The Department of Home Affairs has sent out the first round of invitations for the 2020-2021 program year on 14 July 2020.
This first round of invitation for the subclass 189 and 491 (family-sponsored) is a positive indication that the monthly invitation rounds will continue.
At the current time, the subclass 190 and 491 state sponsored visas are still on hold.
Invitations for subclass 189 Visas
The Department has invited 189 visa applicants not only from health sectors but also some engineers with a minimum of 90 EOI points. A total of 500 invitations were issued in July 2020.
The engineering professionals invited this round are:
- 233111 Chemical Engineer
- 233211 Civil Engineer
- 233411 Electronics Engineer
- 263311 Telecommunications Engineer
- 233311 Electrical Engineer
254499 Registered Nurses were also invited in this round with 90 EOI points.
Unfortunately, no invitations have been sent out for Accountant, Auditor or ICT occupations.
Invitations for subclass 491 Visas – Family Sponsored Stream
In the July round, the Department also sent out 100 invitations for the 491 visa under the Family-Sponsored Stream. The minimum point cut off score to be invited was 95 points.
With State Nomination for the subclass 190 and 491 currently closed, 491 family sponsored stream may be another option for GSM applicants. Applicants can claim 15 points if they are sponsored by eligible relatives.
Sponsorship by an eligible relative
Your sponsor must be:
- 18 years old or older
- usually resident in a designated area of Australia
- be an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen
- be your eligible relative or your partner’s eligible relative if your partner is also applying for this visa
An eligible relative can be:
- a parent
- a child or step-child
- a brother, sister, adoptive brother, adoptive sister, step-brother or step-sister
- an aunt, uncle, adoptive aunt, adoptive uncle, step-aunt or step-uncle
- a nephew, niece, adoptive nephew, adoptive niece, step-nephew or step-niece
- a grandparent, or
- a first cousin
If you have no relatives in designated area of Australia, then you can seek state sponsorship when they open again. Follow our article here for updates on the GSM program for 2020-21.
Click here to learn more about the 491 state-sponsored visa.
Our View
The Federal Government now appears to have a consistent practice/policy over the last four months, of inviting just for critical skills industries, This seems to be mostly Engineering and of course, medical related occupations. We understand that it will be very disappointing for many people that have been planning general skilled migration applications through the SkillSelect system for a range of non-critical skilled occupations such as accountants, marketing specialists, human resource managers and trades including cooks and chefs. The changes are very much related to the Federal Government reacting to the COVID-19 pandemic.
We look forward to a time when the Australian government returns to giving invitations for a wide range of occupations.
Previous Invitation Round - April 2020
The invitation round in April 2020 was the first invitation round after the Australian borders closed in March. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Australian immigration was evident in the April 2020 round which saw extremely low invitation numbers and increased minimum points of 95.
In that round, Accountants required a minimum point score of 100.
The July round is a positive step for immigration and the potential opening of the General Skilled Migration for state nomination of the 190 and 491 visas.
Follow our article here for updates on the GSM program, including when the program re-opens.
Do you need help?
Our team of experienced Immigration Lawyers and Migration Agents look forward to assisting you with your Australian visa or appeal.
Based in Adelaide South Australia, we provide Australian Immigration advice to people and businesses from all over the world.
If you require further information regarding your Australia visa options you can contact us through:
(08) 8351 9956 or +61 8 8351 9956 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Sources:
https://www.workvisalawyers.com.au/news/all/gsm-closed-indefinitely.html
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/working-in-australia/skillselect/invitation-rounds
