State Sponsorship tracker again!

[Guest lpkm]

Thanks Guys, It seems the processing time has reduced slightly but I think it depends on your nominated skill and the assessor in SA. Just getting on with the 176 now I hope the processing time for this is fast too! Its getting closer!

[Guest LouiseMary]

:jiggy:Congratulations, really pleased for you lpkm and Chris_J

[Guest lpkm]

Hi guys,

 

Im on this question with the 176 visa:

 

Have you or any person included in this application previously been to Australia, held or currently hold a visa for travel to Australia?

 

Now I have been to Aus on holiday but it didnt require a visa, it was only an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) for travel to Australia. So do I answer no to this? Confused!

[Guest Helchops]

I would say you answer, 'yes' as you have in fact been to Australia.

[Guest Adelaide_bound]

Hi guys,

 

Im on this question with the 176 visa:

 

Have you or any person included in this application previously been to Australia, held or currently hold a visa for travel to Australia?

 

Now I have been to Aus on holiday but it didnt require a visa, it was only an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) for travel to Australia. So do I answer no to this? Confused!

 

I thought the ETA was in effect a visa, therefore 'yes' would be my response as well (if its not needed, no harm in putting it, if you don't put it and they go 'hang on, they system shows he was here in x year...' then it might be an issue - they might think 'what else is he hiding?' (not that you are, obviously).)

[IrishStew]

Hi All,

 

This is from the SSML today, looks like a few have been very lucky, just in time, and I'm really sorry for those of you for which things do not look so good for.

 

Question - For those who already have SS on one of the occupations that are now SPA, does this change the priority level?

 

IrishStew (OH)

 

Engineering Professional nec - Low availability

ICT Sales Representative - Medium availability

General Medical Practitioner - Medium availability

Computer Network and Systems Engineer - Medium availability

Program or Project Administrator - Medium availability

Civil Engineer - Special conditions applies

Developer Programmer - Special conditions applies

Software Engineer - Special conditions applies

ICT Security Specialist - Special conditions applies

Systems Administrator - Special conditions applies

Network Analyst - Special conditions applies

[Guest seba771]

IrishStew,

What priority level do you mean? Are you talking about the priority to get your Visa in DIAC?

[Guest seba771]

I still have no progress since I got my 3rd line. It's a bit annoying

 

I'm like you Ovel, checking the website like 134 times per day.

And we have the same Occupation, so let's meet in Adelaide next year to drink a beer and then we will fight for a job, lol

[Guest ovel]

I'm like you Ovel, checking the website like 134 times per day.

And we have the same Occupation, so let's meet in Adelaide next year to drink a beer and then we will fight for a job, lol

 

ok ) Hope, something will change tomorrow.

[Guest Adelaide_bound]

 

Question - For those who already have SS on one of the occupations that are now SPA, does this change the priority level?

 

Hmmm, good question - not really sure, although thinking logically it is still on the list, its just got special conditions on it, so imho it would still be the same priority with DIAC, as it hasn't actually been taken off the SSML and therefore is still eligible for SS (does that make sense? lol)

[Guest seba771]

Yes. They are totally independent and the priority with DIAC is related to the type of Visa as you can see here: http://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/24apriority_skilled.htm

 

From 1 July 2011, processing priorities (with highest priority listed first) are:

• applications from people who are employer sponsored under the RSMS program or who have applied for a Skilled – Regional (subclass 887) visa
  
• applications from people who are applying under the ENS program
  
• applications from people who are nominated by a state or territory government agency for an occupation specified on that agency's state migration plan
  
• applications from people who have nominated an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) – Schedule 1 in effect from 1 July 2011
  See: Annual Update of Skilled Occupation List (111KB PDF file)
  
• all other applications.
  

As I understood... if you are nominated by the state... you are third in the queue No matter if your Occupation is now in Special Conditions status.

[Guest sksmith]

Cheers IrishStew. Feels damn good at the moment. Maybe I'll be going to Aus sooner than I thought with the redundancy coming at the end of December. Probably got to sell the house though first, and I'd at least like another job here first contracting I think.

Congrats Chris_J! Looks like you got in by the skin of your teeth! Now you can ride the 176 wave with us. Hopefully it's smooth sailing from here on out. Okay, how many idioms was that... :-)

[Guest sksmith]

SS Approved!!!! Get in!!

 

Now to lodge the 176!

Congrats lkpm!

[Guest sksmith]

GREAT NEWS ChrisJ - really really chuffed for you - I think you needed it more than the rest of us SysAdmins.

 

Looks like you might have got the last place too - went to Special Conditions today

 

I assume that even though my application form is in - i'm still buggered.

Sorry to hear Mark. Keep us posted as you hear any news from SA and let us know what your plans/next steps are. Thinking of you.

[IrishStew]

Hi Seba771 et al.

 

Yeah, I think the priority won't change, it makes sense. It's just I have a vague memory of a posting on another forum that said it would change - I hope not.

 

Mark - commiserations, I hope that somthing will work out for you, whatever you do, do not give up.

 

I hope the morning brings good news to you guys that are on the third line.

 

IrishStew (OH)

[IrishStew]

[TABLE=class: tableborder]

[TR]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]

1

[/TD]

[TD]RSMS

(subclass 119, 857)

Skilled Regional

(subclass 887)

[/TD]

[TD]Low risk – 5 months

High risk – 8 months

[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]

2

[/TD]

[TD]ENS

(subclass 121, 856)

[/TD]

[TD]Low risk – 5 months

High risk – 8 months

[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]

3

[/TD]

[TD]State Migration Plans (SMP)

(subclass 176, 475, 487, 886)

[/TD]

[TD]Low risk – 12 months

High risk – 24 months

[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]

4

[/TD]

[TD]Nominated Occupation on the SOL – Schedule 1

(subclass 175, 495, 496, 861, 862, 863, 880, 881, 882, 883, 885 and 176, 475, 487 if not SMP)

[/TD]

[TD]18 months

[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]

5

[/TD]

[TD]All visas listed in priority 3 and 4 that are not SMP or Nominated Occupation on the SOL – Schedule 1

[/TD]

[TD]Assessment will commence when all cases in priority groups 1-4 are finalised

[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

 

Maybe this is what I was thinking of. I suppose then the question is - are occupations with SPA on the SMP or not - I'm still inclined to think that they are still on the SMP, otherwise it makes no sense.

 

IrishStew (OH)

 

IrishStew

[Guest Helchops]

The whole idea of the SMP is to get 'x' number of 'y' profession.

 

If DIAC capped or re-prioritised processing, it would in effect stop or delay those granted sponsorship and (hopefully) entry into the very state they were sponsored, which would go against the benefits to the state in running the SMP in the first place.

 

I would postulate that those granted will be processed in Cat 3 as originally planned, with sadly, those not eligible falling into Cat 4 if they can go down the 175 visa.

[Guest Chris_J]

GREAT NEWS ChrisJ - really really chuffed for you - I think you needed it more than the rest of us SysAdmins.

 

Looks like you might have got the last place too - went to Special Conditions today

 

I assume that even though my application form is in - i'm still buggered.

 

Thank you but kinda feel bad getting a last space. It was still high when I applied. Not sure if the quota counts when you apply or if its on review.

[Gollywobbler]

Hi guys,

 

Im on this question with the 176 visa:

 

Have you or any person included in this application previously been to Australia, held or currently hold a visa for travel to Australia?

 

Now I have been to Aus on holiday but it didnt require a visa, it was only an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) for travel to Australia. So do I answer no to this? Confused!

 

Hi there

 

An ETA is a visa, plus you have used it to enter Australia, therefore the answer to DIAC's question is "yes."

 

It is one of these silly questions that they like to ask even though they have no interest in the answer unless your father's name happens to be Osama Bin Liner...... It merely saves them from doing some work by checking their own recoeds.

 

If your answer is "yes," they then want to know the visa number and the exact dates of your last visits(s.) When I was preparing my mother's application for a Contributory Parent visa back in 2005, I just batted the responsibility straight back to DIAC. Mum had been visiting Oz every year for the previous 10 years. She had always used subclass 676 Long Stay Tourist Visas so her passport was full of visa labels. She had also been leaving Oz every six months and going on holiday to places like Thailand for a couple of weeks, then back to Oz for another 6 months. The immigration officials in other countries had put their own stamps on top of DIAC's stamps in the passport etc.

 

It was complely impossible to work it out, especially since they wanted the dates of the most recent visit first.

 

So - I photocopied the whole passport, got a solicitor mate of mine to certify every page and sent the whole thing to DIAC with the visa application and a note explaining that I was too thick to figure it out by myself. (I didn't actually say, "If you really, really want this irrelevant information you'll just have to work it out for yourselves," but I certainly thought that to myself!)

 

DIAC track every arrival and departure on their computer so there must be easier ways of working it out than expecting people to slog through passports, airline tickets or airline print-outs.

 

Cheers

 

Gill

[Gollywobbler]

[TABLE=class: tableborder]

[TR]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]

1

[/TD]

[TD]RSMS

(subclass 119, 857)

Skilled Regional

(subclass 887)[/TD]

[TD]Low risk – 5 months

High risk – 8 months[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]

2

[/TD]

[TD]ENS

(subclass 121, 856)[/TD]

[TD]Low risk – 5 months

High risk – 8 months[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]

3

[/TD]

[TD]State Migration Plans (SMP)

(subclass 176, 475, 487, 886)[/TD]

[TD]Low risk – 12 months

High risk – 24 months[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]

4

[/TD]

[TD]Nominated Occupation on the SOL – Schedule 1

(subclass 175, 495, 496, 861, 862, 863, 880, 881, 882, 883, 885 and 176, 475, 487 if not SMP)[/TD]

[TD]18 months[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]

5

[/TD]

[TD]All visas listed in priority 3 and 4 that are not SMP or Nominated Occupation on the SOL – Schedule 1[/TD]

[TD]Assessment will commence when all cases in priority groups 1-4 are finalised[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe this is what I was thinking of. I suppose then the question is - are occupations with SPA on the SMP or not - I'm still inclined to think that they are still on the SMP, otherwise it makes no sense.

 

IrishStew (OH)

 

IrishStew

 

Hi Irish Stew

 

You know much more about computers than I do, my friend.

 

Re-jigging the priority processing arrangements means re-jigging the "electronic filing system" in DIAC's computer.

 

The e-visa system is known to have had a number of "design faults" on the day when it became a live, interactive system. Gradually, most of the glitches have been ironed out but as soon as DIAC's IT Department get the whole thing working smoothly again, the Minister chucks a spanner in the works by changing the order of processing priority.

 

As with any Civil Service Department, the man at the top (Andrew Metcalfe) has never processed a visa application himself. He was in some other Department before he joined DIAC in 2005. When he suggests altering the priority processing and the Minister's staff ask whether doing that would cause any visa processing problems, Metcalfe says "No, Sire. "

 

DIAC's IT people probably gnash their teeth because they are the shmucks who have to do a huge amount to rearrange the "electronic filing system" etc. Data gets lost along the way. A common one is that the Form 1100 - sent electronically by the sponsoring State - is defective. It doesn't have enough "electronic glue" to keep it firmly glued to the relevant e-file for the relevant viisa application. Therefore a few applications DO disappear into "black holes" because without the evidence of State sponsorship, the DIAC computer doesn't put the application into the correct "electronic pile."

 

I reckon that if an application is taking substantially longer than it says in the Service Stanrdard that you have quoted, it is worth sending a Post Lodgement Enquiry just to make sure that nothing is missing, the application is in the correct e-pile and so forth.

 

Cheers

 

Gill

[Guest Adelaide_OK]

Mark, Are you System Admin?

 

If yes, please apply NSW, this occupation is on their list

 

There are more opportunities in Sydney than Adelaide

[Guest ovel]

Still nothing ( And the work day there is over

[IrishStew]

Still nothing ( And the work day there is over

 

Hi Ovel - we are with you all the way mate. I know it’s frustrating, waiting and waiting, and then some more waiting, especially when you see others moving so quickly. Try not to read anything into it.

 

Have faith, maybe Monday - although I suspect you might check it more than once again today ;-)

 

IrishStew (OH)

[Guest FortWilliamLoyal]

The DIAC Priority Processing has nothing to do with the availability on the SMP lists.

 

Once you have been granted SS and you are planning to apply for the 176, you are in Priority 3 regardless of whether your occupation then turns to special conditions etc.

[Guest Guest8609]

Two_chants

LousieMary

and other guys who've done their medicals - any updates now?

I pestered my clinic again on Wednesday- looks like the doctor didn't submit the main health form at all. It was sent the next day and now meds are finalised.

Still I see CO hasn't updated my police checks, nor the medicals on the Document Checklist as Met.

 

Do I understand correctly - the main status page with meds status (eg received/outstanding/finalised) is updated by Sydney? And info on medicals (met/required) in the Document checklist is updated by the CO?