Legislation has either been passed earlier this week or is about to be passed (I’m not sure which) that will have a substantial impact on some of the people who hope to apply to migrate to Australia but who have not yet lodged an application for a GSM visa. GSM = General Skilled Migration = no employer sponsorship. GSM visas can be unsponsored, State sponsored or family sponsored but they are not employer sponsored.
The relevant document is here:
http://www.comlaw.gov.au/ComLaw/Legi…0A091201EV.pdf
A well-known migration agent gave me his initial reaction to the document above in an e-mail yesterday evening. I quote verbatim:
I was just reading changes coming in on 01 January 2010 require 175/176 applicants (in to-be- gazetted trade occupations) will require 12 months experience in that nominated trade occupation and not “in any skilled occupation.”So those tradies who’s recent experience does not exactly match their nominated occupation, had better try and lodge prior to 01 January 2010.
It could affect recognised tradespersons who are working as supervisors unless they can convince DIAC they are working hands-on in the nominated trade for at least 20 hours per week It will affect the tradesman who has become a production manager or any other related or unrelated occupation Bigger things happening on-shore with 885/886 applicants requiring to get suitable skills assessment before applying for the visa AND, for gazetted tradies, a requirement to get a skills assessment dated 01 January 2010 or later. |
I wondered where my informant obtained his information till I happened to look at ComLaw for a completely unrelated purpose just now. As far as I can see, there is nothing on the DIAC website about these latest changes from 1st Jan 2010 as yet? I can’t find anything specific, anyway.
I think we will see more about all this soon – probably next week sometime, I suspect.
Cheers
Gill