NEWS » Department of Immigration

Update on New Australian Parent Visas and New Australian Working Holiday Visas

admin — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 16:51:20 +0000

Long Parent Tourist Visas

We have recently posted up some news about the Department’s creation of some new Parent Tourist Visas.
The Department has announced that these will come into operation on the 24th of November.

More information about these visas is available here:

http://www.minister.immi.gov.au/media/cb/2012/cb189679.htm

New Countries to be added to the Working Holiday Visa Scheme

The Department has also announced that it has begun negotiations with the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Israel, Latvia, Poland and the Slovak Republic with a view to extending the working holiday visa scheme to nationals of these countries.
The Department has not yet indicated a timeframe for these negotiations.

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Sort Out My Visa is a registered and licensed Australian and NZ visa specialist, providing visa and migration services to individuals and families wanting to travel to, conduct business, work or live in Australia or New Zealand. Visit Sort Out My Visa for more information.

Australian Skilled Occupation Lists to Change on 1 July

admin — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 11:50:52 +0000

The Australian Department of Immigration has announced that the following changes will be made to the skilled occupations list (SOL) on 1 July:

These occupations will be removed from the SOL schedule 3 as of July 1st 2011:

251411 Optometrist
251412 Orthoptist
324111 Panel Beater
324311 Vehicle Painter

These occupations will be added to the list on 1 July:

234914 Medical Physicist
251311 Environmental Health Officer
251312 Occupational Health and Safety Adviser
251511 Hospital Pharmacists
251513 Retail Pharmacists
271111 Barrister
271311 Solicitor
323211 Fitter (General)
323212 Fitter and Turner
323213 Fitter-Welder
323214 Metal Machinist (First Class)
399111 Boat Builder and Repairer
399112 Shipwright

So what does this mean?

If you were planning to apply for a skilled visa on the basis of the SOL Schedule 3 list only, and not on the basis of state or employer sponsorship, and your occupation will be removed off the list on 1 July, you may no longer be eligible to apply for a Skilled Independent visa and may have to rely on either a state sponsorship or sponsorship from an employer.

You must therefore apply for your skilled visa prior to 1 July (Australian time) to avoid being caught out by these changes.

If, on the other hand, your occupation will now be added to the SOL, then you may be eligible for a skilled independent visa rather than having to rely on state or employer sponsorship. We would therefore advise that you re-assess your options accordingly.

For further information about this legislative change please click here.

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The Australian Budget and its Impact on Migration

admin — Thu, 13 May 2010 11:28:39 +0000

The Australian Government’s Budget for 2010-11 spells mostly good news for people who want to migrate to Australia on a temporary or permanent basis.

In particular, the immigration program is set to remain at about the current size, with small changes to some of the visa schemes, in line with the Government’s aim to continue to focus on current demand driven migration. This means that the focus will continue to be on individuals who can help fill Australian’s skilled shortages, and individuals who have an employer on board ready to provide sponsorships.

With this in mind, the total number of migrant places will remain at the current level of 168,700 places. Of this number about 113,850 places will be reserved for skilled migrants (this is an increase of about 5000 places, with most being reserved for employer sponsored skilled migrants) and 54,550 places for family migrants (a decrease of about 5000 places).

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Sort Out My Visa is a Australian and NZ visa specialist, providing visa and migration services to individuals and families wanting to travel to, conduct business, work or live in Australia or New Zealand. Visit Sort Out My Visa for more information.

Australian Skilled Visas – Temporary Suspension of Some Skilled Visas Lodgments

admin — Tue, 11 May 2010 12:11:24 +0000

The Australian Department of Immigration (DIAC) announced a number of changes over the weekend that have an impact on the preparation and lodgment of some skilled visa applications.

In particular the Department has decided to temporarily suspend the acceptance of any new General Skilled Migration (GSM) visa applications until the much anticipated new Skilled Occupations List will become law on 1 July 2010.

(The final version of the new list was supposed to have been released by the end of April, but will not now be released until later this month.)

Although we do not know which occupations will be included in the final version of the new Skilled Occupations List, a draft list of the new skilled occupations that has been released contains the following occupations:

1331* Construction Managers
1332 Engineering Managers
1341 Child care centre managers
1342 Health and welfare services managers
2633 Telecommunications engineering professionals
1343 School principals
2711 Barristers(d)
1344 Other education managers
2712 Judicial and other legal professionals(d)
2211 Accountants(a)
2713 Solicitors(d)
2212 Auditors, company secretaries and corporate treasurers(b)
2723 Psychologists
2221 Financial brokers
2725 Social workers
2241 Actuaries, mathematicians and statisticians(c)
3122 Civil engineering draftspersons and technicians
2245 Land economists and valuers
3132 Telecommunications technical specialists
2311 Air transport professionals
3211 Automotive electricians
2312 Marine transport professionals
3212 Motor mechanics
2321 Architects and landscape architects
3221 Metal casting, forging and finishing trades workers
2322 Cartographers and surveyors
3222 Sheet metal trades workers
2326 Urban and regional planners
3231 Aircraft maintenance engineers
2331 Chemical and materials engineers
3233 Precision metal trades workers
2332 Civil engineering professionals
3241 Panel beaters
2333 Electrical engineers
3243 Vehicle painters
2334 Electronics engineers
3311 Bricklayers and stonemasons
2335 Industrial, mechanical and production engineers
3312 Carpenters and joiners
2336 Mining engineers
3321 Floor finishers
2339 Other engineering professionals
3322 Painting trades workers
2341 Agricultural and forestry scientists
3331 Glaziers
2346 Medical laboratory scientists
3332 Plasterers
2347 Veterinarians
3334 Wall and floor tilers
2393 Teachers of English to speakers of other languages
3341 Plumbers
2411 Early childhood (pre-primary school) teachers
3411 Electricians
2544 Registered Nurses

2611 ICT Business and Aystems analysts2613 Software and applications programmers
2412 Primary school teachers
3421 Air-conditioning and refrigeration mechanics
2413 Middle school teachers
3422 Electrical distribution trades workers
2414 Secondary school teachers
3423 Electronics trades workers
2415 Special education teachers
3942 Wood machinists and other wood trades workers
2421 University lecturers and tutors
3991 Boat builders and shipwrights
2511 Dieticians 3996 Sign writers
2512 Medical imaging professionals
4112 Dental hygienists, technicians and therapists
2514 Optometrists and orthoptists
4114 Enrolled and mothercraft nurses
2515 Pharmacists
4115 Indigenous health workers
2521 Chiropractors and osteopaths
4231 Aged and disabled carers
2523 Dental practitioners
4233 Nursing support and personal care workers
2524 Occupational therapists
4412 Fire and emergency workers
2525 Physiotherapists
4413 Police
2526 Podiatrists

2527 Speech professionals and audiologists
2531 Generalist medical practitioners
2532 Anaesthetists
2533 Internal medicine specialists
2534 Psychiatrists
2535 Surgeons
2539 Other medical practitioners
2542 Nurse educators and researchers
2543 Nurse managers

(* The ANZSCO unit group code number; (a) CPA or equivalent; (b) Auditors only; (c) Actuaries only; (d) Legal professionals admitted to practice only.)

Irrespective of the above list, Australian States have indicated that State Sponsorship Lists will be updated and expanded on 1 July 2010 and will contain occupations that may not appear on the new skilled occupations list. In other words, although an occupation may not be listed on the new Skilled Occupations List, this does not mean that a skilled individual will be unable to migrate to Australia under one of the skilled visa categories.

Other possible changes in July 2010 may be an increase in the age threshold; for most visas this is currently limited to individuals who are under 45 years of age.

It is also possible that there will be some changes to the current skilled points test.

Further information about the above changes or any future changes will be posted on this website as and when they become available.

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Australian Skilled Occupations List – Postponed

admin — Tue, 04 May 2010 04:24:37 +0000

The much anticipated release of the Department of Immigration’s (DIAC) new Skilled Occupations List (SOL) has been postponed.

The new list was to be released by the end of April, or in early May. The early release of the list would have allowed visa applicants who may be disadvantaged by the list to submit their visa applications prior to the new list coming into force in July 2010.

The delay in the release of the list may mean that those who may be affected by any changes in the list will not have enough notice to ensure that they submit their visa applications prior to July 2010.

Our advice is for all applicants who are able to submit their visa applications prior to 1 July 2010 to seriously consider doing so as soon as possible. Submission prior to July 2010 will mean that their visa applications should be considereed under the existing list rather than the new list.

This advice is particularly important for individuals in occupations that are expected to be removed from the skilled occupations list, such as hairdressers and cooks.

Please feel free to contact us if you require any further information or adivce about the proposed changes to the SOL and how such changes may affect you.

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Australian Department of Immigration – DIAC – on YouTube

admin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:31:36 +0000

To find out more about the Australian Department of Immigration – commonly known as DIAC – and about migrating to Australia, you may want to have a look at some of the videos posted up by the DIAC.

You will find stories of interest from other migrants (who have already gone through the visa aopplication process) and more.

The website can be accessed by following this link: DIAC on YouTube.

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