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Saturday, January 17, 2009

Australian Migration program changes in 2009

The Australian migration program for the second half of 2008-09 has changed so that skilled migrants who have a confirmed job, or have skills in critical need will be given priority for a permanent visa to come to Australia.

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, said the changes, effective from 1 January, will ensure that the Skilled Migration program is driven by the requirements of industry and targets skills in critical need across a number of sectors.

This will ensure our migration program is more responsive to the needs of the economy and assists industries still experiencing skills shortages,' Senator Evans said.

The new measures from 1 January 2009 include:

1. Prioritising and improving the processing of sponsored permanent migration visas, where skilled migrants are nominated by employers for jobs that cannot be filled locally;

2. Providing State and Territory Governments greater scope to address the critical skill needs in their jurisdiction. This reflects the different economies and skills requirements across States and Territories;

3. Giving priority to people who apply without a sponsor where they have an occupation on a list of skills in critical shortage;

4. Retaining the existing 133 500 planning target as a cap, with the actual number of visas granted to be kept under review by the Government for the remainder of the 2008-09 year.


'In light of the changing economic circumstances, the Rudd Government has reviewed the Skilled Migration program and consulted business and industry along with state and territory governments Australia-wide about their skills needs'.

'To meet immediate skills needs, the government will fast-track the processing of sponsored permanent migration visas, where skilled migrants are nominated by employers for jobs that cannot be filled locally.'

'This could see employer sponsored visas occupying an increasing share of the skilled program, with 36 000 visas likely in the current year,' the minister said.'

Senator Evans said about 80 per cent of employer-sponsored visas are granted to people who were already living and working in Australia on temporary visas. Fast-tracking the grant of these visas will provide greater certainty to employers and increase the number of visas granted onshore.

Where a person has applied to migrate to Australia without an employer sponsor, they will be given priority if they have an occupation on a list of skills in critical shortage.

The list of skills in critical shortage are mainly in the medical and key IT professionals, engineers and construction trades. The occupations on the critical skills list are the ones most frequently sought by employers through sponsorship.

There was a delay in processing 10 000 applications from engineers, medical professionals and other skilled migrants. Previously, they may have had to wait more than a year before being considered.

Fast-tracking professionals on the critical skills list will ensure that the economy gets the skills it needs now, not just those applicants who applied first,' Senator Evans said.'

The government has also given state and territory governments' greater scope to address the critical skill needs in their jurisdiction. This reflects the different economies that have developed across the country.

It is hoped that the 2008-09 skilled migration program will be better in delivering the skills needed in the economy. There will also be an increase in the number of visas granted to those already in Australia and currently in jobs.

The skilled migration program was significantly increased in the May Budget from 102 500 to 133 500 places to ease nationwide skills shortages.

Senator Evans said a report released earlier in the year by respected economic analyst Access Economics shows that new migrants to Australia deliver hundreds of millions of dollars to the Commonwealth budget and the broader economy every year.

In its Migrant Fiscal Impact Model: 2008 Update, Access Economics found that the fiscal benefits from taxation and visa charges far outweighed the costs that migrants impose on health, education, welfare, employment and settlement services.

'The bottom line is that our migration program is vital to keep the economy growing as well as helping Australian businesses overcome skills shortages,' Senator Evans said.'


Source: www.workpermit.com

Migration Agent Registration Number: 0964018

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Junaid,

My name is Nikhil and I have recently come across your blog and find it fantastic. I have read your other blog as well.

I am currently living in Brisbane and have completed a Bachelor of business (Marketing & Management double major) and will be soon finishing a Master of business degree (Marketing) in June. I am enrolled at QUT and my student visa expires on 30 Aug 09.

Is this a good time for me to give IELTS? I want to get a 7 score so that I can achieve 120 points required for immigration.

Also, i do know that I have studied Marketing which is not an area in which Australia requires people. Does that make my chances of migrating to the country slim?

When should I look at submiting my application if my student visa is going to expire in August?

Thanks,

Nikhil

Junaid Noor said...

@Nikhil

1. Is this a good time for me to give IELTS? I want to get a 7 score so that I can achieve 120 points required for immigration.

Yes, the earlier the better. May be you do not get 7 in all modules of IELTS and then you will have to give IELTS again. So it is better to give IELTS asap.


2. Also, i do know that I have studied Marketing which is not an area in which Australia requires people. Does that make my chances of migrating to the country slim?

Yes you are right. For international students the immigration process involves the following steps.

1. Selecting a profession on the SOL which is closely related to the the degree you have studied for at least two yrs in Australia.

2. Obtaining a positive skills assessment for the the profession you want to nominate.

3. Apply for immigration.

So what is the profession on the SOL which is closely related to your degree and which you want to nominate?

You can access the SOL by visiting the following URL

http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/1121i.pdf

Kind Regards

Junaid

Junaid Noor said...

@Nikhil

You must apply for another visa before your current student visa expires.

So if your visa expires on 30th of August, you must lodge another visa application on the 30th of August.

Kind Regards

Junaid

Anonymous said...

Hi Junaid

Thanks for giving us important info. I am presently working in aus.My visa will expire by Sep 2010. I am not eligible to apply for PR (without any sponsorship) before Aug 2009. So in case, I apply for PR and I havnt obatined its results before the expiry of my visa, in that case what is supposed to be done??I wanted to know this, as these days, I have heard, there has been huge delay in getting PR. Thnks in advance.

Pratyush

Junaid Noor said...

@Pratyush

I am not eligible to apply for PR (without any sponsorship) before Aug 2009.

What makes you think that? Is there any stort of restriction on your visa? What is your visa class?

So in case, I apply for PR and I havnt obatined its results before the expiry of my visa, in that case what is supposed to be done??

I am not sure what you mean? You havent obtained the results for what?

What is your profession. Different professions have different requirements.

You can apply for PR in many different ways. You need to give complete info before I can guide you further.

I wanted to know this, as these days, I have heard, there has been huge delay in getting PR.

Dont trust hear say.

Kind Regards

Junaid

Anonymous said...

Thank u so much Junaid for your reply.

I am a Chemical Engineer by profession.I did my studies in India. I am on dependent 457 visa. I came here under dependent visa of my father as at time I was jobless and was completely dependent upon him. Fortunately, after brief struggle, I found a job here. Now I am no longer dependent upon him so I will have to apply for PR independently. I am working here in the same company since August 2008.Till now, I just have 7 months exp.

I saw in the immigration website, I need 1 years work experience before I can apply for PR. So I am considering to apply for PR in august.

hopefully I have given u necessary info abt my background and you will be able to guide me.

Pratyush !!

Junaid Noor said...

@Pratyush

Follow the steps below to obtain PR.


1. Score a minimum of 6 in all modules of IELTS

2. Obtain a positive skills assessment as a chemical engineer from engineers Australia.

3. Gain work experience for one yr.

4. Apply for immigration nominating the profession 2129-17 Chemical engineer.

Hope this helps.

Kind Regards

Junaid

Anonymous said...

Thanks u so much Junaid for your valueable suggestion. I am really grateful to u !!! I will act according to ur suggestion. thanks once again !!!

Pratyush

Anonymous said...

hi im marie im here since 6 months on student visa at vocational school of hairdresser and my husband is a qualified turner,fitter and welder since 20 yrs but he is more than45 yrs so he cant apply for the PR but as we hear that hairdresser has been removed from the PR list and any person who is here should go for there country as immigration has been closed for 2 yrs is it true?thanks

Junaid Noor said...

@Marie

I just checked the SOL and I can still find the profession Hair dresser on the SOL.

You can check the SOL by visiting the following URL

www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/1121i.pdf

The profession 4931-11 is still there with 60 points.

It is better to check the website for updates rather then believing in hear say.

Kind Regards

Junaid