Changes to Australias Skilled Migration Program

May - June 2012

A long history of successful migration

A long history of successful migration

Composition of the Migration Program

200,000 180,000 160,000 140,000 120,000 100,000

Total Skill
80,000 Total Family 60,000 40,000 20,000 0

Source: DIAC internal data

2012/13 Budget: Highlights & Implications

2012/13 Skilled Migration Program Composition

2011/12 Employer Sponsored Points Tested ENS RSMS Independent State Sponsored SAS 30,000 16,000 46,000 2012/13 31,250 16,000 47,250 45,550 24,650 4,200 74,400 7,400

44,350 24,000 4,100 72,450

7,200

Business Skills Skilled Stream Target

125,850

129,250*

* Includes 200 places for Distinguished Talent Visa

SkillSelect
Have you got the skills?

www.skillselect.gov.au

SkillSelect
SkillSelect is Australias new service for managing its skilled migration program, incorporating significant visa reform and the deployment of a new online service.
State/Territory Government

Visa Reforms SkillSelect

Intending Migrant

EOI

Accelerated Visa Processing

Australian Employers

SkillSelect Visa Architecture

Mandatory EOI

Discretionary EOI

Key Policy Changes for all SkillSelect Visas

SkillSelect: How does it work?

Access SkillSelect with AUSkey State & Territory Government Maintain Profile

Search

Nominate

Nominator

Access/Register Intending Migrant

Complete EOI

SkillSelect

Invited to Apply

Complete Application

Visa

eLodgement & Processing

Australian Employers

Access SkillSelect with AUSkey

Search

DIAC

Employment arrangement conducted outside SkillSelect Nomination Quota per month

Nomination and Application

Intending Migrants: How does it work?

Employers Search

Maintain Profile

Complete EOI

Invited to Apply

Complete Visa Application Processing

DIAC STOs Nominate

Periodic invitation rounds

Intending Migrants: How does it work?

EOI Elements Personal Details Skills Education/Credentials Experience Visa Choices

Geographic preferences Access to assistance and advice

State & Territories: How does it work?

Search Nominate

Nominator

State and Territories: How does it work?

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.

Employers: How does it work? Employers: How does it work?

Access SkillSelect with AUSkey

Search

Sponsorship arrangement conducted outside SkillSelect

Nomination & Application

Employers: How does it work?

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

Changes to Independent Migration

AUSkey: How does it work?

AUSkey is a single electronic key to access government online services
It is:
Available to all Australian employers with an Australian Business Number Currently being used by more than 750,000 Australian employers Secure, 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

DIAC Program Manager: How does it work?

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

Changes to Independent Migration

Minimum Eligibility Thresholds

Clients that meet specified objective eligibility thresholds can submit a complete EOI Client selects visa type Points calculation is not a threshold requirement SkillSelect asks questions relating to each subclass of interest Updating Claims If no threshold is met EOI incomplete Clients are given feedback whether their claims are sufficient to meet the minimum threshold

EOI Minimum Claims - GSM

Skilled Independent and Family Sponsored Subclass 189 Subclass 489 Skilled S/T Nominated Subclass 190 Subclass 489

Age < 50 Skilled Occupation IELTS 6 Skills Assessment

Family Sponsor in regional area

Willingness to be nominated by S/T

Willingness to reside in regional area

Willingness to reside in regional area

EOI Minimum Claims - Employer Nominated

Subclass 186 (Direct Entry) Subclass 187 (Direct Entry) Subclass 457

Age < 50 (potential for exemption)

CSOL

ANZSCO Skill Level 1-3

CSOL
IELTS 5

IELTS 6 (waiver available ENS/RSMS)

Skills Assessment
3 years experience

ANZSCO 3 Skill 3 Skill Assessment

Willingness to reside in regional area

EOI Minimum Claims - Business Innovation

Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) (188)
Business Innovation Investor

Business Talent 132

Significant Business History Venture Capitalist

Age < 55 (potential for exemption) Willingness to be nominated by S/T $800 000 Personal and Business Assets
Business Turnover

$2 250 000 PBA $1 500 000 PBA $400 000 business

component

$1 500 000 Personal and Business Assets $400 000 business component Business Turnover

$1 000 000 funding

Australian Venture Capital Firm

$500 000
* Subclass 888 operates outside of SkillSelect

$3 000 000 p/a

Invitation Criteria

Independent

Highest score Occupation on SOL Over pass mark Nominated Within State Migration Plan Sought after attributes Sponsored

State and Territory Nominated

Employer Sponsored

Visa Application: How does it work?

Email notification and SkillSelect inbox Clients 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.

Timeframes
Age 60 Days Two Years Suspension Two Invitations Date of Effect

Benefits of SkillSelect
Respond quickly to changing economic needs

Meet Australias skill needs

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

Fair and equitable Skilled Migration program

Minimise processing times

Streamline and optimise State and Territory migration plans.

Allocate independent places to the best and brightest

Consolidated Sponsored Occupation List

Current Temporary Business Long Stay subclass 457
Employer Nomination Scheme Skilled Sponsored and Skilled Regional Sponsored Skilled Independent Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme
Specification of Occupations for 457
Employer Nomination Scheme Occupation List (ENSOL) State sponsored- see relevant State occupation list Family sponsored- SOL

1 July 2012

Consolidated sponsored occupation list (CSOL)

Skilled Occupation List (SOL)

ANZSCO skill level 1-3

No occupation list

Permanent Employer Sponsored - Reforms

Collapsing existing subclasses from 6 to 2 with 3 streams each Temporary residence transition; direct entry & agreement streams Streamlining pathway from 457 to PR (ENS or RSMS) Raising the upper age limit from 45 to 50 years

Changes to key visa criteria including English language & skills Refocussing RCB network on untested direct entry stream - RSMS Introducing one consolidated sponsored occupation list (457, ENSOL, StatSOL)

Permanent Employer Sponsored Program

Direct Entry Stream

Temporary Residence Transition Stream

Agreement Stream

Exemption categories

Objective Exemption Categories

Age

Skill

English

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 Ministers Priority Processing Direction Visa cancellation and no training requirement retained

Changes to Independent Migration

Points Based Skilled Migration

6 visas consolidated to 3 189 Skilled independent (replaces 885 & 175) 190 Skilled nominated (replaces 886 & 176) 489 Skilled regional provisional (replaces 487 & 475) 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

Simplified requirements
Invitation to apply for a visa

1 July 2012 simplified eligibility requirements for points tested skilled visas
Can be inside or outside Australia

Onshore, no prerequisite visa required. Inside Australia any substantive visa or Bridging visa A, B or C
Work experience and Australian Study no longer threshold eligibility requirement Points Test factors set to time of invitation Skilled family sponsored - provisional only

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

Business Innovation and Investment

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

Selecting for and fostering innovation

Changes to Independent Migration

Business Innovation and Investment

13 visas consolidated to 3

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)

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.

Application Process from 1 July 2012

Current program visas

old to old, new to new

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

OTHER Points Business Experience over four years Investment Experience over seven years FINANCIAL METRICS Business Turnover $500 000 $1 000 000 $1 500 000 INNOVATION Points Registered Patents or Designs Points 5 Evidence of Trademarks Evidence of Joint Venture Agreements Evidence of Export Trade 15 10 5 15 FINANCIAL METRICS Net Business and Personal Assets $800 000 $1 300 000 $1 800 000 $2 250 000 Points 5 15 25 35 $2 000 000 Points 5 15 25 35 10 15

Business Skills Points Test

AGE Range (yrs) 18-24 25-32 33-39 40-44 45-54 ENGLISH Range Vocational Proficient Vocational + Points 20 30 25 20 15 QUALIFICATIONS Level Trade Certificate or higher Bachelor Degree or higher in Business, Science or Technology Points 5 10

Proficient +

10

Gazelle Business
Evidence of receipt of grants or venture capital funding

10
10

STATE/ TERRITORY NOMINATION Special Endorsement 10

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/ Facebook Department of Immigration and Citizenship