If you have studied  anywhere other than Major cities, you can obtain an extension for one year and if you have studied in regional centres you can extend your stay for two years. In order to obtain this visa, you need to be living, working or studying in relevant region for two years prior to making an application. Once you get the visa, you will still have to meet the same conditions.

You can make use of this opportunity to increase your chances of getting Australian Permanent Residency.

For more  information on this, please do not hesitate to contact us

The post 485 Visa extension first appeared on Flyworld.

The post 485 Visa extension appeared first on Flyworld.

QUEENSLAND

The state of Queensland is currently processing the backlog of applications from 29 September – 05 October 2020 interim quota opening (for standard subclass 491 and 190 visas).
Please note: only selected occupations related to the COVID response and recovery will be processed as a priority. If you do not receive an invitation before the 25 December 2020, you will be required to submit a brand new EOI when we reopen our program on the 25 January 2021.

• The Critical industries and critical sectors as per the Department of Home Affairs are critical or specialist medical services, including air ambulance, medical evacuations and delivering critical medical supplies
• with critical skills required to maintain the supply of essential goods and services (such as in medical technology, critical infrastructure, telecommunications, engineering and mining, supply chain logistics, aged care, agriculture, primary industry, food production, and the maritime industry)
• delivering services in sectors critical to Australia’s economic recovery (such as financial technology, large scale manufacturing, film, media and television production and emerging technology), where no Australian worker is available
If you are living and working in Queensland in any of the critical sectors/industries, you are eligible to apply for state nomination.

The post Queensland: State Sponsorship; General Skilled Migration 2021 first appeared on Flyworld.

The post Queensland: State Sponsorship; General Skilled Migration 2021 appeared first on Flyworld.

The state of New South Wales has published their occupation list for SC 190 and SC 491 visa for the program year 20-21.

Priority occupation list for SC 190 – NSW

Skilled Nominated (Permanent) visa (subclass 190)
• 133211 Engineering Manager
• 134211 Medical Administrator
• 134212 Nursing Clinical Director
• 134214 Welfare Centre Manager
• 233911 Aeronautical Engineer
• 233913 Biomedical Engineer
• 233916 Naval Architect
• 233999 Engineering Professionals nec
• 254411 Nurse Practitioner
• 254412 Registered Nurse (Aged Care)
• 254413 Registered Nurse (Child and Family Health)
• 254414 Registered Nurse (Community Health)
• 254415 Registered Nurse (Critical Care and Emergency)
• 254417 Registered Nurse (Disability and Rehabilitation)
• 254418 Registered Nurse (Medical)
• 254421 Registered Nurse (Medical Practice)
• 254422 Registered Nurse (Mental Health)
• 254423 Registered Nurse (Perioperative)
• 254424 Registered Nurse (Surgical)
• 254425 Registered Nurse (Paediatric)
• 254499 Registered Nurses nec
• 261111 ICT business Analyst
• 261112 Systems Analyst
• 261311 Analyst Programmer
• 261312 Developer Programmer
• 261313 Software Engineer
• 262112 ICT Security Specialist
• 263111 Computer Network and Systems Engineer
• 312311 Electrical Engineering Draftsperson
• 312312 Electrical Engineering Technician
• 312999 Building and Engineering Technicians nec
The Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) is a permanent visa for points tested skilled workers who are nominated by a state or territory government agency. NSW Treasury nominates eligible highly skilled workers to drive economic growth in NSW.
To effectively manage the ongoing high demand for NSW nomination, and to ensure that NSW nominees are aligned to the skills needs of the state’s economy, NSW uses a selection-based invitation process.
Candidates cannot directly apply for NSW nomination and should consider being invited to apply for NSW nomination as a limited possibility. Candidates are strongly encouraged to actively consider all migration pathways and visa options.

Eligibility

Be invited to apply
You must be invited to apply for NSW nomination – you cannot apply directly.
NSW does not invite EOIs outside the normal functioning of an invitation round. This includes because of visas expiring, losing eligibility for the visa, or points for age.

Age
You must be under 45 years of age.

Points claim
You must obtain a minimum score of 65 points in your SkillSelect EOI.

English language
At the time of invitation, you must have an English score of at least Competent English
If you are a citizen of the USA, UK, Canada, Republic of Ireland or New Zealand, you are not required to complete an English language test.
Occupation
You must hold a valid skills assessment in an occupation that exactly matches the occupation entered in your SkillSelect EOI.
Your commitment to NSW
You must commit to living and working in NSW for at least the first two years of your subclass 190 visa.

Invitation Rounds

During an invitation round, EOIs in are ranked within an occupation code in order of:
1. Point score
2. English proficiency
3. Years of skilled work experience in your nominated occupation
The highest ranking EOIs up to the number of places available for a given occupation are generally issued an invitation to apply. When an EOI was submitted, or amended, does not affect its ranking.
Invitation rounds occur ongoing throughout the Australian financial year – there are no set dates. We will not respond to requests for the date of upcoming invitation rounds.
Because of the fluid nature of the NSW SkillSelect candidate pool, we cannot predict what point score/English score/work experience will be sufficient to be invited in future invitation rounds.
We will not prioritise candidates on the basis of visas expiring, losing points or eligibility, or living and working in NSW.

SC 491 VISAS

Regional Development Australia (RDA) offices will begin assisting NSW Treasury manage the subclass 491 visa in early February 2021.
Each RDA office will accept and assess applications, and determine eligible occupations for their respective regions; however, nomination criteria is consistent across all regions. These criteria are outlined below.
Information about how to apply will be made available on RDA websites as soon as possible. Links to participating region websites can be found below.
RDA offices will focus on nominating applicants who are undertaking skilled work in critical sectors. These applicants are a priority for Government in supporting economic recovery following the impacts of COVID-19.

Nomination criteria

You must meet the all criteria in one of the following three streams to be eligible for NSW nomination:
1. Living and working in regional NSW;
2. recently completed study in regional NSW; or
3. living and working outside of regional NSW.
Applicants who do not meet the criteria in one of these three streams may be refused unless otherwise agreed with NSW Treasury.
‘Closely related occupations’ are defined as those having the same ANZSCO unit group, i.e. sharing the same first four digits.
‘Designated regional areas’ are determined by Home Affairs. Please see their website for a list of regional NSW postcodes.
1. Living and working in regional NSW
To be eligible for NSW nomination under this stream you must:
• hold a valid skills assessment for an occupation that appears on your nominated region’s occupation list;
• have been living in a designated regional area of NSW for at least the previous 12 months; and
• have been working in your nominated occupation, or a closely related occupation, in a designated regional area of NSW, for at least the previous 12 months.
2. Recently completed study in regional NSW
To be eligible for NSW nomination under this stream you must:
• hold a valid skills assessment for an occupation that appears on your nominated region’s occupation list;
• have completed study or education with an education provider, where:
o the study was completed within the previous 24 months;
o the education provider is located in a designated regional area in NSW;
o the study meets the Australian study requirement (as determined by Home Affairs from time to time); and
o the qualification obtained from this study has been assessed as closely related to your nominated occupation by the relevant assessing authority; and
• have lived in a designated regional area of NSW while completing your study.
3. Living and working outside of regional NSW
To be eligible for NSW nomination under this stream you must meet all the criteria for at least one of the following categories:

a. Job offer in regional NSW

To be eligible for NSW nomination under this category you must:
• hold a valid skills assessment for an occupation that appears on your nominated region’s occupation list;
• have an offer for ongoing employment that is:
o in your nominated occupation, or a closely related occupation; and
o for a minimum term of 12 months and 35 hours of work per week;
• have an offer for ongoing employment from an employer that is:
o located in a designated regional area in NSW; and
o registered in Australia.

b. At least five years skilled employment experience (offshore Applicants)

If you reside outside of Australia, you must:
• hold a valid skills assessment for an occupation that appears on your nominated region’s occupation list; and
• have at least five years of skilled employment in such nominated occupation, or a closely related occupation.

c. Family ties in regional NSW

To be eligible for NSW nomination under this category you must:
• hold a valid skills assessment for an occupation that appears on your nominated region’s occupation list; and
• have an immediate family member in a designated regional area in NSW who satisfies all of the criteria below:
o is either your grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, brother or sister (including by virtue of a step or adoptive relationship);
o at least 18 years of age;
o either an Australian Permanent Resident, an Australian Citizen or a NSW nominated provisional visa holder (489);
o currently residing in a designated regional area in NSW; and
o has been residing in a designated regional area in NSW for at least the previous 24 months,
o and you must ensure that your family member has completed a statutory declaration to confirm that they satisfy each of the above chain migration requirements.

Participating regions

• Central Coast
• Central West
• Far South Coast
• Far West
• Hunter
• Illawarra
• Mid North Coast
• Northern Inland
• Northern Rivers
• Orana
• Riverina
• Southern Inland (including Murray region)
• Sydney

The post NSW: State Sponsorship; General Skilled Migration 2021 first appeared on Flyworld.

The post NSW: State Sponsorship; General Skilled Migration 2021 appeared first on Flyworld.

The Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) is a permanent residency skilled migration visa aimed at professionals already living and working in Victoria with skills that support Victoria’s health response and economic recovery.

To be selected to apply for a Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa nomination, you will need to make or update an EOI via skillselect and then submit a Registration of Interest. Only those applicants meeting the eligibility requirements will be considered for selection. Further information about the requirements and steps to register your interest is available on the Registration of Interest for Victorian Visa Nomination page.

Eligibility

Once you are selected to apply for visa nomination for a Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa you can submit your visa nomination application through the Live in Melbourne website.
To receive nomination for a Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa, you will need to meet the following minimum eligibility requirements:

Age

You must be below age 45 to lodge an application for the Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa.

English language

You must have a Competent level of English (or equivalent).
Competent level is equivalent to a score of at least six (6) in each band score of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or equivalent results in accepted alternative tests. You can obtain the IELTS equivalent in any of the following Department of Home Affairs’ accepted language tests: OET, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic and Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE).
You must upload a scanned copy of your English language test result as part of the online nomination application. Please ensure that your English test result is valid for at least 12 weeks at the time of submitting a visa nomination application.
Please note: If you are a citizen of the USA, UK, Canada, Republic of Ireland or New Zealand you are not required to submit English language test results. You must submit a copy of your passport biography page.

Residency

You must have lived and worked in Victoria for at least the past 6 months. You will be required to provide evidence of your residency with your application form. For example, you may wish to provide:
• a current real estate lease or bond agreement
• a bill or documentation evidencing your ongoing residence in Victoria over the past 6 months.

Employment and occupation

You must be currently employed in Victoria and working in a highly skilled occupation in health or medical research which supports Victoria’s economic recovery or health response for at least the past 6 months. Applicants with a track record of commericalising innovative ideas and bringing them to market will also be highly regarded.
International student graduates and PhD applicants who meet the criteria are also encouraged to apply.
If you are a nurse, please note we will only be nominating applicants in the following nursing occupations:
• Midwife – 254111
• Registered Nurse (Aged Care) -254412
• Registered Nurse (Critical Care and Emergency) – 254415
• Registered Nurse (Mental Health) – 254422
• Registered Nurse (Perioperative) – 254423
Your occupation must also be on one of the Department of Home Affairs’ eligible lists for nomination applicationsexternal link.
You will need to provide evidence of this work experience by providing:
• a signed copy of your current employment contract
• the past 6 months of payslips
• evidence of superannuation contributions from your employer for the past 6 months
• your current position description
• your current employer’s details (including telephone number).

Skills assessment

A skills assessment must match the occupation you have nominated on your visa nomination application and EOI. Please ensure that your skills assessment is valid for at least 12 weeks at the time of submitting a visa nomination application.
To find out where you can have your skills assessed, go to the skills assessment and assessing authoritiesexternal link section on the Department of Home Affairs website.
Finances
There are no financial requirements as all applicants must already be living and working in Victoria.

Your commitment to Victoria

You must commit to continue living and working in Victoria for at least 2 years.

Declaration

You and your migration agent (if applicable) must read, understand and sign the Victorian nomination declaration in order to be considered for Victorian visa nomination. See the Skilled declaration form for more information. This completed and signed declaration must be provided with your application at the time of lodgement.

The Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491) visa allows points-tested skilled workers and their families to live, study and work in designated regional areas for a period of 5 years.
The subclass 491 is a provisional points-tested visa to assist regional Australia to access the people and skills it needs to grow and thrive. This visa is for people who wish to settle in regional Australia who have skills that are in high demand in Australia’s labour market. This visa is administered by the Department of Home Affairs.
If you are granted a Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491) visa , you may be eligible to apply for the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) (subclass 191) visa, which provides permanent residence and the right to live and work anywhere in Victoria. You must meet all the relevant Commonwealth eligibility requirements. For more information on the subclass 191 visa, visit the Department of Home Affairsexternal link.
Learn more about the 2020-21 Skilled Migration program.
To be selected to apply for a visa nomination under the subclass 491, you will need to make or update an EOI via SkillSelect and then submit a Registration of Interest for Victorian Visa Nomination on the Live in Melbourne website. Only those applicants meeting the eligibility requirements will be considered for selection. Further information about the requirements and steps to register your interest is available on the Registration of Interest for Victorian Visa Nomination page.
Eligibility
To receive a Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491) visa nomination from Victoria, you will need to meet the following minimum eligibility requirements:
Age
Be below age 45 to submit a nomination application for the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491) visa.
English language
You must have a Competent level of English (or equivalent).
Competent level is equivalent to a score of at least six (6) in each band score of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or equivalent results in accepted alternative tests. You can obtain the IELTS equivalent in any of the following Department of Home Affairs’ accepted language tests: OET, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic and Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE).
You must upload a scanned copy of your English language test result as part of the online nomination application. Please ensure that your English test result is valid for at least 12 weeks at the time of submitting a visa nomination application.
Please note: If you are a citizen of the USA, UK, Canada, Republic of Ireland or New Zealand you are not required to submit English language test results. You must submit a copy of your passport bio page.
Residency
You must have lived and worked in regional Victoria for at least the past 3 months.
You will be required to provide evidence of your residency with your application form. For example, you may wish to provide:
• a current real estate lease or bond agreement
• a bill or documentation evidencing your ongoing residence in regional Victoria over the past 3 months.
Employment and occupation
You must be currently employed in regional Victoria in a highly skilled occupation in the health, medical research, life sciences, agri-food or digital sectors, and your role must either have been supporting Victoria’s economic recovery and/or health response for at least the past 3 months. International student graduates and PhD applicants who meet the eligibility criteria are also encouraged to apply. Applicants with a track record of commercialising innovative ideas and bringing them to market will also be highly regarded.
You will need to provide evidence of this work experience by providing:
• a signed copy of your current employment contract
• the past 3 months payslips
• evidence of superannuation contributions from your employer for the past 3 months
• your current position description
• your current employer’s details (including telephone number).
Please note, the business where you are working must be:
• active and operating in regional Victoria for at least two years
• located in a designated regional area of Victoria.
Skills assessment
You must provide a skills assessment that matches the occupation you have nominated on your visa nomination application and EOI. Please ensure that your skills assessment is valid for at least 12 weeks at the time of submitting a visa nomination application.
Finances
There are no financial requirements as all applicants must already be living and working in regional Victoria.

The post Victoria - State Sponsorship; General Skilled Migration 2021 first appeared on Flyworld.

The post Victoria – State Sponsorship; General Skilled Migration 2021 appeared first on Flyworld.

Family is a significant part of every individual. As a social unit, we often prefer to be  near our dear ones, especially when it comes to parents and children.  When you immigrate and make Australia your home, an option to bring your parents with you to embark upon a new phase of life is very ideal. It not only gratifies the emotional wellbeing of the immigrants but also contributes towards demographical diversification. Parent visas assist in this regard. It constitutes a significant part of family visa and has a grant rate of nearly 93% in the past three Program years.  However, due to limitation in total allotted numbers and also financial burden on applicant for certain subclasses, it is essential to understand the differences between each sub class of visa.

The main subclasses of parent visa can be listed as follows:

• Aged Parent visa (subclass 804)
• Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884)
• Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864)
• Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 173)
• Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143)
• Parent visa (subclass 103) 
• Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870)

As the respective names suggest, the above subclasses of parent visa can be classified on the basis of contributory status, age threshold of parents to be sponsored as well as in terms of duration of stay permitted under each subclass.

Before moving into discussion about each subclass of visa, a brief examination of the relevant terms for understanding the category and eligibility of these subclasses are essential.

Contributory visa

This is a concept introduced since 2003 vide Migration Legislation Amendment (Contributory Parents Migration Scheme) Act 2003. Under this scheme, applicants or their families in Australia are asked to make a contribution toward their future costs, including welfare, health, aged care and pharmaceutical benefits.  The significance of these subclasses of visa is that they have priority in processing and shorter waiting period as compared to other category of parent visa. . No timeline or waiting period is fixed. While non-contributory can take up to 30 years, sub classes of visa under contributory may be granted at a lesser period of time.

Aged Parent visa

In order to be eligible for Aged parent subclasses of visa, applicant must be must be old enough to receive the age pension in Australia.  Under Age pension scheme, the pension age will be gradually increased from 65 to 67 years as follows:

Duration of stay

Permanent visa ensures an indefinite stay in Australia and can apply for Australian citizenship if eligible. Duration of stay in case of temporary visa subclasses other than Sponsored Parent visa (Subclass 870) is 2 years. Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 173) and Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884) are pathway to permanent residence visa.

Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) does not provide permanent residence and one cannot apply for permanent visa while holding this sub class of visa. In case of Sponsored Parent visa (Subclass 870) , applicant has option between 3 years or 5 years.

Sponsor

All of the subclasses of parent visa require a sponsor as primary eligibility criteria, unless one is applying as a retiree for parent visa under Subclass 103 or 143.

Sponsor can be child of the applicant who has attained 18 years of age and is an Australian citizen or eligible New Zealand citizen or a Australian permanent citizen. The co-habiting spouse of the child above the age of 18 years and satisfying other condition can also sponsor the parent.

In case child or co-habiting spouse of child has not attained 18 years of age, a close relative or guardian of the child or co-habiting spouse of child satisfying the conditions or a community organization can also become sponsor.  The sponsor has to be approved by Department of Home Affairs.

Parent Sponsor

There are additional qualifications to be considered sponsor for Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870)  which was introduced in April 2019. It requires a child to be approved as Parent Sponsor before a parent can be eligible under this subclass. To be approved as a Parent Sponsor, child  must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident, have a taxable income (or combined income with spouse or de facto partner )of at least $83,454.80 for the most recent financial year, meet conduct requirements, not have any outstanding public health or Commonwealth debts or have made suitable arrangements to pay such debts, agree to provide your parent with financial support and accommodation while they are in Australia; and not have a partner who is a Parent Sponsor. The sponsor’s sponsorship can cover up to 2 parents per household at a time.

Balance of family test

The balance of family test measures a Parent visa applicant’s family links to Australia. The test determines the extent of the parent’s links to their children or stepchildren in Australia and ensures only those with close ties to Australia are eligible for a Parent visa.

A parent meets the balance of family test if at least half their children and stepchildren are eligible children, or there are more eligible children than children living in any other single country.  An applicant for all subclasses of parent visa except for Subclass 870 is required to satisfy balance of family test. A child is eligible if they are an Australia citizen or permanent resident usually resident in Australia or eligible New Zealand citizen usually resident in Australia.

Assurance of Support

An assurance of support is a legal agreement sponsor makes to help someone get a visa to live in Australia. It is a promise to pay back for any income support government may give them. To become an assurer one must pass the income test for the current and previous financial year, be an Australian resident, be 18 or older, give proof of identity, be able to get a bank guarantee. An assurance of support can be given by organisation also.

Retiree

An applicant can apply as retiree under subclasses 103 and 143. A person is considered as retiree if on 8 May 2018, applicant held or had previously held an Investor Retirement (subclass 405) visa or Retirement (subclass 410), and  have not held any other substantive visa between 8 May 2018 and the date of application for the Parent visa.  If applicant is applying as retiree, applicant will be granted exemption from balance of family test, assurance of support or sponsor.

Each subclasses of visa can be detailed to understand the eligibility and impact on the applicant.

Aged Parent visa (subclass 804)

An aged parent with an eligible sponsor can apply for this subclass. Applicant has to be present in Australia but not in immigration clearance at the time and decision of visa. A holder of subclass 804 visa can stay in Australia indefinitely and work and study in Australia, can sponsor family members and can apply for Australian citizenship. They can also enrol for Medicare.

The visa fees cost of AUD 6415 can be paid in two instalments wherein first instalment has to be remitted at the time of application of visa and balance to be paid whenever directed. The visa is processed in 2 stages. At the first stage, authorities will check eligibility and either add the application to the queue or refuse it. If added, authorities will continue assessing the application when a place becomes available and decision will be made.  An applicant has to meet age, health and character requirements, balance of family test and need assurance of support.

Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864) is processed faster than this visa but costs more.

Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864)

Under this sub class, an aged parent with an eligible sponsor can apply for this subclass, subject to cost of contribution. This subclass is similar to that of subclass 804 in terms of its impact. A holder of visa under this subclass can stay in Australia indefinitely and work and study in Australia, can sponsor family members and can apply for Australian citizenship. They can also enrol for Medicare.

Under this subclass also, Applicant has to be present in Australia but not in immigration clearance, at the time and decision of visa. The visa cost is higher for this subclass as compared to non-contributory stream, however it has priority processing and lesser processing time. Subclass 864 visa can be applied as a two-step process by first applying for a Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) (subclass 884) visa and thereafter for permanent subclass. It allows applicant to spread the cost of the visas over a number of years. An applicant has to meet age, health and character requirements, balance of family test and need assurance of support. If applicant had applied for a different parent visa, but no decision made by department about that visa, applicant must withdraw the application at the time of applying under this subclass.

Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884)

It is a temporary visa for aged parents with eligible sponsor under the contributory scheme. A holder of subclass 884 visa can live, work and study in Australia for up to 2 years but will not receive government support. As stated above ,it is a pathway to a permanent Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864). Under this sub class also, applicant has to be present in Australia but not in immigration clearance at the time and decision of visa. If an applicant apply for this visa in Australia while on a temporary visa with a no further stay condition, application will be invalid, unless a waiver of this condition is applied. . An applicant has to meet age, health and character requirements, balance of family test and need assurance of support. If applicant had applied for a different parent visa, but no decision made by department about that visa, applicant must withdraw the application at the time of applying under this subclass.

Parent visa (subclass 103) 

Unlike aged parent subclasses, there is no age requirement under this subclass. A sponsor is required for application unless applying as retiree. It is similar to other permanent subclasses in terms of its impact as holder of this subclass visa can stay in Australia indefinitely and work and study in Australia, can sponsor family members and can apply for Australian citizenship. They can also enrol for Medicare. The visa cost is AUD 6,415 which can be paid in two instalments. The first instalment has to be paid at the time of application and second instalment need to pay when asked for. This subclass can be applied either when applicant is in or outside Australia, but not in immigration clearance. However, applicant must be outside Australia when application is considered. If applying as a retiree, applicant must be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance and can be in or outside Australia when decision on application is made.

Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143)

An applicant with an eligible sponsor can apply under this subclass subject to cost of contribution. Sponsor is not required if applying as retiree. It is similar to other permanent subclasses in terms of its impact as holder of this subclass visa can stay in Australia indefinitely and work and study in Australia, can sponsor family members and can apply for Australian citizenship. The visa is costlier than non-contributory scheme. Visa cost of AUD 47,755 can be paid in 2 parts The first instalment need to paid at the time of application and the second instalment when  asked to. The cost of the permanent visa can be spread over a number of years by applying first for the temporary Contributory Parent (Temporary) (subclass 173) visa, then apply for the permanent Contributory Parent (subclass 143) visa.

Visa is processed in 2 stages similar to other permanent visas. At the first stage, authorities will check eligibility and either add the application to the queue or refuse it. If added, authorities will continue assessing the application when a place becomes available and decision will be made. An applicant has to meet age, health and character requirements, balance of family test and need assurance of support unless applying as retiree.

This subclass can be applied from either inside or outside Australia,  but must be outside Australia at the time of consideration unless applicant hold a Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 173) or substituted Visitor visa (subclass 600) before lodging  application . A bridging visa will be granted to the holders of these sub classes and lets applicant stay in Australia while subclass 143 visa application is processed. In all other cases, applicant will not be granted a bridging visa. A bridging visa is a temporary visa that Department might grant applicant in certain circumstances. Bridging visas let applicant stay in Australia lawfully while their immigration status is resolved. The type of bridging visa granted will depend on circumstances of applicant.

If applying as a retiree, applicant must be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance and can be inside or outside at the time of consideration.

Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 173)

It is a temporary parent visa under contributory scheme. A holder of subclass 173 can live, work and study in Australia for up to 2 years, however, will not receive government support. But a holder can enrol in Medicare. As detailed above, it is a pathway to permanent Contributory Parent (subclass 143) visa. If an applicant applies for this visa in Australia while on a temporary visa with a no further stay condition, application will be invalid, unless a waiver of this condition is applied. An applicant has to meet age, health and character requirements, balance of family test and need assurance of support. If applicant had applied for a different parent visa, but no decision made by department about that visa, applicant must withdraw the application at the time of applying under this subclass.

Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870)

An applicant must have an approved Parent Sponsor before lodging an application for this visa. To be eligible to apply under this sub class, applicant must be the biological, legal (including adoptive) parent, stepparent or parent in-law of the Parent Sponsor and must be at least 18 years of age. There is no balance of family test or Assurance of Support requirements for this visa. This sub class has a shorter processing time.

This is a temporary visa. This visa does not lead to permanent residence. An applicant cannot apply for a permanent parent visa while holding this visa. Applicant can apply to stay in Australia for up to 3 or 5 years at a time. The length of visa is granted on a case by case basis. A holder of this visa subclass can stay for a cumulative maximum 10 year period. The applicant has to apply for another visa to extend the stay thereafter. Processing time is estimated to be between 87 days to 4 months. This visa cost is AUD5,000 for a visa of up to 3 years or AUD10,000 for a visa of up to 5 years. It can be paid in two instalments The first instalment is to be paid at the time of application and second instalment when asked to.  Applicant must be outside Australia when applying for the visa, unless they have Permission to Apply in Australia, but not in immigration clearance. If Applicant  do not have Permission to Apply in Australia, they must apply from outside Australia within 6 months of sponsorship approval or make an application for and be granted a different kind of visa to remain in Australia.

The aforesaid discussions can be summarised as follows:

The post Parent Visa first appeared on Flyworld.

The post Parent Visa appeared first on Flyworld.

a) High quality subclass 188 and 132 (Business Innovation and Investment Program) nomination applications.

b) Applicants critical to supporting response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including individuals providing critical or specialist medical services, critical skills required to maintain the supply of essential goods and services, or delivering services in sectors critical to Australia’s economic recovery.

c) Applicants currently in Australia who can demonstrate their capacity to meaningfully contribute to economic recovery.

Invitation Rounds

As per website of Department of Home Affairs, the Government is closely monitoring migration and visa settings to ensure they are consistent with public health measures, are flexible and do not displace job opportunities for Australians, so that Australia can effectively respond to the immediate and subsequent impacts of COVID-19. Invitation rounds had taken place in May, June, July and August 2020 as targeted. However, during the last round, only 110 invitations were issued under Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) and 90 invitations for Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) – Family Sponsored. These figures are very low in comparison to pre- COVID invitations. For instance, in February,2020, 1,000 invitations were issued for Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) and 500 invitations for Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) – Family Sponsored.

State Nominations

The last invitation round for state nomination of Canberra Matrix was in 31 August,2020. Although eligibility criteria need to be satisfied at the date of matrix submission, Applicants impacted by COVID-19 can request a waiver of the ‘continuous employment’ eligibility criteria in case of travel ban, self-isolation, closed/reduced business hours.
NSW is currently closed to applications for nomination under the Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP) and the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491).NSW will open to new nominations once the Commonwealth Department of Home Affairs provides with an allocation of positions for 2020-21. Invitation rounds for NSW nomination under the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) will also commence at this time.
As per website of Northern Territory, onshore General Skilled Migration (GSM) nomination applications and all Business Investment and Innovation Program nomination applications will continue to be accepted and assessed, but no nominations can be issued until the Northern Territory has been allocated quotas. Offshore GSM nomination applications remain closed.
In respect to Queensland, it is seen that business and skilled migration program will remain closed on 1 July 2020 until further notice. BSMQ will not be accepting any Expressions of Interests (EOIs) submitted on Skillselect from 1 July 2020.
Victoria’s 2020-21 Victorian skilled visa nomination program (subclass 190 and 491) will open on Tuesday 8 September 2020. It is also following the priority criteria in response to COVID pandemic.
Tasmania has also announced that nomination as per provisional allocation will be based on priority as directed by Department of Home Affairs. All new and existing nomination applications will be considered according to these priorities, with those in critical roles being nominated first. Existing applicants who are not in critical roles will be considered only after priority applications for critical roles have been processed. Decisions on non-critical role applications may not be available until October or later. Only those applicants with the most compelling claims will be nominated. This requirement will be reviewed after the Federal Budget in October when full details of the 2020-21 nomination allocations and requirements are announced by the Department of Home Affairs.
According to a news report dated 21st August,2020, the Western Australian State Nominated Migration Program is currently suspended. WA Migration Services will not issue invitations to apply for State nomination during the suspension period.
The Occupation list for South Australia will updated only after middle of October,2020.

Critical Skills

As per the Department advisory, the priority will be given to applicants with critical skills needed during and post COVID Pandemic. Travel exemption for individuals in critical sectors or with critical skills is granted by the Commissioner of the Australian Border Force. It contemplates travelling at the invitation of the Australian Government or a state or territory government authority for the purpose of assisting in the COVID-19 response, providing critical or specialist medical services, including air ambulance, medical evacuations and delivering critical medical supplies or people with critical skills required to maintain the supply of essential goods and services (such as in medical technology, critical infrastructure, telecommunications, engineering and mining, supply chain logistics, agriculture, primary industry, food production, and the maritime industry),those delivering services in sectors critical to Australia’s economic recovery (such as financial technology, large scale manufacturing, film, media and television production and emerging technology), where no Australian worker is available, providing critical skills in religious or theology field and whose entry would otherwise be in Australia’s national interest, supported by the Australian Government or a state or territory government authority.
In Canberra Matrix, the ACT Occupation List was replaced by the ACT Critical Skills List on the 19 August 2020.
For Tasmania critical role include those: directly assisting in Tasmania’s COVID-19 response directly engaged by Tasmanian Government, providing critical or specialist medical services or delivering medical supplies potentially associated with COVID-19 response. This includes all general nursing and medical positions with the Tasmanian Health Service directly involved in the supply of essential goods and services (medical technology, critical infrastructure, telecommunications, engineering and mining, supply chain logistics, agricultural technology, food production, and the maritime industry) including highly skilled and specialised roles in infrastructure engineering and maintenance such as dams, large-/high-complexity bridges, irrigation schemes, transport logistics planning and maintenance, agriculture such as artificial insemination technicians, wool classers, livestock pregnancy scanners, the supply of essential goods and services which would be in jeopardy without the applicant.

Trend Analysis of Occupation ceiling for period 2019-2020 and 2020-2021

The Department of Home Affairs has announced the occupation ceilings for 2020-2021.The new occupation ceilings indicates that the Australia’s migration program for the new financial year is driven by the need to fight the corona virus pandemic and post COVID economic recovery. The occupations where the ceiling has raised can be generally categorised into health care and related professionals, education related and occupations closely related to infrastructure development.
Instances of occupations for which ceiling raised are Occupational Therapists, General Practitioners and Resident Medical officers, Medical Laboratory Scientists, Other Medical Practitioners, Midwives, Registered Nurses, Construction manager, Engineering Managers Other specialist managers, Auditors, Company Secretary and corporate treasurers, Civil Engineering Professionals, Electrical Engineers, Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teachers, Secondary School Teachers, Special Education, Teachers, University Lecturers and Tutors, ICT Business and Systems Analysts, Motor Mechanics, Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers, Metal Fitters and Machinists, Bricklayers and Stonemasons, Carpenters and Joiners, Plumbers , Electricians, Electronics Trades Workers etc.
On the other hand, occupation ceiling threshold has been decreased for Accountants (reduced from 2746 to 1000), Artistic directors and media producers, Management consultant, Architects and Landscape Architects, Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers, Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers, Software and Applications Programmers, Database and Systems Administrators and ICT Security Specialists, Computer Network Professionals, Solicitors, Psychologists, Social Workers, Sports Coaches, Instructors and Officials
The above analysis clearly indicates the shifting of focus of health and infrastructure related occupation. There is a reliable prediction of the high demand for medical practitioners, nurses, psychologists during and after COVID-19, to address the needs of society. Further, as the world is shrinking to work from home, there may be surge in technology related occupations and infra structural development. It also enables people to explore novel concepts like staycation, remote office, which may have increase the appeal of regional settlement and increase the demand for regional skilled visas. As the post COVID world is expected to be different than one we experienced till date, there will be resultant wave in the migration pattern. As the events so far are unprecedented in nature, it is not surprising that its impact is unfathomable.

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The 17 occupations (ANZSCO code) are:

• Chief Executive or Managing Director (111111)
• Construction Project Manager (133111)
• Mechanical Engineer (233512)
• General Practitioner (253111)
• Resident Medical Officer (253112)
• Psychiatrist (253411)
• Medical Practitioner nec (253999)
• Midwife (254111)
• Registered Nurse (Aged Care) (254412)
• Registered Nurse (Critical Care and Emergency) (254415)
• Registered Nurse (Medical) (254418)
• Registered Nurse (Mental Health) (254422)
• Registered Nurse (Perioperative) (254423)
• Registered Nurses NEC (254499)
• Developer Programmer (261312)
• Software Engineer (261313)
• Maintenance Planner (312911)

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a) Pre-requisites

Before the submission of EOI, every applicant shall ensure satisfaction of eligibility criteria and pre-requisites. At the time of submission of EOI, applicant shall not have crossed the age of 45 years. The applicant shall also confirm that selected occupation is part of skilled occupation list. The occupations eligible for each type of visa differs as detailed above, Hence, choice of class of visa is also significant. Once, the occupation is selected, it needs to be verified whether such occupation requires skill assessment. Skills assessments are issued by relevant skills assessing authorities. A skill assessing authority is an organisation that checks that your skills meet the standards they set to work in a relevant occupation. The relevant Skill Assessment Authority for each occupation is provided under combined list. Only skills assessment issued by the relevant assessing authority is acceptable for visa application. Each assessing authority has its own assessment procedures, timeframes, and charges. Eligibility criteria of points is another significant pre-requisite as General Skilled Migration is essentially a point-based system. An applicant must be able to obtain at least 65 points on points test to be eligible. If any applicant cannot obtain 65 points no invitation shall be issued to apply for visa. If invited to apply for visa, the applicant must prove the claims made in EOI when application is assessed. The applicant shall also ensure required proficiency in English before submitting EOI and shall have supporting documents to prove English language skills. Further, applicant shall ensure the availability of all documents required for supporting application.

b) Submission of an Expression of Interest

Once, applicant is satisfied with all pre-requisites and choice of class of visa, applicant can submit an Expression of Interest using SkillSelect, which is an online service that enables skilled workers who are interested in migrating to Australia to be considered for a skilled visa All EOIs must be completed online using SkillSelect. An EOI is not a visa application and there is no fee to create or submit an EOI in SkillSelect. The submission includes details regarding type of visa being applied (more than one type can be selected), English language test details, Education and qualifications details, Skills Assessment, Employment history for last 10 years etc. Even if an applicant does not meet pass mark, he will be able to complete an EOI, but you will not be eligible to be invited to apply for a visa. The EOI, whether completed or incomplete will be stored in SkillSelect and is valid for 2 years, however, incomplete EOI is not eligible to receive an invitation. The details can be edited at any time during its validity.

c) Application for State nomination

For subclass of visa requiring State/Territory nomination, the applicant is required to apply for state nomination in addition to EOI in SkillSelect for Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, and Victoria. However West Australia and New South Wales invites directly from SkillSelect.
Each state government/territory creates its own occupation list eligible for state nomination under state nominated visa stream, i.e. subclass 190 and subclass 491 visa applications depending upon their local requirement.
In Canberra Matrix, the ACT Occupation List was replaced by the ACT Critical Skills List on the 19 August 2020 as a response to COVID pandemic.
Tasmania is also giving priority to critical role including those directly assisting in Tasmania’s COVID-19 response, directly engaged by Tasmanian Government, providing critical or specialist medical services or delivering medical supplies potentially associated with COVID-19 response.
Northern Territory Migration Occupation List is published in their website wherein Occupations marked with an ‘*’ require mandatory licensing or registration requirement, and demonstrated English level either sufficient to meet licensing / registration or a minimum IELTS 6.0 score in each band or equivalent (whichever is higher).Occupations marked with ‘!!’ require to have high level communication skills. All other occupations not marked require a level of English of at least IELTS 6.0 in each band or equivalent from one of the English testing systems accepted by the Department of Home Affairs.
Victoria’s 2020-21 Victorian skilled visa nomination program (subclass 190 and 491) which is planned to be open 8 September 2020 is also following the priority criteria in response to COVID pandemic.
The occupation list for South Australia is to be updated by middle of October,2020. Similarly, occupation list of New South Wales and Queensland is also under review.

d) Invitation for application of visa

For skilled independent visa, Invitations are issued automatically by the SkillSelect system. The highest ranked applicant by points score are invited to apply for the relevant visa subject to occupation ceilings. Hence, qualifying threshold point is not assurance for invitation. For applicants who have equal points scores, the time at which they reached their points score for that subclass (referred to as the date of effect) determines their order of invitation. Expressions of Interest with earlier dates of effect are invited before later dates.
Invitation rounds for Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) and Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) – Family Sponsored visas, are anticipated to be run each month. Dates for the rounds are subject to change. Invitation numbers in each round may vary depending on the number of applications being processed by the Department.
In case of subclasses of visa with state nomination, EOI of applicant after submission will be visible to state and territory governments. If applicant has the skills they need, a state or territory government agency might nominate the applicant for the visa. The nomination criteria for State or territory governments will be depending upon each State or territory. State and Territory Governments nominate throughout the month. State or territory government nominations will not be impacted by the departmental invitation rounds. The applicant will be able to nominate either a single state or territory or nominate to be chosen by any state or territory. Once nominated by a state or territory government, applicant will receive an invitation to apply from SkillSelect.

e) Application of visa
The applicant shall have 60 days from the date of invitation to apply for the visa. When the applicant is invited to apply for the visa, invitation will state the number of points that applicant must score when department assess application for grant of the visa. This score may be higher than 65 points, depending on claims in the EOI. The applicant must provide evidence supporting claims when applying for the visa.
The visa outcome will be intimated to applicant in writing after due process.

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General Skilled Migration

General Skilled Migration stream is used by skilled professionals to migrate to Australia using their previously acquired skilled and qualifications. SkillSelect is an online service of Department of Home Affairs that enables skilled workers who are interested in migrating to Australia to be considered for a skilled visa. As part of General skilled migration, one can submit Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect outlining their skills, work experience and qualifications. Australian employers or state and territory governments can find potential immigrants through SkillSelect and nominate workers to apply for skilled visas. There are classes of visas for highly skilled individuals intending to work in Australia for notified occupations. The eligible individuals are those who are under 45 years of age, meeting health and character requirements with requisite level of English proficiency and other conditions required under each sub class of Visa. It is a points-based system and requires an Expression of interest in SkillSelect based on which an invitation to lodge an application for visa is made. The subclasses of visa options this regard are: Skilled Independent Subclass 189 Visa, Skilled Nominated subclass 190 Visa and Skilled Regional /family sponsored visa subclass 491 visa. Subclasses 189 and 190 provides for permanent residence and subclass 491 visa is provisional and pathway to permanent residence. While subclass 189 visa is directly invited based on the overall eligibility points, subclasses 190 and 491 visa are based on state nominations after satisfaction of requirements of respective state/territories.

Skilled Occupation

In order to apply for any of the skilled migration visa, individuals should be qualified to work or train in an eligible skilled occupation in Australia and can meet all other requirements. The skilled occupation list summarises the occupations Australia needs to fill skill shortages. The list is reviewed regularly by the Department of Jobs and Small Business to respond to changes in the Australian labour market and regional variations across Australia. The current list of eligible skilled occupations can be found in a legislative instrument for the relevant visa program.

On 19 April 2017, Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) replaced the previous ‘Skilled Occupation List’ (SOL) Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) replaced the previous ‘Consolidated Sponsored Occupation List’ (CSOL).

Migration (LIN 19/051: Specification of Occupations and Assessing Authorities) Instrument 2019 as amended is presently in force with respect to aforesaid sub classes of skilled migration. At present, there are 212 occupations in Medium and Long‑term Strategic Skills List, 215 occupations in Short‑term Skilled Occupation List and 77 occupations in Regional Occupation List. Each list consists of occupations and their corresponding Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) code and Assessing Authority. The ANZSCO provides information on the skill level of jobs, qualifications and/or experience needed to work in occupation.

The applicable list for each subclasses of visa are as follows:
a) Subclass 189 (Skilled—Independent): Medium and Long term Strategic Skills List
b) Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional (Provisional eligible family member sponsorship stream)) not nominated by a State or Territory government agency; – Medium and Long term Strategic Skills List
c) Subclass 190 (Skilled—Nominated) visa and nominated by a State or Territory government agency- Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List and Short term Skilled Occupation List
d) Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional/family sponsored (Provisional)) and nominated by a State or Territory government agency – Medium and Long term Strategic Skills List; Short term Skilled Occupation List; and Regional Occupation List.

Each state government/territory creates its own list eligible for state nomination under state nominated visa stream, i.e. subclass 190 and subclass 491 visa applications depending upon their local requirement. The applicant has to consult website of each State/territory from which nomination is applied to understand the list of occupation eligible for nomination. This list is State or territory specific and is very dynamic in nature.

Occupation ceilings

‘Occupation ceiling’ refers to restriction or limit to invitations issued under the independent, skilled regional (provisional) visa not nominated by State in respect of a particular occupation group. It is to ensure an equitable distribution of skill migrations. The occupation ceilings are fixed for a Program year and once the number EOIs reaches the limit for any occupation group, no further invitation shall be made for the said occupation. Invitations will then be allocated to intending migrants in other occupation groups even if they are lower ranking. Occupation ceilings do not apply to State or Territory Nominated, Employer Sponsored or Business Innovation and Investment visa subclasses.
Occupation ceiling values are based on a percentage of stock employment figures for each occupation. Employment figures are provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and represent the number of people employed in Australia in each occupation. Occupation ceilings do not apply to State or Territory Nominated, Employer Sponsored or Business Innovation and Investment visa subclasses.
In addition to occupation ceilings, there is also Pro-rata Arrangement whereby Department of Home Affairs allocates only a small number of the more popular occupations each month, so they are not all used in one Invitation round. The occupations which are affected by pro-rata invitations tend to attract a higher pass mark. SkillSelect first allocates available places to Skilled – Independent visas (subclass 189), and thereafter the remaining to Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) – Family Sponsored. If all places are taken up by subclass 189 visas then there will be no invitations issued for subclass 491 visas in these occupations.

Choice of subclass of Skilled Migration visa

Although above mentioned visa subclasses of 189, 190 and 491 are similar in nature of their processing and skill assessment requirement; there are some significant distinctions among them on the basis of their invitation, length of stay, sponsorship of relative, location etc. The choice of each subclass also invariably depends on eligibility criteria, probability of invitation, nature of skill, chances of successful skills assessment and regional preferences. Hence, it is essential for every aspirant to have a basic understanding of each of these subclasses to make an informed choice. It may be kept in mind that Visa rules are very dynamic in nature and one need to familiar with updated Rules before opting for the mode of application.

The post General Skilled Migration Overview first appeared on Flyworld.

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For more information or to get in touch with us please visit www.flyworldimmigration.com.au

Thara S Namboorthiri, Immigration Lawyer

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