The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) recently released some important information in regards to carrying out health and character checks prior to being assigned to a case officer that may have an impact on priority processing for a number of Australia visa applicants.

The DIAC release can be located here, but the most important aspect of it is that all priority group 2 applicants should consider initiating health and character checks now, despite having no indication that a case officer has yet been assigned to their case. Priority group 2 applicants are applicants who have obtained state sponsorship and whose occupation currently features on the State Migration Plan for that state.

Additionally, they have given the same encouragement to priority group 3 applicants (i.e. applicants that have an occupation featuring on schedule 3 of the Skilled Occupation List) who lodged a visa application between 15 January, 2009 and 30 June, 2010.

What are the benefits of applying for health and character checks now?

DIAC have stated the following as a reason for why applicants might wish to apply for health and character checks now:

"Initiating all necessary health and character clearances now is likely to enable an application to be considered in a quicker timeframe once it is allocated to a case officer. It may mean that a decision can be made when first considered, without a case officer needing to request any further documentation, as considerable delays can be encountered in requesting and receiving information."

However, it is important to understand that providing these clearances does not guarantee immediate processing of an application.

Why might there be negative implications of initiating health and character checks now?

DIAC have also provided the following details as to why applicants might not want to apply for health and character checks at this time:

"In undertaking these clearances now, an applicant should be mindful that processing arrangements may change over time and that any such changes may impact on the validity of a clearance and the order of assessment of applications. An applicant may be required to repeat a clearance at their cost in the event of a change to the current application allocation arrangements."

Health and character checks have a 12 month validity period, and must be current at the time the case officer makes a decision on the visa, which is why there is the possibility that you will have to repeat the police and character checks, should a decision not be made on your visa within that timeframe.

Additionally, the date which you obtained police clearances and undertake medicals dictates your initial entry date to Australia. You must enter Australia within 12 months of the earlier date recorded for your police and character checks, regardless of when the visa is granted. The initial entry date cannot be changed under any circumstances, so if the visa grant is delayed you may be left with a particularly short period in which to organise for you (and any family members) to activate your visa through a trip to Australia.

What does Visa Bureau advise?

We are advising a number of our clients to take advantage of this opportunity and initiate their health and character checks now.  However, if you do NOT hold a state sponsorship where it has been confirmed that your occupation will feature on your sponsoring state’s State Migration Plan and you lodged your visa application AFTER July 2009, we advise that you hold off on undertaking the medicals and police checks for now.

The reason for this is that applications for priority group 3 applicants is set to progress in date order, and as we monitor the rate at which these cases are being allocated, we will be able to give you an indication as to when DIAC will be approaching your lodgement date. As a result, you will still benefit from a more efficient processing timescale from DIAC and you will have a significant period in which to make your first entry to Australia following the visa grant.

- Lauren Mennie is Casework Department Manager for the Australian Visa Bureau.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2010

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

The business of reconstructing the areas of Queensland affected by the devastating floods or by Cyclone Yasi has begun in earnest.

Significant flooding occurred in many areas of Queensland during late December 2010 and early January 2011, with three quarters of the state declared a disaster zone. The state was hit yet again with another natural disaster, when a large cyclone struck Far North Queensland last week.

Yesterday, the Queensland Government formally expanded its disaster reconstruction authority established after January's floods to oversee the state's rebuilding after the cyclone devastation.

The Australian Government has also moved to fast track certain Australia Visa categories for workers needed in the recovery, and released information relating to how Australian Working Holiday Visa holders to get involved and use their volunteer or paid work to secure a second visa.

Information for Australia Working Holiday makers wanting to help

Australian Working Holiday Visa holders may choose to volunteer their time to help with the clean up and rebuild following the flood crisis, and they may also seek paid work related to this rebuilding effort.

If the clean up work falls within the definition of "specified work", which includes work in the construction industry such as demolition work or erecting new fences and is conducted in an eligible regional Australia postcode, the work may count towards the 88 days of specified work required in order to be eligible for a second Working Holiday visa.

The specified work need not be paid work as volunteer work also counts towards the specified work requirement.

However, it is important for working holiday makers to remember that metropolitan Brisbane is not included in the Australian immigration definition of regional Australia.

It is unlikely that this will change in the near future, as the government has concerns that if the second WHV regional postcode definition was expanded to include non-regional areas such as metropolitan Brisbane, working holiday visa holders would choose to work in metropolitan areas at the expense of regional Australia. Any review of the definition of regional Australia would have to be undertaken carefully and in consultation with state and territory governments. For a full list of eligible regional postcodes visit the Australian Working Holiday Visas frequently asked questions page.

The following types of work fall under the definition of specified work and may assist with flood cleanup activities in regional Australia:

• Demolition of buildings;
• Trench digging;
• Land clearing and earth moving;
• Residential and non-residential construction or renovation/repair, including of roads, footpaths, bridges, parking lots, railways, dams, irrigation systems, sewage and storm water drainage systems.

Fast-tracked applications for Australian 457 Visas 

Australian 457 Visas for reconstruction jobs in flood or cyclone affected areas will now be fast-tracked by the Australian Government, providing quick access to skilled overseas labour where there is a local shortage.

The 457 Visa is an employer sponsored visa, which means in order to qualify an employee must have an Australian employer who is willing to sponsor them. There are also other requirements an employee must meet, including having an eligible nominated occupation and English language proficiency.

Under this Australia visa, a wide variety of skilled construction and engineering occupations are available for sponsorship, and employers can sponsor skilled workers for up to four years with no limit on the number of workers they sponsor.

The Australian Immigration department will give these visas priority processing at each stage of the application process and once all the application steps are completed the visa will be processed within five working days.

If your Australian Visa is about to expire 

Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) officers are currently visiting areas in Queensland affected by the recent cyclone,  including Tully and Innisfail,  to provide support to temporary visa holders who may be concerned about their immigration status.

“If people in the affected areas hold a visa which is about to expire, or work for a business which has been affected, the department urges them to contact DIAC as soon as possible to discuss their options,” a departmental spokesman said.

- Stephanie Bradley is Content and Communications Editor for the Australian Visa Bureau.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2010

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

Phil Spencer returns to our screens tonight, helping to relocate six more families into their dream home in Australia with Relocation: Phil Down Under. 

This is the second series of Relocation: Phil Down Under, and during the six episodes Phil visits Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra, Sydney, the Central Coast and the Gold Coast to explore appealing areas for the aspiring ex-pat. He also provides tips and ideas for anyone thinking of emigrating to Australia.

Phil looks into the realities of life in Oz, from the booming property market to finding out the secrets of success stories from Brits who have made it. He also finds out the best jobs on offer to gain an Australia Visa, from catching Wombats in the Outback to being a flying instructor over Sydney harbour. 

In a regular feature in the show, Phil investigates the Skilled Occupation List, an important part of the Australia Visa application process under General Skilled Migration.  

Relocation: Phil Down Under. Friday nights at 8pm on Channel 4 and on 4OD

- Stephanie Bradley is Content and Communications Editor for the Australian Visa Bureau.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2010

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

A new series of the popular Wanted Down Under television programme is now being shown on BBC1 on weekday mornings, and for a limited time on BBC iPlayer.

The reality series program hosted by Nicki Chapman flys British families to Australia and New Zealand for a week so they can experience how their life might be changed if they moved Down Under.

The episodes give an insight into the lifestyle in popular cities and a good indication of property prices, as well as employment opportunities.  However, Wanted Down Under also touches on the real challenges faced from moving thousands of miles away from family and friends, and the difficult choices a family might have to make. 

Those who are considering applying for an Australia Visa or currently in the process of moving permanently overseas may find the program provides a helpful illustration of Australian life.

The episodes include:

The Wanted Down Under Series 5 contains 20 episodes, and we will update you with more episode synopses as they are released.

- Stephanie Bradley is Content and Communications Editor for the Australian Visa Bureau.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2010

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

 

The South Australian State Migration Plan has
been announced.

The South Australian Government has released their State Migration Plan this week. There are 258 occupations on the state migration plan, some of which will be unique to South Australia.

There are 4,890 places available for the 2010/11 program year, but the South Australian government have yet to give us an exact indication how many of these have already been filled by pre-existing applications for sponsorship.

The full list of occupations that the South Australian Government is willing to sponsor can be viewed here. The new state migration plan is designed to help meet South Australia’s skilled workforce needs by targeting needed occupations that are eligible for state sponsorship.

How does the South Australia State Migration Plan differ to other State Migration Plans?

One of the key ways that South Australia's SMP differs from the majority of the other states is in the work experience requirements it places on applicants, as the majority of listed occupations only require 12 months work experience in the previous 24 months (as opposed to others who ask for up to 7 years previous work experience).

Additionally, the South Australia State Migration Plan will come as especially good news to primary school teachers, metal tradespeople, hairdressers and farriers, as individuals in these occupations had very limited state sponsorship options previously.

Unfortunately, many individuals in IT and engineering occupations will be unable to apply under the South Australia SMP at this time, as they are currently classified as 'not available' due to South Australia having already met their quota for a number of these occupations. Applicants within these occupations may be able to apply from 1 July, 2011 though, when the next program year begins.

However, if you have previously secured state sponsorship in an occupation that is now listed as 'not available' and you have already lodged your visa application, you will still be assigned a visa processing priority level of Priority Group 2, which means your application should be processed within 12 months.

In terms of IELTS requirements, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Canada, New Zealand and United States of America passport holders only need to provide an IELTS test result if the listed requirement is for IELTS 7.0 or higher.  Where the requirement is less than 7.0, no IELTS test result is necessary.

- Leonie Cotton is Assistant Casework Department Manager for the Australian Visa Bureau.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2010

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

The Western Australian State
Migration Plan has been announced.

The Western Australian Government has released their State Migration Plan, which focuses largely on trade skill occupations, resource sector workers and health professionals.

Applicants who have a skill listed on the Western Australian Skilled Migration Occupation List may be eligible to apply for Western Australian State Sponsorship. Applications from prospective migrants will be accepted from 20 December 2010.

Occupations on the list include a range of resource and mining sector professions such as engineers, surveyors, geologists, as well as health professionals like nurses and dentists, and tradespeople such as electricians, mechanics and plumbers.

The full list of occupations that the Western Australian Government is willing to sponsor can be viewed here.

Western Australia has become the fifth state / territory to announce their approved State Migration Plan, following the announcements made by Victoria, the ACT, Northern Territory and Queensland. 

State Migration Plans (or SMPs) are set to play a critical part in the future of the Australian General Skilled Migration (GSM) program, as they have been developed by State/Territory governments to determine the occupations in which applicants will be eligible for state sponsored visas.

What will the benefits be to being sponsored under a State Migration Plan?

One of the main benefits of being sponsored under a State Migration Plan is how it will affect Australian visa processing timeframes, as visa applicants who appear on the Western Australia list of occupations will be moved to Priority Group 2, according to the current processing directive. This means that these applicants should see their applications finalised within 12 months.

- Lauren Mennie is Casework Department Manager for the Australian Visa Bureau.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2010

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

This week, Queensland  released their State Migration Plan. Their website has been updated with a page outlining the SMP, along with PDFs listing the occupations they are willing to sponsor -  click here for the subclass 176 eligible occupations and click here for the subclass 475 eligible occupations.

Queensland has become the fourth state / territory to announce their approved State Migration Plan, following the announcements made by Victoria, the ACT and the Northern Territory. 

What are State Migration Plans?

State Migration Plans (or SMPs) are set to play a critical part in the future of the Australian General Skilled Migration (GSM) program, as they have been developed by State/Territory governments to determine the occupations in which applicants will be eligible for state sponsored visas.

What will the benefits be to being sponsored under a State Migration Plan?

One of the main benefits of being sponsored under a State Migration Plan is how it will affect Australian visa processing timeframes. Applicants who appear on the NT new list of occupations will be moved to Priority Group 2, according to the current processing directive. This means that these applicants should see their applications finalised within 12 months.

- Lauren Mennie is Casework Department Manager for the Australian Visa Bureau.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2010

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

There have been a number of changes made to the skills assessment process for Australian visa applicants in certain trades occupations, stemming from the announcement last week that VETASSESS have been removed as a Trade Assessing Authority.

However, while TRA (Trades Recognition Australia) remain the assessing body for tradespeople, they will be delegating assessing responsibilities to other bodies as a Registered Training Organisations (RTO) for certain occupations.

As a result, VETASSESS has since been appointed as an RTO for particular occupations in particular countries, as has Victoria University.

A full list of which occupations in which countries will be assessed by VETASSESS or Victoria University can be found here. However, see below for a quick summary of some of the most important details:

What other changes do applicants need to be aware of? 

Self-assessment changes

The VETASSESS self-assessment process has been renamed TradeSET and is now accessible online here, with the new requirement that all applicants will be asked to print off their completed self-assessment and submit it as part of their application.

On first appearances, it doesn't appear to be too different to the current self-assessment process. However, there are still a few issues with it; for example, a number of occupations are missing (such as Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (Mechanical) and Sheetmetal Trades Worker).

New processes / fees

At the moment, there's some confusion as to what the process will be for when applicants come to complete a practical assessment. The FAQ on this page states that there will be the option of either completing a technical interview (at a cost of AU$1,400) or an interview and practical demonstration (at a cost of AU$1,500).  However, it's still not clear whether UK applicants will be able to choose between which assessment method they proceed under or whether the country of residence will dictate the process.

- Lauren Mennie is Casework Department Manager for the Australian Visa Bureau.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2010

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

Tightening of the ‘economic immigration routes’ is but one part of a package of measures being made across the UK immigration system in an effort to achieve the coalition government’s goal of reducing overall net migration.

The Home Office confirmed that an 8-week consultation will be initiated before the end of 2010 focussing on Tier 4 of the points-based system – the UK Student Visa category – which makes up two-thirds of migrants entering the UK annually.

Feedback will be sought on a range of prospective measures, including:

• For adult students, focusing Tier 4 on higher-level courses and those offered by Highly Trusted sponsors;
• Introducing tougher entry criteria such as English language competence for students;
• Ensuring that students wishing to extend their studies show evidence of academic progression;
• Limiting the student's entitlements to work and to sponsor dependants in the UK; AND
• Improving the accreditation process for education providers, alongside more rigorous inspections.

Theresa May added: "I want to ensure that students and education providers are of a high quality.

"People imagine students to be those who come here for a few years to study at university and then go home - that is not always the case. We estimate that nearly half of all students coming here from abroad are coming to study a course below degree level where levels of compliance with immigration requirements are not high enough.

"While we will protect our world-class universities, we want suitably qualified students with the genuine desire to study to come to our country. We must also have a more robust system to ensure that students leave the country at the end of their legitimate stay."

- Marek Starke is a member of the UK Visa Bureau.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2010

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

On 23 November the UK Home Secretary, Theresa May, announced several new measures that will assist in strictly controlling the number of non-European workers that can come to the United Kingdom.

The Home Secretary, Theresa May, said: "Today's announcement has set out a clear, rational approach to which workers we will allow into the UK job market. We have set out an approach which will not only get immigration down to sustainable levels but at the same time protects those businesses and institutions which are vital to our economy.

"We will take action on all routes into the UK, and these changes are crucial if we are to limit the numbers coming here to work while still attracting the brightest and the best to the UK.

"We have worked closely with businesses while designing this system, and listened to their feedback, but we have also made clear that, as the recovery continues, we need employers to look first to people who are out of work and who are already in this country.'

New Rules Taking Effect from April 2011

Tier 1 Changes

• The Tier 1 (General) route will be closed and a Tier 1 route for ‘persons of exceptional talent’ will be introduced. This will cover migrants who have won international recognition in scientific and cultural fields, or who show sufficient exceptional promise to be awarded such recognition in the future. Applications by those with exceptional promise will be endorsed by a competent body in the relevant field. The 'exceptional talent' category will be subject to an annual limit of 1,000 places. Tier 2 will continue to be open to migrants working in these fields.
• The Tier 1 (Investor) route will be reformed to offer an accelerated route to settlement, depending on the level of investment.
• The Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) route will be reformed to make it more attractive. The UK Border Agency (UKBA) will introduce flexible criteria and a new avenue for promising start-up companies which do not meet the investment threshold.
• The Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) and Tier 1 (Investor) routes will not be subject to a limit on numbers.

More information will be published by the UKBA as soon as possible.

Tier 2 Changes

•  The Tier 2 (General) route will be subject to an annual limit of 20,700 places for the 2011/12 migration year. This limit will not apply to:
  o In-country applications from those already in the UK;
  o Dependants of Tier 2 migrants;
  o Tier 2 (General) applicants who are filling a vacancy with a salary of more than £150,000;
  o Tier 2 (Sportsperson) applicants;
  o Tier 2 (Minister of religion) applicants; and
  o Tier 2 (Intra company transfer) applicants.
• Tier 2 (Intra company transfer) applicants in the Established staff sub-category will be able to stay in the UK for up to five years if they are paid more than £40,000 per year. Those paid between £24,000 and £40,000 will be able to enter for up to 12 months within a specified period. The current rules will continue to apply to Tier 2 (Intra company transfer) migrants in the Graduate trainee and Skills transfer sub-categories.
• Tier 2 (General) applications will be restricted to graduate-level vacancies. Following consultation with the Migration Advisory Committee, the UKBA will amend the shortage occupation list accordingly. Existing Tier 2 (General) migrants in jobs below graduate level will be able to extend their permission to stay if they meet current requirements.
• The minimum level of English language competency for Tier 2 (General) applications will be increased from basic to intermediate level (B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference).
• Applications for certificates of sponsorship will, where the limit applies, be considered on a monthly basis. If the monthly allocation is oversubscribed, applications will be ranked according to:
  o Shortage occupations in the first instance;
  o Whether the post requires higher academic qualifications; AND
  o Salary.

Potential Tier 2 workers who are granted a certificate of sponsorship will have three months in which to apply for a UK Visa.

Settlement Applications

The UKBA also announced that there will be a new threshold regarding criminal convictions, requiring all those applying for settlement to be clear of unspent convictions.

Tier 1 and Tier 2 migrants applying for settlement will need to meet the salary criteria that applied when they last extended their permission to stay. If an applicant fails to pass the minimum English language requirement, their application for settlement will be refused.

- Marek Starke is a member of the UK Visa Bureau.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2010

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.