General Skilled Migration new SkillSelect and Expresion Of Interest (EOI)
SkillSelect is a new migration module implemented on 1st July 2012 by the Australian immigration department which allows skilled people (professionals, trades, managers, specialists, etc.) who are interested in migrating to Australia to lodge an Expression of Interst (EOI) online by entering their relevant details to be considered for a skilled visa. These skilled people will be listed on the database and can be found and nominated for skilled visas by the Australian immigration department, Austraian employers or state and territory governments to lodge a visa application. Regarding relevant information about this migration module, please continue reading on this page.
15 Responses to “General Skilled Migration new SkillSelect and Expresion Of Interest (EOI)”
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i also stated that how much quota left for the analyst programmer?
sohag says:
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i just want to know that how much quotas left in EOI for the ICT business analyst and analyst programer for next coming up session?
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Hi Sohag, the ceiling has been reached for ICT business analysts for this financial year. You would have to wait for next financial year quota in order to be invited. Ping ACE
acevisas says:
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Just a couple of days before Christmas, we had another 2 GSM visas (190 and 189) approved. Clients were very happy as this was the best Christmas present to them and their family!
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Another of our GSM visa under EoI is approved today – subclass 190 – within one month of lodging the visa application! Congratulations!
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Great news! Our first General Skilled Visa under the new SkillSelect EoI (Expression of Interest) was approved yesterday 12 October! This is a 489 visa under the WA regional state sponsorship. It was approved in just 3 weeks’ time. Based on our experience, we feel that you must have a good strategy and choose the right pathway under the SkillsSelect EoI system in order to get your Australian permanent visa quickly and successfully! Speak to our of our experience migration agents to find out what is the best way for you to achieve your success in the shortest time by completing our online visa assessment form at http://www.acevisas.com.au and then click on Visa Assessment or simply give us a call on 08-9361 6188.
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The first round of SkillSelect was conducted last week with 100 applicants selected. In the WA Migration Institute of Australia (MIA) conference last Friday, the Immigration Department updated with us some statistics of the first round SkillSelect. Majority of the applicants selected are scored 70 and 75. By occupation, a lot of them are medical professionals, nurses, engineers etc. They were selected out of about 9000 submitted EOIs and about one third are from Australia. The immigration indicated that this is the first time so they decided to make it very small to test out the system. Second round select is expected to happen in mid August for about 200-300 and then the third round will be thousands to be selected. If you can score 75 or above, you should expect to be selected quite quickly and if you score 70 there is also a good chance that you may be selected without too long wait. But if you are only sitting at 60 or 65 points, you should really look at improving your points through attending some ielts strategy preparation and get four 7s or 8s to score above 70. We will keep everyone here updated!
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Good news! We have two clients who are both from English speaking countries (Ireland and Canada) and are applying for SkillSelect GSM visas. Both of them did the IELTS test before but failed in 2 components of the test (reading and writing). They both got 8.5-9 in speaking and listening. After 2 weeks a few hours lessons or individual tutorials on IELTS writing and reading test strategies with our specialised IELTS trainers, both of them achieved IELTS all comopents above 8.0!! (A client: S9, L8.5, R8.5, W8; B client: S9, L8.5, R8, W8.) That is to say, they have just secured themselves an extra 20 points for their visa application and they will be much better positioned in SkillSelect and hopefully will be selected much quicker than many others. Congratulations to them!
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More skilled migrants for Western Australia — WA is set for an influx of skilled migrants with four in five WA companies surveyed by audit firm KPMG indicating they planned to hire from abroad in the next 12 months. A study by KPMG said international recruitment was on the rise because skills shortages were growing in every State except Queensland, affecting 61 per cent of employers surveyed, compared with 51 per cent last year. KPMG partner in migration services Jason Berry said improving job opportunities in the east would make it harder for WA employers to poach staff as the resources boom gathered pace. He said WA’s high housing costs were a deterrent for workers from interstate, though foreigners were more likely to accept the prices in return for the chance to live in Australia. The report showed WA companies were experiencing the steepest rise in skills shortages, with the number of employers indicating a shortfall jumping 18 per cent to two-thirds of all those surveyed. Immigration Department statistics show WA’s intake of subclass 457 visa workers skyrocketed 85 per cent in July compared with the same month last year. WA employers sponsored 1230 migrant workers in July compared with 670 a year ago. The owner of Must Winebar, Russell Blaikie, said there would be a lot of opportunity to hire foreign hospitality staff in the next few years as many sought out jobs in Australia to escape bleak economies in their homelands. “We don’t sponsor temporary visa employees due to a desperation to fill our rosters,” he said. “Rather we select them to complement the skill set of our serving team, so that their levels of overseas training and experience will have a positive effect within the teams they work in.” But UnionsWA secretary Simone McGurk said it undermined training opportunities for unemployed or underemployed locals, including older workers and youths. “We are concerned about a culture developing in which employers turn to 457 visa workers rather than training,” she said. Source: thewest.com.au 11 October 2011
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Student Visas: Further Knight Review Reforms Announced Last week, on the 29th November 2011, the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations, Chris Evans, and the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen, announced that the existing Temporary Skilled Graduate (Subclass 485) visa, which provides for a stay of 18 months for those with qualifications in eligible fields of study, will still be available after 2013. This had been worry for many current international students especially in the vacational education sector, such as diploma course students, that they may not have an option to apply for a temporary visa to stay in Australia before they are able to apply for a permanent visa. The announcement has assured that all current arrangements of Sublicass 485 visa application options will still be available to international students who: •have studied in Australia for 2 years (a course or combined courses with minimum 92 calendar weeks) on registered courses which are closely related to their nominated occupation; •have passed IELTS 6 in all bands; •have nominated an occupation in the relevant Skill Occupation Lists and lodged a valide skill assessment application with the relevant authority. This is good news for a lot of current international students who will finish their courses after 2013! Ping, ACE Visas Australia, 4 December 2011
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Post-study work arrangements for university graduates from 2013: Student Visas: Further Knight Review Reforms Announced. The Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations, Chris Evans, and the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen, on the 29th November 2011, announced an extension of the post-study work arrangements from 2013. 1.Graduates who complete their Bachelor degrees after at least two academic years’ study in Australia will be eligible for a two year stay; 2.Graduates who complete their Masters degrees after at least two academic years’ study in Australia will be eligible for a three year stay; and 3.Graduates who complete their PhD after at least two academic years’ study in Australia will be eligible for a four year stay. Bachelor or higher degree graduates from other education providers accredited to offer degree level programs are also eligible for these post-study work arrangment visas. Ping , ACE Visas Australia, 4 December 2011
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The pass mark for the new SkillSelect visa subclasses 189, 190 and 489 will be 60 points. Intending migrants will first need to submit an expression of interest (EOI) and be invited to make an application for these visas. A Department of Immigration and Citizenship spokesman said the change to the pass mark was in the context of the series of reforms to the skilled migration program undertaken by the Australian Government since 2008. “These reforms have ensured the skilled migration program is a responsive and demand driven program,” the spokesman said. “The cornerstone of this migration reform package will be the introduction of SkillSelect from July 1.” SkillSelect is a new electronic service for managing the skilled migration program. Intending migrants without an employer sponsor wanting to live and work in Australia will need to complete an online EOI, then based on claims of their skills and attributes, will be allocated a score against the points test. SkillSelect will rank intending migrant’s scores against other EOIs. The highest ranking migrants across a broad range of occupations may be invited to apply for a skilled visa. “Delivery of a balanced migration program requires careful management,” the spokesman said. “SkillSelect will provide greater control over who can apply for a skilled visa and when they can apply.” The previous pass mark was appropriate in the context of the skilled migration reforms, with a greater emphasis on employer-sponsored skilled migration and managing a growing pipeline of unsponsored skilled migration applications. The pass mark for existing general skilled migration subclasses 175, 176, 475, 487, 885 and 886 will remain at 65 points. The pass mark for the new SkillSelect visas will encourage a broader range of people with the skills and attributes needed in Australia to register their interest in migration. (Source: DIAC)
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The Immigration department has announced visa subclasses for new GSM (General Skilled Migration) for the SkillSelect Model, which will come into effect on 1 July 2012: •Skilled Independent Subclass 189 •Skilled Nominated Subclass 190 [Nomination by a state/territory government] •Skilled – Nominated or Sponsored (Provisional) Subclass 489 [Nomination by a state/territory government or sponsorship by an eligible relative living in a designated area] These join the new Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) and Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 187) . (Source: MIA)
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New GSM Skilled Occupation List & Pass Mark after 1 July 2012 DIAC has announced an updated General Skilled Migration (GSM) Skilled Occupation List (SOL) to take effect from 1 July 2012 (Note: this is not the proposed Consolidated Skilled Occupation List (CSOL) for employer sponsored visas, which has yet to be announced.) The new GSM SOL adds four occupations: •ANZSCO 133513 Production Manager (Mining) •ANZSCO 234912 Metallurgist •ANZSCO 251411 Optometrist •ANZSCO 263111 Computer Network and Systems Engineer The new GSM SOL removes four occupations: •ANZSCO 234211 Chemist •ANZSCO 252711 Audiologist •ANZSCO 331111 Bricklayer •ANZSCO 333411 Wall and Floor Tiler The updated SOL will apply to all new Independent (unsponsored) and Family sponsored skilled migration applications lodged on or after 1 July, unless they are from applicants eligible for transitional arrangements. DIAC advises that applications lodged before 1 July with a nominated occupation that is no longer on the SOL in effect from 1 July will continue to be processed. Priority processing arrangements may, however, change for certain applicants, according to the Ministerial Direction on priority processing. (Source: MIA)
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Expression of Interest (EOI): Score high as much as you can – a little IELTS Strategy Study makes huge difference! With the new Expression of Interest (EOI) SkillSelect system of the Austrlian immigration department taking effect on 1st July, if you are applying for a General Skilled Migration visa, you had better try to score high as much as you can! Because every extra 5 point you can get will bump you up when the immigration department undertake their monthly selections! The new pass point has been reduced to 60! It does not mean you will be able to get your visa with just 60 points. No! It only means more people will be given the chance to lodge an EOI and join the pool. But, if you only have 60 points, you are at the bottom of thousands! So, when will you be selected in this competive world? in 1 year? 2 years? Or ever? Who knows? Let’s take a quick look at the point test system – where do you get the points? which points could be raised through your own effort? Age? – Of course not! Except you are 24 at the moment, and you will get extra 5 points after your 25th birthday! Easy! But, how many of you are 24 now? If you are 32, you just want to freeze the time and don’t want to have your next birthday… because you drop 5 points as you are aging! Degrees or qualifications? – Oh, that is gonna be a hard one, and expensive one. Also, in 1 or 2 years time, how do you know the pass point will stay the same? You never know, do you? From a diploma to a bachelor degree, this extra points will cost you tens of thousands and 1 to 2 years minimum. And, when you just about to get there, you may lose your points for some other reason! Australian Study Requirement points? – Another costly and time-consuming one. Not an ideal choice! Work experience? – Well, minimum 1 year wait on this one to get extra 5! Otherwise, 2-3 years wait!! State sponsorship? – How are you able to predict that a Software Engineer will be back to the list in WA again? and when??? It is completely beyond your control! Partner skills? A second language – pass NAATI? Professional year – 1 year and $15,000? …….. Well, English language points? – Yes! If you improve to IELTS four 7s, you get extra 10 points! If you achieve IELTS four 8s, you get extra 20 points! It is one third of the total 60 points! That is a seriously high percentage! Why, because your English communication skills are seen by the Australian government as an essential skill for you to be able to contribute in the Australian labour market and the community etc etc… Honestly, four 7s is a challenge for most Asian applicants, four 8s is almost impossible. However, hey, it is not too bad to get extra 10 points through a few weeks or months prepration! Better than many other options listed above at least! What is more, for many European applicants or people from Englilsh speaking countries, it is really not that hard to get four 7s – it is a piece of cake. Four 8s in IELTS? Hmmm, it sounds easy… but it is not! We find even English speaking applicants often strugle to get all above 8 in IELTS, most of them may fail in Writing or Reading! Now, we are talking! Do not under-estimate the IELTS test even if you are from UK, Ireland, Canada, America or any other English speaking countries! Because the test, especially the Writing and Reading components, are not easy! If you are a highly skilled carpenter, electrician, or even civil engineer or ICT business analyst, how many times have you written an essay in your entire career or the last 5 years? Have you ever tried to write 2 articles – one 150 words and the other 250 words, minimum, in 60 minutes on a topic that you never really thought about before, or even have no idea about? Have you tried reading 5 articles, each 1000 words or so, and answer all 40 questions about small little things discussed in the articles with confussions and traps – completing all that!! – within 60 minutes? No! Most people would answer – NO! So how could you ensure you get 38 or 39 questions right out of 40 in a test like that? How could you complete your 400 or 500 words articles within 20 minutes for one and 40 minutes for the other with perfect structure, logical and convincing ideas/arguements, beautifully written complex sentences with perfect grammar and perfect spelling and high level academic vacabulary??? Well, the 20 points is very attactive! Do you know how many people may be pushed behind you if you get that extra 10 or 20 points? Do you know you much better off you would be if you score 70 or even 80 for your total points? You will have a much better chance to be selected within just a few months – not 1 or 2 years or ever! Really, it is going to be so easy for you, especially you are English speaking, to get IELTS 8-9 if you are well prepared for the IELTS test! Simple as that! A little IELTS strategy study will make huge differnce for you and your family in this migration journey you have chosen! It is just a test! Yes you speak perfect English, but to deal with a test and score high (four 8s is like 95%), you got to know the test well, know the requirements and question types before hand, know the best ways to tackle them in the shortest time possible, know strategies to deal with different types of questions, know what is excpected by the examiner and how they mark you, know how you should structure an academic essay and how to present your arguements, know how many minutes you have for each paragraph and how fast you can write, etc. etc…. Yea! If you are well prepared, all English speaking candidates should be able to score 8-9 in their IELTS test. Non-English speaking candidates would still have a much better chance to get four 7s or even score four 8s if you have good English foundation through your previous education and living and working in Australia. Anyway, my point of writing this article is to encourage you to spend a little time and effort on preparing yourself for the IELTS test and that is probably the best way – fastest, cheapest, easiest – for you to WIN in the Expression of Interest (EOI) SkillSelect system and for you to get your Australian permenant residency for yourself and your whole family! One more point, if you do feel getting a higher IELTS result is a good way to help in your migration process, and you need help with your IELTS strategy study, you may want to speak to us – we have an IELTS preparation centre specialised in IELTS high score strategies in Perth Western Australia and we have been doing this for 5 years with excellent track record and success stories! (call us on 08-9361 6188, or email info@aceic.com.au, or visit http://www.aceic.com.au) All the best and good luck to you all! Ping, ACE Visas