The Department of Home Affairs has released the invitation September 2020 round for Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) and Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491).
The number of invitations issued on 11 September 2020
Visa subclass | Number |
350 | |
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) – Family Sponsored | 150 |
Points Cut-off Score
Visa subclass | Minimum points score | Latest date of effect month |
65 | 07/2020 | |
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) – Family Sponsored | 75 | 08/2020 |
Pro-rata occupations
No invitations were issued for pro-rata occupations.
Subclass | Occupation ID | Description | Minimum points score | Latest date of effect month | Invitations from 01/07/2020 to 11/09/2020 |
189/491 | 2211 | Accountants | N/A | N/A | 0 |
189/491 | 2212 | Auditors, Company Secretaries and Corporate Treasurers | N/A | N/A | 0 |
189/491 | 2334 | Electronics Engineer | N/A | N/A | Less than 20 |
189/491 | 2335 | Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers | N/A | N/A | 48 |
189/491 | 2339 | Other Engineering Professionals | N/A | N/A | Less than 20 |
189/491 | 2611 | ICT Business and System Analysts | N/A | N/A | 0 |
189/491 | 2613 | Software and Applications Programmers | N/A | N/A | 0 |
189/491 | 2631 | Computer Network Professionals | N/A | N/A | 0 |
Occupation ceilings
Occupation ID | Description | Occupation Ceiling Value 2020-21 | Invitations to 11/09/2020 |
2544 | Registered Nurses | 17,859 | 335 |
2346 | Medical Laboratory Scientists | 1,536 | 240 |
2332 | Civil Engineering Professionals | 3,919 | 141 |
2333 | Electrical Engineers | 1,348 | 98 |
2539 | Other Medical Practitioners | 1,168 | 78 |
2633 | Telecommunications Engineering Professionals | 1,000 | 76 |
2331 | Chemical and Materials Engineers | 1,000 | 65 |
2533 | Internal Medicine Specialists | 1,000 | 55 |
2335 | Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers* | 2,682 | 48 |
2723 | Psychologists | 1,545 | 28 |
2531 | General Practitioners and Resident Medical officers | 4,257 | 24 |
2336 | Mining Engineers | 1,000 | 20 |
2334 | Electronics Engineers* | 1,000 | <20 |
1342 | Health and Welfare Services Managers | 1,666 | <20 |
2339 | Other Engineering Professionals* | 1,000 | <20 |
2341 | Agricultural and Forestry Scientists | 1,000 | <20 |
2342 | Chemists, and Food and Wine Scientists | 1,000 | <20 |
2345 | Life Scientists | 1,000 | <20 |
2512 | Medical Imaging Professionals | 1,161 | <20 |
2524 | Occupational Therapists | 1,461 | <20 |
2525 | Physiotherapists | 1,685 | <20 |
2535 | Surgeons | 1,000 | <20 |
2541 | Midwives | 1,333 | <20 |
3122 | Civil Engineering Draftspersons and Technicians | 1,000 | <20 |
3123 | Electrical Engineering Draftspersons and Technicians | 1,000 | <20 |
3132 | Telecommunications Technical Specialists | 1,000 | <20 |
2211 | Accountants* | 1,000 | 0 |
2212 | Auditors, Company Secretaries and Corporate Treasurers* | 1,619 | 0 |
2611 | ICT Business and Systems Analysts* | 2,273 | 0 |
2613 | Software and Applications Programmers* | 8,405 | 0 |
2631 | Computer Network Professionals* | 2,245 | 0 |
2713 | Solicitors | 4,535 | 0 |
Our View
While September invitation numbers (Subclass 189 – 350; Subclass 491 – 150) have increased slightly comparing with August invitations (Subclass 189 – 110; Subclass 491 – 90), the overall invitations for new financial year are keeping low.
Surprisingly, Subclass 189’s the minimum points score has dropped to 65. But this may not have any help the current 189 visa applicants and future applicants.
In our view, Subclass 189 application is a highly competitive process and the migration planning quota for skilled migration program has dropped heavily after Migration Budget Planning announcement. It would become more difficult for people who are interested in applying for skilled migration program visas.
As you can see from the above the latest occupation ceiling, the invitations are focused on occupations that are critical to post-COVID-19 recovery, including those on Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List; those with critical skills and those within critical sectors.
Top 5 occupations are invited so far are:
- Registered nurse 335
- Medical Laboratory Scientists 240
- Civil Engineering Professionals 141
- Electrical Engineers 98
- Other Medical Practitioners 78
The Department of Home Affairs will consider inviting candidates based on the following order:
1. Those occupations are critical to assist in the COVID-19 response
2. Visa applicants with highest points score
3. For visa applicants with equal points score, the earlier date they reached their points score (date of effect) determines their order of invitation.
4. Visa applicants who submitted their EOI with earlier dates of effect are invited before later dates.
Accountants; ICT & Software Engineer
These occupation invitations are issued in the SkillSelect invitation round on 11 September 2020.
There have been zero or No invitations for:
- Accountant
- Auditors, Company Secretaries and Corporate Treasurers
- ICT Business and System Analysts
- Software and Applications Programmers
- Computer Network Professionals
This is very disappointing news for those who have put extra efforts to gain points.
Sources:
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/working-in-australia/skillselect/invitation-rounds
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/working-in-australia/skillselect/occupation-ceilings
https://www.workvisalawyers.com.au/news/all/critical-skills-sectors-pmsol.html
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