China reduces threshold to attract more skilled migrants! Australia faces more competition in attracting skilled migrants!

A recent joint statement released by the Communist Party of China Central Committee Organization Department, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs has indicated a pursuit of overseas talent by a country that traditionally has a net emigration rate and suffers from brain drain as talents pursue employment overseas. China only makes up for 0.4% of the total immigrant population in the world according to 2013 data¹. That means out of the total 231,522,200 migrants in the world, only 848,500 are in China. Australia records 2.8% (6,468,600) while Singapore (a country that consistently attracts overseas talent to settle and accumulate human capital) records 1.0% - 2,323,300 (impressive for a country with a population of only 5.4 million in 2013 and a country land size of 718 square kilometres). The announcement shows that China is looking to amass talented professionals and perhaps prepare for a predicted global workforce crisis according to this interesting article by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

According to the statement China will be looking to attract overseas talent by introducing preferential policies in visa applications, residence permits, settling in China as well as exit/entry convenience that was previously strict for overseas arrivals. More details will be provided by the authorities in the later part of the year.

Comments by Chris Johnston – Principal Lawyer and Registered Migration Agent at Work Visa Lawyers

The announcement made by the Chinese authorities basically means more competition for skilled workers in the region. According to the Department of Employment total employment for Australia is projected to increase by 838,100 (7.2 per cent) reaching 12,442,700 by November 2018². Net skilled migration is required to ensure the national workforce does not shrink to meet the expected demand.

To remain attractive for overseas skilled workers to settle in Australia, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) may need to consider its skilled migration policy settings and requirements, as well as further improve service standards for visa applications to be processed in a timely manner. A review of the temporary work visas are already underway as highlighted in our earlier article.

Source:

From the article - China further lowers threshold to attract overseas talent

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2015-01/25/content_19401866.htm

1. Trends in International Migrant Stock: The 2013 Revision

2. http://lmip.gov.au/default.aspx?LMIP/EmploymentProjections

This information is accurate on the 6 February 2015

Do You Need Help With Your Australia Visa Application?

At Work Visa Lawyers we are experienced in assisting applicants with visa applications for Skilled Migration including Independent and State Sponsored visas, state sponsorship applications as well as employer-sponsored visas.

If you require further information regarding a review or your appeal options you can contact us through:

 (08) 7225 5091 or +61 8 7225 5091

or   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The New South Wales (NSW) Trade and Investment Department will be implementing an invitation-only selection for its Skilled Nominated 190 state sponsorship programme starting February 2015. Here are the key points:

Candidates will be selected based on:

• highest points claimed in Expression of Interest (EOI) submitted to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP); followed by
• level of English competency (based on acceptable English exams); followed by
• skilled employment
  If all criteria are equal, candidates will be selected based on date of submission of EOI
• Candidates must indicate interest for NSW state sponsorship in their EOI application
• Upon receiving an invitation from NSW candidates must submit an online application within 14 days
• Once state sponsorship is approved after 12 weeks, candidates lodge their visa application with DIBP as per current procedures

The NSW Trade and Investment Department will decide how many candidates to invite at an ongoing basis. The Occupation List for NSW will be published in February 2015. There are no other changes announced for the Skilled Regional (Provisional) and Business Skills visas nomination criteria at the moment.

Comments by Chris Johnston – Principal Lawyer and Registered Migration Agent at Work Visa Lawyers

It is advisable to lodge your EOI soonest as there may be many candidates tied with the same criteria being considered for the NSW state sponsorship, especially in the 65 to 70 points group.

This new process will probably be an improvement of the previous system. The previous system was very frustrating and wastes a huge amount of time. The NSW application would open for only a few hours before being filled. The time pressure and large number of applicants would overwhelm the system, adding more confusion.

While the new process would be smoother, the underlying problem will remain. NSW only has a small number of state nomination positions for the entire programme year (4,000 places for 2014-15). NSW is the most populous state in Australia with a population of over 7,439,000 people so demand will be greater than supply. I would estimate that over 15000 or more candidates will be competing for the positions. It will still be very difficult to get NSW nomination for many.

As such visa applicants are urged to consider all other alternatives available for them to proceed with a visa application. You can read about possible alternatives here. The state of South Australia has unique and interesting options for state sponsorship as well that are worth considering.

Source:

NSW Trade and Investment website

http://www.trade.nsw.gov.au/live-and-work-in-nsw/visas-and-immigration/skilled-nominated-migration-190/nsw-nomination-process-in-2015

This information is accurate on the 3 February 2015. State sponsorship requirements and DIBP visa application criteria can change and all current requirements must be established prior to lodging an application.

Do You Need Help?

At Work Visa Lawyers we are experienced in assisting applicants with visa applications for Skilled Migration including Independent and State Sponsored visas, state sponsorship applications as well as employer-sponsored visas.

If you require further information regarding a review or your appeal options you can contact us through:

 (08) 7225 5091 or +61 8 7225 5091

or   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

If you have recently completed your tertiary studies in December 2014, your student visa is likely to be expiring in mid-March 2015, just 2 more months down the road! If you have not sorted out your visa options for further stay in Australia you need to get started immediately. Read on to discover the options you have for extending your stay in Australia post-studies.

Apply for a 485 Temporary Graduate Visa if you are eligible

There are two streams to the 485 visa:

Graduate Work Stream

• For international students who graduated with a qualification related to an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL)
• Requires a positive skills assessment
• Valid for 18 months from the date of grant

Post-Study Work Stream

• For international students who graduate with a higher education degree from an Australian education provider, in any field of study
• Only applicable for students who applied for, and were granted their first student visa to Australia on or after 5 November 2011
• Can be granted for up to four years from the date of visa grant, depending on the visa applicant’s qualification

Other criteria require you to:

• have at least competent English
• meet the Australian study requirement

The subclass 485 Temporary Graduate Visa is a good option, but it is not available to all students. Many vocational course graduates miss out and may need to consider other options.

Apply for a Skilled Visa – Subclass 189, 190 or 489

It is possible that graduates can immediately qualify for a General Skilled Migration (GSM) visa. There are a range of factors such as having a positive skills assessment, good English skills and state sponsorship for recent graduates. Occupations that are possible to apply for a GSM visa because they do not require 1 year of experience include: Registered Nurses, Engineers and Accountants.

There are various factors to be considered for this pathway as each state and territory has their own sponsorship requirements and benefits (such as Chain Migration for South Australia); and nominated occupations must be on the skilled occupation list. South Australia is one of the states which strongly supports its own graduates in obtaining state sponsorship for further visa applications. Check with Work Visa Lawyers about the various state sponsorship requirements and their implications for your visa application.

Apply for a 457 Employer Sponsored Work Visa

You may have worked the 20 hours allowed per week during your studies and come across an employer who is willing to sponsor you for a work visa. This pathway requires a few stages of work as the employer needs to be an approved sponsor first before sponsoring you. Work Visa Lawyers assists in checking the eligibility of the employer to be a sponsor and the sponsorship application process. If you have an employer willing to sponsor you, do contact us immediately as the work involved before your visa application can take some time. To have an overview of the work visa application read our blog entry here. It is noteworthy that some employers may sponsor you for a permanent visa immediately.

Apply for a Partner Visa

During your studies you may have met someone who is an Australian or an Australian Permanent Resident. If the relationship is genuine and ongoing, you can consider applying for a Partner Visa. The timing of your application and having strong supporting evidence is important. It is advisable that you check with Work Visa Lawyers on your situation before lodging an application for a partner visa. Read here to understand more about Partner Visas.

Enrol in a new course for further studies to increase your skills

This option can be considered if you encounter the following scenarios:

• The course you recently completed does not meet the 2-year study requirement, or
• The course you completed has no suitable occupation to be nominated for a visa application

While this option is costly and you will not be applying for a permanent visa until you complete the new course, it allows you to stay on in Australia to evaluate your options later, as well as obtain another quality Australian qualification. Do note that there are no guarantees that the new course you enrol in will lead to a permanent residence visa.

To be granted a student visa, you will need to meet the genuine temporary entrant requirement. This requires that you study a course with the intention to return to your home country with the newly acquired skills.

Source:

Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) website

https://www.immi.gov.au/Visas/Pages/485.aspx

https://www.immi.gov.au/Work/Pages/SkillSelect/SkillSelect.aspx

https://www.immi.gov.au/Visas/Pages/457.aspx

https://www.immi.gov.au/Visas/Pages/801-820.aspx

This information is accurate on the 23 January 2015.  DIBP will change requirements in an ongoing manner and all current requirements must be established prior to lodging an application.

Do You Need Help?

At Work Visa Lawyers we are experienced in assisting applicants with skilled visa applications such as subclass 189, 190, 489, 485, 457 visas as well as the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS). We also handle family visa applications including Partner, Parent and Child visas.

If you require further information regarding your current visa options you can contact us through:

 (08) 7225 5091 or +61 8 7225 5091

or   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

New Fees Applicable for Immigration SA State Sponsorship Applications

Immigration SA has announced that there will be fees chargeable for SA state sponsorship applications starting possibly as soon as 16 March 2015. Below is the email notification sent by Immigration SA:

Comments by Chris Johnston – Principal Lawyer at Work Visa Lawyers:

It seems to be a regrettable trend that DIBP and State agencies are raising their fees.

In the short term, one response to the Immigration SA fees could be to try to lodge an application before the fees come into play, after the 15 March 2015.

Source:

Immigration SA Newsletter

http://us8.campaign-archive2.com/?u=20d640fb2433c8647afb2f3b2&id=9cd137cbf4&e=74bc89fd9d

This information is accurate on the 22 January 2015.  DIBP and Immigration SA will change requirements in an ongoing manner and all current requirements must be established prior to lodging an application.

Do You Need Help?

At Work Visa Lawyers we are experienced in assisting applicants with visa applications and state sponsorship applications such as skilled visa and business visa nominations.

If you require further information regarding your current visa options you can contact us through:

 (08) 7225 5091 or +61 8 7225 5091

or   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Topics covered by Chris Johnston, Lawyer an Registered Migration Agent:

WHICH ENGLISH TEST IS THE BEST FOR AUSTRALIAN MIGRATION?

2018 IELTS UPDATE: IELTS now offering computer-delivered English tests for visa applicants in AustraliaIELTS now offering computer-delivered English tests for visa applicants in Australia

New tests are available for Australian Migration, giving you more options!

Since 23 November 2014 the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) has accepted other forms of English tests other than IELTS and the OET for Temporary Graduate, Skilled, Former Resident and Work and Holiday visa applications.  In our earlier article we mentioned that in addition to IELTS and OET, applicants can now use TOEFL and PTE Academic for visa application purposes (CAE to be accepted 1 Jan 2015 onwards).  Click here for our earlier article regarding the newly accepted English exams and the relevant scoring benchmarks.

So applicants now have options to the type of English exam they wish to take for their visa application. 

The options include:

• IELTS
• TOEFL iBT
• Pearson - PTE Academic
• Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)

WHICH ENGLISH TEST is Easiest and Best for You?

Are all the English exams the same? 

Are the structures of some exams more compatible for the person taking the exam? 

TOEFL is all done talking to the computer, whereas IELTS is paper based for writing and you have to speak to a person.

Watch this video of a student who have done all the different exams and what he thinks about them.  You can hear him speak about the differences between TOEFL and IELTS at the 3:31 mark: 

“I scored much better on the TOEFL test than I did the IELTS. So the difference was quite big.  So apparently for me the TOEFL was better.  So for the IELTS test I had an overall average of 7.5... For the TOEFL test I scored...  for the internet based test I scored 114 out of 120”

Another video provides more details on the preparation for the exams (2:55 mark):

“These (preparation leaflets) are very important because they really give you... put you at ease when you are in front of the exam so I would really recommend reading those. So even if you don’t really prepare your English at least you prepare the way you have to take you exam so that would help you a lot.”

On the exam format (6:34 mark):

“... in TOEFL lots of it were in multiple choice except for the writing section and in the IELTS you have to write even when you are listening and also when you are reading you have to write...”

For a detailed description of the exam formats and differences you can watch this video and find out what tasks await you in the different exams.  There are also many tips and video guides on specific sections for the exams on YouTube.  You can also find more descriptions online for the other English exams such as Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) that is now accepted for visa applications.

Now that you know the exams are different, do find out and try the specimen exam materials for the different tests to see which suits you better.  Complications in fulfilling the English requirements can delay your visa application and affect your eligibility.  Act now to find your best English test and obtain the scores required to start your new life in Australia!

Comments by Chris Johnston – Principal Lawyer at Work Visa Lawyers:

With the recent opening of new test for many Australian visas, I have spoken with many of my client’s.  Some are sticking with the IELTS as they are used to its structure. 

There is also strong interest in the TOEFL IBT due to it being done on a computer at a testing centre.  I will do further blogs in which I comment on the feedback provided by my clients about which test they prefer.

Source:

From Fulbright Belgium

Applying to US Universities: Comparing the GRE, GMAT, TOEFL and IELTS Tests

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agBQrQOWPAo

TOEFL vs IELTS: Comparing English Language Proficiency Tests

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yk2hMlRW99g

TOEFL - IELTS: Compare TOEFL vs IELTS and take the right one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CFBXg4H3fU

Warning:

 This information is accurate on the 11 January 2015.

Do You Need Help with Australia Migration?

At Work Visa Lawyers we are experienced in assisting applicants with the Expression of Interest, State Sponsorship and Visa application process for state sponsored subclasses 190 and 489.  We can also assist with the Independent 189.

If you require further information regarding an application or your Australian visa options you can contact us through:

(08) 7225 5091 or +61 8 7225 5091 

or   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

South Australian International Vocational, Education and Training (VET) Graduates now considered for State Nominations

Effective from 23 December 2014, Immigration SA is including VET graduates as part of the state sponsorship programme for skilled migration visas subclass 190 and 489.  To be eligible VET graduates of South Australia will need to be:

• Currently working for 12 months or more in their nominated or closely related occupation in South Australia (minimum 20 hours per week); OR
• Currently working for 6 months or more in their nominated or closely related occupation in a country region of South Australia (minimum 20 hours per week). The country region must be outside of Greater Adelaide.

The country region of South Australia is defined by postcode and you can explore the country regions on the Immigration SA website here.

What does this mean for you?

The expansion of the graduate list means that there are more opportunities for non-bachelor degree graduates to apply for permanent residence in South Australia.  To find out if the new changes are an opportunity for you, visit the Immigration SA website or contact us via the details below.

Source:

Immigration SA website

http://www.migration.sa.gov.au/news-events/news-releases/south-australian-international-vocational-education-and-training-vet-graduates-1

This information is accurate on the 2 January 2015.  DIBP and Immigration SA will change requirements in an ongoing manner and all current requirements must be established prior to lodging an application.

Do You Need Help?

At Work Visa Lawyers we are experienced in assisting applicants with the Skilled Migration visa applications which include State Sponsored visas subclass 190 and 489.  We can also assist with the Skilled-Independent stream for eligible applicants.

If you require further information regarding an application or your Australian visa options you can contact us through:

 (08) 7225 5091 or +61 8 7225 5091

or   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 The price of assisting your fiancé, de facto or married partner to obtain an Australian residence visa is getting costlier.  The Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) has announced an increase in visa application charges (VAC) for partner visas.  The 50% VAC increase will be effective 1 January 2015.  Here are the numbers:

• Offshore provisional and permanent partner visas - currently $3085 increased to $4630.00
• Prospective marriage visa - currently $3085 increased to $4630.00
• Onshore temporary and permanent partner visas - currently $4575 increased to $6865.00

This move is expected to provide DIBP with an additional A$373.6 million over four years, for the purpose of funding whole-of-government policy priorities.

At the same time DIBP has announced a planned increase in the intake of refugees for the year 2017-18.

What Do We Think

• The significant increase of 50% in the VAC is in effect a punishment for Australian citizens and permanent residents who have partners from overseas
• There is no promise of better service or shorter process times to go with the increase in fees.  Rather it is 50% higher fees at the same level of service.  From the date of application partner visas currently take approximately 1 year to be granted
• Bringing a partner in to Australia to start a family and contributing to the planned population growth will be more difficult financially

(net overseas migration currently contributes to 60% of Australia’s population growth)
Source: DIBP Fact sheet 15 - population growth

• The VAC increase is similar to what Skilled Migration applicants experienced in July 2013 when fees were changed to charge per person instead of per family application.  Read our previous article here

What Can You Do

• If you intend to apply for a partner visa, submit your visa application before 1 January 2015 to avoid the VAC increase
• If you need information about your current situation and to find out which visa is best for you to bring your partner into Australia, contact a Registered Migration Agent now

Source:

DIBP Website

http://www.immi.gov.au/News/Pages/increase-in-partner-vac.aspx

https://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/15population.htm

SBS Website

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/12/15/govt-cash-visas-foreign-love

This information is accurate on the 16 December 2014.  DIBP will change requirements in an ongoing manner and all current requirements must be established prior to lodging an application.

Do You Need Help?

At Work Visa Lawyers we are experienced in assisting applicants with the Family Migration Stream which includes Partner Visa applications.  We can also assist with Skilled Migration visa applications for candidates looking for other options.

If you require further information regarding an application or your Australian visa options you can contact us through:

 (08) 7225 5091 or +61 8 7225 5091 

or   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) has announced a change in the Temporary Work (Short Stay Activity) visa (subclass 400) where visa applicants may apply for a stay period of up to six months upon first entry. A strong business case is required when applying for stays longer than three months. Factors to be considered for the grant of stays longer than three months include:

 · satisfying Australian workplace standards and not adversely affecting Australian workers

 · details about the project and potential adverse effects to the Australian community and people should the project fails to be implemented

 · evidence that there are local shortages of specialised skills possessed by the applicant

 · inability and difficulties faced by the employer in hiring Australians to fulfil a contracted work

 · number of Australians employed by the business or project

 · time available to train an Australian to implement and complete the proposed work or project over a longer timeframe

The time given to enter Australia upon visa grant is now six months.

Source:

DIBP Website

http://www.immi.gov.au/visas/pages/400.aspx

This information is accurate on the 15 December 2014.  DIBP will change requirements in an ongoing manner and all current requirements must be established prior to lodging an application. 

Do You Need Help?

At Work Visa Lawyers we are experienced in assisting applicants with the Business Sponsorship, Nomination and Visa Application for the subclass 457 and 400 visas.  We can also assist with the SkillSelect visa options for candidates.

If you require further information regarding an application or your Australian visa options you can contact us through:

 (08) 7225 5091 or +61 8 7225 5091  

or  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.