Changes to Australias Skilled Migration Program May - June 2012.

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Changes to Australia’s Skilled Migration Program May - June 2012

Transcript of Changes to Australias Skilled Migration Program May - June 2012.

Page 1: Changes to Australias Skilled Migration Program May - June 2012.

Changes to Australia’s Skilled Migration Program

May - June 2012

Page 2: Changes to Australias Skilled Migration Program May - June 2012.

A long history of successful migration

A long history of successful migration

Page 3: Changes to Australias Skilled Migration Program May - June 2012.

Composition of the Migration Program

Source: DIAC internal data

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

180,000

200,000

Total Skill

Total Family

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2012/13 Skilled Migration Program Composition

2012/13 Budget: Highlights & Implications

2011/12 2012/13

Employer Sponsored

125,850 129,250*

PointsTested

BusinessSkills

Skilled Stream Target

ENSRSMS

IndependentState SponsoredSAS

46,000 47,250

72,450 74,400

7,200 7,400

44,35024,0004,100

45,55024,6504,200

30,00016,000

31,25016,000

* Includes 200 places for Distinguished Talent Visa

Page 5: Changes to Australias Skilled Migration Program May - June 2012.

Have you got the skills?SkillSelect

www.skillselect.gov.au

Page 6: Changes to Australias Skilled Migration Program May - June 2012.

SkillSelect is Australia’s new service for managing its skilled migration program, incorporating significant visa reform and the deployment of a new online service.

Intending Migrant

AustralianEmployers

State/TerritoryGovernment

SkillSelect

AcceleratedVisa Processing

EOI

Visa Reforms

SkillSelect

Page 7: Changes to Australias Skilled Migration Program May - June 2012.

SkillSelect Visa Architecture

Mandatory EOI

Discretionary EOI

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Key Policy Changes for all SkillSelect Visas

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SkillSelectAccess/Register Visa

eLodgement & Processing

Australian Employers

Access SkillSelectwith AUSkey

Search Employment arrangement conducted outside

SkillSelect

Intending Migrant

Complete EOI

Maintain Profile

Invited to Apply

CompleteApplication

Nomination and Application

Access SkillSelectwith AUSkey

State & TerritoryGovernment

NominatorSearch Nominate

DIACNomination Quota per month

SkillSelect: How does it work?

Page 10: Changes to Australias Skilled Migration Program May - June 2012.

Intending Migrants: How does it work?

Complete EOI

Maintain Profile

Invited to Apply

CompleteApplication

Employers Search

STO’s NominateDIAC Periodic invitation rounds

VisaProcessing

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EOI Elements• Personal Details• Skills• Education/Credentials• Experience• Visa Choices • Geographic preferences• Access to assistance and advice

Intending Migrants: How does it work?

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State & Territories: How does it work?

NominatorSearch Nominate

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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.

State and Territories: How does it work?

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Employers: How does it work?

Sponsorship arrangement

conducted outside SkillSelect

Access SkillSelectwith AUSkey Search Nomination &

Application

Employers: How does it work?

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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 and investment funds

Employers: How does it work?

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AUSkey is a single electronic key to access government online services

It is: Available to all Australian employers with an Australian Business NumberCurrently being used by more than 750,000 Australian employersSecure, 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

To get and AUSkey please visit www.abr.gov.au

Changes to Independent Migration

AUSkey: How does it work?

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DIAC Program Manager: How does it work?

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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

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Changes to Independent Migration

Minimum Eligibility Thresholds

Clients that meet specified objective eligibility thresholds can submit a complete EOI

Client selects visa type

SkillSelect asks questions relating to each subclass of interest

Clients are given feedback whether their claims are sufficient to meet

the minimum threshold

Points calculation is not a threshold requirement

Updating Claims

If no threshold is met EOI incomplete

Page 20: Changes to Australias Skilled Migration Program May - June 2012.

EOI Minimum Claims - GSM

Skilled Independent and Family Sponsored

Subclass 189

Skilled S/T Nominated

Subclass 489 Subclass 190 Subclass 489

Skills Assessment

IELTS ≥ 6

Skilled Occupation

Age < 50

Family Sponsor inregional area

Willingness to residein regional area

Willingness to be nominated by S/T

Willingness to residein regional area

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EOI Minimum Claims - Employer Nominated

Skills Assessment

Subclass 457

IELTS ≥ 6 (waiver available ENS/RSMS)

Age < 50 (potential for exemption)

IELTS ≥ 5

CSOL

3 years experience Willingness to residein regional area

Subclass 187(Direct Entry)

Subclass 186 (Direct Entry)

CSOLANZSCO Skill Level 1-3

ANZSCO 3 Skill 3 Skill Assessment

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EOI Minimum Claims - Business Innovation

Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) (188)

Business Innovation Investor

$2 250 000 PBA

Business Turnover$500 000

$800 000 Personal and Business

Assets

Age < 55 (potential for exemption)

$1 500 000 PBA$400 000 business

component

* Subclass 888 operates outside of SkillSelect

Business Talent 132

Significant Business History

Venture Capitalist

Willingness to be nominated by S/T

$1 500 000 Personal and Business Assets

$400 000 business component

$1 000 000 funding Australian Venture

Capital Firm

Business Turnover$3 000 000 p/a

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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

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• Email notification and SkillSelect inbox

• Client’s 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.

Visa Application: How does it work?

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Timeframes

Age

Two Years

Two Invitations

60 Days

Suspension

Date of Effect

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Benefits of SkillSelect

Meet Australia’s skill needs

Minimise processing times

Respond quickly to changing economic needs

Allocate independent places to the best and brightest

An additional facility for employers to search and contact prospective skilled workers

Streamline and optimise State and Territory migration plans.

Fair and equitable Skilled Migration

program

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Current 1 July 2012

Temporary Business Long Staysubclass 457

Employer Nomination Scheme

Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme

Skilled Independent

Specification of Occupations for 457

Employer Nomination Scheme Occupation List (ENSOL)

No occupation list

Skilled Occupation List (SOL)

Skilled – Sponsored and Skilled – Regional Sponsored

State sponsored- see relevant State occupation listFamily sponsored- SOL

Consolidated sponsored occupation list (CSOL)

ANZSCO skill level

1 - 3

Consolidated Sponsored Occupation List

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Permanent Employer Sponsored - Reforms

Collapsing existing subclasses from 6 to 2 with 3 streams eachTemporary residence transition; direct entry & agreement streams

Changes to key visa criteria including English language & skills

Raising the upper age limit from 45 to 50 years

Refocussing RCB network on untested direct entry stream - RSMS

Streamlining pathway from 457 to PR (ENS or RSMS)

Introducing one consolidated sponsored occupation list(457, ENSOL, StatSOL)

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Permanent Employer Sponsored Program

Direct Entry Stream

Temporary Residence Transition Stream

Agreement Stream

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Exemption categories

Objective Exemption Categories

Age

Skill

English

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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 Minister’s Priority Processing Direction

• Visa cancellation and no training requirement retained

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Changes to Independent Migration

Points Based Skilled Migration

6 visas consolidated to 3

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

• 189 Skilled independent (replaces 885 & 175)

• 190 Skilled nominated (replaces 886 & 176)

• 489 Skilled regional provisional (replaces 487 & 475)

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Simplified requirements

1 July 2012

simplified eligibility

requirements for

points tested

skilled visas

Invitation to apply for a visa

Onshore, no prerequisite visa required. Inside Australia any substantive visa or

Bridging visa A, B or C

Work experience and Australian Studyno longer threshold eligibility requirement

Can be inside or outside Australia

Points Test factors set to time of invitation

Skilled family sponsored - provisional only

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Business Skills Review

Comprehensive 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

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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• Incorporate into SkillSelect and entirely state

sponsored

Business Innovation and Investment

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Changes to Independent Migration

Business Innovation and Investment

13 visas consolidated to 3

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.

• 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)

Page 37: Changes to Australias Skilled Migration Program May - June 2012.

Application Process from 1 July 2012

Current program visas

• 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

“old to old, new to new”

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AGE

Range (yrs) Points

18-24 20

25-32 30

33-39 25

40-44 20

45-54 15

ENGLISH

Range Vocational – Proficient

Points

Vocational + 5

Proficient + 10

FINANCIAL METRICS

Net Business and Personal Assets

Points

$800 000 5

$1 300 000 15

$1 800 000 25

$2 250 000 35

QUALIFICATIONS

Level Points

Trade Certificate or higher 5

Bachelor Degree or higher in Business, Science or Technology

10

OTHER

Points

Business Experience over four years

10

Investment Experience over seven years

15Business Skills Points Test

FINANCIAL METRICS

Business Turnover Points

$500 000 5

$1 000 000 15

$1 500 000 25

$2 000 000 35INNOVATION

Points

Registered Patents or Designs 15

Evidence of Trademarks 10

Evidence of Joint Venture Agreements 5

Evidence of Export Trade 15

Gazelle Business 10

Evidence of receipt of grants or venture capital funding

10STATE/ TERRITORY NOMINATION

Special Endorsement 10

Page 39: Changes to Australias Skilled Migration Program May - June 2012.

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/

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