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Visas, Immigration and Refugees

Professionals and Other Skilled Migrants

What's New? Recent Changes in General Skilled Migration

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SkillSelect – 27 January 2012

SkillSelect is an online system that enables skilled workers interested in migrating to Australia to record their details to be considered for a skilled visa through an Expression of Interest (EOI).  People intending to migrate to Australia may be found and nominated for skilled visas by Australian employers or state and territory governments, or they may be invited by the Australian Government to lodge a visa application.

SkillSelect will be implemented on 1 July 2012.
See: SkillSelect

Professional Year evaluation – 5 December 2011

In 2011–12, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship will be undertaking an evaluation of the Professional Year program. The Professional Year has been in operation since 2008 and is a structured development program, available to Engineers, Accountants and IT Professionals. The evaluation will assess if the Professional Year is achieving its original objectives and also identify potential improvements to the program.
See: Professional Year Evaluation

Commencement of processing Priority Group 5 applications – 23 November 2011

Information about the processing of Priority Group 5 General Skilled Migration applications in Program Year 2011-12.
See: Processing of Priority Group 5 General Skilled Migration Applications

Regional classification for Perth – 12 September 2011

Following the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship’s recent announcement to include Perth in the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS), a number of changes have been made effective from 12 September 2011.

  • regional postcodes for the RSMS to include Perth
  • the inclusion of Perth as a regional area for family sponsored applications through the regional General Skilled Migration program.

In summary, Perth has been classified as regional for the following migration programs:

  • Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (Subclass 119 & 857)
  • Skilled Regional Sponsored (provisional) (Subclass 475)
  • Skilled Regional Sponsored (provisional) (Subclass 487)
  • Skilled Regional (permanent) (Subclass 887).

Priority Processing Arrangements for Skilled Migration Visas – 1 July 2011

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen, has set new priority processing arrangements for certain skilled migration visas.
See: Fact Sheet 24a – Priority Processing for Skilled Migration Visas

New points test for skilled migrants – 1 July 2011

A new points test for skilled migrants has come into effect.

Information about the points test, which visas are affected and how this relates to those eligible students and former student visa holders for transitional arrangements is available.
See:
1 July 2011 – Points Test for Certain Skilled Migration Visas ( 95KB PDF file)
Information for Applicants Eligible for Transitional Arrangements ( 76KB PDF file)

Annual update of Skilled Occupation List – 1 July 2011

The Skilled Occupation List (SOL) has been updated. There are 13 occupations added and four occupations have been removed.
See:
Annual Update of Skilled Occupation List – 1 July 2011 (111KB PDF file)
Skilled Occupation List (SOL)

Introduction of Public Interest Criterion from 2 April 2011 – 21 March 2011

On 2 April 2011, the department introduced the Fraud Public Interest Criterion (PIC) that will apply to certain visa subclasses in the Skilled and Employer Sponsored Migration Program.
See: Fraud Public Interest Criterion

Minister's announcement about the new points test – 11 November 2010

On 11 November 2010 the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, the Hon Chris Bowen MP, announced the government's intention to implement a new points test applying to certain skilled migration applications made on or after 1 July 2011. The new points test will not apply to unfinalised applications lodged prior to 1 July 2011.

The new points test will not change the generous transitional arrangements in place until 31 December 2012 for former international students.
See:
Fact Sheet on the New Points Test ( 76KB PDF file)
FAQs on the New Points Test ( 85KB PDF file)

Transitional arrangements for international students – 23 July 2010

Changes to the Skilled Occupation List include generous transitional arrangements which have been extended to current and former student visa holders.
See: Transitional Arrangements for International Students

Changes to state nominated and family sponsored GSM visas – 1 July 2010

From 1 July 2010, applicants for certain GSM applications will be required to demonstrate that they have been nominated by a state or territory government agency or sponsored by an eligible relative apply. These amendments relate to the following visa subclasses:

Departmental forms and systems currently do not facilitate proof of nomination or sponsorship at time of lodgement. However, system changes are currently being pursued.

In the meantime, to lodge a valid application, applicants should lodge their visa application form once the relevant state or territory government agency or sponsoring relative have agreed to sponsor them. The nominating state or territory government agency or sponsoring eligible relative should then complete the associated nomination or sponsorship form using the TRN number provided to the visa applicant when lodging the visa application. The nominating state or territory government agency or sponsoring relative should lodge the form within 28 days to demonstrate that the applicant is nominated or sponsored.