Australia’s Migration Program

Overview of Australia’s Migration Program

Australia’s Migration Program:

• Family Stream – close family reunion (partners and children of Australian citizens and residents)

• Skill Stream – selects people on the basis of their skills to provide a net economic benefit for Australia in the short and long term

2007/8 Migration Program

148,000 to 158,000

Family Stream56,000

Skilled Stream108,500

Employer Sponsored

General Skilled Migration81, 300

Business Skills

2008/9 Migration Program

158,000 to 190,300

Skilled Stream133,500+31,000

General Skilled Migration98, 500

Plus uncapped Temporary Skilled Migrationof approx 10,000

Migration Program Targets

What is a General Skilled Migration visa?

• A GSM visa facilitates pathways for people who are not sponsored by an employer but have skills in particular occupations that are required in Australia.

• A GSM visa provides skilled overseas people with the opportunity to apply for either a 18 month temporary visa, a provisional three year regional visa, or a permanent visa to bring their skills to Australia to live and work.

• Applicants can apply for a GSM visa onshore in Australia, or overseas in their home country.

• Applicants for a GSM visa need to meet a range of basic requirements to be eligible to apply.

General Skilled Migration (GSM) Program

• The GSM Program is for people who are not sponsored by an Australian employer and who have skills in particular occupations required in Australia.

• Applicants applying for a permanent GSM visa need to meet a passmark nominated by the Minister.

• All applicants must meet the basic threshold requirements:

Age

English language

Skill

Recent work experience or Qualifications

English language skills

Threshold English is set to competent English (IELTS 6)Exceptions apply for:

• applicants with a trade occupation: vocational English; and• applicants for a provisional visa who have paid for English language tuition: concessional competent English

All offshore applicants and onshore permanent visa applicants must provide evidence that they meet the English language threshold at the time of application

Onshore temporary and provisional visa applicants must have either evidence they meet the relevant threshold or evidence they have booked to sit an English language test

Specified passport holders will be considered to have met the English language threshold without a test result

All applicants seeking to claim maximum English points need to sit a test

GSM Points Test

• The GSM points test is structured to target the most appropriate skilled migrants

• Skill points are awarded for:– Skilled occupation– Skills– Work experience– English language proficiency

• Additional points for:– Occupations on the Migration Occupations in Demand List

(MODL)– Sponsorship in a rural or regional area of Australia– Sponsorship by a state or territory government

Skilled Occupation List (SOL)

• Based on the Australian Standard Classification of Occupations (ASCO) groups 1 to 4.

• The SOL is a list of skilled occupations that are in need in Australia. Each occupation listed on the SOL is allocated a points value for use in the visa assessment process.

• An applicant’s experience and education relating to a nominated occupation on the SOL must meet Australian standards

• Confined to Professionals, para-Professionals, Managerial and Trades occupations