Changes to Visa processing 1st Jan 2009

[Guest brandyslad]

http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/pdf/migration-program.pdf

 

 

This refers to State Sponsorship, has anyone heard anything more or know any details?? I wonder does it mean 475 visas will be processed quicker?

[Guest brandyslad]

http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/pdf/faq.pdf

[Guest BAZnDAF]

Might just be me, but it covers the majority of visas most people on here are waiting for!

 

nice to see my occupation is on the CSL List, maybe that means they will speed it up! but i doubt it.

 

I suggest anyone who is awaiting a visa, or thinking of applying to check these documents out! It will affect you.

[Guest familygood]

Hi

 

As I read it 475's will be given processing priority as they are state sponsored. This could be great news!!! I am going to contact our agent and ask the quesitons. Will write more if i find anything further out...

[Guest brandyslad]

Hi

 

As I read it 475's will be given processing priority as they are state sponsored. This could be great news!!! I am going to contact our agent and ask the quesitons. Will write more if i find anything further out...

 

 

 

That's the way I read it as well. Defintely doesn't seem like bad news anyway.

[Guest familygood]

Hi

 

I got the following update from our agent this morning. It really does look like good news for us 475'ers and at worst not the bad news that could have come with the current economic situation!

 

Firstly, The Department of Immigration and Citizenship will retain the existing 133,500 planning target, that is, the number of visas available in the Skilled Migration Program, in 2008-09. The Department will keep the number of visas granted under review for the remainder of 2008-09, to ensure the Program is meeting the needs of Australian employers and filling skills shortages.

Summary of Proposed Changes – effective 1 January 2009

Employer Sponsored Visas

What’s Changing? The number of employer sponsored visas will increase

Why? These applicants bring the strongest and most immediate economic benefit to Australia and the demand is driven specifically by the business community

State and Territory Sponsored Visas

What’s Changing? Improvement to the ability and ease of State and Territory Governments to sponsor skilled migrants

Why? Regional Australia (not including capital cities) have specific needs for urgently required skills

New “Critical Skills List”

What’s Changing? This is a new list of occupations to be introduced that are most frequently sought by employers through sponsorship

Why? As a result of more than 10,000 applications from engineers, medical professionals and other skilled migrants waiting up to 12 months to get processed, occupations on the Critical Skills List will be given priority

 

As a result of these changes, more skilled migrants will go straight into jobs and increased numbers of people already in Australia will be granted their visas onshore.

Under the changes, the following priority will be given to the processing of skilled visa applications:

<LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: list .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1">Employer sponsored <LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: list .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1">State and Territory Governments sponsored <LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: list .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1">Occupations on the Critical Skills List <LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: list .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1">Occupations on the Migration Occupations in Demand List

• All other valid applications
  

The Skilled Occupation List (SOL) and Migration Occupation in Demand List (MODL) both remain in place and the Government will conduct a review of MODL in 2009 to ensure it is responsive to the needs of the Australian economy.

[Guest familygood]

Sorry the end billet points went a bit wrong! Should read:

Employer sponsored

State and Territory Governments sponsored

Occupations on the Critical Skills List

Occupations on the Migration Occupations in Demand List

All other valid applications

 

Sorry!

[Guest BAZnDAF]

This could cause problems for people who have front loaded their meds.

[Alan Collett]

Update from Go Matilda News following a conversation with the ASPC this afternoon:

http://www.gomatilda.com/news/article.cfm?articleid=490

 

Best regards.

[Guest Lisado]

Hi there

 

I havent heard anything and my agent is on hols at the mo but I can ask her next week. I hope it means the processing times are quicker - fingers crossed

 

Lisa

[Alan Collett]

If you have State Sponsorship you should be comforted that you will have a reasonable visa processing timeline ... ideally with grant before the end of this program year (ended 30/06/2009).

 

Best regards.

[Guest Lisado]

I am hoping we hear about our state sponsorship in next week or so and our visa is provisionally set up to lodge straight after. Fingers crossed

[Alan Collett]

OK - then probably not visa grant this program year ... but possibly it will be ... good luck!

[jo_marnes]

Well we are state sponsored and got our 475 in under 6 months! There is hope! :v_SPIN:

[Guest Guest1495]

hey guys, just heard this from our agent that the 475 is not included in the state sponsorship faster processing times.

 

the email from DIAC read:

 

"Thank you for your email regarding the 475 visa application for your client.

I can confirm that medicals for all family members have been received and attached to the file and I can see UK Police Clearances have been attached online. Prior to the 1/1/2009 we would have referred an application such as this to the manager of the processing region for consideration of case officer allocation however with the new ministerial announcement made in December 2008 these arrangements are under review.

DIAC management will be determining soon if occupations not on the new critical skills list and without state or territory nomination can be given priority processing.

Yours sincerely,"

 

Anyone come across this or knows what it means for people accepted but now not on the CSL (Critical Skills List)

[Alan Collett]

What element of the reply from DIAC makes you think that your subclass 475 visa application (which I assume to be State Sponsored) will not be processed as a priority under the new Ministerial Direction?

 

If I was your agent I would be pushing for finalisation on the basis that yours is an application that is to be prioritised under the new Direction.

 

Best regards.

[Alan Collett]

PS. From the DIAC factsheet here, at question 16:

http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/pdf/faq.pdf

 

What subclasses have been affected by this announcement?

The introduction of the CSL and the changes to the processing priorities will affect applications for most GSM subclasses, including those lodged after 1 January 2009 and those already lodged but not yet granted. Applicants for subclasses 485 and 887 will not be affected by this change.

[Guest familygood]

Thanks for this information. As I had thought and my migration advisor had advised the 475 is included in these new processing times.

[Guest Guest1495]

thanks for your advice Alan, I've put that to my agent and this was the response,

 

"As for the prioritisation of applications, you are correct in that all

official information currently states that state sponsored visas are

being prioritised. However, the unofficial information we have received

from DIAC indicates that only permanent state sponsored visas (i.e. 176

visas) are being prioritised, and not temporary 475 visas."

 

this seems to have been clarified by the email from DIAC, if its true its bad for 475'ers. I don't know what it means time wise but we're being pushed even further down the que.

 

I'm a bit pissed to say the least.

[Guest familygood]

seem strange then that so many 475's are being granted within 7'ish months?! Coincidence? I am going to try and stay positive and just take the official line!

[Guest Guest1495]

I dont know why the DIAC are saying we don't qualify for processing under the new directives then, it it because my job isn't on the CSL??????

 

I'm very confused why have they said that???

 

I've asked my agent to pursue it further but so far they say they have had two cases of this nature for people not on the CLS.

 

I also don't know how this will effect our app, will it just be left in a draw for another 6 months?

[Guest brandyslad]

Hey everyone, below is an exert from an email someone on British Expats received about their 475 visa from DIAC. Sounds like good news .....

 

 

 

 

The ASPC is currently in the process of identifying and allocating all

State or Territory Sponsored applications. Once these are all completely

allocated, only then will cases with occupations on the CSL commence

allocation and not until after all CSL applications are allocated will we

be able to look at the remaining application priorities. Any further

updates to our new processing priorities will be posted on the DIAC website

which we encourage you to review on a regular basis.

 

We appreciate your patience.

[Guest familygood]

Do you think that applies to visas already submitted or will it apply to us that are just about to apply? God its all so bl**dy confusing...

[Guest Pies]

I dont know why the DIAC are saying we don't qualify for processing under the new directives then, it it because my job isn't on the CSL??????

 

I'm very confused why have they said that???

 

I've asked my agent to pursue it further but so far they say they have had two cases of this nature for people not on the CLS.

 

I also don't know how this will effect our app, will it just be left in a draw for another 6 months?

 

We are in same boat with 475 application submitted in April 08. Seems a bit of confusion right now - had scheduled a full year between application and moving. I hope this is enough, but I guess things will sort themselves out in next couple of weeks. Will push hard for priority processing, because I need to make career decisions based on knowledge we are going to Oz!!

 

Hope it goes well for all of you out there in same boat.

 

Pies

[Guest Umar]

We are in same boat with 475 application submitted in April 08. Seems a bit of confusion right now - had scheduled a full year between application and moving. I hope this is enough, but I guess things will sort themselves out in next couple of weeks. Will push hard for priority processing, because I need to make career decisions based on knowledge we are going to Oz!!

 

Hope it goes well for all of you out there in same boat.

 

Pies

 

Dear All,

It seems surprising to me but I just got an email from DIAC and it is written in that all applications of 475 are being allocated to case officers by 13th Feb 2009

 

Some of the text of email is ......

 

 

ASPC APPLICATION ALLOCATION INFORMATION

 

On 17 December 2008 the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship announced

changes to the way General Skilled Migration applications will be allocated

and processed. Details can be found on the DIAC website at:

http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/gener...hats-new.htm#j

 

As a result of this announcement from 1 January 2009 applications for

General Skilled Migration will be strictly allocated and processed in the

following priority order:

 

1. Applications with a successful State & Territory Nomination (until

all applications have been allocated); and then

2. Applications where the nominated occupation is on the Critical

Skills List (until all applications have been allocated); then

3. Applications where the nominated occupation is on the Migration

Occupations in Demand List (until all applications have been allocated);

then

4. All other remaining applications

 

This affects all applications lodged before and after 1 January 2009, both

paper lodged or electronically lodged. Applications which were already

allocated to case officers before 1 January 2009 are un-affected and will

be processed as usual to finalisation.

 

Applications are now being allocated as follows:

 

State & Territory Nominated Applications:

Subclass 134, 136, 137, 175, 176, 475, 487, 495, 885 and 886 applications

(processed by the ASPC and where a successful State or Territory Nomination

is held) will all be allocated to case officers for assessment by 13

February 2009.

 

Applications with Occupations on the Critical Skills List:

Applications are not being allocated at present

 

Applications with Occupations on the Migration Occupations in Demand List:

Applications are not being allocated at present

 

All Other Remaining Applications

Applications are not being allocated at present

 

-------

 

Umar Memon

Assessment received by ACS - 14th Mrach 2008

Positive Assessment Received . 9th May 2008

IELTS Test Date - 14th June 2008

IELTS Result card received - 25th June 2008

SA Sponsor ship Received 8th August

Application Lodge to DIAC -20th November 2008

Acknowledgment Received - 1st December 2008

Waiting for Case Officer to be Allocated ...