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.

—————————-

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.

In addition, many visa application forms will be updated from 1 July 2010.

Please see the Australian Department of Immigration’s website for more information.

—————————-

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.

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).

—————————-

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.

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.

—————————-

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.

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.

—————————-

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.

1) The MODL (List of Migration Occupations in Demand) has been removed:

This does not affect individuals who have already applied for their visas, or who hold Skilled Graduate Visas.

Most applicants who have not yet applied for a skilled visa and who will be effected by the removal of the MODL may claim additional points by undertaking an IELTS test and obtaining 7 in each of the four sections of the test, and/or applying for a State Sponsored Visa.

The only applicants who will be able to claim MODL points now are:

a) Those who were granted or applied for 485 Skilled Graduate Visas before 8 February 2010 AND who apply for permanent skilled visas before 31 December 2012.

b) Those who applied for a Skilled Visa before 8 February 2010.

2) The current SOL (Skilled Occupations List) will be changed in the middle of 2010:

We understand this to mean that a new list will be introduced on 1 July 2010, but a firm date has not been announced. As the new list will reflect an update of current skills shortages throughout Australia, the Critical Skills List will no longer be needed and will be removed at the same time.

Anyone applying before mid 2010 will be able to apply under the current SOL and Critical Skills List.

3) Skilled Visa Applications lodged before 1 September 2007 will be capped:

Once the capped number is reached, the Department of Immigration will not process any remaining visa applications lodged before 1 September 2007. The Department will issue refunds of the visa application fees of those applicants whose visa applications will not be processed.

4) The points test that applies to the Skilled Visas will be reviewed in the first half of 2010:

The Department feels that the current points test does not lead to desirable outcomes in attracting “skilled” migrants. We anticipate that a new points test may be released as early as mid 2010 and that skilled trades people may no longer be awarded 60 points for their skills.

5) The current Priority Processing hierarchy has been updated, the first visas to be processed will be:

a) Applications from people who are sponsored by employers and applying for an ENS or RSMS visa.

b) Applications from people who are nominated by a state/territory government under a state migration plan agreed to by the minister. (We do not believe that any such agreements have yet been made by the states/territories).

c) Applications from people who are nominated by a state/territory government agency and whose nominated occupation is on the Critical Skills List (CSL).

d) Applications from people who are not state/territory nominated or sponsored, but whose nominated occupation is listed on the CSL.

e) Applications from people who are nominated by a state/territory government agency whose nominated occupation is not listed on the CSL.

f) Applications from people whose occupations are listed on the Migration Occupations in Demand List
(MODL) OR aplications from people who are sponsored by family and whose nominated occupation is not listed on the CSL.
These applications may take up to 2 years to finalise.

g) All other applications (these will be processed in the order in which they are received).
These applications may take up to 3 years to finalise.

If you are worried about the effect of any of the above changes on your visa application please fee free to contact us for more information.

If you are a hairdresser or a cook, and you need to claim MODL points, and you have a chance to submit your application before midnight Sunday (Australia time) – in other words, you already have your skills assessment – you should aim to get your application in as a matter of urgency.

This advice (above) is based not just on the article but also on rumours which have been around for about a year, or more, that hairdressers and cooks would come off the list.

Of course there is no telling what other occupations may come off, again, it is possible that other trades could come off the list, but the precise information will not be available until Monday the 8th of February (Australia time).

To read the whole article please follow this link:
[URL="http://www.theage.com.au/national/skilled-migration-shakeup-20100205-nip5.html"]http://www.theage.com.au/national/skilled-migration-shakeup-20100205-nip5.html
[/URL]

Onshore Applicants in the following subclasses will be required to provide a suitable skilled assessment at the time of application, not just proof that a skilled assessment has been applied for:

- Skilled Independent Visa (subclass 885)

- Skilled Sponsored Visa (subclass 886)

- Skilled Regional Sponsored Visa (subclass 487)

Further, some applicants will have to provide a skills assessment which has been completed on or after 1 January 2010 for specified gazetted occupations. (We do not know, as this stage, which occupations will appear on this list.)

Offshore Applicants in the following subclasses will be required to comply with new work experience requirements:

- Skilled Independent Visa (subclass 175)

- Skilled Sponsored Visa (subclass 176)

- Skilled Regional Sponsored Visa (subclass 475)

In particular, visa applicants with a listed occupation will be required to show recent work experience in their occupation NOT just any skilled occupation. Again, the list of occupations affected has not yet been made available.

Please contact us  via email, marking the subject matter as URGENT, if you believe that as a result of the above changes your application must be lodged prior to 1 January 2010. Although we are closed over the holiday period, in light of these changes we will be able to deal with urgent enquiries.

—————————-

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.

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.

—————————-

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.