Australian Immigration News 2018

International students to be permitted into France from July 1

The significance of international students in Australia’s immigration scene is becoming clear with the latest measures planned by the Australian government.

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) will initiate a pilot program to help the return of international students. This pilot program is going to start in July 2020. The program will gradually be adopted in entire Australia by its states and universities.

This step is an important part of the government’s 3-phase plan for re-opening Australia. To achieve this, restrictions will be eased for the international students at the border allowing them to come to study in Australia.

The importance of students returning to the country is owing to the thousands of dollars they bring to Australia and its universities. This will help to create jobs and power up the economy.

After the impact of COVID-19, the decrease in foreign students in Australia has already incurred a huge loss to the country. The universities themselves have suffered an estimated loss of $8 billion. The economy of the country has had an estimated loss of $30 billion.

An ongoing reduction in international students could create a loss of $40 billion to the Australian economy by 2023. So, bringing back foreign students has been treated as a priority and necessary measures have been taken.

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit, Invest or Migrate to Australia, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company.

If you found this blog engaging, you may also like…

Victoria state keeps up Australia immigration, nomination

April 15, 2020

Australia starts Jobs Hub for job seekers and employers

Immigration Australia is open even in these times of pandemic crisis. Australia is continuing with its acceptance of applications for immigration for various purposes. People emigrate to Australia for study, work and business. The major immigration programs include states nominating candidates to arrive in the country.

Australia is a popular destination with a reputation for hosting world-class opportunities for a migrant. Australia immigration PR is highly desired by those who go into the country as skilled workers.

One of the major states that sponsor and nominate international candidates is Victoria state. It has been lately announced by the Victoria state that they will continue to accept applications for nomination from eligible candidates. The visas that are currently in process in Australia are:

Permanent Investor (subclass 888B)
Permanent Business Innovation (subclass 888A)
Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491)
Permanent Significant Investor (subclass 888C)
Business Innovation (subclass 188A Extension)
Significant Investor (subclass 188C Extension)
Skilled Nominated (subclass 190)

Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)

This visa allows nominated skilled workers, to live and work in Australia as permanent residents. With this visa, one can:

Work and study anywhere in Australia
Sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence
Become an Australian citizen if found eligible

Skilled Work Regional visa (subclass 491)

This is a provisional visa meant for skilled workers who want to live and work in regional Australia. With this visa, the visa holder can:

Live in Australia for 5 years
Live, study, and work in a chosen regional area of Australia
Travel to and from Australia any number of times, while the visa is valid

Significant Investor (subclass 188C Extension)

This visa class allows the visa holder to extend the stay in Australia for up to 4 years. The person will have an original Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) stream visa (Subclass 188).

Business Innovation(subclass 188A Extension)

The Business innovation visa is for those having business skills. It lets them operate a new or current business in Australia. With this visa, they can stay up to 4 years and 3 months. The visa holder must:

Operate a new or current business in Australia
Receive a nomination by an Australian territory or state government agency

The holders of the Business Innovation Extension stream can extend their stay in Australia for 2 more years. They can thus stay in Australia for 6 years after the granting of the original Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) stream visa (Subclass 188).

Significant Investor- Permanent(subclass 888C)

This visa lets the visa holder continue his/her investment activities in Australia permanently. The holder of this visa should have held an investment of AUD 5 million for 4 years in compliance with rules.

Investor– Permanent (subclass 888B)

This visa lets the visa holder continue his/her investment activities in Australia permanently. The holder of this visa must already own the Subclass 188 visa.

Business Innovation – Permanent(subclass 888A)

This visa lets holders of the Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) in the Business Innovation stream to stay permanently. The holder must have a business ongoing in Australia in which he/she is involved.

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit, Invest or Migrate to Australia, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company.

If you found this blog engaging, you may also like…

How online media keeps immigration real in a COVID-hit world

April 8, 2020

How Australian government cares for children who study

In the COVID-19 affected world, everything about social interaction and communication, from a walk to the grocery to international travel has changed. The preventive measures of social distancing and home isolation are globally practiced. Countries have closed borders and restricted travelers. But through all this pain, technology has come to the rescue to ease the difficulties.

As a global phenomenon, travel is the worst hit by the COVID-19. There are many ways of communication, like phones and video calls to converse with people. But it seems impossible to fulfill certain travel-related activities.

Take immigration for instance. When it comes to migration overseas to settle in a country, personal presence becomes important. In today’s perilous situation, such a possibility barely exists. But have the world nations done enough to help applicants for procuring PR visas or even citizenship?

Take Australia as an example. The latest news from the country is that it has announced holding online citizenship ceremonies. Australia is ensuring that those who are desirous and fit to become the country’s citizens must not be waiting because of the pandemic.

The new measure proves the power of implementation of online technology in immigration. The decision was in response to the requests of thousands to the Australian government. They all wanted citizenship to be issued to approved applicants.

Acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services, and Multicultural Affairs, Alan Tudge made a very important observation. He said that with the COVID-19 situation, traditional in-person citizenship ceremonies cannot be held. Hence, the Government will conduct online citizenship ceremonies. This will be done via a secure video link. This will enable people to go on to become Australian citizens even in these hard times.

The Australian government has decided to work with those in urgent need. With the full implementation of this facility, it will be possible for 750 people per day to get citizenship. With 85,000 people waiting for the citizenship ceremony, the online method will prove to be extremely efficient.

The new method has been great news for the applicants. It came to them in addition to Australia’s decision to let temporary visa workers who are not laid off to keep their visas.

Such measures with the aid of technology could start a new trend of viable tech solutions in immigration even after COVID crisis ends. That could help immigrants get services faster and more conveniently.

If you found this blog engaging, you may also like…

Online applications accepted for TRA Skills Assessment

April 2, 2020

Australia’s immigration processes are right on track

The present COVID-19 pandemic may seem to affect the plans about Australian migration for work. But there’s a positive update from Trades Recognition Australia (TRA). It has informed that it will go on with its assessment of applications submitted online.

The COVID-19 crisis has led to a delay in processing times. The normal inquiry channels like the inquiry line are closed from 30 March 2020 until further notice. But even then, TRA will continue to assess applications submitted through the online portal in the normal course.

Applicants can still submit inquiries to traenquiries@dese.gov.au. TRA will make all efforts to respond to email inquiries at the earliest.

Understanding TRA

Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) is a service provider for skills assessment. It specializes in assessments for people having trade skills built in Australia or overseas. The assessment is meant to recognize a candidate’s eligibility for migration and skills.

Introduction toMigrationSkillAssessment(MSA)

The MSA program is aimed at those who are applying for a permanent skilled migration visa. The application is placed with the Australian Home Affairs department. The assessment is based on evidence. The scrutiny will be done on qualifications and work history. It will be checked whether they are compatible with Australian standards for a skilled worker in a particular nominated occupation.

The MSA deals only with instances of migration. The successful outcome of the assessment doesn’t deem the applicant being awarded an Australian qualification. Hence the assessment result itself cannot be used to work in Australia. It can neither be used for licensing or recognition of qualification.

To be assessed for an Australian qualification, one should apply for skills assessment through the Offshore Skills Assessment program.

A candidate is qualified for the MSA program if his/her nominated occupation is:

Listed on the
- Short-term Skilled Occupations List (STSOL), or
- Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL)

on the Department of Home Affairs website and with Trades Recognition Australia (TRA)

Having direct relevance to the candidate’s qualification and/or apprenticeship
Directly relevant to the candidate’s employment.

It is necessary to be sure that the candidate’s visa pathway needs a skills assessment. It also has to be ensured that the TRA is the right authority to assess the candidate’s nominated occupation. It is necessary to check it with the Department of Home Affairs.

The application for MSA is submitted via TRA’s online portal. The application is expected to be ready for a decision. This means, all mandatory fields in the application must be filled and all the required documents are submitted. The information to be furnished in the application include:

Applicant details (previous TRA number (if applicable)
Personal details
Passport details
Nominated occupation
Visa type
Agent/representative details (if applicable)
Qualification details/details of apprenticeship
Employment details

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit, Invest or Migrate to Australia, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company.

If you found this blog engaging, you may also like…

March 30, 2020

COVID-19 triggers restrictions for foreigners in Australia

Let the pandemic scare not let your spirits down. The immigration activities in Australia are going on schedule!

The latest invitation round of SkillSelect’s immigration process was conducted on March 13, 2020. At this stage of the immigration process, applicants are invited to live and work in Australia. the invitation is based on their skill assessment results.

The skill assessment is an immigration procedure. In it, the applications with Expression of Interest (EOI) from individuals are scrutinized. The scrutiny is done by a skill assessing authority. The skill assessing authority is an organization. It checks if the applicant’s skills and qualifications match the required standards of a relevant occupation.

In the latest round, invitations were issued by SkillSelect in the following numbers:

Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) – 1,750
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) – Family Sponsored – 300

The Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189) is for workers invited through after assessment.New Zealand citizens are also eligible. They have the required skills to live and work anywhere in Australia permanently. With this visa, you can work and study anywhere in Australia. It also allows you to sponsor your relatives eligible for Australian permanent residence. The visa could also lay the path to your becoming an Australian citizen.

The Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) allows you to stay in Australia for 5 years. You can live, work and study in designated areas of the country. It also lets you travel to and from the country unlimited times.

The number of invitations sent to clients for them to apply for visa and their respective points earned is as shown below:

Points	No. Of invitations for Subclass 189	No. Of invitations for Subclass 491
85	0	48
90	1311	131
95	341	71
100	67	44
105	20	6
110	9	0
115	0	<5

It is customary in this program that clients who get the highest ranks by points are invited to apply for the relevant visa. If more than one client has equal points, their time of reaching their points will decide the order of invitation. This will be specific to the subclass involved.

The stipulated minimum points for each subclass are:

Visa subclass	Minimum points	Latest date of effect
Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)	90	29/01/2020 – 6:37pm
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) – (Family Sponsored)	85	05/02/2020 – 3:56am

Due to the high demand for the immigration streams, certain occupation groups were given pro-rata treatment. This will ensure that the availability of invitations across the program year. Subclass 189 gets the priority in the allocation, followed by Subclass 491. These occupations are:

Subclass	Occupation ID	Description	Minimum points	Latest date of effect
189	2211	Accountants	95	19/06/2019 11:45pm
189	2212	Auditors, Company Secretaries, and Corporate Treasurers	95	31/01/2020 07:12pm
189	2334	Electronics Engineer	90	29/01/2020 04:49pm
491	2334	Electronics Engineer	85	15/01/2020 1:58pm
189	2335	Industrial, Mechanical, and Production Engineers	90	18/11/2019 1:36pm
189	2339	Other Engineering Professionals	90	08/12/2019 3:13am
189	2611	ICT Business and System Analysts	90	07/01/2020 3:08pm
189	2613	Software and Applications Programmers	90	29/01/2020 6:37pm
491	2613	Software and Applications Programmers	85	04/02/2020 1:28pm
189	2631	Computer Network Professionals	90	29/01/2020 1:19pm
491	2631	Computer Network Professionals	90	12/03/2020 10:39am

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit, Invest or Migrate to Australia, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company.

If you found this blog engaging, you may also like…

IGP 2021 is open, Australians can work with the government

March 21, 2020

Overseas medical coverage options in the wake of coronavirus

The Indigenous Graduate Pathway (IGP) leads to a rewarding career in the Australian Government. Through IGP a graduate can work in Australia with a prestigious work profile.

IGP is an important initiative of the Australian government. It’s aimed at increasing the number of indigenous graduates across the Commonwealth. These graduates are coordinated by the Australian Public Service Commission. The commission does it in partnership with Commonwealth Government agencies. They participate in the initiative.

The IGP is a recruitment process that is consistent with the

Australian Public Service Commissioner’s Directions 2016-2019 (Commissioner’s Directions)
Public Service Act 1999

They are centrally coordinated, targeted, and culturally safe, with end-to-end solutions. A pool of eligible candidates is provided to the participating agencies. These candidates are those who have undergone a rigorous assessment process. Through the process, they are found suitable for employment as a graduate. They come under the classifications of APS 3 and APS 4.

The Australian Public Service (APS) Work Level Standards for APS level classifications create a consistent platform to classify jobs. They are structured to make a clear differentiation between the duties and responsibilities. This differentiation is at each level of classification.

The applications for IGP 2021 are now open. A single application can connect the candidate with a broad range of opportunities. These opportunities are present across the Australian Public Service and Commonwealth agencies.

Each agency will present the candidate with the opportunity to undertake challenging work. The candidate will have the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the Australian community. The opportunities will be available in fields including

Health & community services
Education
Immigration and infrastructure
Defense

IGP is looking for graduates holding any degree. The degree must be completed between January 2016 and January 2021. The candidates are expected to have fresh thinking, multi-disciplinary perspectives, and innovative ideas.

The IGP offers the following benefits:

An inclusive, robust and culturally safe assessment method
Targeted marketing facilitated to indigenous graduates
The access to holistic, detailed reports of assessment for suitable candidates
A cost-effective, centralized assessment model
Culturally appropriate guidance and support for program managers
A profile of the Commonwealth as an employer of choice within the indigenous community

The candidate must have a great interest in working with the Australian government. The candidate will have to apply his/her qualifications, knowledge, and experience to do the work.

Applications from people with disabilities are greatly encouraged. They will be offered practical support. This includes making reasonable adjustments. The adjustments will make sure that they can equally participate in the selection.

To be an eligible candidate for 2021 Indigenous Graduate Pathway the candidate must be:

An Australian citizen
An Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person
Eligible to get a valid Australian Government security clearance
At least holding an undergraduate degree from a recognized Australian university. This could be an equivalent overseas institution. The course must have been completed between January 2016 and January 2021

The key steps to the opportunity

Presenting your story

There are 2 steps involved in this process:

Submit application

The candidate can complete the application form along with the documents

Current resume
The most recent academic transcript
Confirmation of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Heritage

Undergo online testing

The candidates who complete the application stage as stipulated have the chance to complete online assessment tests.

Meet, Greet, Yarn

Candidates may be invited to take part in a Yarning Circle group interview. The candidate may also take part in a ‘Meet and Greet’ with APS and Commonwealth agencies. These agencies participate in the process. Attendance in person is a must.

Interview

After the assessment process, the candidate will be invited to attend an interview. The interview aims to discuss the candidate’s suitability for the position offered. It will also discuss the candidate’s preferences. A report prepared from the assessments will be shared with all participating agencies.

Appointment offer

Based on the Assessment Report, the participating agencies will contact the candidate. This will be to discuss the offers and employment conditions in better detail.

Any Australian citizen you know who may be unaware of the position can be helped with information about this opportunity.

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit, Invest or Migrate to Australia, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company.

If you found this blog engaging, you may also like…

First round of SkillSelect invitations 2020, 1300 invited

February 20, 2020

Australia improves its English language program for refugees

This year’s first round of invitations to skilled candidates was sent in Australia recently. A total of 1300 invitations went out that enables them to live and work in Australia. 1000 invitations went to Independent visa applicants, coming under Subclass 189. Subclass 189 is a very recent one. The remaining went to the Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional (Family Sponsored) visa applicants.

This year, the minimum points required was reduced to 90 points.

The invite from Australia presents many occupational opportunities. The list had mostly information technology jobs than any other category. Other categories are in engineering and accounting. Invitations for certain occupations were issued on a pro-rata basis. These occupations have a high level of demand.

The first preference in allocation went to Subclass 189 Expression of Interests (EOIs). The remaining places were issued to the Subclass 491 EOIs, the Family-Sponsored visas.

The occupations on pro-rata and the scores assigned to are as follows:

Occupation ID	Occupation	Minimum Score Points
2211	Accountants	95 (SC189)
2212	Auditors, Company Secretaries, and Corporate Treasurers	95 (SC189)
2334	Electronics Engineer	90 (SC189)
2334	Electronics Engineer	95 (SC491)
2335	Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers	90 (SC189)
2339	Other Engineering Professionals	90 (SC189)
2611	ICT Business and System Analysts	90 (SC189)
2613	Software and Applications Programmers	90 (SC189)
2613	Software and Applications Programmers	90 (SC491)
2631	Computer Network Professionals	90 (SC189)
2631	Computer Network Professionals	90 (SC491)

The top gainers of this round of invitations

The invitations were mostly sent to IT professionals. These included Software & Application Programmers. As many as 298 invitations went to these verticals. The invitations were issued across the Subclass 189 and Subclass 491 visa programs. Of all the invitations, 53% went to the top 5 occupations. These included:

Civil Engineering Professionals – 76 invites
ICT Business and Systems Analysts – 93 invites
Accountants – 98 invites
Database & Systems Administrators and ICT Security Specialists – 121 invitations

On the lower side, the following occupations were included:

Cartographers/Surveyors (4)
Management Consultants (3)
Construction Managers (approximately 3-4 invites)
Medical Imaging Professionals (approximately 1-2 invites)

The bottom line

One can expect a high level of competition for invitations by March 15, 2020. These invitations will go through SkillSelect. The student visa cohort will expire on this date. In that case, you may look for alternative visa options like:

The Subclass 190 State Nominated visa
The Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional visa
The Subclass 485 Graduate visa (for International Students who have finished their studies)

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit, Invest or Migrate to Australia, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company.

If you found this blog engaging, you may also like…

February 17, 2020

Australia talent & skill visas – Are you using the chance?

The resettlement plans of refugees by Australia is facing a challenge. The English language courses for refugees conducted by the federal government have registered a high rate of dropout.

The English language program is offered to the refugees with up to 1000 hours of classes for free! But the participants are dropping out before completing a minimum of 510 hours. On average, they are attending just 300 hours of classes.

The language training intends to help refugees reach a functional level in English. The exercise is vital to the efforts of the Australian government to absorb these refugees.

The refugees are absorbed into Australia through its humanitarian program. The aim is to enable them to reach a level of functional literacy and numeracy. That will help them to find a job in the country.

With only 21% of refugees completing English programs, the purpose of the effort is surely left to be met. This has prompted the government to overhaul the method of running these services. It is now thought of how the program should be coordinated. It must be ensured that the program improves the refugees’ chances of settling in Australia.

The refinement of plans is important considering the high refugee unemployment rate. It stands at around 77% after 1 year of their arrival in Australia. It takes 3 years for it to reach 38% and 10 years for 22%.

The new methods of delivering language classes would be rolled out for trial from July 1, 2020. These include conducting language classes in childcare centers, workplaces, and online platforms. There is also a plan to conduct “mums and bubs” classes. Here, parents can learn alongside other refugees.

When the plan succeeds, it will end the long-term welfare dependence. This is because the educated refugees will then be able to find jobs to sustain themselves.

The federal government is also promising alternative methods to bring refugees to their employments. There are incentives offered to refugees for settling in regional centers. A 50% target is planned for resettlement in regional areas by mid-2022.

English and employability are the two vital factors for the refugees to step up, succeed and contribute to Australia. Improved language programs will be a big step in this direction.

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit, Invest or Migrate to Australia, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company.

If you found this blog engaging, you may also like…

February 13, 2020

Australian immigration changes in 2020 – The Dubai perspective

Businessmen of the world are finding Australia a good destination for business operations. They are taking keen interest in Australia for business investment lately. It’s proof for Australia’s business-friendliness. Investor-friendly options in Australian visas are attracting these wise businessmen. They are now expanding their activities to Australia more than before.

For instance, they find the Business Talent Visa (Subclass 132) a good opportunity. With this visa, a businessman can operate an existing or new business in Australia. The visa offers the chance to work and study in Australia. It lets one enroll in Australia’s public healthcare scheme. The possibility to sponsor relatives, to bring them to Australia is also there. What’s best, if eligible, one can apply for Australian citizenship too!

It’s a permanent visa that lets the applicant stay in Australia for an indefinite time. Even so, it requires a government agency or an Australian state’s recommendation to apply for the visa. Another criterion is that the applicant must have total net assets worth AUD1.5 million or more. The business should also show a total annual turnover of at least AUD3 million.

Australia is keen to encourage businessmen migrating to invest in Australia. Like the Business Talent Visa, the Temporary Skills Shortage Visa (Subclass 482) serves investors right. It allows them to solve the issue of labor shortages in their Australian businesses.

Under this visa, employers can sponsor employees to work in Australia. The employee can work for a maximum of 2 years in Australia for his/her sponsor. The employee may instead work for a maximum of 4 years in Australia. This applies if an International Trade Obligation (ITO) is in effect. The best part of this visa? The visa holder can apply for permanent residence in Australia if proven eligible!

This should motivate potential investors in the UAE to start a business in Australia. More countries are becoming aware of these opportunities. Australia will be increasing the chances of foreign investment too. This will mean a lot to a prudent investor in the UAE for sure!

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit, Invest or Migrate to Australia, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company.

If you found this blog engaging, you may also like…

January 21, 2020