for people applying for skilled migration. Our online application form and required documents are being amended to incorporate the new requirements and will be available in the coming weeks." 

Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC)

The ANMAC is the designated assessment authority for the following skilled occupations on the Australian General Skilled Migration Program Skilled Occupation List (SOL):

As of 1 July, 2011, ANMAC's fee for a Modified Assessment of an application (for applicants with current Australian or New Zealand registration) will be going up from AUD$215to AUD$300 and their fee for a Full Assessment of an application (for applicants without current Australian or New Zealand registration) will be going up from AUD$710 to AUD$825.

You can read more on the ANMAC website.

- Lauren Mennie is Casework Department Manager of the Australian Visa Bureau.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2010

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

Following the announcement that Australian visa application fees will be increased for skilled and family visas, a number of Australian skills assessing bodies have followed suit and announced that they too will be increasing their fees.

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) 

The AITSL is the designated assessment authority for the following skilled occupations on the Australian General Skilled Migration Program Skilled Occupation List (SOL):

As of 1 July, 2011, AITSL's fee for an assessment of an application will be going up from AUD$450 to AUD$550. You can read more on the AITSL website.

Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (AIQS) 

The AIQS is the designated assessment authority for the following skilled occupation on the Australian General Skilled Migration Program Skilled Occupation List (SOL):

As of 1 July, 2011, AIQS' fee for an assessment of an application will be going up from AUD$400 to AUD$490. You can read more on the AIQS website.

- Lauren Mennie is Casework Department Manager of the Australian Visa Bureau.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2010

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

As part of the Australian federal budget, the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) will be putting the fees up for a number of visa subclasses from 1 July, 2011. They have stated that many visas will have their application fees go up by 15%.

The reason for the visa fee increase has been cited as to "help offset the wider costs associated with the operation of the migration and temporary entrant program." You can read more about the announcement on this page on the Australian government's website. This increase in Australian visa application charges will not apply to:

• Australian tourist visas;
• Australian student visas;
• Second instalment investor retirement visas;
• Second instalment contributory parent visas; and
• Humanitarian protection visas lodged in Australia, which are charged at a rate of $30 and not indexed.

While there have yet to be any official announcements of how much the new fees will be, see below for our own projections of what the new fees could be for the permanent skilled migration and permanent family migration subclasses:

- Lauren Mennie is Casework Department Manager for the Australian Visa Bureau.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2010

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

The Australian Migration Program planning levels for 2011/12 were recently announced as part of Australia's annual Federal budget announcement, with the total number raised to 185,000 from 2010/11's total of 168,700.

Of this, the skilled migration stream saw an increase of 10.5%, with the most gains made for the Skilled - Independent visa pathway, which went from 34,200 places to 44,350 places. The Employer Sponsored visa pathway also saw an increase of 1,850 places with a greater emphasis put on the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS), which went from having 10,160 places in 2010/11 to 16,000 places for 2011/12.

The new focus on regional Australian immigration for skilled workers is a welcome one, though there are some aspects which remain uncertain. For example, one major point that has yet to be clarified is the introduction of 'Regional Migration Agreements'.

However, it is hoped that the end result will be a reduction of 'red tape' and the process of applying for and receiving an Australia visa to work in regional Australia will become easier (and faster too, due to the introduction of priority processing for regional visa categories).

The CEO of the Migration Institute of Australia, Maurene Horder, had the following comments to make:

"While details of these programs are yet unknown, these are good and sensible changes to encourage skilled migration to regional areas where it is needed most.

"The announcement that there will be new procedures for selecting skilled migrants will bring about major changes in the way people apply for visas. The Institute calls for considerable consultation with all stakeholders regarding how this will done, and sufficient notice of the implementation of this new selection method

"The MIA knows from experience that when the Government fails to consult all stakeholders – particularly the migration advice profession that deals most closely with visa applicants – there is a danger of unfortunate, unforeseen consequences occurring. It is imperative that the full details and clarification of all these changes are made known as soon as possible so that potential visa applicants and their advisors can properly make significant decisions for their futures."

For a more detailed understanding of how the Australian migration program for 2011/12 has changed from 2010/11, you might like to refer to the table below which shows the variation from last year's program to this year's:

- Lauren Mennie is Casework Department Manager for the Australian Visa Bureau.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2010

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

A quick update today for anyone applying for a South Australia sponsorship application - the deadline for sponsorship applications under the current Australian points test is 2 May, 2011.

See below for the official announcement from the South Australian website:

ATTENTION ALL APPLICANTS

Deadline for Sponsorship Applications - 2 May 2011

Under current Points Test

To enable all applicants sufficient time to lodge their visa applications with DIAC under the current Points Test, Immigration SA will require all complete applications to be received before 5pm Monday 2 May 2011. (Note - Our understanding is that this will be 9am UK time, due to the time difference with Australia.)

This means that all online sponsorship applications AND supporting documents must be submitted to and registered by Immigration SA before 5pm Monday 2 May 2011.

The Online Application System will be shut off at 5pm Adelaide local time on Monday 2 May 2011.

Any applications/documents received after the 5pm on the 2 May 2011 will not be processed.

Please note that every effort will be made to finalise applications received by the deadline before 1 July 2011 to enable applicants to lodge visa application with DIAC under the current Points Test. Check the Online Tracking System for results which will be posted as soon as a decision is made on the application.

All applications will be processed in order of receipt of complete applications, subject to the volume of applications, Immigration SA cannot guarantee that all applications will be finalised before 1 July 2011.

Note also that PLANNING LEVELS exist for all occupations on the current State Sponsored Migration List, once the planning level has been reached, the occupation will no longer be available for sponsorship and applications already submitted (and registered) will not proceed.

You will need to lodge your visa application with DIAC before 1 July 2011 or your visa application will be assessed against the new Points Test and criteria.

Once details of South Australia's Sponsorship criteria for 2011-2012 have been finalised, the Online Application system will be re-instated. Monitor this website for updated information.

Just as some further guidance, we're trying to make sure that all documents have left our offices by Friday, 29 April via courier in order to ensure that they will be received by 2 May.

Please understand that this doesn't mean that South Australia won't be accepting any further sponsorship applications, but it DOES mean that if you're still hoping to apply for your Australian visa with sponsorship from South Australia under the current points test (as opposed to the new points test which is set to be introduced on 1 July, 2011), you need to make sure you meet this deadline.

- Lauren Mennie is Casework Department Manager for the Australian Visa Bureau.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2010

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) recently released some important information in regards to carrying out health and character checks prior to being assigned to a case officer that may have an impact on priority processing for a number of Australia visa applicants.

The DIAC release can be located here, but the most important aspect of it is that all priority group 2 applicants should consider initiating health and character checks now, despite having no indication that a case officer has yet been assigned to their case. Priority group 2 applicants are applicants who have obtained state sponsorship and whose occupation currently features on the State Migration Plan for that state.

Additionally, they have given the same encouragement to priority group 3 applicants (i.e. applicants that have an occupation featuring on schedule 3 of the Skilled Occupation List) who lodged a visa application between 15 January, 2009 and 30 June, 2010.

What are the benefits of applying for health and character checks now?

DIAC have stated the following as a reason for why applicants might wish to apply for health and character checks now:

"Initiating all necessary health and character clearances now is likely to enable an application to be considered in a quicker timeframe once it is allocated to a case officer. It may mean that a decision can be made when first considered, without a case officer needing to request any further documentation, as considerable delays can be encountered in requesting and receiving information."

However, it is important to understand that providing these clearances does not guarantee immediate processing of an application.

Why might there be negative implications of initiating health and character checks now?

DIAC have also provided the following details as to why applicants might not want to apply for health and character checks at this time:

"In undertaking these clearances now, an applicant should be mindful that processing arrangements may change over time and that any such changes may impact on the validity of a clearance and the order of assessment of applications. An applicant may be required to repeat a clearance at their cost in the event of a change to the current application allocation arrangements."

Health and character checks have a 12 month validity period, and must be current at the time the case officer makes a decision on the visa, which is why there is the possibility that you will have to repeat the police and character checks, should a decision not be made on your visa within that timeframe.

Additionally, the date which you obtained police clearances and undertake medicals dictates your initial entry date to Australia. You must enter Australia within 12 months of the earlier date recorded for your police and character checks, regardless of when the visa is granted. The initial entry date cannot be changed under any circumstances, so if the visa grant is delayed you may be left with a particularly short period in which to organise for you (and any family members) to activate your visa through a trip to Australia.

What does Visa Bureau advise?

We are advising a number of our clients to take advantage of this opportunity and initiate their health and character checks now.  However, if you do NOT hold a state sponsorship where it has been confirmed that your occupation will feature on your sponsoring state’s State Migration Plan and you lodged your visa application AFTER July 2009, we advise that you hold off on undertaking the medicals and police checks for now.

The reason for this is that applications for priority group 3 applicants is set to progress in date order, and as we monitor the rate at which these cases are being allocated, we will be able to give you an indication as to when DIAC will be approaching your lodgement date. As a result, you will still benefit from a more efficient processing timescale from DIAC and you will have a significant period in which to make your first entry to Australia following the visa grant.

- Lauren Mennie is Casework Department Manager for the Australian Visa Bureau.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2010

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

The Western Australian State
Migration Plan has been announced.

The Western Australian Government has released their State Migration Plan, which focuses largely on trade skill occupations, resource sector workers and health professionals.

Applicants who have a skill listed on the Western Australian Skilled Migration Occupation List may be eligible to apply for Western Australian State Sponsorship. Applications from prospective migrants will be accepted from 20 December 2010.

Occupations on the list include a range of resource and mining sector professions such as engineers, surveyors, geologists, as well as health professionals like nurses and dentists, and tradespeople such as electricians, mechanics and plumbers.

The full list of occupations that the Western Australian Government is willing to sponsor can be viewed here.

Western Australia has become the fifth state / territory to announce their approved State Migration Plan, following the announcements made by Victoria, the ACT, Northern Territory and Queensland. 

State Migration Plans (or SMPs) are set to play a critical part in the future of the Australian General Skilled Migration (GSM) program, as they have been developed by State/Territory governments to determine the occupations in which applicants will be eligible for state sponsored visas.

What will the benefits be to being sponsored under a State Migration Plan?

One of the main benefits of being sponsored under a State Migration Plan is how it will affect Australian visa processing timeframes, as visa applicants who appear on the Western Australia list of occupations will be moved to Priority Group 2, according to the current processing directive. This means that these applicants should see their applications finalised within 12 months.

- Lauren Mennie is Casework Department Manager for the Australian Visa Bureau.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2010

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.