As Australia seeks to increase migration as part of its economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, here is some of the major immigration changes that have been announced.
December 30, 2021
December 30, 2021
As you will be aware, Australia has introduced health and safety measures and travel restrictions to prevent the spread of the novel Coronavirus.
We understand this may be confusing if you’re commencing your studies, so read the below information to find out if you are impacted by the changes, and where you can go for support.
Will I be impacted?
Anyone hoping to travel to and from Australia will be impacted by the recent changes as the Australian Government announced that:
- A travel ban will be placed on all non-residents and non-Australian citizens coming to Australia, effective from 9pm on Friday, 20 March 2020
- all Australian and residents will be able to return and are required to self-isolate for 14 days
- all Australians are advised to not travel overseas at this time. This is the highest advice level (level 4 of 4).
Information about Coronavirus is updated regularly, so it’s important to keep up to date with latest news from Australia.
For the latest information about the Coronavirus in Australia, visit these websites:
- World Health Organization: WHO website for information on protecting yourself from Coronavirus
- Department of Home Affairs website, for the latest news on Australia’s travel restrictions. You can view and download up-to-date information for all types of visa holders in English or Chinese (simplified).
- Study in Australia
International students in Australia
All travellers to Australia from midnight, 15 March 2020 are required to self-isolate for 14 days. Self-isolating means you’re required to stay in your local accommodation.
You’ll need to avoid going out into public spaces such as restaurants, supermarkets, workplaces, universities and any other public places that you will come into contact with people. Additionally, avoid receiving visitors into your home or local accommodation.
If you need more information on self-isolation, get more details by downloading the Isolation Guidance information sheet from the Department of Health website. If you need to use public transport (e.g. taxis, ride-hail services, train, buses and trams.), kindly follow the precautions listed in the public transport guide.
If you’re starting your studies during the time you’re required to self-isolate, contact your school or university to discuss your study options. Many universities have put in place measures to assist students who are required to self-isolate, such as delayed semester starts or online study options.
If you, or any friends and family start showing flu-like symptoms such as a cough, fever, sore throat or shortness of breath, it is important to contact your local doctor. You can also monitor your symptoms using the Coronavirus (COVID-19) symptom checker. Call before you visit and explain your symptoms and travel history to ensure they are prepared to receive you.
If you require immediate and urgent medical attention, you can call 000. Any ambulance and hospital fees will be covered by your Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).
These measures are put in place to limit the possibility of spreading the Coronavirus to the general population.
How do I get food and other essentials?
Ask others who are not in isolation to get food and other essentials for you. If you are new to the country and don’t know anyone who can help you, you can order your food and groceries online.
Food delivery and ordering apps
Happy Cow (vegan and vegetarian)
Groceries
Will this impact my university start date?
If you’re enrolled in Semester 1 2020 and unable to begin classes due to the travel bans or the 14-day self-isolation, you’ll need to get in touch with your university or school as soon as possible to discuss your enrolment.
Many Australian universities have delayed their semester start dates or have put in place changes to assist international students who have been impacted by the recent travel bans.
We recommend you contact your university or school as soon as possible to discuss your possible study options or deferring your studies to start at a later date.
You can also check out the following websites for current advice and information that may assist you:
Queensland University of Technology
The Australian National University
The University of Western Australia
University of Technology Sydney
Changes to student accommodation
If you have arranged for student accomodation and can’t travel into the country, then it’s vital you check in with your student accommodation about your next steps.
Some student accommodation providers may require you to provide additional information or may change or delay your accommodation arrangements.
Where can I go for support?
The outbreak of the novel Coronavirus presents an emotionally challenging situation for many international students. The spread of the virus may be causing you or your friends and family distress or anxiety, especially if you have loved ones in affected areas or have not been able to return home or to Australia because of the recent travel bans.
The Australian Government have created a dedicated and multi-lingual support service for international students. You can contact them via email or phone 1300 981 621 (8:00 am–8:00 pm AEDST Monday to Friday).
You can also visit the Australian Government Department of Education website to download the latest information, guides and FAQs for up-to-date general health and enrolment advice, where to access support services, and news on the latest immigration and border protection measures.
You can also access the links below:
Support for International Students affected by the Novel Coronavirus
Novel Coronavirus FAQ for International Students
Changes in international flight arrangements
If you have flight arrangements in place, your plans may be affected by travel bans or cancelled flights.
Many major airlines and countries are cancelling flights or restricting entry. If you have overseas travel plans, it’s important to regularly check your airline’s website or contact the airline directly for next steps and travel options at a later date.
Changes to IELTS testing
There are currently changes being made to IELTS testing. Visit the IELTS website to find out if the changes will affect you.
Good news for our clients; in the last skill select invitation round (being 11 October 2018) the number of invitations issued for the subclass 189 visa more than tripled. The total number of invitations went up from 2,490 to 4,340. That’s a significant 74% increase.
The point score cut-off remains 70, with the number of invitations sent out to those who claimed 70 points more than tripling from 605 to 1,903.
More good news for our clients in IT sector; the points required for “Software and Applications Programmers” and “Computer Network Professionals” dropped from 75 to 70 points.
The other capped occupation groups remain unchanged, with points required for Accountants and Auditors remaining at 80. This shows the high calibre of applicants in these occupations, many of whom have superior English skills and have completed a period of education in Australia.
Points required for Electronics, Mechanical, Industrial & Production engineers remains stable at 70. Points required for Environmental Engineers remains at 75 with Civil & Electrical Engineer occupations remaining uncapped.
Our clients on 70 points are receiving invitations, however, you can still expect to wait approximately 3 months. For our clients on fewer points, or who wish to obtain a faster invitation, state sponsorship still remains the best option.
There are currently many opportunities for potential immigrants in the general skilled migration program. Consulting and working with a qualified MARA migration agent will ensure that you receive the most up-to-date, professional and timely information, and that your application will be handled in accordance with best practice.
To enquire about a migration assessment, or if you have any questions, please feel free to contact MARA licensed migration agent Feriha Güney (MARN 0960690) or Australian Lawyer (NSW) Ceren Güney on +90 546 946 38 11 / +61 2 9232 7055 / +61 477 524 039. Alternatively, please feel free to email us at [email protected]
Tasmanian state government offer a new visa category that could provide visa-holders a pathway to Australian permanent residency.
Apart from the Skilled Independent visa that allows visa-holders to settle anywhere in Australia, different Australian states and territories have their own immigration programs which are run in accordance with their particular skills and economic requirements, under which the states nominate eligible applicants for skilled migration.
Tasmania, an island state off Australia’s south coast has introduced a new visa category for overseas applicants which will allow them to live and work in the state for four years and also offers a pathway to permanent residency in Australia.
Tasmania, an island state off Australia’s south coast has introduced a new visa category for overseas applicants which will allow them to live and work in the state for four years and also offers a pathway to permanent residency in Australia.
From 1 July this year, a new category for the Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (Subclass 489) has been introduced for Tasmanian state nomination for overseas applicants. They are eligible to apply for this category as offshore applicants.
Visa subclass 489 allows visa holders to live and work in Tasmania for up to four years.
A state nomination from Tasmania adds 10 points to a skilled visa applicant’s overall score required to qualify for a visa under Australia’s Department of Immigration and Border Protection point test.
After having lived in the state for at least two years and worked full-time (35 hours per week) for at least one year during their stay, visa holders become eligible to apply for permanent residency in Australia.
In order to apply for this visa, an applicant is required to nominate an occupation from Tasmania’s Skilled Occupation List and provide sufficient proof of employment opportunities in the state. Applicants can also secure a genuine offer of employment from employers.
More information send your CV or contact us.
The Short‑term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) will be applicable for Subclass 190 (Skilled—Nominated visa) or Subclass 489 (Skilled—Regional (Provisional) visa.
The Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) will be applicable for General Skilled migration visas – Subclass 189 (Skilled Independent Visa), Subclass 489 (Skilled Regional Provisional Visa who are not nominated by a State or Territory government agency) and Subclass 485 (Graduate Temporary Visa) visa applications.
Previously Australian government had announced from 1st of July 2017, many changes to 457 visa are coming in to effect that it will introduce some reforms to Australia’s temporary employer sponsored skilled migration programmes. The reforms were to include abolishing of Temporary (Skilled) (subclass 457) visa (457 visa) and replacing it with a completely new Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) visa from March 2018.
The changes from 1st July 2017
- For existing 457 visas, the STSOL (Short-Term Skilled Occupation List ) will be further reviewed on the bases of advice from the Department of Employment. The MLTSSL (Medium and Long-Term Strategic Skills List) will be revised based on outcomes from Department of Education and training’s 2017-18 SOL review.
- English language salary exemption threshold, which exempts applicants whose salary is over $96,400 from the English language requirement, will be removed.
- Policy settings about the training benchmark requirement will be made clearer in legislative instruments.
- Provision of penal clearance certificates will become mandatory.
- For existing 457 visas, before 31st December 2017, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection will start collecting the Tax File Numbers of 457 Visa holders and will match the data with Australian Tax Office’s record to make sure the visa holders are not paid less than their nominated salary.
- The Department will also commence the publication of details relating to sponsors sanctioned for failing to meet their obligations under the Migration Regulation 1994 and related legislation.
The Changes from March 2018
- From March 2018, the 457 visa will be abolished and replaced with the TSS visa.
- The TSS visa will be comprised of a Short-Term stream of up to two years, and a Medium-Term stream of up to four years.
- The Short-Term stream is designed for Australian businesses to fill skill gaps with foreign workers on a temporary basis, where a suitably skilled Australian worker cannot be sourced.
- The Medium-Term stream will allow employers to source foreign workers to address shortages in a narrower range of high skill and critical need occupations, where a suitably skilled Australian worker cannot be sourced.
The Short-Term stream will include the following criteria:
- Genuine entry: A genuine temporary entrant requirement.
- Renewal: Capacity for visa renewal onshore once only.
- Occupations:
- For non-regional Australia, the STSOL will apply.
- For regional Australia, the STSOL will apply, with additional occupations available to support regional employers.
- English language requirements: A requirement of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) (or equivalent test) score of 5, with a minimum of 4.5 in each test component.
The Medium-Term stream will include the following criteria:
- English language requirements: a requirement of a minimum of IELTS 5 (or equivalent test) in each test component.
- Renewal: Capacity for visa renewal onshore and a permanent residence pathway after three years.
- Occupation lists:
- For non-regional Australia – the MLTSSL will apply.
- For regional Australia – the MLTSSL will apply, with additional occupations available to support regional employers.
Eligibility criteria for both streams will be:
- Work experience: at least two years’ work experience relevant to the particular occupation.
- Labour market testing (LMT): LMT will be mandatory, unless an international obligation applies.
- Minimum market salary rate: Employers must pay the Australian market salary rate and meet the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold.
- Character: Mandatory penal clearance certificates to be provided.
- Workforce: A non-discriminatory workforce test to ensure employers are not actively discriminating against Australian workers.
Training requirement: Employers nominating a worker for a TSS visa will be required to pay a contribution to the Skilling Australians Fund. The contribution will be:
- payable in full at the time the worker is nominated;
- $1,200 per year or part year for small businesses (those with annual turnover of less than $10 million) and $1,800 per year or part year for other businesses.
The detailed policy settings for several of these requirements will be finalised through the implementation process. Further details on these requirements to inform stakeholders will be available in due course.
Who is affected?
- Current 457 visa applicants and holders, prospective applicants, businesses sponsoring skilled migrants and industry.
- Existing 457 visas continue to remain in effect.
- 457 visa applicants that had lodged their application on or before 18 April 2017, and whose application had not yet been decided, with an occupation that has been removed from the STSOL, may be eligible for a refund of their visa application fee.
- Nominating businesses for these applications may also be eligible for a refund of related fees.
Further information could be find at border.gov.au [contact-form-7 404 "Not Found"]
Skilled visa applications for 11 occupations were temporarily closed by the Victorian Government for certain ICT occupations from 11 November 2016 till 6 March 2017 which was later revised and extended till 30 June 2017.
The state government has announced that from 1 July 2017, the Victorian Skilled and Business Migration Program will reopen applications for ICT occupations.
New application process for ICT occupations
Due to the high number of ICT applications that Victoria receives, the state government is changing the application process for ICT occupations. The aim of this is to reduce processing times and improve experience.
Those interested in applying for Victorian nomination (in ICT occupations), are advised to follow these steps:
1. Send your resume to [email protected]
we will check you meet the Department of Immigration and Border Protection’s (DIBP) Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) requirements and Victoria’s minimum nomination requirements.
Then we will submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) for the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) in DIBP’s SkillSelect, and indicate your interest for Victorian nomination. You do not need to notify Victoria that you have submitted an EOI.
There is no set timeframe to expect an invitation after submitting an EOI. Invitations are not guaranteed. If selected, an email invitation to apply for Victorian visa nomination will be sent to your email address used for the EOI.
If you receive the invitation. we will submit an online application for Victorian visa nomination within 14 days of receiving the invitation. Note that you must be able to demonstrate that you still meet the claims that were in your EOI when you were invited. It is recommend that you have all your supporting documents ready before you submit your EOI in SkillSelect, as the 14 days cannot be extended.
If you are successfully nominated by the Victorian Government, you will receive a SkillSelect invitation to apply for the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) .
Then we will submit a visa application to DIBP within 60 days of being nominated by Victoria.
Selection considerations
The Victorian Government will review and select the top ranking ICT candidates from SkillSelect, who have indicated Victoria as their preferred state.
Candidates who are selected to apply are still required to meet Victoria’s minimum eligibility requirements, including demonstrating employability and commitment to Victoria, and are not guaranteed nomination.
If you are not selected by the Victorian Government, you will not receive an email. Your EOI will continue to be considered for as long as it remains in DIBP’s SkillSelect system.
Current Occupations eligible to apply for Victorian visa nomination
Australia’s Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) has released the new Skilled Occupations List (SOL) for 2016-17. The purpose of the country’s skilled migration programme is to attract “highly employable” people for migration, and it is the most common form of migration to Australia.
Australia is one of the biggest gainers through emigration, which is largely accomplished through its “skilled migration programme” which gives preference to skilled foreigners looking to make the country its new home.
The purpose of the country’s skilled migration programme is to attract “highly employable” people for migration, and it is the most common form of migration to Australia.
According to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) new guidelines, these are some of the skills that will give you preference for emigration to Australia.
There are over 185 jobs listed – below is a general overview of the types of skills.
The purpose of the country’s skilled migration programme is to attract “highly employable” people for migration, and it is the most common form of migration to Australia.
According to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) new guidelines, these are some of the skills that will give you preference for emigration to Australia.
There are over 185 jobs listed – below is a general overview of the types of skills.
- Chefs (excluding fast food or takeaway food services)
- Plumbers
- Gasfitters
- Panel beaters
- Carpenters
- Fitters and turners
- Welders
- Engineers (Chemical, Electrical, Aeronautical, Agricultural and many others)
- Telecoms (Network planners, Radio technicians, Engineers)
- Systems Analysts
- Programmers/Developers
- Computer Network and Systems Engineers
- Psychologists
- Doctors, Surgeons and medical specialists
- Registered Nurses and Midwives
- Veterinarians
- Actuaries, Auditors, Accountants
The Skilled Occupations List (SKO) is used for Skilled Independent Visa, Skilled Regional Provisional Visa and Graduate Temporary Visa applications.
In the same report, the DIBP has also released the Consolidated Sponsored Occupations List (CSO) which is used for Skilled Nominated Visa, Temporary Work Skilled Visa and Employer Nominated Scheme visa applications.
The CSO lists skills that companies in Australia are looking for, and employers or the state will sponsor for emigration into the country.
The full list for both classes can be found here: Australia SKO and CSOLists
I have a confession to make … I just hired an engineer from London for my company. While I have been a vocal proponent for remaining headquartered in Australia and keeping our engineering base local, this is no longer a tenable strategy. There simply isn’t enough tech talent to satisfy the demands of both corporate Australia and the growing technology start-up ecosystem. It’s all well and good that we keep talking about how great the future will be for technology companies in Australia, but that future won’t eventuate if we drop the ball in the here and now.
Jonathan Barouch, founder of Local Measure, says the fact that the immigration department takes up to eight weeks to process a 457 application for a software engineer is a joke.
The policies in the Innovation Statement to address the talent gap and improve gender diversity are sound.
However, by the government’s own admission, many of its policies will take at least a decade to bear any fruit. So what can we do in the meantime to satisfy the demand for talented technical staff in Australian technology companies?
Draw talent to Australia
We have around 300,000 foreign students in our tertiary institutions, many from China and India who come to Australia to study degrees like software engineering and maths. We need to do a better job at selling Australia to these students as a permanent home. A Sydney University lecturer recently told me that historically Chinese students would come to study in Australia and then use that as a path to migrate. Anecdotally, she’s finding that many of the business and engineering students are now more excited by the prospect of being an entrepreneur back in China than by the idea of remaining in Australia.
If that is the case, we need to shift these students’ perceptions by showcasing the exciting companies and opportunities that exist locally. There has been a lot of debate about the merit of the government’s $28 million taxpayer-funded Innovation Statement marketing. Some of this money might be better spent outside Australia promoting our country as a destination to the world’s top tech talent and companies. We might have had a bigger bang for our buck by simply renting billboards on the 101 between San Francisco and Silicon Valley publicising jobs Down Under.
Make 457 visas simpler
Given all the talk about simplifying our 457 regime to help start-ups access critical talent, it’s surprising that we’ve yet to see any action. The fact that the immigration department takes up to eight weeks to process a 457 application for a software engineer is a joke. Technology companies in every other country are fighting for the same talent and we are missing out on the best and brightest because of government process.
I recently tried to move an engineer to Australia on a 457 visa. The process was time-consuming and expensive and took the full eight weeks to get approved. In stark contrast, we had an Australian employee organising an E3 visa to work in our US office at the same time. The process was able to be done online and his visa was approved on the spot at the US consulate. This seems like a perfect problem for the government’s Digital Transformation Office to tackle.
Send talent overseas
While it may sound counter-intuitive, we need to support some of our smartest to go overseas to gain valuable experience that can then be brought back home. In my company, Local Measure, we have team members who’ve had experience working in large technology companies in Silicon Valley, China and Europe as they scale. The amount of knowledge and proficiency they transfer to their colleagues significantly de-risks our business as we expand overseas.
Let’s create a program where there is an incentive in the first few years of returning to Australia after having worked in a qualifying technology company overseas. This might have the added benefit of attracting back some of Silicon Valley’s so-called “Aussie mafia”.
It is a very encouraging sign for the health of our ecosystem that so many people in the wider community are now talking about start-ups and innovation. In all of the excitement to lay the proper foundations for future growth let’s not forget about the issues facing our companies in the here and now.
source: www.afr.com
