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FREE INFORMATION SESSIONS ON CHANGES IN AUSTRALIAN IMMIGRATION IN MANILA, DAVAO, BAGUIO, BICOL, BACOLOD
Ms. Lita Mahle, Senior Migration Consultant( MARN9250408) from PRT Corp, Australia will conduct a series of free information sessions in July and August for people wanting to migrate, work, study in Australia.
The recent overhaul of the Australian immigration system and its implications to intending Australian visa applicants are causing uncertainties and confusion among these individuals and their Australian sponsors.
To help ease the confusion, PALMS International Migration Inc. invites Ms. Mahle to discuss and explain the Australian policy changes and how best she can assist applicants to realize their dream to migrate, study or work or live permanently in Australia.
“Nurses, Teachers, Engineers, Architects, IT’s, Project Builders, Mechanics, Welders, Carpenters are some of the 183 skilled occupations that are in the new SOL and this group are most welcome to attend”, says Ms. Mahle. She is a member of the Migration Institute of Australia and the Australian Migration Alliance.
To help ease the confusion, PALMS International Migration Inc. invites Ms. Mahle to discuss and explain the Australian policy changes and how best she can assist applicants to realize their dream to migrate, study or work or live permanently in Australia.
There will be separate sessions for Registered Nurses as training and available finance will also be discussed for this particular group.
To register you interest, please contact us:
Australia: PRT Corp. Suite 17A, Hub Arcade 15-23 Langhorne St. Dandenong. www,prtimmigration.com
email: migrationtoz@optusnet.com.au .
Phone:(03) 97937930 ; (03) 87622733 OR
Philippines: Palms International Migration Services Inc. Suite 226 Cityland 8, #98 Gil Puyat Ave. Makati www.palmsimmigration.com
Email: info@palmsimmigration.com
Phone: + (632) 8134194 ; +(632) 8938035
For more information on changes, visit our site regularly.
SKILLED MIGRANT VISA APPLICATIONS ARE NOW ACCEPTED
The temporary suspension of certain general skilled migration applications has now been lifted by the Australian Government and changes to the system come into effect 1 July 2010
Applications for GSM visas Subclass 175 – Skilled Independent (Migrant) visa, Subclass 176 – Skilled Sponsored (Migrant) visa and Subclass 475 – Skilled Regional Sponsored (Provisional) visa are now being accepted. Australian immigration changes effective 1 July 2010 also include the implementation of the new Skilled Occupation List (SOL), which identifies occupations in need in Australia and will apply to all new general skilled migration applications. The Australian SOL will be updated annually to reflect the needs of the Australian labour market.
Australian Standard Classification of Occupations (ASCO) previously used by DIAC will now be replaced by the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO), a classification system that provides for the standardised collection, analysis, and dissemination of occupation data.
On 8 February 2010, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, announced that applications for certain offshore skilled migration visas made before 1 September 2007 would be capped and ceased.
As the cap has now been reached, applications subject to the capping decision have now ceased and the relevant Visa Application Charge(s) will be returned to the applicant, according to the Minister.
Changes have also been made to state nominated and family sponsored GSM visas and from 1 July 2010, applicants for certain GSM applications will be required to demonstrate that they have been nominated by a state or territory government agency or sponsored by an eligible relative.
These amendments relate to the following visa subclasses: Skilled – Sponsored (Migrant) Visa (Subclass 176), Skilled – Sponsored (Residence) Visa (Subclass 886), Skilled – Regional Sponsored (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 475) and Skilled – Regional Sponsored (Provisional) visa (subclass 487).
Applicants should lodge their Australian Visa application form first. The nominating state or territory government agency or sponsoring eligible relative should then complete the associated nomination or sponsorship form using the TRN number provided to the visa applicant when lodging the visa application within within 28 days to demonstrate that the applicant is nominated or sponsored.
For more information on changes, visit our site regularly.
Business Groups Warn Department of Immigration of Skills Shortages
Business groups are warning the Department of Immigration that unless the skilled migration program is overhauled, looming shortages of skills are inevitable.
The Australian Financial Review has reported that mining and the energy industry face sever shortages if the government does not urgently review the newly introduced program.
Head of major companies such as the United Group Ltd, Woodside Petroleum have warned that skill shortage is just 12 to 18 months away.
Richard Leupen, the Chief Executive Officer of United Group Ltd also blamed a slowdown of staff training because of the recession as well as the government’s tightening of the business program.
Don Voelte, the head of Woodside Petroleum, one of Australia’s biggest industries in oil and gas, warned that the country is heading for major skill shortages that would damage Australia’s economy.
Woodside Petroleum have also announced plans to expand their gas fields, which would create thousands of new jobs.
Major new expansion projects include Gorgon, Browse and Pluto which Voelte say, “We will need thousands of skilled workers and if the workers are not available then the industry will suffer - more than the controversial mining super tax ”.
According to Voelte, “The skills shortage that the company is suffering is so bad that “about 35 per cent of the 4,000 workers on the Pluto gas project in the Pilbara were forced to be fly-in, fly-out workers who are based in the eastern states.”
Western Australia also urgently need migrant workers to help plug the gaps in their workforce. It is going through a mining boom and needs skilled workers. Plans to quadruple Australia’s gas exports are currently underway and could create thousands of new mining jobs that is bound to draw immigrant workers to Western Australia– the state is already on the search for skilled workers to join their mining teams.
China and India are the biggest importers of Australian energy and minerals.
As most of these industries export to China and India, a slowdown in production could spell disaster. It is Australia’s strong trading relationship with China that managed to keep Australia out of the recession that gripped the rest of the world.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland says, “ a shortage of skilled migrants would be disasterous for the state’s economy. Currently Queensland has a number of large scale projects underway and urgently need truck drivers, plumbers, engineers etc. Some of the occupations in demand in Queensland are not currently on the Australian Department of Immigration’s list.”
David Goodwin, the President of the Chamber of Commerce warns: “If we don’t attract that new labour to the country, we do hold back projects and if you hold back projects we don’t get the wealth we could otherwise expect.”
He also said that local economies benefit enormously from skilled immigrants as they fuel demand for housing and teachers and they spend money in local shops thereby helping local businesses.
“Our position is that if you bring the right sort of immigrants to Australia, it really does help the economy. So while people think it takes away jobs invariably they probably create even more jobs because they buy a house, send their kids to school and go to the local shops.”
The Chamber of Commerce urges the government to consult with employers over the changes and to make immigration policies more flexible to suit demand in different states.
He says, “there is a fine line to tread between calling for more highly-skilled migrants and discouraging more general skilled workers. The government needs to communicate with both employers and states to ensure that any new skills in demand list hits the right balance to benefit Australia’s potential”.
For more information on changes, visit our site regularly.
Nurses, Teachers, ITs, Engineers, Welders, Carpenters etc still welcome in the new SOL
The Immigration Minister, Chris Evans, has slashed by half the list of 400 occupations replacing them with 180 ''highly valued occupations''.
Still on the list are medical professionals including osteopaths, dentists, surgeons and nurses, as well as engineers, teachers, IT professionals and welders. But off the list from July will be dance instructors, piano tuners and - significantly - hairdressers and cooks.
''In 2007-08 … of the 41,000 general skilled visas granted, more than 5000 went to hairdressers and cooks,'' Senator Evans said. ''…Three-quarters of them had studied in Australia.He said the new list, developed by Skills Australia, would ensure the skilled migration program was demand-driven rather than supply-driven.
''We value the international education sector. Its students will still be able to apply for permanent migration … but we will no longer almost automatically accept the thousands of cooks and hairdressers who applied under the guidelines established by the Howard government."
''We need the skills that are … in demand … not just those applicants present with. If hospitals are crying out for nurses, they should have priority over … 12,000 unsponsored cooks …''
Skills Australia was set up in 2008 with the express purpose of identifying skills shortages. Its eight-person board includes the head of the Australian Industry Group, Heather Ridout, the president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, Sharan Burrow, and a former head of the Prime Minister's Department, Michael Keating.
It will update the pared-down skills list annually. Senator Evans said students already in Australia intending to apply for permanent residence could take advantage of transition provisions announced in February.
A report released this morning by the economic consultancy BIS Shrapnel finds that population growth is set to slow sharply in response to lower foreign student numbers and a drop in the number of sponsored applicants for short-term work visas.
An Australian Industry Group survey also released today finds 75 per cent of employers are dissatisfied with the skills of their Australian-trained workers, with 45 per cent believing their labourers have worryingly low literacy and numeracy skills and 25 per cent believe their apprentices have low skills.
The new SOL will take effect on the 1 July 2010. To view the new SOL, log on http://www.immi.gov.au or visit our website www.prtimmigration.com.
For more information on changes, visit our site regularly.
Australian Skilled Migration will remain current size, announces government
In the newly released 2010-11 Australian Budget, the Australian Government has announced it intends to sharpen the focus of the Australian skilled migration program on key skills shortages.
Overall, the Australian immigration program will remain the current size but the focus will be on employer-sponsored skilled migration as the Government moves to create a more skill- and demand-driven migration system.
The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, said: “The composition of the migration program will assist in delivering the Government's reforms designed to address shortages of highly skilled workers, such as healthcare, engineering and mining professionals who have an employer willing to sponsor them".
“Revising the mix of the skill stream of the migration program is critical to ensuring the reforms are effective,” he said.
The overall level of Australian skilled migration will increase by 5750 program places, with an additional 9150 program places for employer-sponsored skilled migration and a decrease of 3600 places for general skilled migration.
There will be a reduction in the level of family migration by 5750 program places.
"These reforms support the Government's policy to deliver a more demand-driven skilled migration program that meets the needs of the economy in sectors and regions where there are shortages of skilled workers," Senator Evans said.
The as-yet-to-be-announced new Skilled Occupation List (SOL), part of the Australian Government’s review of the immigration program, will be a key part of the new Australian skilled migration focus.
It is expected to be released later in May.
For more information on changes, visit our site regularly.
Australian Business Immigration requirements become tougher
20 April 2010
It is now more difficult if you wish to come under an Australian business skills immigration program. Australian immigration
has said the following:
"Business owners and senior executives are now required to own a greater amount of net assets in order to qualify for business migration to Australia."
The Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship hopes that the changes from 19 April 2010 will increase the contribution that business migrants make to the Australian economy by creating more jobs for Australians.
Australlian immigration says that the changes are necessary as there has been an increase in the cost of living in Australia and an increase in the costs of setting up business in Australia The Australian immigration changes cover Australian offshore provisional visa subclasses 160, 161, 163 and 164. Business owners will need to invest more in their new Australia business and will also need to show that they own a substantial or controlling interest in a business. These changes will not affect you if you applied for a permanent onshore business visa and purchased an Australian business before 19 April.
Senior managers of overseas businesses can no longer apply for a state/territory sponsored business owner (subclass 163) visa. In any event, there have only been a relatively small number of people interested in this visa category. Highly skilled senior managers in overseas businesses can still apply for provisional senior executive visas subclasses 161 and 164 or come under an employer sponsored visa.
For more information on changes, visit our site regularly.
Businesses want to maintain Australian immigration numbers
April 08 2010 by Liam Clifford
Uproar over recent suggestions that Australians are proportionally opposed to Australian immigration.
Australian business groups have spoken out against a recent survey which claimed two-thirds of Australians did not want their population to increase. Australia’s population is forecast to grow from 22 million to 36 million by 2050.
Peter Anderson, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief, said the government should ignore the survey and put economic recovery first. The group is concerned that any cut in Australian work visas would lead to skills shortages. He said, "In the wake of a recovering economy, and what we expect to be some global recovery during 2010-11, the likelihood is we will need to increase our skilled migration intake."
The business groups, who are calling for more Australian visas to be issued to skilled migrants, already have the support of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who has openly stated his desire for a “big Australia”.
Australia’s population is forecast to grow from 22 millon to 36 million by 2050. The world’s population as a whole is forecast to grow by only 38% over the same period, from 6.8 billion to 9.4 billion. This will make Australia the world's fastest growing industrialised country.
For more information on changes, visit our site regularly.
Australian Immigration visa State Sponsorship - Apply Now!
18 March 2010
Australian immigration is currently in the process of changing immigration system to focus on immigration based on skilled in demand. This means improved immigration opportunities for certain groups of skilled immigrants. It also means that now may be a good time to have an assessment of your Australian immigration options.
Do you apply now or wait?
The recent Australian immigration changes mean that fewer people qualify for Australian immigration under skilled independent visa . The Migration Occupations in Demand List no longer exists. Changes to the Skilled Occupation List in June 2010 may make Australian immigration more difficult still.
Sponsorship by an Australian State or Territory under the State Sponsorship permanent 176 (relatives may sponsor as well) or the provisional 475 visa may be an alternative to the Australian Skilled Independent Visa. . If you meet the requirements for a State Sponsorship visa it may be worth applying now instead of waiting until later in the year when you may no longer meet the requirements:
STATE SPONSORSHIP – PERMANENT VISA (176 )
Under the State Sponsorship permanent visa you will need to meet the following requirements:
· You must be under 45 years of age.
· You must have an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) as well as the individual State Skills in Demand list (or be sponsored by a relative).
· You must have recent experience in your occupation.
· You must have good English language skills.
· You need to be sponsored by a State or Territory or a relative.
· You need to reach a pass mark of 100 points – This points requirement is lower than for the skilled independent visa.
· You must live in the sponsoring State for the first two years after which you can live elsewhere in Australia.
If you come under this visa category you benefit from Medicare cover and are also able to sponsor your relatives for permanent resident visas.
STATE SPONSORSHIP – PROVISIONAL VISA ( 475 )
If your occupation is not on the state Skills in Demand list you may consider the provisional 475 visa instead:
· You must be under 45 years of age.
· You must have an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) as well as on the State regional skilled occupations list. There is no option for the holder of 475 visa to sponsor a relative while she/he is still on a 475 visa.
Points for State sponsorship is the same: 10 points; points for relationship is the same: 25.
· You must have recent experience in your occupation.
· You must have good English language skills.
· You need to be sponsored by the regional area.
· You need to reach a pass mark of 100 points – Again lower than the points requirement for the independent visa.
· You must live in the regional area for the first two years. You can apply for permanent residence if you have lived for two years and worked for at least 12 months in the sponsoring regional area.
As this is not a permanent visa, you do not come under Medicare and so would need to take out private health cover. Until you have permanent residence, you will also not be able to sponsor relatives for entry to Australia.
If you are interested in these visas you may wish to look in particular at the States of South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania as these have the greatest choice of occupations for the State Sponsorship visa categories.
For more information on changes, visit our site regularly.
Australian work visa holder salary rates on the up
05 March 2010
Australian Immigration Minister Chris Evans has recently made a number of comments on the Australian subclass 457 work visa. The Australian Government in their news report provides details of increases in salary rates amongst Australian subclass 457 visa holders. However, they also said that employers should first try and find Australians to fill vacancies before using the temporary skilled migration program to recruit overseas employees. The Australian Government says that the priority should be to provide training and job opportunities for Australians.
The Immigration Minister in his announcement had the following to say:
· 90 per cent of temporary skilled immigrants in the period 2009 to 2010 on subclass 457 visas are managers and professional workers.
· The average total salary package for all new temporary skilled visa holders is almost $100,000. This represents an increase of $10 000 compared to the same period in the previous year.
· The salary rates in Western Australia are higher still. The average salary package for new subclass 457 visa holders is $114 800. In the mining industry the rate is higher still at $165,500.
· The Australian Government also mentioned the "worker protection laws", which were introduced on 14 September 2009. This includes the requirement to pay overseas workers at the same salary rates as would normally be paid to Australians for similar work.
· Overall the last year there has been a reduction in the number of Australian work visas issued. In January 2010 the number of 457 work visa issued was 45 per cent lower than January 2009 and 6 per cent lower than December 2009. The total number of Australian 457 visa holders at 71,290 went down 13 percent in the year to January 2010.
For more information on changes, visit our site regularly.
Important Changes to Australian Skilled Immigration
09 February 2010
On 8 February 2010 Immigration Minister Chris Evans announced a number of major changes to the Australian immigration system. This will affect applicants applying for General Skilled Migration.
Removal of the Migration Occupations in Demand List:
Immigration Minister Chris Evans announced the outcome of a review of the Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL). This has resulted in MODL being revoked with immediate effect; This has been replaced by a more targeted skilled occupations list which it is hoped will better meet the demands of Australia 's labour market.
The revocation of the current MODL will not affect the following groups of people:
Those who hold a Skilled—Graduate ( subclass 485 ) visa, or have a pending ( subclass 485) visa application and are yet to apply for a permanent or provisional General Skilled Migration (GSM) visa or those who have a pending GSM visa application.
The changes mean that for new General Skilled Migration visas you will not be able to gain points for an occupation in the previous MODL. Existing applicants are unaffected by the change.
New Skilled Occupation List from mid-2010:
The Immigration Minister also announced that the current Skilled Occupation List (SOL) will be replaced in the second half of 2010. There will be a new list of targeted occupations to be determined by an independent organisation 'Skills Australia’. Australian Immigration feels that SOL will be a comprehensive, targeted list, and therefore the current Critical Skills List will no longer be required.
From mid-2010 the new skilled occupation list will apply to all skilled immigration application. However, this will not apply to people who on the date of the announcement of 8 February 2010 are in the following visa categories:
Hold a Skilled—Graduate (subclass 485) visa, or had a pending subclass 485) visa application and had not yet lodged an application for a provisional or permanent GSM visa and who make an application by 31 December 2012 or have a pending GSM visa application.
The new SOL will also not apply to people applying for a Skilled—Graduate ( subclass 485) ) visa who on 8 February 2010 hold the following visas:
· Vocational Education and Training Sector ( subclass 572 ) visa
· Higher Education Sector ( subclass 573) visa
· Postgraduate Research Sector ( subclass 574 ) visa.
However these student visa holders will be required to have an occupation on the new SOL to apply for a permanent GSM visa.
GSM applications lodged before 1 September 2007:
The Immigration Minister can decide a maximum number of visas of a particular class that can be granted in a particular financial year. On 8 February 2010 the Minister decided that he would set a maximum number of offshore GSM visa applications made before 1 September 2007 that could be granted. This will mean that once the maximum number of visas is reached no new applications will be considered and any further applications will be returned. Australian immigration will also refund the visa application charge to those people who are no longer able to continue with their application.
For more information on changes, visit our site regularly.
Australian Immigration Options still available for students
17 February 2010
There have been a number of major changes to Australia 's skilled migration program recently. Australian immigration believes that these changes are more likely to result in Australia bringing in the type of immigrants needed by the Australian economy Immigration Minister Chris Evans stressed recently that students with an occupation on the new Skilled Occupation List (SOL) may still be able to apply for permanent residence.
Skills Australia will be responsible for the new SOL. This will be focused on high value skills that it is believed will be needed by Australia now and in the future. The areas covered include healthcare, engineering and mining. The SOL will become available in April and will be reviewed annually.
Overseas students who are already in Australia studying who do not have an occupation on the new SOL will have until the end of 2012 to apply for a temporary skilled graduate visa and will then be able to spend 18 months in Australia to gain work experience and find an Australian employer willing to sponsor them.
The Australian Government is clearly worried that the changes will put off students from coming to Australia Australian Colleges and Universities depend on overseas students for a significant proportion of their income. Changes to the system will probably mean that fewer students and others will qualify for Australian immigration
For more information on changes, visit our site regularly.
Australian General Skilled Migration English language Requirements
10 January 2010
From 1 January 2010 the English language requirements for onshore General Skilled Migration (GSM) visas have changed:
· The English language requirements have increased for applicants nominating trade occupations (Australian Standard Classification of Occupations (ASCO) Level 4 occupation) so that you no longer gain points for 'vocational English'.
· You no longer have the option to receive points for the General Points Test for 'vocational English'.
· If applying with 'concessional competent English' you will need to attain an average score of 6 in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS);
· If you are applying with 'concessional competent English', you will no longer be restricted to being nominated by a State or Territory, or to being sponsored by a person who resides in a State or Territory. It will also no longer be a requirement that arrangements are established for suitable English language training, or that you will be required to enroll in an English language course and pay the fee.
· If the primary applicant is relying on partner points in the General Points Test, no points will be awarded if the partner has 'vocational English' and if claiming 'concessional competent English'. In this situation you would not have met the new requirements as set out for primary applicants.
For more information on changes, visit our site regularly.
Most popular Australian immigration destinations
22 December 2009
Recently the Department of Immigration and Citizenship announced that the most popular immigration destinations in Australia for the period 2008 to 2009 are New South Wales and Victoria.
Australian Immigration figures for skilled immigration show the following:
· In the period 2008-08 69 456 skilled migrants came to Australia.
· 55 per cent of skilled immigrants moved to New South Wales and Victoria.
· 19 071 immigrants settled in New South Wales and 18 630 immigrants settled in Victoria.
Australian Immigration figures for skilled immigration show the following:
· By birth the greatest immigration source Countries are New Zealand and the United Kingdom Almost 30 per cent of the 158 021 new immigrants in 2008-09 came from these two Countries.
· Indian immigration went up from 15 338 to 17,283.
· Chinese immigration went up from 12,959 to 15,803.
· South African immigration went up from 5166 to 7201.
Australia remained a popular immigration destination during the economic downturn. Australia did relatively well compared to many Countries during the period 2008-09. Levels of unemployment continue to go down as more and more jobs are created in Australia
For more information on changes, visit our site regularly.
Australian immigration needed to deal with future skills shortages
19 November 2009
A new report suggests that there could be a skills shortfall in Australia equivalent to 1.4 million workers by 2025. The report recommends increasing levels of immigration and raising the retirement age to deal with future skills shortages.
The Workplace Futures report at the Victoria Summit in Melbourne on 17 November 2009 had the following to say:
· Federal and State Governments should take steps to make it possible to recruit older workers and people from disadvantaged groups.
· There is likely to be strong population growth due to a high birth rate and immigration to Australia. However, the ageing population will mean that there will be an overall reduction in the number of people in work. Australia . Labour shortages are likely to be worse than between 2006 and 2008.
·The predicted labour shortage just in the State of Victoria by 2025 is likely to be 440,000 workers. This is based on current retirement and migration rates.
·Darin Ritchie one of the authors of the report states that based on current workforce trends the participation rate nationally in 2025 will go down from 65.2 percent to 61.8 percent. He went on to say that "To meet moderate levels of labour-demand growth, Australia’s participation rate would need to be 68 per cent."
"To address this workforce deficit, Australia needs to raise the average retirement age, increase the workforce participation of disadvantaged groups, increase migration, or offset labour demand through productivity growth."
The Australian Bureau of Statistics forecasts population growth of 1.6 per cent, jobs growth of 1.9 per cent, and an unemployment rate at 4.5 per cent. The report says that "The prominence of demographic change and skill shortages has recently been overtaken by the economic downturn of the last 12 months." "With unemployment increasing over that period, it would be easy to assume we no longer have a labour or skills shortage problem. However, skills shortages still exist in many industries, and the reality of Australia 's ageing workforce means we face a structural deficit of workers over the next 15 years."
The report by the Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry was based on three months of interviews with representatives of government, business, education institutions and unions. The report recommends that the Victorian government raises or eliminates the workers compensation age limit and that they should consider employing overseas students to meet current and future skills and labour needs.
For more information on changes, visit our site regularly.
