Immigration SA has announced that there will be changes for its State Nominated Occupation List (SNOL) effective from 4 July 2016. As part of the changes the online application system will be closed and unavailable during the following times:

30 June 2016 – 9 a.m. onwards until 4 July 2016 after 12 p.m.

All online applications that are saved but not submitted with payment will be deleted after 9 a.m. on 30 June 2016. You will need to prepare a new application thereafter.

From 4 July 2016 onwards the new SNOL may indicate some occupations to be suitable only for a subclass 489 nomination. Some occupations may also have new requirements in relation to English and work experience.

Increase in requirements for offshore ICT visa applicants seeking SA state nomination

Starting from 4 July 2016 all offshore applicants with an ICT occupation will be required to meet 70 points under the Skill Select points test (including State Nomination points – 5 points for subclass 190; 10 points for subclass 489). You will be required to meet all other state nomination criteria as well. Immigration SA may adjust this requirement according to the number of applications received after the change is implemented.

The higher points requirement will not apply if you are:

• applying as an international graduate of South Australia
• currently working in South Australia in a skilled occupation

There are more requirements in relation to applications with an ICT occupation here. Please ensure you meet all requirements before submitting an application.

Sources:

1. http://www.migration.sa.gov.au/news-events/news-releases/revised-south-australian-state-nominated-occupation-list-from-4-july-2016
2. http://www.migration.sa.gov.au/upload/publications/Skilled-Migrants/Instructions-for-state-nomination-applications-for-ICT-occupations.pdf

Comments by Chris Johnston – Principal Lawyer and Registered Migration Agent at Work Visa Lawyers

It is helpful that Immigration SA has announced the incoming changes early. Applicants should take note that while the online system will be closed on 30 June 2016, the system may experience a heavy load of users from now until then. This may cause the online system to be slow or prone to loading errors. You are advised to complete the online applications and make payment as early as possible to avoid any potential interruptions and delays.

It may also be worth considering that changes by one Australian state or territory are often followed by others. As such ICT professionals may now find state/territory sponsorship opportunities limited. Please seek advice and plan ahead for your visa applications as we near the end of the financial year for 2015-16.

This information is accurate on 10 June 2016

Do you need help with an Australian visa application?

At Work Visa Lawyers we are experienced in assisting applicants in all matters relating to Australian visa applications. Our areas of expertise include Skilled Migration visas, Business Skills Migration visas, Employer Sponsored Work Visas, Partner and other Family Migration visas as well as the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) Review, Judicial Review and Ministerial Intervention.

If you require further information regarding your Australia visa options you can contact us through:

(08) 8351 9956 or +61 8 8351 9956

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The New South Wales (NSW) Trade and Investment Department will be implementing an invitation-only selection for its Skilled Nominated 190 state sponsorship programme starting February 2015. Here are the key points:

Candidates will be selected based on:

• highest points claimed in Expression of Interest (EOI) submitted to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP); followed by
• level of English competency (based on acceptable English exams); followed by
• skilled employment
  If all criteria are equal, candidates will be selected based on date of submission of EOI
• Candidates must indicate interest for NSW state sponsorship in their EOI application
• Upon receiving an invitation from NSW candidates must submit an online application within 14 days
• Once state sponsorship is approved after 12 weeks, candidates lodge their visa application with DIBP as per current procedures

The NSW Trade and Investment Department will decide how many candidates to invite at an ongoing basis. The Occupation List for NSW will be published in February 2015. There are no other changes announced for the Skilled Regional (Provisional) and Business Skills visas nomination criteria at the moment.

Comments by Chris Johnston – Principal Lawyer and Registered Migration Agent at Work Visa Lawyers

It is advisable to lodge your EOI soonest as there may be many candidates tied with the same criteria being considered for the NSW state sponsorship, especially in the 65 to 70 points group.

This new process will probably be an improvement of the previous system. The previous system was very frustrating and wastes a huge amount of time. The NSW application would open for only a few hours before being filled. The time pressure and large number of applicants would overwhelm the system, adding more confusion.

While the new process would be smoother, the underlying problem will remain. NSW only has a small number of state nomination positions for the entire programme year (4,000 places for 2014-15). NSW is the most populous state in Australia with a population of over 7,439,000 people so demand will be greater than supply. I would estimate that over 15000 or more candidates will be competing for the positions. It will still be very difficult to get NSW nomination for many.

As such visa applicants are urged to consider all other alternatives available for them to proceed with a visa application. You can read about possible alternatives here. The state of South Australia has unique and interesting options for state sponsorship as well that are worth considering.

Source:

NSW Trade and Investment website

http://www.trade.nsw.gov.au/live-and-work-in-nsw/visas-and-immigration/skilled-nominated-migration-190/nsw-nomination-process-in-2015

This information is accurate on the 3 February 2015. State sponsorship requirements and DIBP visa application criteria can change and all current requirements must be established prior to lodging an application.

Do You Need Help?

At Work Visa Lawyers we are experienced in assisting applicants with visa applications for Skilled Migration including Independent and State Sponsored visas, state sponsorship applications as well as employer-sponsored visas.

If you require further information regarding a review or your appeal options you can contact us through:

 (08) 7225 5091 or +61 8 7225 5091

or   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

New Fees Applicable for Immigration SA State Sponsorship Applications

Immigration SA has announced that there will be fees chargeable for SA state sponsorship applications starting possibly as soon as 16 March 2015. Below is the email notification sent by Immigration SA:

Comments by Chris Johnston – Principal Lawyer at Work Visa Lawyers:

It seems to be a regrettable trend that DIBP and State agencies are raising their fees.

In the short term, one response to the Immigration SA fees could be to try to lodge an application before the fees come into play, after the 15 March 2015.

Source:

Immigration SA Newsletter

http://us8.campaign-archive2.com/?u=20d640fb2433c8647afb2f3b2&id=9cd137cbf4&e=74bc89fd9d

This information is accurate on the 22 January 2015.  DIBP and Immigration SA will change requirements in an ongoing manner and all current requirements must be established prior to lodging an application.

Do You Need Help?

At Work Visa Lawyers we are experienced in assisting applicants with visa applications and state sponsorship applications such as skilled visa and business visa nominations.

If you require further information regarding your current visa options you can contact us through:

 (08) 7225 5091 or +61 8 7225 5091

or   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Change on South Australian State Nominated Occupation Lists

The Status of the occupation ‘Corporate Services Manager’ has been updated to medium availability.

So if you want to do a state nominated 190 or 489 application for Corporate Services Manager, you should get in quick while it is still on the list.

Source:

Immigration SA:

http://www.migration.sa.gov.au/skilled-migrants/state-nominated-occupation-lists

This information is accurate on the 13 December 2014.  Immigration SA and DIBP will change requirements in an ongoing manner and all current requirements must be established prior to lodging an application. 

Do You Need Help?

At Work Visa Lawyers we are experienced in assisting applicants with the Expression of Interest, State Sponsorship and Visa application process for state sponsored subclasses 190 and 489.  We can also assist with the Independent 189.

If you require further information regarding an application or your Australian visa options you can contact us through:

 (08) 7225 5091 or +61 8 7225 5091  

or  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Have you missed State sponsorship for a 190 in NSW or Victoria? Here are 10 options to consider!

This is not an exhaustive list of options, but it may be a helpful starting point to turn your focus the possible options. 

1. Check the lists of other States and Territories for your occupation to see if you can obtain sponsorship somewhere else in Australia

Here are links to the relevant authorities:

Australian Capital Territory
www.canberrayourfuture.com.au/portal/migrating/article/skilled-visas/

New South Wales
http://www.business.nsw.gov.au/live-and-work-in-nsw

Northern Territory
http://www.migration.nt.gov.au/

Queensland

http://migration.qld.gov.au/

South Australia
https://www.migration.sa.gov.au

Tasmania

http://www.migration.tas.gov.au/

Victoria
http://www.liveinvictoria.vic.gov.au/visas-and-immigrating/state-nomination

Western Australia

Skilled visas

http://www.migration.wa.gov.au/services/skilled-migration-wa

 Business visas

http://www.businessmigration.wa.gov.au/

2. Try to secure a position with an employer to sponsor you for a 457, RSMS or ENS

The acceptable positions for a 457 and ENS are on the CSOL.

http://www.immi.gov.au/Work/Pages/skilled-occupations-lists/csol.aspx

The RSMS is available for all skill level 1, 2 and 3 positions.

Here is a link to an explanation of to skills levels:

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/Lookup/1220.0Chapter32013,%20Version%201.2

3. Are you eligible for a Graduate Visa (485) or Skilled—Recognised Graduate visa (subclass 476) for Engineering Graduates?

These are great visas to allow you the time to get a relevant job to boost your chances of applying for a skilled visa.

You can try to get one year of skilled experience towards an occupation on the SOL or CSOL.

You could also try to get a job with an employer, who may be able to sponsor you for a skilled visa.

4. Are you able to apply for a Working Holiday Visa (417) or a Work and Holiday Visa (462)?

These visas are only eligible for a select number of countries.

You will have to apply from outside Australia.

5. Consider further studies – with a view to obtaining a qualification in line with the current SOL and CSOL

Here are links to the SOL and CSOL:

http://www.immi.gov.au/Work/Pages/skilled-occupations-lists/sol.aspx

http://www.immi.gov.au/Work/Pages/skilled-occupations-lists/csol.aspx

6. If you study a suitable course in a Regional Area full time for two years then you may get up to five points for Regional study towards the subclass 190 or 489.

From the Immigration site:

“Study in regional Australia

You can receive five points if each of the following applied:

- you met the Australian Study requirement

- if you have lived and studied in regional Australia or a low population-growth metropolitan area

none of the study undertaken constituted distance education.

7. If you study in a Regional area then you have a greater chance of securing state sponsorship, because the lists are more generous.

As mentioned above, you can check the lists of the various states and territories.

8. Consider studying a further course in Tasmania that will give you an occupation on the SOL or CSOL

The state or territory lists tend to be more generous in Regional areas.  Tasmania is very proactive in sponsoring its graduates and so offers a great opportunity for those who want to maximise there chance of sponsorship with then finish their studies. 

9.. Do you have a family member in SA who could sponsor you for Chain Migration?

The details for chain migration are provided on the Immigration SA website.

They include that:

          “Chain Migration is a state nomination pathway for applicants who have an immediate family member permanently residing in South Australia.”

“12.6.1 The family member residing in South Australia must be the applicant’s grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, brother or sister. Applicants can still apply if it’s a step or adoptive parent / sibling.

12.6.2 The family member must be over 18 years of age.

12.6.3 The family member in South Australia must be either an Australian Permanent Resident or an Australian Citizen.

12.6.4 The family member must be currently residing in South Australia and have resided in South Australia for the last twelve months.”

Further details can be found at:

https://www.migration.sa.gov.au/eligibility_requirements

10. Contact a Registered Migration Agent and Migration Institute of Australia member, for a professional opinion on your visa options

Here is a link the the Migration Institute of Australia, which lists relevant Agents.

http://www.mia.org.au/

I am a qualified Lawyer, Registered Migration Agent and a Member of the MIA and can provide you with professional advice on your options.

Here are my contact details:

 (08) 7225 5091 or +61 8 7225 5091  

or   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sources:

DIBP website and State and Territory Websites.

Warning:

 This information is accurate on the 22 October 2014.  State/Territory Bodies and DIBP will change requirements in an ongoing manner and all current requirements must be established prior to lodging an application. 

Do You Need Help?

At Work Visa Lawyers we are experience in assisting applicants with the Expression of Interest, State Sponsorship and Visa application process for state sponsored subclasses 190 and 489.  We can also assist with the Independent 189.

If you require further information regarding an application or your Australian visa options

you can contact us through:

 (08) 7225 5091 or +61 8 7225 5091  

or   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.