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AUSTRALIA ANNOUNCES NEW CRITERIA - EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI) EFFECTIVE FROM 1 JULY 2012
The Australian Government has announced the new criteria – Expression of Interest (EOI), the new Skilled Occupation List and the Pass mark will be 60 points for all applications lodged from 1 July 2012.
Every application with the minimum 60 point pass mark may not be invited to lodge an application since Department of Immigration And Citizenship’s (DIAC) computer system will select the best of the Expression Of Interest (EOI) application to lodge the Immigration application. This is one way of reducing the backlog as there are many applications pending for decision for nearly two years to be approved under General Skilled Migration at DIAC.
The pass mark for the new Skill Select visa subclasses 189, 190 and 489 will be 60 points. Applicants will first need to submit an expression of interest (EOI) and be invited to make an application for these visas.
Department of Immigration and Citizenship advised the change to the pass mark was in the situation of the series of reforms to the skilled migration program undertaken by the Australian Government since 2008. These reforms have ensured the skilled migration program is a responsive and demand driven program and the cornerstone of this migration reform package will be the introduction of SkillSelect from 1 July 2012.
SKILLSELECT
SkillSelect will work and benefit applicant whose applications will be lodged through an online service that will help skilled workers who are interested in migrating to Australia. Interested candidates need to provide their details which will be taken into consideration for a skilled visa through the new system of an Expression of Interest (EOI). Eligible migrants could be nominated for skilled visas through Australian employers or state and territory governments, or can be invited by the Australian Government to lodge a successful visa application.
SkillSelect is a big change to how Australia wishes to monitor its skilled migration program. SkillSelect will make sure the skilled migration program is based on the economic needs of Australia. The Australian Government will monitor who is able to apply for skilled migration, if they are able to apply and in what numbers, on the basis of this requirement. The Department of Immigration and Citizenship wants to considerably reduce on the time process of an application.
SkillSelect will also advise on regional skill shortages. SkillSelect will also allow intending migrants to indicate their willingness to live and work in regional Australia. Benefit to employers experiencing regional skill shortages and state and territory government is attempting to settle migrants in regional areas of Australia.
The Australia's new skilled worker program, SkillSelect, allows applicants to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) before the visa can be processed. The SkillSelect system will work as an electronic two-stage process where potential applicants first submit a request for skilled migration through an online EOI. Subsequently, SkillSelect system will select the best applicants on the basis of their EOI and then may be invited to submit an Australian visa application.
The applicants for DIAC lodgment will be selected to submit an application based on their points test score in a number of selection criteria. Applicants will be given points for the age, English language ability, work experience, and education. All potential applicants will be required to meet the relevant English language requirements and obtain the necessary skills assessment prior to their EOI submission. The lowering of the pass mark will enable more immigrants to be eligible to apply for an Australian visa.
Once the new SkillSelect system in implemented, SkillSelect will begin issuing invitations to eligible applicants in August 2012. Invitations will be issued to the applicants with highest ranking EOIs in descending order. The date and time of submission of the completed EOI may be a determining factor when considering visa applications from people who score an equal number of points; Priority will be given for applications which are received earlier.
Also, there will be a CAP on each occupation to limit how many people are selected from a certain occupation group. This make sure that the migration program is not dominated by a narrow range of occupations.
The change is encouraging for applicants in view of state sponsorship as when an applicant’s application is lodged through Expression of Interest (EOI) under subclass 190 or 489, may also help some applicants that will now qualify for state sponsorship who previously wouldn't have had the eligibility. This notice would be of particular importance for applicants who require additional points due to having less points for IELTS, age and or work experience.
Also, there has been a change in the update of Business Skills Program Reforms effective from 1 July 2012.
If your occupation is on this list and if you can meet the requirements for your Australian Immigration visa, you can write to us at: neville@bilimoriaassociate.com with your resume to assess your eligibility and we will be happy to prepare a successful application for your Residence visa to Australia.