Skilled Migration Update

Trends, Budget Measures and Reforms to the

Program

Labour Market Branch

Our National Identity is Evolving
 Net Overseas Migration is Now Falling

325,000 Forecastsandprojections
Finalandpreliminary Humanitarian Entry

275,000 Permanent Othertemporary

Students Others
225,000

175,000
Persons

Skilled Entry

125,000

75,000
Family Entry
25,000

25,000
200405 200506 200607 200708 200809 200910 201011 201112 201213 201314
The 457 Program Reflects the Business Cycle
The Take-up of Subclass 457 Visas Varies by
State/Territory
 Labour Agreements are Increasingly in Vogue

Labour Agreements as at March 2011

 The Balance of Permanent Migration has Shifted in
Favour of Skilled Migration
Humanitarian
Over the last decade, the
Family focus of Australias migration
Special Eligibility program has shifted from
family migration towards
skilled migration.

Skill If Australias labour force

conditions prevail, this
pattern is likely to continue.

Program numbers by 1996-97 1998-99 2001-02 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12
stream Actual Planned Planned
Family 44 580 32 040 38 090 50 080 49 870 56 500 60 300 54 550 58 600
Skilled 27 550 35 000 53 520 97 920 108 500 115 000 108 100 113 850 125 850
Special Eligibility 1730 890 1480 200 220 300 300 300 550
Humanitarian 11 900 11 356 12 349 13 017 13 000 13 500 13 750 13 750 14 750
The Composition of the Skilled Program also
Continues to Change
 Each Component of the Skilled Migration Program
Serves a Purpose
Very Highly Skilled

Highly Highly
Skilled Skilled

Skilled Skilled

Semi Skilled Semi Skilled

 Balancing Immediate and Longer Term Needs

the strongest increases have occurred for Science Professionals and

Veterinarians (up by 123.6%), Health Diagnostic and Therapy Professionals
(59.6%) and Health and Welfare Support Workers (52.1%)
DEEWR Vacancy Report November 2010

programs need to be responsive to our economic needs whilst continuing to

serve Australias interests in the medium to long term
against the backdrop of an ageing population
2010 Intergenerational Report

it is important that migration programs complement domestic recruitment

and are not used to replace local workers
Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, 2009
 2011-12 Migration Program
Migration Program Total: 185 000 places
Skill 125 850
Skilled Independent/State 72 450
nominated/Australian sponsored
+ 12 000 places Employer Sponsored 46 000
Business Skills 7200
Distinguished Talent 200
Family 58 600
Partner 45 400
+ 4 050 places Parent 8500
Child 3450
Preferential/Other Family 1250
Special Eligibility 550
 and other reforms to Skilled Migration
Enterprise Migration Agreements and Regional Migration
Agreements

Regional Initiatives

Visa Program Reviews

Employer Nomination Scheme, Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme and Business Skills

State Migration Plans

Independent Skilled Migration and the Points Test

SkillSelect
a new way of selecting skilled migrants
 Supporting the Resource Sector Through
Enterprise Migration Agreements (EMA)

Key
Streamlined access to skilled Eligibility Attributes
temporary workers for
resource projects Resource Projects

Mega in size
Controlled access to $2b capital costs
semi-skilled temporary workers 1500 peak workforce
where there is a genuine need
Training Plan
 Supporting Regional Australia Through
Regional Migration Agreements

New
Custom program to
designed bring overseas
geographically workers to
based Streamlined Australia on
access for a 457 visa
employers

Temporary Encourage
measure to innovative
address acute training and
skilled workforce
shortages strategies
Further Support for Regional Australia

Priority processing for permanent

regional migration visas

Increasing the number of RSMS

places to 16 000

Streamlining permanent residence for

holders of certain temporary skilled visas

Developing and implementing a

Regional Engagement Strategy
The Employer Nomination Scheme and Regional
Sponsored Migration Scheme
The Business Skills Review
 State Migration Plans
Plans allow The number of
individual visa applications
jurisdictions to on-hand has
target specific substantially
skills needs reduced

Negotiations
should be
settled before
the end of June
to allow for a 24 000 places
smooth have been
transition to allocated for
2011-12 2011-12
 The Points Test

What a new points test will provide

Optimal mix of high calibre skills and attributes attained in Australia and
overseas that provide best prospects for success in the Australian labour
market.

Will apply to applications made unless transitional arrangements apply

after 1 July 2011

Expected pass mark of will be the number of points required to

65 points be eligible for skilled migration

Focused on selecting highly to deliver a more responsive &

skilled people targeted migration program
 The Points Test - Age Points

Age

18 - 24 25 - 32 33 - 39 40 - 44 45 - 49

25 30 25 15 No Points

Points
 The Points Test - English Language Points

Competent English (IELTS 6) 0

Proficient English (IELTS 7) 10

Superior English (IELTS 8) 20

 The Points Test - Experience Points

Australian Experience Overseas Experience

1 Year 5 3 Years
(of the past 10) (of the past 10)
3 Years 5 Years
(of the past 10) 10 (of the past 10)

5 Years 8 Years
(of the past 10) 15 (of the past 10)
8 Years Maximum points that
(of the past 10) 20 can be awarded for
skilled employment
 The Points Test - Qualification Points

Doctorate (Australian or recognised overseas) 20

Bachelors Degree (Australian or recognised

15
overseas)
Includes Honours and Masters

Diploma (Australian or recognised overseas) 10

Australian and Overseas Trade Qualification 10

 The Points Test - Bonus Points

State /
Territory Partner Skills
Nomination
5
5

Designated Australian
Credentialed Area Study
Community Sponsorship Requirement
Language
10 5
5
Regional Professional
Study Year
5 5
 Which Points Test for Transitional Applicants?

Nominated occupation is on the SOL in effect 8

1 February 2010 and SOL in effect at time of application

The nominated The

occupation is on SOL application
in effect on 8 Application first is then
February 2010 tested against assessed
pre 1 July 2011 under the
points test points test
The nominated
occupation is on SOL in place on
in effect at the time If fails the the date the
application is lodged pass mark application
is made
 Which Points Test for Transitional Applicants?

Nominated occupation is only on the SOL in effect at

2 time of application

The application is
The nominated then assessed
occupation is on SOL under the points
in effect at the time test in place on
application is lodged the date the
application is
made
 Which Points Test for Transitional Applicants?

Nominated occupation is only on the SOL in effect

3 8 February 2010

The nominated Application

occupation is on SOL tested against
in effect on 8 pre 1 July 2011
February 2010 points test
Skilled Migrant Selection Register (SkillSelect)

On 10 May 2011, the Minister for Immigration and

Citizenship, Chris Bowen MP, announced the
Australian Governments
agreement to the implementation of a
Skilled Migrant Selection Register (SkillSelect)

SkillSelect concludes a series of reforms to ensure the

.
skilled migration program is more focussed
and efficient, demand-driven and tailored
to employers needs.

SkillSelect will be implemented on 1 July 2012

.
The Government Wants.
 Overview of SkillSelect

EOI Register Rank Invitation

Assessment of application Application

as per existing process
 Stage One of EOI - Independent Skilled Migration

1. Review all EOIs in descending 2. Equally scoring EOIs ranked in

order of points score. Eg: order of lodgment.

All EOIs with the

highest points
score - e.g. 90

All EOIs with the

2nd highest points
score - e.g. 85

All EOIs with the 3rd

highest points
score - e.g. 80
 Stage Two of EOI Process

Selection and invitation to apply for migration

Has nominated NO Invited

Ranked
occupation reached
EOI
ceiling? YES Not invited
 When is an EOI Required?

Visa Category
Independent/ Temp Employer Permanent State/Territory
Family Sponsored Employer sponsored
Sponsored (Subclass 457) sponsored (including
(including Business Skills)
RSMS)

Yes No No Yes
Must lodge an EOI EOI optional EOI optional Must lodge an EOI
 Transitional Arrangements Under SkillSelect
Students who held or had
applied for a Temporary
Skilled Graduate visa
8 Feb 2010
(subclass 485) can apply for a
permanent skilled migration
visa on the basis of the old
SOL.
Permanent migration
31 Dec 2012
application assessed
according to the old
occupation list
Students who held a
qualifying Student visa on 8
February 2010 can apply for a
Temporary Skilled Graduate
visa (Subclass 485) on the
basis of the old Skilled
Occupation List.
Temporary skilled
graduate visa assessed
according to the old
occupation list 18 month
stay + options
 Benefits of SkillSelect

Respond quickly Enable registered

to changing employers to
search and
economic needs contact
prospective
skilled workers
Fair and equitable
Meet Skilled Migration
Australias program Minimise
skill needs processing times

Assist States and

Allocate places to Territories to
identify and
the best and nominate the best
brightest skilled migrants
 The General Skilled Migration (GSM)
Program:
processes and challenges for 2011-12

David Stewart
Program Director
General Skilled Migration
 2011/12 Migration Program

On 10 May 2011 the Minister announced the Migration Program for 2011/12 of
185 000, an increase of 16 300 places.

The Skilled Component comprises 125 850 migration places, an increase of

10.5% or 12 000 places.

The GSM component of this is 72 450 places.

Skilled Independent 44 350
Skilled State/Territory Sponsored 24 000
Skilled Australian Sponsored 4100

Based on the current pipeline, anticipated application rates, and no changes to

the current priority arrangements, GSM expects to process:
All State Migration Plan (Priority two) applications
All current SOL (Priority three) applications
Some old SOL (Priority four) applications.
 Purpose of the Fraud Public Interest Criteria (PIC)

Provides the ability to refuse a visa application where false or misleading

information or bogus documentation is provided as part of an application

All migrating applicants included in the application would be

refused, and subject to a three year bar on grant of a further visa
subject to the PIC

In certain circumstances, a waiver can be applied to facilitate

grant of a further visa
 Which Visa Subclasses are Affected by the PIC 4020?

9 Skilled - Independent (Subclasses 885 and 175)

9 Skilled - Sponsored (Subclasses 886 and 176)
9 Skilled - Regional Sponsored (Subclasses 487and 475)
9 Skilled - Graduate (Subclass 485)
9 Skilled - Recognised Graduate (Subclass 476)
9 Skilled Regional (Subclass 887)
9 Employer Sponsored (Subclasses 121, 856, 119 and 857)
9 Business (Long Stay) (Subclass 457)
9 Overseas Student (pre 1 Sept 2007) (Subclasses 880, 881 and 882)
9 Skilled Independent Regional (pre 1 Sept 2007) (Subclass 495)
9 Skilled - Designated Area-Sponsored (pre 1 Sept 2007) (Subclass 496
and 883).

Further information is available from the departments website.

See: www.immi.gov.au/skilled/_pdf/fraud-pic.pdf
 GSM On-hand Pipeline as at May 2011

The GSM pipeline currently consists of:

3500 Priority Two cases
22 000 Priority Three cases
46 000 Priority Four cases
 Current Processing Timeframes

Priority Group two (PG2):

All State and Territory State Migration Plans (SMP) are now in effect.
Applications are allocated within two weeks of the receipt of the approved
nomination
Applicants are encouraged to make their application ready for decision at
or shortly after application.

Priority Group three (PG3):

Applications lodged in Australia before January 2011 have been allocated.
Applications lodged outside of Australia by the of end June 2011 we expect
to have allocated all applications lodged before January 2011.

Priority Group four (PG4):

Allocation of some PG4 cases is expected in 2011-12.
 Subclass 485 Processing Arrangements

Current processing arrangements give priority to:

applicants who completed a Professional Year before 30 June 2011 and who lodged
a subclass 485 before 17 March 2011
applicants who lodged from 9 February to 30 June 2010 where the nominated
occupation was on the SOL Schedule 3 in effect from 1 July 2010.

All other applications will generally be processed based on the date they were
received.

These applicants have been identified as needing to be processed prior to the

introduction of the new points test on 1 July 2011.

These processing arrangements will end 30 June 2011 and date of lodgement
order processing will resume.

Over the course of 2011/12, processing is expected to be brought back into

service standards through significant increases in resourcing.
 GSM Communication Channels: How to Obtain Information

For allocation dates, send a blank email

Email: gsm.processing@immi.gov.au

General GSM pre-lodgement enquiries

See: www.immi.gov.au/contacts/forms/gsm/pre.htm
Telephone: 1300 364 613

Queries by agents on unallocated case (with the exception of status enquiries)

Email: gsm.agents@immi.gov.au

Queries on allocated cases should be sent to the case officer through the team mailbox listed on
correspondence.

GSM contact details

See: www.immi.gov.au/contacts/australia/processing-centres/adelaide-skilled.htm

More information on GSM visa options

See: www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration

Recent changes to the program

See: www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/whats-new.htm
 Escalation Channels

Efforts are made to keep responses to enquiries within service standards, two work days.

Where responses are not received to multiple enquiries on the same matter, or emails
need to be escalated to a senior GSM managers attention, they should be made to the
following staff:

critical validity or payment queries

missed allocations
case decisions
nil replies to enquiries on allocated cases
GSM program or processing arrangements
detail provided through the migration agent peak bodies.

We request that eVisa applicants and agents attach documents to the web-browser where
possible. Anything that can not be attached should be sent in one email.
Email: the team mailbox as advised by case officer (for allocated cases)
Email: gsm.documents@immi.gov.au (for unallocated cases).