Changes to Australias

Skilled Migration Program

May - June 2012

A long history of successful migration

A long history of successful

migration

Composition of the Migration

Program
200,000
180,000
160,000
140,000
120,000
100,000
Total Skill

80,000

Total Family
60,000
40,000
20,000
0

Source: DIAC internal data

2012/13 Budget: Highlights &

Implications

2012/13 Skilled Migration Program

Composition
2011/12
2012/13
Employer

ENS
RSMS

Sponsore
d
Points
Teste
d

Independent
State Sponsored
SAS

Busines
s
Skills
Skilled Stream Target

* Includes 200 places for Distinguished Talent Visa

30,000
16,000
46,000
47,250
44,350
24,000
4,100
72,450
74,400
7,200
7,400

125,850
129,250*

31,250
16,000
45,550
24,650
4,200

SkillSelec
Have you
t got the

skills?

www.skillselect.gov
.au

SkillSelect
SkillSelect is Australias new service for managing its skilled
migration program, incorporating significant visa reform
and the deployment of a new online service.
Visa Reforms

State/Territory
Government

SkillSelect

Intending
Migrant

EOI

Accelerated
Visa Processing

Australian
Employers

SkillSelect Visa
Architecture

Mandatory
EOI

Discretionar
y EOI

Key Policy Changes for all

SkillSelect Visas

SkillSelect: How does it work?

Access SkillSelect
with AUSkey

Search

Nominate

Nominator

State & Territory

Government
Maintain
Profile
Access/Register
Intending
Migrant

Australian
Employers

Complete
EOI

SkillSelect

Access
SkillSelect
with AUSkey

Search

DIAC

Invited to
Apply

Employment
arrangement
conducted outside
SkillSelect
Nomination Quota per
month

Complete
Application

Visa

eLodgement &
Processing

Nomination
and
Application

Intending Migrants: How does

it work?
Employers Search

Maintain
Profile
Complete EOI

Invited to
Apply

STOs Nominate

DIAC

Complete Visa
Applicatio Processi
ng
n

Periodic invitation
rounds

Intending Migrants: How

does it work?
EOI Elements
Personal Details
Skills
Education/Credentials
Experience
Visa Choices
Geographic preferences
Access to assistance and
advice

State & Territories: How does it

work?
Searc
h

Nominate

Nominator

State and Territories: How

does it work?
State and territory
governments can search
in SkillSelect and select
potential applicants for
nomination.
SkillSelect will then
generate an invitation to
be issued to the selected
nominees.

Employers: How does it work?

Employers: How does it
work?

Access
SkillSelect
with AUSkey

Search

Sponsorship
arrangement
conducted
outside
SkillSelect

Nomination
&
Application

Employers: How does it

work?
Employers will be
able to search for
clients using a
range of powerful
search tools, to find
the clients they
need for the
business:
Qualifications
Experience
Occupation
English language
ability
Business
experience
Business assets

Changes to Independent Migration

AUSkey: How does it work?

AUSkey is a single electronic key to access government
online services
It is:

Available to all Australian employers with an Australian Business

Number
Currently being used by more than 750,000 Australian employers
Secure, and able to be obtained by different employees of a
business for
different purposes

It will: Allow employers to access SkillSelect securely to find and contact

Intending
Migrants who may have the skills and experience that they
require
Allow DIAC to track and record all usage of the system by
Employers, to further refine the SkillSelect system

DIAC Program Manager: How

does it work?

Occupational Ceilings: How

does it work?
Limit on how many EOIs are selected for
skilled migration from occupation groups
Once this limit is reached, no further invitations
for that particular occupation group will be issued

Ceilings set by DIAC

Changes to Independent Migration

Minimum Eligibility
Thresholds

Clients that meet specified objective eligibility thresholds can submit a

complete EOI
Client selects visa type
Points calculation is not a
threshold requirement
SkillSelect asks questions relating
to each subclass of interest

Updating Claims
If no threshold is met EOI incomplete

Clients are given feedback whether

their claims are sufficient to meet
the minimum threshold

EOI Minimum Claims - GSM

Skilled Independent and
Family Sponsored
Subclass 189

Skilled S/T Nominated

Subclass 489

Subclass 190

Subclass 489

Age < 50
Skilled Occupation
IELTS 6
Skills Assessment
Family Sponsor in
regional area
Willingness to reside
in regional area

Willingness to be nominated by S/T

Willingness to reside
in regional area

EOI Minimum Claims - Employer

Nominated
Subclass 186
(Direct Entry)

Subclass 187
(Direct Entry)

Subclass 457

Age < 50 (potential for exemption)

CSOL

ANZSCO Skill Level 1-3

IELTS 6 (waiver available ENS/RSMS)

Skills Assessment
3 years experience

ANZSCO 3 Skill 3
Skill Assessment

Willingness to reside
in regional area

CSOL
IELTS 5

EOI Minimum Claims - Business

Innovation

Business Innovation and

Investment (Provisional) (188)
Business Innovation

Investor

Business Talent 132

Significant Business
History

Venture Capitalist

Age < 55 (potential for exemption)

Willingness to be nominated by S/T
$800 000 Personal
and Business
Assets
Business Turnover

$2 250 000 PBA

$1 500 000 PBA
$400 000 business

$1 500 000 Personal

and Business Assets
$400 000 business
component

component

$500 000
* Subclass 888 operates outside of SkillSelect

Business Turnover

$3 000 000 p/a

$1 000 000 funding

Australian Venture
Capital Firm

Invitation Criteria

Independent

State and Territory Nominated

Employer Sponsored

Highest score
Occupation on SOL
Over pass mark
Nominated
Within State Migration Plan
Sought after attributes
Sponsored

Visa Application: How does it work?

Email notification and SkillSelect

inbox
Clients claims in SkillSelect are
frozen upon invitation issue
Direct to eLodgement
Some information unable to be
edited once invite issued
If the client changes any
information in eLodgement that
formed the basis of the invitation, a
processing flag will be created.
SkillSelect will record and pass all
relevant nomination details for
State and Territory Nominated
visas via eLodgement.

Timeframes
Age
60 Days
Two Years
Suspension
Two Invitations
Date of Effect

Benefits of SkillSelect
Respond quickly to changing economic needs
An additional facility
for employers to
search and contact
prospective skilled
workers

Meet Australias
skill needs

Fair and equitable

Skilled Migration
program

Minimise processing
times

Streamline and
optimise State
and Territory
migration plans.

Allocate independent places to the best and

brightest

Consolidated Sponsored
Occupation
List
Current
1 July
Temporary Business Long Stay
subclass 457
Employer Nomination
Scheme
Skilled Sponsored and
Skilled Regional Sponsored
Skilled Independent
Regional Sponsored Migration
Scheme

Specification of
Occupations for 457
Employer Nomination
Scheme Occupation List
(ENSOL)
State sponsored- see
relevant State occupation list
Family sponsored- SOL

Skilled Occupation List

(SOL)
No occupation list

2012
Consolidate
d
sponsored
occupation
list (CSOL)

ANZSCO
skill level
1-3

Permanent Employer Sponsored Reforms

Collapsing existing subclasses from 6 to 2 with 3 streams each
Temporary residence transition; direct entry & agreement streams
Streamlining pathway from 457 to PR (ENS or RSMS)
Raising the upper age limit from 45 to 50 years
Changes to key visa criteria including English language & skills
Refocussing RCB network on untested direct entry stream - RSMS
Introducing one consolidated sponsored occupation list
(457, ENSOL, StatSOL)

Permanent Employer Sponsored

Program
Direct Entry Stream

Temporary Residence Transition Stream

Agreement Stream

Exemption categories

Objective Exemption
Categories
Age

Skill

English

Regional Sponsorship Migration

Scheme
Encourage migration to areas outside of the major
metropolitan centres of Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sydney,
Newcastle, Wollongong, and Melbourne
From 1 July 2012 RCBs will provide advice on positions in the
Direct Entry stream of RSMS providing a local perspective
Government announced:
16 000 places allocated to RSMS in 12-13
Regional Engagement Strategy
Regional Migration Agreements
Top priority in Ministers Priority Processing Direction
Visa cancellation and no training requirement retained

Changes to Independent Migration

Points Based Skilled

Migration
6 visas consolidated to 3
189 Skilled independent (replaces 885 & 175)
190 Skilled nominated (replaces 886 & 176)
489 Skilled regional provisional (replaces 487 & 475)
Simplified visa requirements

Apply through SkillSelect

From I July 2012: 175, 176, 475 closed to new applications 885, 886 and 487 closed from 1 January 2013

Simplified requirements
Invitation to apply for a visa

1 July 2012
simplified eligibility
requirements for
points tested
skilled visas

Can be inside or outside Australia

Onshore, no prerequisite visa required.
Inside Australia any substantive visa or
Bridging visa A, B or C
Work experience and Australian Study
no longer threshold eligibility requirement
Points Test factors set to time of invitation
Skilled family sponsored - provisional only

Business Skills Review

Comprehensiv
e
review

Research shows current program

settings stifle innovation and risk taking
Half of all provisional visa businesses are
in fast food, cafes and restaurants
Need to align program to broader
strategic objectives of the skilled
migration program
Focus on visa simplification and
deregulation

Business Innovation and

Investment

Selecting for and

fostering
innovation

Program name will be changed to

Business Innovation and
Investment Program
Target migrants with a history of
innovation
Facilitate entry of entrepreneurs who
have sourced venture capital funding in
Australia
Introduce a points test for provisional
visa applicants, giving weight to
innovation
Introduce a new visa stream for
Significant Investors

Changes to Independent Migration

Business Innovation and

Investment
13 visas consolidated to 3

132 Business Talent (Migrant) (Permanent)

188 Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) (replaces 160-165)
888 Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) (replaces 845, 846, 890-893)
Focus on innovation

Apply through SkillSelect

From 1 July 2012: Subclasses 160-165, 845, 846 closed to new applications.
Subclasses 890-893 still open for current provisional visa holders .

Application Process from 1

July 2012

Current program visas

old to old, new to new

No new primary applicants for existing provisional visas.

Existing provisional visas progress to existing permanent visas.

No change in process (ie: paper lodgement, paper sponsorship)

New program visas

New provisional visa progresses to new permanent visa

Visas have streams (eg: business innovation stream, investor stream)

SkillSelect, electronic lodgement, electronic sponsorship

S/Ts may grant access for an applicant to extend the provisional visa

OTHER
Points
Business Experience
over four years

Business Skills PointsInvestment

TestExperience

10
15

over seven years

AGE
Range (yrs)

QUALIFICATIONS
Points

18-24

20

25-32

30

33-39

25

40-44

20

45-54

Level
Trade Certificate or higher
Bachelor Degree or higher in
Business, Science or
Technology

Points
5
10

INNOVATION
Points

15

FINANCIAL METRICS
Business Turnover
$500 000

Points
5

$1 000 000

15

$1 500 000

25

$2 000 000

35

Registered Patents or Designs

15

Evidence of Trademarks

10

Points

Evidence of Joint Venture

Agreements

Vocational +

Evidence of Export Trade

15

$800 000

Proficient +

10

Gazelle Business

10

$1 300 000

15

Evidence of receipt of grants or

venture capital funding

10

$1 800 000

25

$2 250 000

35

ENGLISH
Range Vocational
Proficient

STATE/ TERRITORY
NOMINATION
Special
Endorsement

10

FINANCIAL METRICS
Net Business and
Personal Assets

Points
5

More Information
Online Resources:
Skilled visas
www.immi.gov.au/skilled
Visa wizard www.immi.gov.au/visawizard/
Booklets
www.immi.gov.au/allforms/booklets/
Migration Blog
www.migrationblog.immi.gov.au
SkillSelect
www.skillselect.gov.au
Agent Gateway
www.immi.gov.au/gateways/agents/
Facebook
Department of Immigration and Citizenship