New Visa - Sponsored Training: Professional Development Visa (UV 470)
1 July 2003 - Legislation change
Client summary
From 1 July 2003 the Migration Regulations have been amended to include a new visa class, Sponsored Training (Temporary) (Class UV), and subclass 470, the Professional Development Visa. The Professional Development Visa is designed to enable approved training providers to deliver tailored academic and practical training for groups of professionals, managers and government officials from overseas.
Technical details
Additional information: Subclass 470 came into effect from 1 July 2003. This visa will enable Australian education providers to provide tailored courses to meet the needs of eligible overseas employers.
There are two stages in applying for a Professional Development Visa:
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Sponsorship approval; and
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Visa application.
Successful education providers can be approved as sponsors for up to three years or for the length of the agreement with the overseas organisation (whichever is shorter). As approved sponsors, they accept responsibility for various things including:
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delivery of the training program;
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assessing the genuineness of their nominated visa applicant;
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assisting in monitoring the visa holder's adherence to visa conditions; and
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reporting to DIMIA.
Once the Australian organisation is approved as a sponsor, they may sponsor visa applicants employed or nominated by eligible overseas employers.
The Professional Development Visa allows the visa holder to stay for the period of the proposed training, up to 12 months.
Processing will occur at the Professional Development Visa Processing Centre in Hobart (Hobart PDVPC).
Transitional arrangements: There are no transitional arrangements.
Forms: Forms are only available electronically from the DIMIA web site.
Three new forms have been created for the Professional Development Visa:
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Sponsorship approval (Form 1226)
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Visa application (Form 1227)
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Information for the Australian organisation intending to become an approved sponsor (Form 1228i)
Form 1226 The delegated officer of the sponsoring organisation needs to complete and sign Form 1226 Sponsorship Application - Professional Development. The fully completed application and associated documentation are then submitted with the relevant Application Charge to the Hobart PDVPC.
Form 1227 The visa applicant needs to complete and sign Form 1227 Application for Sponsored Training. The approved training provider then counter signs the application. The fully completed application and associated documentation, including medical forms, are then submitted by the approved training provider, with the relevant Visa Application Charge, to the Hobart PDVPC.
Visa application forms can only be lodged by the organisation approved as a sponsor. Visa applicants do not lodge the applications themselves. Application forms may be mailed, faxed or couriered.
Instructions: Instructions for PAM3 are currently being drafted.
Effect on delegations: New delegations will need to be created for the Central Office Monitoring Unit to include sanctions, waivers and disclosure of personal information to sponsors.
Effect on systems: ICSE has been amended to reflect the legislative amendments with effect from 1 July 2003. Note that ICSE changes are in two stages with stage 1 allowing visa processing in ICSE only, and stage 2 allowing sponsorship processing and sanctions to be recorded in ICSE. Manual records will be kept in phase 1 and transferred into ICSE from 1 November 2003.