Amendment to the skills assessment criterion for certain onshore GSM applicants nominating a trade occupation from 1 January 2010

From 1 January 2010, as part of the skills assessment process for certain onshore GSM applicants who nominate a trade occupation, applicants will be required to demonstrate that they are ‘job ready’. This new requirement will be assessed through the Job Ready Program (previously referred to as the JobReady Test). The Job Ready Program has been developed by the relevant assessing authority, Trades Recognition Australia (TRA), in consultation with industry and unions and will include a workplace assessment by a TRA approved assessor.

The new job ready requirement will ensure that people who wish to migrate to Australia as skilled migrants in trade occupations are able to participate in the labour market in the area of their skills and knowledge. Applicants nominating a trade occupation who apply for certain onshore General Skilled Migration (GSM) visas on or after 1 January 2010 will be required to meet the job ready requirement as part of the skills assessment process. This requirement will enhance current skills assessment arrangements for onshore applicants and complement the existing offshore assessment processes.   

Which occupations and visas will be subject to the new job ready requirement?

 

 

Applicants wishing to migrate to Australia under one of the below visa subclasses and in an allowable trade occupation will be required to satisfy the Job Ready Program’s requirements as part of the skills assessment process. This requirement will apply for applications lodged on or after 1 January 2010.

 

 

Visa subclasses

 

 

The following visa subclasses are subject to the job ready requirement:

 

 

1. Skilled – Independent (Residence) Visa (Subclass 885)
2. Skilled – Sponsored (Residence) Visa (Subclass 886)
3. Skilled – Regional Sponsored (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 487)

A list of trade occupations available under the GSM program is available on the department’s website. 

 See: Form 1121i Skilled Occupation List (SOL) and Employer Nomination Scheme Occupation List (ENSOL)

What is the purpose of the job ready requirement?

 

 

A key aim of the GSM program is to provide ‘job ready’ applicants to Australian employers. Job ready migrants are more likely to find employment quickly, which leads to improved settlement outcomes for them.

Assessment through the Job Ready Program ensures that applicants for skilled migration have the skills and knowledge to perform their nominated occupation within the Australian workplace.   

Frequently asked questions

How do I find out if my trade occupation requires me to satisfy the job ready requirement?

 

To determine if your occupation requires you to be assessed under the job ready requirement, that is, the Job Ready Program, you can refer to Form 1121i.

 

 

See: 

Occupations listed as Tradespersons and related workers that are in the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) are required to meet the new requirement. You may also wish to contact the relevant assessing authority for your occupation to determine what is required as part of your skills assessment.  

I lodged my General Skilled Migration (GSM) visa application for permanent migration before 1 January 2010 and have not yet received my skills assessment. Am I required to meet the job ready requirement?

 

 

No. If your application was lodged before 1 January 2010, you are not required to meet the job ready requirement as part of your skills assessment provided your application is for a permanent GSM visa. The requirement applies to applications lodged on or after 1 January 2010 only.

 

 

I am currently on a Subclass 485 visa and have not yet applied for a permanent GSM visa. Will I be required to meet the job ready requirement as I already hold a suitable skills assessment obtained when applying for my Subclass 485 visa?

 

 

If you currently hold a Subclass 485 visa but have not applied for a permanent onshore GSM visa by 1 January 2010, you will be required to obtain a new skills assessment which demonstrates that you are job ready if applicable to your occupation. This will be the case if your trade occupation requires you to provide a skills assessment dated on or after 1 January 2010.

If you are not required to submit a skills assessment dated on or after 1 January 2010 as it is not required for your occupation, you are able to submit an existing skills assessment should you wish to do so.

 

Why do I need to submit a skills assessment dated on after 1 January 2010 if I am required to meet the job ready requirement?

 

 

You will need to provide the department with a skills assessment dated on or after 1 January 2010 if you are required to meet the job ready requirement to ensure your skills have been assessed as ‘job ready’. Skills assessments issued prior to 1 January 2010 have not been assessed against the job ready requirement, while those issued after 1 January 2010 do. 

  

 

 

I am in a trade occupation and applying for an onshore GSM visa (Subclass 487, 885 or 886). Will I be required to meet the job ready requirement from 1 January 2010?

 

 

Yes. If you are nominating a trade occupation, you will need to meet the job ready requirement as part of your skills assessment from 1 January 2010. Applicants who are not applying for a trade occupation will not be required to do so.

 

 

I am applying in a trade occupation through one of the offshore GSM visas. Will I need to satisfy the job ready requirement as part of my skills assessment?

 

 

No. If you are applying for an offshore GSM visa, you will not be required to satisfy the job ready requirement as part of your skills assessment. However, if your occupation is a trade occupation, you will no longer be able to apply to migrate to Australia under the GSM program based on meeting the Australian study requirement. Instead, you must have at least 12 months of work experience in a skilled occupation within the 24 months before you apply in order to qualify for a visa grant.

More information can be found on the department’s website.

 

See: 

How does this affect me making an application for a Subclass 485 visa?

 

 

Applicants for a Subclass 485 visa are unaffected by the introduction of the job ready requirement. Applicants for a Subclass 485 visa will still be required to obtain a skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority before the Subclass 485 visa can be granted. For trade occupations, TRA will still issue skills assessments suitable for applying for a Subclass 485 visa.

 

 

Does this mean my old TRA skills assessment is no longer valid?

 

 

The changes only affect the requirements for the onshore permanent GSM visas in trade occupations. TRA assessments conducted before 1 January 2010 would continue to satisfy the requirements for the onshore lodgement of an application for a Subclass 485 visa, as well as for applications for Subclass 175, 176 and 475 visas. The assessments would also satisfy the department’s requirements for any of the employer sponsored category of visas.

 

 

Where I can find more information regarding the skills assessment process and the Job Ready Program?

 

 

Information regarding the skills assessment process and the Job Ready Program itself should be directed to the relevant assessing authority. For trade occupations, the relevant assessing authority is Trades Recognition Australia.

 

 

See:  Trades Recognition Australia   

Changes to Offshore GSM Applicants Seeking to Meet the Australian Study Requirement from 1 January 2010  

 

 Form 1121i Skilled Occupation List (SOL) and Employer Nomination Scheme Occupation List (ENSOL)  

 

 

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Occupations requiring recent work experience

Below are links to new Comlaw information on:

1 Which occupations will require a new skills assessment after 1 January 2010, and

2 Which offshore applicants will need to have worked for 12 of the 24 months before the date of the application in the actual nominated occupation.

http://www.comlaw.gov.au/ComLa…020AF17?OpenDocument

http://www.comlaw.gov.au/ComLa…09143+-+LI+-+JRT.doc

http://www.comlaw.gov.au/ComLa…143+-+ES+-+Final.doc

No need for offshore applicants to obtain a new skills assessment as far as I can see.

Cheers,

George Lombard

__________________
Migration Agent Registration Number 9601056
george[at]austimmigration[dot]com[dot]au
www.austimmigration.com.au

Source  :  http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/migration-issues/74783-occupations-requiring-recent-work-experience.html

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Closure of the Capital Investment Scheme on 31 October 2009

From 31 October 2009, the South Australian Government Financing Authority (SAFA) has announced it will not accept any further applications from General Skilled Migration (GSM) applicants who wish to lodge a capital investment, as it will close the scheme.

Since the announcement of the reopening of the capital investment scheme by SAFA on 29 January 2009, the department has contacted all applicants whose cases had been assessed and who indicated they intended to lodge a capital investment.

Any applicants who have indicated on their application form that they intend to lodge a capital investment, but have not yet done so, are advised to finalise their capital investment before the scheme is closed.

Applicants who did not indicate on their application form that they intended to lodge a capital investment, but now wish to do so because they will be relying on the five bonus points to meet the Point Test, should also contact the department and finalise their capital investment before the scheme is closed.

This is the final opportunity for all pre 1 September 2007 GSM applicants to lodge a capital investment. As there will be no further capacity for applicants to make a capital investment to gain the bonus five (5) points, the department will not provide applicants any additional time to make a capital investment once the scheme offered by SAFA closes. Please note that this also applies to those applicants who have appealed to the Migration Review Tribunal (MRT) and those applicants seeking judicial review.

Applicants who still intend to make a capital investment are strongly urged to do so before 31 October 2009.

Please note that only SAFA provides an approved designated security that enables an applicant for a pre-1 September 2007 GSM visa to be awarded bonus points for making a capital investment.

For more information  :  http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/capital-investment-scheme-faqs.htm

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Marriage scamming for permanent residency

Immigration to our shores is running at record levels and so too is the boom in illegal immigrants.

Some are scamming permanent residency is to catch and marry single Aussies. Immigration officials are cracking down on fake marriages, but  sometimes impossible to know when love is true or false. 

Over the last ten years spousal visa applications to Australia jumped from 26,000 to 40,000 a year. Many phoney fiancés and spouses were kicked out last year. 

Less than three per cent of applicants are investigated. 

The process requires foreign spouses to live with their partner for two years and they may be tested on their truthfulness by the Bona Fide units, set up in states across the country.

Differentiating between love and fraud is not a given, what we are interested in determining is that the evidence and the paperwork and the documentation put before us is true and accurate that it is not a forged document. 

They’re even more brazen in India where migration agents and internet surfers state plainly what they want, with posts including: “Paper marriage for Australia” and “Looking for a girl to do a paper marriage just to get residency in Australia.” 

The Times of India newspaper detailed how brides and grooms are contracted to marry, just so they can move here. 

If they are operating in India, or in China, or in Canada, or in the UK or anywhere overseas, our laws don’t control their activities

Act, under visa fraud it can include cancellation of the visa, and ultimately removal from the country. In the least we can refuse and we often do in 3000 instances to grant a visa in the last financial year. 

Dob-In Line: 1800 009 623

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Australia Seeks IT Experts

Australia’s demand for IT support staff is currently soaring, promising potential applicants with faster immigration process. IT workers are at an advantage with Australia’s visa system, wherein applicants are categorized by points and are classified by age, language, skill, occupation and experience.                                                                         

 

According to the Australian Visa Bureau, over 23,000  UK citizens have migrated to Australia.

 

Australian Visa Bureau director Guy Bradley said, “As many IT professionals have critical skills needed throughout Australia, and/or are on specific state and territory sponsored lists, the government will fast-track them through the skilled migration process, and process their visas as a matter of priority.”

 

“Of course the lure of the glittering beaches, open spaces, and high quality of life down under will never be overlooked, but Australia is increasingly attractive to emigrants because it looks to be pulling out of the global recession sooner than Britain,” Bradley added.

 

IT positions needed require expertise in data warehousing, C++, C and C#, risk management, e-commerce security, SAP, Siebel, .Net, Cobol, Unix, Java, SQL Server, networking LAN/WAN and IT project management.

Source  :  www.littlefishsupport.com

 

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Australia is still open for business

Despite the current financial troubles plaguing the world, the Australian government continues to welcome business migrants who want to move to Australia to establish and operate a new business or purchase and operate an existing business.Migration opportunities also exist for people who wish to invest in Government bonds. Australia’s states and territories are competing in a bid to sponsor business people from around the world in an effort to attract investment and suitable migrants to their cities and towns. At the same time the Australian government has been at pains to stress the importance it places on small business in Australia and has rewarded the sector with significant tax relief. On March 28 2009, the Australian government announced more than AUD720 million (SLR 23 billion) of cash-flow relief and further initiatives to support small business are expected in the May budget. Although the business world has been pessimistic about the impact of the global financial crisis, Australia has been better positioned than most countries to weather the storm. A survey conducted by the Small Business Development Corporation of small business sentiment in Western Australia has found that “there is more optimism within the small business sector than media reports would have us believe”, SBDC Managing Director Mr Stephen Moir said when the survey was released. This may make it a good time for potential business migrants to consider a move to Australia. Many business people from around the world have already taken advantage of the opportunities offered under Australia’s business migration programme. A total of 6565 business visas were granted in 2008, a 12.5% increase on the 2007 figure. This is about equal to the number of business visas that can be granted before July 2009 under the recently announced cap. New business visa applications are still being accepted and processed as normal and no limits have been announced for 2010. It is not clear what effect the global downturn will have on demand for these visas and whether the caps for 2009 will have an effect on processing times in the future. There would appear to be little reason for the Australian Government to place significant limits on the number of business visas in the future – business migrants create job opportunities in Australia rather than reduce them. Historically the Australian business visa programme has attracted mostly small to medium business people who are seeking better opportunities for themselves and their families in Australia. In recent years the program has attracted many applicants from countries such as the PRC, Indonesia and South Africa where there has been some political or economic instability and concern for the future. Australia’s business visa program is targeted at small business owners and senior managers who have a proven track-record of successful business in their country and who have accumulated wealth through their entrepreneurship, which can be invested in Australia. Successful business applicants need to show that their business has recorded sales of more than AUD$300,000 (LSR 27,000,000) in at least two of the past four fiscal years or that they are a senior manager in a significant business, and that they have at least AUD$250,000 (LSR 22,000,000) in personal and business assets which they are willing and able to transfer to Australia. Business migrants who are over 45 or who do not have a good command of English must be sponsored by a state or territory of Australia. Despite the global downturn, there are good business opportunities in Australia in many sectors and Australia remains very much open for business. In order to encourage business migrants to establish themselves in their area, some Australian states and territories, including Western Australia, offer incentives and assistance packages to qualifying new migrants and small business owners. Many states and territories offer discounted education for children of business migrants. A successful business visa applicant will first be granted a temporary visa for four years within which time they must relocate themselves and their families to Australia and establish their business in the sponsoring state. Provided the relevant requirements are satisfied during this time, the person can apply for a permanent visa allowing them and their family to remain in Australia indefinitely. After a time, business visa holder can apply for Australian Citizenship should they want Australian nationality. If you are thinking about migrating to Australia, the time might be now! Source  :  www.sundaytimes.lk

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Hike in Visa Application Charges from Next Month

Intending visa applicants should move quickly if they wish to avoid the significant increases in Australian Visa Application Charges that come into effect on the 1st of July, 2009.

The Federal Budget was handed down last month, and included in the various Budget papers is reference to increases of 20% in VACs applicable to visas granted under the skilled migration program and the family program.

For example, the main VAC for general skilled visas is presently A$2,105. Intending skilled migrants can therefore anticipate a saving of more than $400 if they can submit a valid visa application before the end of this month (June 2009).

Cost savings of a similar sum are likely to be available to applicants for Spouse visas, Remaining Relative visas, and Business Skills visas.

It should also be noted that the requirements for the lodgment of valid visa applications are generally limited to the submission of the relevant visa application form, payment of the Visa Application Charge, and any other DIAC form as is applicable to the visa that is being applied for – plus a skills assessment classification letter where one is applying for an offshore general skilled visa.

In other words, other documentation in support of the application can be submitted later – and (we suggest) should be if a saving of more than A$400 is available.

If you are intending to move to Australia and would like to lodge your visa application quickly in an effort to save money please contact us. Go Matilda has many years of experience assisting with Australian visa applications, and can prepare application paperwork quickly in an effort to lodge a valid application so that you lock into this year’s Visa Application Charges.

Source  :  www.gomatilda.com 

Author:

Alan Collett

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