SkillSelect

About SkillSelect

The benefits of SkillSelect

SkillSelect is a major change to how Australia manages its skilled migration program.

SkillSelect will ensure the skilled migration program is based on the economic needs of Australia. The Australian Government will be able to manage who is able to apply for skilled migration, when they are able to apply and in what numbers, on the basis of this need.

As a result, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship expects to significantly reduce the time taken to process a visa application.

SkillSelect will also help address regional skill shortages. SkillSelect allows intending migrants to indicate they are willing to live and work in regional Australia. This will be of particular benefit to employers experiencing regional skill shortages and state and territory governments attempting to settle migrants in regional Australia.

How SkillSelect works

SkillSelect is an online service that enables skilled workers and business people interested in migrating to Australia to record their details to be considered for a skilled visa through an Expression of Interest (EOI). People can 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. All intending migrants interested in the independent skilled, family sponsored skilled, state or territory sponsored skilled, or business innovation and investment visa programs will be required to submit an EOI and receive an invitation in order to lodge a visa application.

Skilled workers

SkillSelect—Skilled Workers Expressing Interest in Migrating to Australia

If you want to migrate to Australia as a skilled migrant and you have the skills we need you will need to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect.

You will also be able to express interest in being sponsored by an employer.

The following information is a guide only and is subject to the legislative process. More information will be available closer to 1 July 2012. 

Visa programs in SkillSelect

From 1 July 2012, if you are interested in the following visas, you will need to submit an EOI and receive an invitation before you can apply for a visa:

• Subclass 189 Skilled – Independent (Permanent) (Class SI)
• Subclass 190 Skilled – Sponsored (Permanent) (Class SK)
• Subclass 489 – Regional Sponsored (Provisional) (Class SP)
• Subclass 132 Business Talent (Permanent) (Class EA)
• Subclass 188 Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) (Class EB)

You can also express interest in the following visa programs on your EOI to be selected by an employer.

• Subclass 186 – Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) (Class EN)
• Subclass 187 – Regional Sponsored Scheme (RSMS) (Class RN)
• Subclass 457 – Temporary Business (Long Stay) (Class UC)

You can express interest in a range of skilled migration programs in one EOI.

What is an EOI

An EOI is an indication that you would like to be considered for a skilled visa. It is not the same as a visa application.

You need to provide a range of information in your EOI depending on the visa(s) you want to be considered for, such as:

• basic personal information
• nominated occupation
• work experience
• study and education
• level of English skills
• details of a Skills Assessment, related to your nominated occupation
• business and investment experience.

For the points based skilled migration programs, such as the independent skilled program, you will be ranked according to the appropriate points test. You will be able to submit an EOI even if you do not meet the pass mark; however, you will not be invited to apply for a visa. For information about how to calculate the points test, visit the points test webpage.

If you are submitting an EOI for a visa(s) that requires you to list a nominated occupation you should establish if your occupation is a skill that Australia needs. You can do this by checking the Skilled Occupation Lists. 

What you to do before submitting your EOI

While you don’t need to submit documents supporting your claims when you submit your EOI, you must have a range of information prepared.

For example, for an independent skilled visa you must have:

• completed a skills assessment and/or a job ready program
• taken an English-language test to prove you meet the English language requirement.

Submitting an EOI

If you have researched your visa options and prepared the information required, you are ready to submit an EOI. All EOIs must be completed online using SkillSelect. SkillSelect will be implemented on 1 July 2012.

There will be no fee to submit an EOI when SkillSelect is introduced.

EOI submission

When you complete your EOI the system will give you a points score and results based on your claims.

Your result and points score, along with your time of submission becomes your ranking for some visas.  The ranking process will be an objective and automatic process with no involvement of the department’s staff.

You can update your EOI at any time prior to receiving an invitation. You may wish to do this if you have gained new work experience, gained a higher qualification and/or improved your English language ability and/or changed your family composition. If you provide updated information which changes your points score or your ability to make a complete EOI against a visa, then SkillSelect will update your ranking and ability to be considered for an invitation automatically.

Once you have completed your EOI, you will receive a confirmation notification from SkillSelect. Your EOI will then remain in Skillselect for a maximum of two years.

Incomplete EOIs will also be stored for two years, but will not be eligible to receive an invitation. EOIs that do not comply with the terms and conditions of SkillSelect can be removed by the department at any time. You will be asked to read and agree to the terms and conditions when you register for a SkillSelect account.

Bridging visas

An EOI is not a visa application and you will not be granted a Bridging visa. Your eligibility for a Bridging visa would only be considered once a valid visa application is lodged.

If you are in Australia and the visa you hold is about to expire before you are invited and able to apply for a skilled visa, you will need to apply for another visa to remain in Australia. If you do not meet the requirements for the grant of another visa, you will need to depart Australia before your visa expires. 

Invitation and selection process

Depending on what type of visa(s) you want to be considered for, you may receive an invitation to lodge a visa application, or an Australian employer may contact you to discuss a job opportunity.

Occupation ceilings

An occupation ceiling may be applied to invitations issued under the independent, family sponsored or state/territory sponsored visas. This means there will be a limit on how many EOIs are selected for skilled migration from an occupation group. This ensures that the skilled migration program is not dominated by a small number of occupations.

Once this limit is reached, no further invitations for that particular occupation group will be issued for that program year. Invitations would then be issued to other EOIs even if they are lower ranking. For the state and territory sponsored visas, a state or territory will not be able to nominate you if your nominated occupation has reached its occupation ceiling.

You will be able to view the occupation ceilings on this website when SkillSelect is introduced.

Independent and family sponsored visas

Invitations will be issued automatically to the highest ranking EOIs subject to occupation ceilings. The department’s staff will not be involved in the selection process. Invitations will be issued regularly, such as every month.

State and territory sponsored visas

State or territory governments will locate and select skilled workers that they want to nominate. State and territory governments may do their own assessment of people before they nominate them. If you are nominated by a state or territory and you have indicated that you meet the points test, you will then receive an invitation, subject to occupation ceilings.

When you submit an EOI for one of these visas, you will be asked to select which state or territory you wish to live and work. You can select one state or territory, or any state or territory. You will also be asked to indicate if you are prepared to live and work in a non-metropolitan area.

Business innovation and investment visas

State or territory governments will identify and select skilled business people or investors that they want to nominate. State and territory governments may assess people before they nominate them. If you are nominated by a state or territory and you have indicated that you meet the points test, you will automatically receive an invitation. On a limited basis, nominating state or territory governments may award additional points towards the innovation points test where they have determined that your proposed business is of exceptional economic benefit to that state or territory.

When you submit an EOI for one of these visas, you will be asked to select which state or territory you wish to live and work. You can select one state or territory, or any state or territory.

Employer sponsored visas

Employers can search for and locate skilled workers that they want to discuss job opportunities with. If you are contacted by an employer in SkillSelect, you can choose to respond to them to discuss employment and visa opportunities. You do not need to receive an invitation to apply for a employer sponsored visa.

When you submit an EOI for one of these visas, you will be asked which state or territory you are interested in living and working. You be able to select one or more state or territories, or any state or territory.

If you are invited or selected

You will receive an invitation from SkillSelect. You will then have 60 days to make a valid visa application online, before the invitation expires. Applications received outside this timeframe will be invalid.

The online visa application system will use information from your EOI, therefore you do not need to re-enter information you already provided on your EOI.

If you receive an invitation to apply, and you claim fewer points in your application than in your EOI, your visa may be refused even if you are able to pass the points test or meet other threshold criteria. If you receive an invitation and your points have decreased or your personal information is not accurate, you do not have to proceed to make an application. You should correct your EOI and wait to receive another invitation.

If you are not invited or selected

Many more people want to migrate to Australia than there are places available. This means not everyone who submits an EOI will receive an invitation to apply for a visa.

Your EOI will stay in SkillSelect for two years from the date you lodge. At any time during the validity of your EOI, you may update your details to reflect any additional qualifications or experience you may have obtained. This may increase your likelihood of being invited or contacted by an employer.

You may receive notifications from SkillSelect during this time to notify you of visa programs changes, that your EOI is expiring, or other information that you may find useful. You will not be notified of the progress of your EOI or be able to obtain updates on the likelihood of receiving an invitation.

After each invitation round for the independent and family sponsored visas, the department will publish on this website the lowest scoring points test mark that allowed an EOI to be invited for each occupation group. This will give you an indication of your potential for receiving an invitation in future rounds.

Visas lodged before 1 July 2012

If you lodged a visa application prior to 1 July 2012, it will be processed according to the priority processing direction in effect at the time your visa application is processed.

You can also submit an EOI in SkillSelect. This would allow employers and state or territory governments to view your details which may increase the chances of obtaining a skilled visa.

If you are in the transitional group

If you are in the transitional group, you will not be affected by SkillSelect. You will still be able to apply for a skilled visa under the existing arrangements until 31 December 2012.

If you are currently subject to transitional arrangements, you are encouraged to submit an EOI. By submitting an EOI, this would allow employers and state or territory governments to view your details to discuss visa opportunities.

Employers