Great Journey Migration

09/12/2024

Ballot registration now open - Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme 403

India, the visa pre-application ballot for the Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES) is now open!

There will be 3000 visas available under MATES for Indian graduates and early career professionals with qualifications in targeted sectors to live and work in Australia for 2 years.

Eligible sectors include renewable energy, mining, engineering, information and communications technology, artificial intelligence, financial technology and agricultural technology.

Ballot is open for 30 days. Apply now at https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/temporary-work-403/mates/ballot-registration

03/12/2024

New Core Skills Occupation List to target the skills Australia needs

On 3 December 2024, the Australian Government announced the released of the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL).

• The CSOL will apply to the Core Skills stream of the new Skills in Demand visa, which will replace the Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visa on 7 December 2024.

• The CSOL will also apply to the Direct Entry stream of the permanent Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa.

More details on other reform taking place on 7 December 2024, including the Skills in Demand visa and National Innovation visa, will be announced shortly.

Contact us for more information.

29/11/2024

Update - State of Victoria's 2024-25 skilled visa nomination program is prioritizing construction trades occupations under the Subclass 190 and Subclass 491 visas.

01/11/2024

Important Update on New Skills in Demand (SID) Visa – Implemented by the end of 2024 🚨

The Department of Home Affairs recently announced upcoming changes to skilled visas during the 2024 MIA National Conference.

These changes may impact future applications, so please take note!
Here are the key highlights:

Skills in Demand (SID) Visa – Subclass 482
➡️ Temporary skilled worker visa with up to 4 years validity
➡️ Clear pathway to permanent residency
➡️ Three streams: Specialist Skills, Core Skills, and Labour Agreements

Stream Details:
🔹 Specialist Skills: For highly skilled migrants earning at least $135,000 in any occupation (excludes trades, machinery operators, drivers and labourers)
🔹 Core Skills: For skilled employees, with a new Core Skills occupation List and Core Skills Income Threshold
🔹 Labour Agreements: The existing TSS Labour Agreement will be renamed to Skills in Demand Labour Agreement

Other Notable Changes:
✨ Work experience requirement reduced to one year
✨ TSS visa to be replaced by SID visa, with the TSS short-term and medium-term streams closing to new applications.

The Department aims to roll this out in late 2024.

If you’re interested in learning more about how these changes might affect your visa pathway, please reach out to us!

06/10/2024

New Administrative Review Tribunal (ART)

Commencing on Monday, 14 October 2024, the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) will replace the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT).

- If you have a matter with the AAT, it will automatically transfer to the new ART, and you don't need to do anything. The ART will handle your case with an improved process.

- You can still apply to the AAT until 14 October; your application will transfer to the ART when it starts. After that date, all new applications should be directed to the ART.

- The new ART will offer more resources for faster handling, better accessibility and user-focused approaches, and new guidance and appeals panels for broader review capabilities.

19/09/2024

𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝟒𝟗𝟏 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐚 𝐍𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞

Some important update on Victoria State’s Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Subclass 491 nomination criteria for FY 24-25 for onshore recent Victorian graduates in Melbourne.

𝐎𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐥𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞:
• Recent graduates holding a Student (subclass 500) or Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa are eligible for Victorian nomination subclass 491.
• You can be living in Melbourne and still be eligible! However, you will need to relocate to regional Victoria once granted the visa.
• No regional employment requirement for recent graduates. If you're not working, in non-skilled employment, or working for an employer not in regional Victoria.

This visa is a fantastic opportunity to live, work, and study in regional Victoria. For more details and how to apply, get in touch with us today!

22/07/2024

𝐅𝐘 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒-𝟐𝟓 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐍𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

17/07/2024

𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒-𝟐𝟓 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦

The Australian Government has allocated 5,000 skilled visa nomination places to Victoria for the 2024-25 program.

Victoria’s allocation consists of:
- Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) – 3,000 places
- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) – 2,000 places

13/06/2024

Effective 1 July 2024, Visitor 600 and Temporary Graduate 485 visa holders will not be allowed to lodge Student visas onshore.

30/05/2024

𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 (𝐓𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐓) 𝐭𝐨 $𝟕𝟑,𝟏𝟓𝟎

𝐑𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝
From 1 July 2024, the TSMIT will increase from $70,000 to $73,150. New nomination applications from this date will need to meet the new TSMIT of $73,150 or the annual market salary rate, whichever is higher.
This change will not affect existing visa holders and nominations lodged before 1 July 2024.
These changes are in line with the Government’s commitment at the Jobs and Skills Summit in September 2022.

𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
More information will be made available on future income thresholds and indexation methodology, including for the new Skills in Demand Visa, once finally determined later in 2024.
Updates regarding these changes will be published on the Department of Home Affairs website. Check the website regularly for more information.

For more information on your visa eligibility please contact us.

Find out about Australian visas, immigration and citizenship.

26/04/2024

Changes to the Temporary Graduate (Sc 485) visa proposed 1 July 2024

The Australian Government announced changes to the Temporary Graduate Subclass 485 visa program in its recent Migration Strategy. The changes to the Temporary Graduate Subclass 485 should take effect from 1 July 2024.The changes are the following:

Graduate Work Stream

1. Renamed to the Post-Vocational Education Work Stream
2. The maximum eligible age will be reduced to 35 years of age or under. Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders will continue to be eligible provided they are under 50 years of age.
3. Applicants must hold an associate degree, diploma or trade qualification, closely related to their nominated occupation on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL).
4. Applicants with a degree level qualification or higher will no longer be eligible for this stream.
5. The stay period will remain up to 18 months, with Hong Kong or British National Overseas passport holders eligible to stay for up to 5 years.

Post- Study Work Stream
1. Renamed to the Post-Higher Education stream.
2. The maximum eligible age for Post-Higher Education Work stream applicants will reduce to 35 years of age or under. Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders will continue to be eligible provided they are under 50 years of age
3. The ‘select degree’ 2 year extension will cease.
4. Stay periods will change to the following:
o Bachelor degree (including honours) – up to 2 years
o Masters (coursework and extended) – up to 2 years
o Masters (research) and doctoral degree (PhD) – up to 3 years.
o Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders may be able to stay for up to 5 years.
5. Stay periods for Indian nationals, as agreed in the Australian Indian – Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA), remain as:
o Bachelor degree (including honours) – up to 2 years
o Bachelor degree (with first class honours in STEM, including ICT) – up to 3 years
o Masters (coursework, extended and research) – up to 3 years
o Doctoral degrees (PhD) – up to 4 years.

Second Post- Study Work stream
1. Renamed to Second Post-Higher Education Work Stream
2. There are no other changes to this stream.

Replacement stream
1. This stream will cease and no longer be available.

Source: DHA

For more information on your visa eligibility please contact us.

Find out about Australian visas, immigration and citizenship.

22/03/2024

Changes to English Language Requirements for Student and Temporary Graduate Visas – effective 23 Mar 2024

Student Visa
• The minimum score required for a Student visa from an IELTS test score increases from 5.5 to 6 (or its equivalent).
• The minimum score required to undertake a packaged ELICOS from IELTS increases from 4.5 to 5.0.
• For students studying English only through ELICOS, there will be no change.
• The test score required for students undertaking university foundation or pathway programs that deliver reputable English language training will be IELTS 5.5 (or equivalent).

Temporary Graduate Visa (TGV)
• The minimum score required for a TGV from IELTS test score increases from 6.0 to 6.5 (or equivalent), with a minimum score of 5.5 for each component of the test (reading, writing, speaking and listening).
• The test validity window for a TGV decreases from 3 years to 1 year. TGV applicants now need to provide evidence that they have completed an English Language test within 1 year immediately before the date of the visa application.

15/03/2024

The Australian Government will replace the Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement for Student visa applications with a Genuine Student (GS) requirement from 23 March 2024.

21/12/2023

ANNOUNCEMENT UPDATE

Working Holiday Makers - Condition 8547 - Extension of work rights past 6 months with one employer

The Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs has made the decision to continue the previous exemption process relating to visa condition 8547, from 1 January 2024, while consultation on the Working Holiday program settings and reform process is underway in line with the recently released Migration Strategy.

The upcoming discussion paper will look at all settings in relation to the Working Holiday program, including eligibility, visa conditions and specified work requirements. More information on the reform process will be available in early 2024.

I can advise that the following arrangements will apply from 1 January 2024 until further government decisions are made as part of the WHM reform work:

Working Holiday Makers can work for the same employer in Australia for more than 6 months without asking permission if the work is:

• in different locations and work in any one location does not exceed 6 months
• in plant and animal cultivation anywhere in Australia
• in certain industries, including aged care and disability services, fishing and pearling, tree farming and felling, construction and mining, in northern Australia only (see website for a definition of Northern Australia)
• from 17 February 2020, natural disaster recovery work
• from 4 April 2020, in critical sectors, including agriculture, food processing, health, aged and disability care and childcare, anywhere in Australia
• from 8 May 2021, in the critical sector of tourism and hospitality anywhere in Australia

For any other situations not covered above, Working Holiday Makers must ask for DHA permission to work longer than 6 months with one employer.

How to apply for Condition 8547 extensions
The new webform to apply for these extensions is expected to be operational tomorrow 22 December 2023.

Requests for permission should:
• be made at least two weeks before the expiry of the six month work period; and
• be in writing, preferably using Form 1445 Request permission to work with an employer beyond six months on a Working Holiday or Work and Holiday visa
or
• or by emailing the Department and
• specify when they commenced working with their employer and when the six month period will end; and
• give full details of the ‘limited circumstances’ in which they are seeking permission to work longer than six months; and
• specify how long they wish to continue working for their employer; and
• provide supporting documentation from the employer, for example, a one-page letter on company letterhead outlining the exceptional circumstances.
For those who have already submitted a request for approval to work for longer than 6 months for the same employer, they can continue working for the same employer until they receive a written outcome of their request.

Link:

Find out about Australian visas, immigration and citizenship.