-
Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) announces important changes to take place 01/01/2010.
Currently one of the threshold requirements that must be satisfied when a skilled visa application is lodged with the Department of Immigration is the requirement to have worked in a skilled occupation for at least 12 months in the 2 years immediately prior to the submission of the visa application. This work must be, and for at least 20 hours per week.
In addition, a skilled visa applicant must nominate in their visa application a skilled occupation (as defined) and - in the case of offshore applicants -undertake a formal assessment from the relevant delegated authority (eg Trades Recognition Australia, the Australian Computer Society, etc) of the applicant's competencies in a skilled occupation, as detailed in DIAC booklet 1121i
Importantly, at the present time, the skills assessment classification can be in a different occupation to that in which the visa applicant has been working in the 12 months out of 24 immediately prior to their visa application being lodged.
This is particularly relevant to individuals who have had a change of career,who can satisfy the qualifications/work experience requirements for a skills assessment based on their initial occupation, but who cannot do so in their new occupation.
The change that comes into effect on 01/01/2010 is to require offshore skilled visa applicants (subclasses 175, 176, and 475) with occupations that are to be specified by the Immigration Minister details of the occupations in question are not available at the time this article is being written to have a skills assessment classification in the same skilled occupation as that in which they have been working for a minimum of 12 months in the 2 years immediately prior to their visa application being submitted to the Department of Immigration.
The Explanatory Memorandum to the amending legislation advises that the change will ensure that applicants for an offshore skilled visa who have nominated a (to be specified) skilled occupation hold relevant up-to-date practical experience in their nominated occupation."
Details of affected skilled occupations are not yet known, and may well not be available until the date on which the change comes into effect (01/01/2010, as per link attached), we suggest that persons with skilled occupation career changes as described above and who have obtained skills assessment classifications should lodge their visa applications immediately.
With a significant number of skilled visa applications already in the pipeline and little prospect of an increase in the number of available skilled visas we anticipate further changes are more likely in the coming months – Thames Migration continues to strongly recommend that individuals who intend to move to Australia under the skilled migration program and who have a pathway available should apply sooner rather than later.
UK Remains Source Country
(14th December 2009)
New South Wales and Victoria became home to the lion’s share of skilled migrant arrivals in 2008-09, according to new figures released today by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC).
The latest edition of DIAC’s Settler Arrivals publication shows that of the 69 456 skilled migrants who came to Australia, about 55 percent moved to the two states, with a total of the 19 071 settling in New South Wales and 18 630 in Victoria.
Overall, Settler Arrivals 2008-09 shows New Zealand and the United Kingdom are the greatest source countries by birth for all settler arrivals, accounting for almost 30 per cent of the 158 021 permanent arrivals in 2008-09.
The next largest source countries were India (17 283 up from 15338), China (15 803 up from 12 959) and South Africa (7201 up from5166).
Settler Arrivals 2008-09 includes data on skilled, family and humanitarian settlers by state and birthplace. It is available on the department’s website at:
www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/statistics/index.htm
Changes to VETASSESS Assessment Process from 1 January 2010
(29th October 2009)
A recent announcement that VETASSESS is changing the assessment requirements for its "generalist occupations.”
From 1 January 2010, in order to receive a positive Skills Assessment, applicants will need:
- to hold a qualification which is assessed at the required educational level in a highly relevant field of study to the nominated occupation; and
- at least one year of relevant employment for all occupations. For some occupations, either one or two additional years of employment is required if the qualification/s has a shortfall in content relevance. Employment must have been completed in the last five years.
VETASSESS is the Gazetted Assessing Authority for pre-migration Skills Assessments for over 200 occupations on the Skilled Occupation List. In consultation with DIAC, VETASSESS has been revising its assessment procedures for its "general occupations”, i.e. occupations in ASCO Managerial, Administrative, Professional and Associate Professional categories.
These changes will be implemented on 1 January 2010 and will ensure that migrants have the relevant skills and qualifications for employment in Australia intheir nominated occupations. Though our assessment for the general occupations is for migration purposes only, we expect that the revised assessment will improve applicants’ job readiness and prospects to secure employment in their nominated field in Australia.
For more information about these upcoming changes, please click here
Change in Processing priorities (23rd September)
Recently DIAC have announced changes to the processing priorities
What's New? Recent Changes in General Skilled Migration
The implications are that if you do not have an occupation on the Critical Skills list or are sponsored by an employer then you could be waiting 2-3 years before your visa is granted! Hardest hit will be those people who have State or Territory Sponsorship as previously these visas were being processed in a matter of weeks and these rules apply to all applications that have not been finalised! It is highly unusual for DIAC to make changes retrospectively and there was no advance warning!
Furthermore, the Critical Skills List will be phased out when the review of the MODL List is completed in the next few months. The chances are, that whatever they call the new list, MODL, CSL or Future Skills, the list will be based on some sort of revised MODL list and therefore many more people may qualify for priority processing. What is not known is which occupations will be on the new list and speculation at this point serves no useful purpose - we will just have to wait and see.
Change in Processing priorities (23rd September)
Recently DIAC have announced changes to the processing priorities
What's New? Recent Changes in General Skilled Migration
The implications are that if you do not have an occupation on the Critical Skills list or are sponsored by an employer then you could be waiting 2-3 years before your visa is granted! Hardest hit will be those people who have State or Territory Sponsorship as previously these visas were being processed in a matter of weeks and these rules apply to all applications that have not been finalised! It is highly unusual for DIAC to make changes retrospectively and there was no advance warning!
Furthermore, the Critical Skills List will be phased out when the review of the MODL List is completed in the next few months. The chances are, that whatever they call the new list, MODL, CSL or Future Skills, the list will be based on some sort of revised MODL list and therefore many more people may qualify for priority processing. What is not known is which occupations will be on the new list and speculation at this point serves no useful purpose - we will just have to wait and see.
