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Sunday, June 16, 2013

Four year Temporary Graduate skilled visa subclass 485

Changes were made to the Temporary Skilled Graduate (subclass 485) visa, from 23 March 2013.
 
You can apply for Four year temporary graduate skilled visa subclass 485 in the Post-Study Work stream if you:

  • applied for, and were granted, your first student visa to Australia on or after 5 November 2011
  • have completed an eligible qualification from an Australian educational institution
  • meet the two year Australian study requirement in the past six months.

First student visa

This stream is only available to you if you applied for, and were granted, your first Student visa to Australia on or after 5 November 2011. If you applied for and were granted any Student visa to Australia (including subclasses 560, 562, 570, 571, 572, 573, 574, 575, 576 or 580) before 5 November 2011, as either the main applicant or the family member of an applicant, you will not be able to apply in this stream.

Qualifications

In the past six months you must have completed one or more of the following qualifications at an Australian educational institution:
  • bachelor degree
  • bachelor degree with honours
  • masters by coursework degree
  • masters (extended) degree
  • masters by research degree
  • doctoral degree.

When is your course completed?

Qualifications are considered to have been completed when your educational institution publicly notifies you that you have met the requirements for the award of the qualification, for example, in a completion letter. Submission of a thesis, or completion of exams, is not sufficient.
This date should not be confused with the date of conferral of your award. The date of conferral is the date that you actually receive your degree, diploma or trade qualification, for example, at a graduation ceremony.

Australian study requirement

In the six months before you apply, you must meet the Australian study requirement. This means that you must have completed one or more courses registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS).
Your course must:
  • result in the award of a bachelors, masters or doctoral degree
  • be conducted in English
  • be at least two academic years (92 weeks) duration
  • be lawfully completed in no less than 16 months
  • be completed at an Australian educational institution in Australia.
English language proficiency courses or enabling programs cannot be used to meet the Australian study requirement.
If you complete a graduate diploma or graduate certificate in a packaged, nested or articulating course leading to an eligible qualification, you can use that study towards meeting the two-year study requirement. For example, you can count a Graduate Diploma in Educational Studies leading to a Master of Education.
You can only use study that leads to an eligible qualification. If you complete a degree and then take a graduate diploma or graduate certificate course, the diploma or certificate course cannot be used to meet the two-year study requirement.

How does the duration of your course count towards this requirement?

You can use CRICOS to find the registered duration of a course. The department will use the same information. A course that is listed on CRICOS as having a 92-week duration is considered to meet the requirement of two academic years.
The department will credit you only with the duration that is listed on CRICOS, even if you take longer to complete your course. Failed subjects and parts of courses taken outside Australia do not count.
If your educational institution awards you credit towards a qualification on the basis of prior learning, that credit may count towards meeting the two-year requirement, but only if the prior learning was in Australia, was in a CRICOS-registered course, and is used only once to meet the Australian study requirement for a visa.
If you take overlapping courses for separate qualifications (for example, a Masters in Finance and a Masters in Accounting), the period of overlap can only be counted once towards the two-year requirement.
You cannot count any studies outside Australia towards the Australian study requirement. The only courses you can count towards the Australian study requirement are those that are completed in Australia.

 
Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa
Changes were made to the Temporary Skilled Graduate (subclass 485) visa, from 23 March 2013.
This visa was renamed the Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa.
Students may be eligible to apply for a subclass 485 visa through either the Graduate Work stream or the Post-Study Work stream, depending on their individual circumstances.
Information regarding the subclass 485 visa is available.
All subclass 485 visa applicants must meet the Australian study requirement in the six months immediately prior to making their visa application, regardless of the stream that they are assessed under.
The Australian study requirement
The Australian study requirement has two equally important and related components. To meet this requirement, students must have:
1)    attained either a single qualification requiring at least two academic years study or multiple qualifications resulting in a total period of at least two academic years study; and
2)    undertaken this study in no less than 16 months.
For both streams of the subclass 485 visa, the Australian study requirement must have been met in the six months immediately before making a visa application.
Acceptable courses
To meet this requirement, the course/courses must also:
·       be registered through the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Course for Overseas Students (CRICOS)
·       have been successfully completed
·       have resulted in an eligible qualification (see page 3 for further detail)
·       have had all instruction in English
·       have been completed while physically in Australia
·       have been completed while holding a visa allowing study in Australia
·       be counted only once towards the Australian study requirement.
English language proficiency courses or enabling programs cannot be used to meet the Australian study requirement.

 Two academic years study
Two academic years study is defined as 92 weeks of study in a course or courses registered by CRICOS. CRICOS determines a standard duration (number of weeks) for each course.
Students may take longer to complete the course, but will only be credited with the number of weeks that CRICOS determines as a standard duration. For example, if it takes a student 92 weeks to successfully complete a course that CRICOS says should take 78 weeks, they will receive credit for 78 weeks only.
Only study that is successfully completed counts towards the two academic years. Failed subjects will not be considered.
Students may meet the two year academic study requirement when completing a course that is longer than two years. For example, if a course is CRICOS registered for 138 weeks (three years) and consists of 24 equally weighted units, two academic years will be met when 16 units of that course have been successfully completed.

Credits and exemptions
Credits for prior learning may reduce the amount of study undertaken. Credit granted on the basis of study undertaken in Australia in a course registered with CRICOS may contribute towards meeting the Australian study requirement, but only once.

The credited units cannot be counted towards meeting the Australian study requirement if they are already being used to meet the requirement as part of another course or if they were granted on the basis of study undertaken either overseas or within Australia in a non-CRICOS registered course.

Minimum of 16 months
The Australian study requirement cannot be met in less than 16 months.
This period begins when the study commences (generally from the start of lectures and excluding orientation periods) to the date at which all academic requirements have been completed.

Overlap of qualifications
Students may undertake overlapping qualifications. For example, students applying under the Graduate Work stream of the subclass 485 visa may complete a Diploma in Finance and then a Diploma in Accounting where two units in the last qualification have been granted as credit from the earlier qualification.

Where qualifications overlap, periods of study cannot be counted more than once.

If a student completes more than one qualification, but uses only the most recent qualification to meet the Australian study requirement, then any credit received in the most recent qualification from the previous qualification(s) will count towards meeting the Australian study requirement.

The actual period of study within the previous qualification(s) on which the credits were based may also be used to meet the 16 month requirement.

Study outside Australia
Study undertaken outside Australia cannot be used to satisfy the Australian study requirement. However, if a student undertook some study overseas but nevertheless completed at least two academic years of study in no less than 16 months in Australia in a CRICOS registered course, they can still meet the Australian study requirement.

Example
An applicant who undertook a three year, six semester Bachelor degree following the study pattern mentioned below will have completed two academic years study in Australia:
·       semester 1 outside Australia
·       semester 2 in Australia
·       semester 3 in Australia
·       semester 4 in Australia
·       semester 5 outside Australia
·       semester 6 in Australia
The pattern of study does not matter as long as the Australian study requirement is met.

Completion date
Subclass 485 visa applications must be lodged within six months of the date of course completion.

The date of course completion is the first date on which the educational institution publicly notifies the student that they have met the requirements for the award of their degree, diploma or trade qualification. This notification can occur by:
·       letter
·       publication in a newspaper
·       publication on the internet
·       email
·       bulletin board at the tertiary institution.
This date should not be confused with the date of conferral of award. The date of conferral is the date that the student actually receives their qualification, for example, at a graduation ceremony.
Applying under the Post-Study Work stream
The following provides information about the Australian study requirement specific to subclass 485 visa applicants under the Post-Study Work stream.

Eligible qualifications
To meet the Australian study requirement, the course/courses must have resulted in an eligible qualification. The eligible qualifications differ depending on which stream of the subclass 485 visa the applicant selects.
For the purposes of applying for a subclass 485 visa under the Post-Study Work stream, only study that results in the conferral of an eligible degree level qualification will be considered. An eligible degree level qualification is a:
·       Bachelor degree
·       Bachelor (honours) degree
·       Masters by coursework degree
·       Masters (extended) degree
·       Masters by research degree
·       Doctoral degree

Study resulting in a diploma level qualification or trade qualification will not be considered.

As an example a student may complete a one year Bachelor degree followed by a one year Masters degree and meet the Australian study requirement under the Post-Study Work stream, provided the other components of the requirement are satisfied.

Study must be at a certain level
Only study undertaken at Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Level 7 or above (Bachelor degree level or above), which leads to the conferral of an eligible degree level qualification, may be considered towards meeting the Australian study requirement. An eligible degree level qualification is a Bachelor degree, Masters by coursework degree, Masters (extended) degree, Masters by research degree or Doctoral degree.
This means that degree level courses which are packaged with a Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma course may be considered, provided they otherwise meet the Australian study requirement.
Example
Students who complete a Graduate Diploma in Educational Studies which articulates (or leads) into a Master of Education are able to use both the study at the Graduate Diploma and at the Masters level towards meeting this requirement.
Example
Students who complete a Bachelor of Arts and then a Graduate Diploma in Asia-Pacific Studies will only have study undertaken at the Bachelor degree level considered, as the Graduate Diploma did not contribute towards the conferral of an eligible degree level qualification.
Study must be at an eligible education provider
All courses used to satisfy the Australian study requirement must have been undertaken at an eligible Australian university or any other education provider accredited to offer degree level programs.
Applying under the Graduate Work stream
The following provides information about the Australian study requirement specific to subclass 485 visa applicants under the Graduate Work stream.
Eligible qualifications
To meet the Australian study requirement, the course/courses must have resulted in an eligible qualification. The eligible qualifications differ depending on which stream of the subclass 485 visa the applicant selects.
For the purposes of applying for a subclass 485 under the Graduate Work stream, the course/courses must have resulted in a degree, diploma or trade qualification. For example, a student may complete two consecutive Diploma level courses and satisfy the Australian study requirement under the Graduate Work stream, provided the other components of the requirement are satisfied.

 Qualifications must be closely related to nominated occupation
The qualification(s) completed must be closely related to the student’s nominated skilled occupation. This means the subject matter and the skills gained from the qualifications can be applied at the level achieved in the nominated skilled occupation.
Example
Acceptable combinations of study and nominated occupations include:
·       an applicant who nominates ‘Pharmacist’ as their skilled occupation and completes a Bachelor of Pharmacy in Australia
·       an applicant who nominates ‘Air-conditioning and Mechanical Services Plumber’ as their skilled occupation who has completed a Certificate III in Plumbing and a Diploma of Plumbing and Services in Australia
Example
A combination of study and nominated occupation that would not be acceptable:
·       An applicant’s nominated occupation is Registered Nurse but they satisfied the Australian study requirement on the basis of having completed a Bachelor of Commerce.

Monday, June 10, 2013

Australian SOL Updated

Australia Updates Skilled Occupation List for 2013

Tuesday, June 04, 2013

The Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has announced that a new Skilled Occupation List (SOL) will apply from 1 July 2013 with 5 occupations to be removed.

The updated SOL is based on expert advice from the independent body, the Australian Workforce Productivity Agency (previously known as Skills Australia). The updated SOL for 2013 comprises 187 high value occupations in Australia, with 5 following occupations to be removed:

  • Hospital Pharmacist (ANZSCO 251511)
  • Retail Pharmacist (ANZSCO 251513)
  • Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (Avionics) (ANZSCO 323111)
  • Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (Mechanical) (ANZSCO 323112)
  • Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (Structures) (ANZSCO 323113)
The updated SOL will be effective on 1 July 2013. It will apply to all new independent (unsponsored) and family sponsored skilled visa applications lodged on or after 1 July 2013 unless they are from applicants eligible for transitional arrangements.

The SOL determines which occupations are eligible for independent and family sponsored skilled migration. The SOL is reviewed by the Australian Workforce Productivity Agency on an annual basis in order to ensure that it meets the needs of the Australian labour market. The SOL will continue to deliver a skilled migration program that is focused on high value skills and responsive to future economic conditions and skill needs.

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Expression of Interest: EOI

What is EOI:

From 1 July 2012, all intending migrants interested in the points based skilled migration or business investment and innovation visa programs will be required to submit an EOI and receive an invitation in order to lodge a visa application.

An EOI is not a visa application, it is an indication that you would like to be considered for a skilled visa.

You will be asked to provide a range of information in your EOI depending on the visa(s) you want to be considered for, such as:
  • basic personal information
  • nominated occupation
  • work experience
  • study and education
  • level of English skills
  • details of a Skills Assessment, related to your nominated occupation
  • business and investment experience.
For more details on what questions and information you will need to supply in your EOI, you should refer to the webpage for the visa(s) you are interested in. 

Points Test
For the points based skilled migration and business innovation and investment visa programs , you will be ranked according to the appropriate points test. You will be able to submit an EOI even if you do not meet the pass mark; however, you will not be invited to apply for a visa. For information about how to calculate the points test, you should refer to the points test tab on the webpage for the visa you are interested in.

It is important to remember that meeting the points test pass mark does not guarantee you an invitation to apply for a visa.

If you select the subclass 190 or 489 visa(s) you will receive the appropriate points for nomination or sponsorship. For example if you select the 190 visa subclass you will receive 5 points which will be added to your points score. Your points score based on your claims in your EOI will then be displayed before you submit your EOI.

Nominated Occupation
If you are submitting an EOI for a visa that requires you to list a nominated occupation you should establish if your occupation is a skill that Australia needs. You can do this by checking the Skilled Occupation Lists. You must provide details of a Skills Assessment relating to your nominated occupation in your EOI.

What you need to do before submitting your EOI

While you don’t need to submit documents supporting your claims when you submit your EOI, you must have a range of information prepared.
For example, for an independent skilled visa you must have:

  • completed a skills assessment and/or a job ready program
  • taken an English-language test to prove you meet the English language requirement.
For details on what information you need to provide on your EOI, you should refer to the webpages for the visa(s) you are expressing interest in. 

Submitting an EOI

If you have researched your visa options and prepared the information required, you are ready to submit an EOI. All EOIs must be completed online using SkillSelect. You start your EOI by selecting the “submit an EOI” button on this website.

There is no fee to submit an EOI in SkillSelect.When you complete your EOI the system will give you a points score and results based on your claims.

Your result and points score, along with your time and date of effect becomes your ranking for some visas.  The time and date of effect of your EOI, is the date and time you submitted your EOI or the latest date and time you updated your EOI causing your eligibility or points score to change. Rankings are processed automatically by SkillSelect with no involvement of the department’s staff.

To submit a complete EOI you must meet all the threshold criteria for the relevant visa subclass yo uexpress interest in. If you do not meet the threshold criteria, you will have to deselect the visa before you can submit a complete EOI.

Once you have completed your EOI, it is stored in SkillSelect and is valid for two years.
If you have not completed your EOI it will be stored for two years, but you will not be eligible to receive an invitation.

After submitting an EOI

After you submit your completed EOI, you will receive notification from SkillSelect.

You can access your EOI and update your information at any time. You may wish to do this if you have gained new work experience, gained a higher qualification, improved your English language ability and/or changed your family composition. If you provide updated information which changes your points score or your ability to make a complete EOI, SkillSelect will update your ranking and ability to be considered for an invitation automatically.

It is your responsibility to access your EOI and update your details if your circumstances change. You will not be able to update your EOI after you have received an invitation. Your invitation to lodge a visa application is based only on the information presented in your EOI.

Your invitation to lodge a visa application is based on only on the information presented in your EOI. If you lodge a visa application and your points score is less than claimed in your EOI and invitation letter, your visa will be refused even if you are able to pass the points test or meet other threshold criteria. You will not receive a refund of any visa application charge if your visa application is refused.

If you receive an invitation and your points have decreased or your personal information is not accurate, you do not have to proceed to make an application. You should correct the information in your EOI and wait to receive another invitation.


Suspending, withdrawing or removing an EOI

Suspending an EOI

If you are unable to access your EOI for a length of time, then you can choose to suspend your EOI. While this will not extend the validity of your EOI it will stop you receiving invitations or contacts that you cannot act on, and will avoid your EOI being removed while you are, for example, on holiday and receive two invitations during that time.

If you receive an invitation, your EOI will be suspended automatically so your EOI cannot be considered for any subsequent invitation rounds or be available to employers to search for and contact you. Your EOI will remain suspended until such a time that you lodge a visa application and that application is finally determined or 60 days ceases and you do not lodge a valid visa application.  During this time you can view your EOI and your correspondence, but cannot update your answers on your EOI or select different visa types. 

Withdrawing an EOI
You can withdraw your EOI at any time by accessing your SkillSelect account and selecting the option “Withdraw EOI”. If you withdraw your EOI it will be permanently removed from SkillSelect. 

Removing an EOI
If you receive two invitations and you do not lodge a visa application in response to either of these invitations, your EOI will be removed from SkillSelect.

Your EOI will be removed automatically if it expires. Submitted EOIs expire after two years.  EOIs that are begun, but are never submitted as a complete EOI will also be removed automatically two years after they are commenced.

If you do not comply with the terms and conditions of SkillSelect, your EOI can be removed by the department at any time. You will be asked to read and agree to the terms and conditions when you register for a SkillSelect account. 

If you have a decision on a substantive visa application
If you are granted, refused or withdraw a permanent visa or a 489 or 188 provisional visa application, your EOI will be removed from SkillSelect.

If you are granted, refused or withdraw a temporary visa application, your EOI will remain in SkillSelect for future selection unless it is withdrawn, expires, or is removed.

Invitation and selection process 

Depending on what type of visa(s) you want to be considered for, you may receive an invitation to lodge a visa application, or an Australian employer may contact you to discuss a job opportunity. 

Occupation ceilings
An occupation ceiling may be applied to invitations issued under the points based skilled migration program. This means there will be a limit on how many EOIs are selected for skilled migration from an occupation group. This ensures that the skilled migration program is not dominated by a small number of occupations.

When this limit is reached, no further invitations for that particular occupation group will be issued for that program year. Invitations would then be issued to other EOIs who have nominated available occupations even if they are lower ranking. For the state and territory nominated visas, a state or territory will not be able to nominate you if your nominated occupation has reached its occupation ceiling.

You can view the occupation ceilings on the Reports page. 

Independent and family sponsored visas

Invitations will be issued automatically to people with the highest ranking EOIs, subject to occupation ceilings and to those whose points score exceed the current pass mark.

The points test pass mark is the minimum number of points required to receive an invitation. Not all EOIs that meet the points test pass mark will receive an invitation.

The department’s staff will not choose who will receive an invitation. Invitations will be issued regularly, such as every month. 

State and territory nominated visas

State or territory governments can select skilled workers who they want to nominate. State and territory governments may do their own assessment of people before they nominate them. If you are nominated by a state or territory and you have indicated that you meet the points test pass mark, you will then receive an invitation, subject to occupation ceilings.

When you submit an EOI for one of these visas, you will be asked to choose which state or territory you wish to live and work in. You can select one state or territory, or any state or territory. You will also be asked to indicate if you are prepared to live and work in a non-metropolitan area. If you choose only one state or territory then that state or territory government will be able to view your EOI. If you select any state or territory, then all state or territory governments will be able to view your EOI.

For more information about what the state or territory government's assessment criteria, refer to the state or territory government websites:
Business innovation and investment visas
 State or territory governments will locate and select skilled business people that they want to nominate. State and territory governments may assess people before they nominate them. If you are nominated by a state or territory and you have indicated that you meet the points test, you will automatically receive an invitation.

On a limited basis, nominating state or territory governments may award additional points towards the innovation points test where they have determined that your proposed business is of exceptional economic benefit to that state or territory.

When you submit an EOI for one of these visas, you will be asked to select which state or territory you wish to live and work in. You can choose one state or territory, or any state or territory. If you select only one state or territory, then that state or territory will be able to view your EOI. If you select any state or territory, then all state or territory governments will be able to view your EOI.

For more information about what the state or territory governments will assess you on before nominating you, refer to the state or territory government websites:
Employer sponsored visas 
Employers can search for and contact skilled workers that they want to discuss job opportunities with. If you are contacted by an employer in SkillSelect, you can choose to respond to them to discuss employment and visa opportunities. You will not receive an invitation to apply for an employer sponsored visa.
When you submit an EOI for one of these visas, you will be asked which state or territory you are interested in living and working. You will also be asked to indicate if you are prepared to live and work in a non-metropolitan area. You will be able to select one or more state or territories, or any state or territory. Employers will be able to view your EOI and will be able to narrow their searches to specifically focus on skilled workers in their area. SkillSelect protects your personal information such as your name, date of birth and other characteristics that could personally identify you. This information will not be made available to employers.

If you have already received sponsorship from an employer, you do not need to submit an EOI in SkillSelect. 

If you receive an invitation

If you are invited to apply for a visa, you will receive an invitation from SkillSelect. You will then have 60 days to make a valid visa application online, before the invitation expires. Applications received outside this timeframe will be invalid.

The invitation will contain instructions on how you can lodge your visa application.
As the online visa application system uses information from your EOI, you do not need to re-enter information you already provided on your EOI.

You must provide evidence of your claims with your visa application. Health and character will be assessed and requested during the visa application stage.


Be aware: If you do not make a valid visa application after receiving two invitations, your EOI will be removed from SkillSelect.

If you are not invited or selected

More people want to migrate to Australia than there are places available. This means not everyone who submits an EOI will receive an invitation to apply for a visa.

Your EOI will stay in SkillSelect for two years from the date you submit it. At any time during the validity of your EOI, you may update your details to reflect any additional qualifications or experience you may have obtained. This may increase your likelihood of being invited or an employer contacting you.

You may receive notifications from SkillSelect notifying you of visa programs changes, that your EOI is expiring, or other information that you may find useful. You will not be notified of the progress of your EOI or be able to obtain updates on the likelihood of receiving an invitation.

After each invitation round for the points based skilled migration visas, the department will publish on the Reports page the lowest scoring points test mark that allowed an EOI to be invited for each relevant subclass. This will give you an indication of your potential for receiving an invitation in future rounds.

An EOI is not a visa application. You cannot access merits review by the Migration Review Tribunal (MRT) if you do not receive an invitation to apply. If you want to express concerns to the department about the invitation process, you can provide feedback online - Global Feedback Unit.


Visa programs in SkillSelect

From 1 July 2012, if you are interested in the following visas, you will need to submit an EOI and receive an invitation before you can apply for a visa:
You can also express interest in the following visa programs on your EOI to be contacted by an employer.
You can express interest in a range of skilled migration visas in one EOI.