Month: March 2021

Australian employer-sponsored visas have traditionally been regarded as a good option for professionals or skilled workers — whether from overseas or already onshore — with fairly substantial relevant work experience, to come and work/settle in Australia. As the points required for Subclass 189/190 keep climbing and work experience requirements increase, quite a few study-abroad graduates have built up a certain amount of relevant work experience. And because Subclass 189 and state nomination pathways are becoming harder and harder to secure, relevant work experience has shifted from something used to gain points or meet an application threshold, to becoming the key that opens the door to employer sponsorship!

Since late February and into March, Australia’s 189/190/491 visa grants have picked up quite a bit compared to before — especially for onshore applications. Compared with earlier, when medical and shortage occupations dominated, popular fields such as accounting have recently seen batches of grants, wave after wave of visa grants.

Big news! NSW, Victoria, the ACT, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania are all issuing formal state nominations?? Subclass 190 and partner migration grants flowing steadily? Which parent visas can be granted onshore? As vaccination progresses, could Australia relax overseas arrival quarantine? Victoria resumes international flights! For more, watch Episode 32 of “Australia Migration Need-to-Know” (22 March – 28 March)

In December 2020, Australia’s business and investor migration programme announced that application thresholds would rise in the new financial year from 1 July 2021 — with change on the horizon, now is considered the best time to apply.

How can you tell if you’re dealing with an unlicensed agent? Why won’t my agent draft my documents for me, leaving me to write them myself? Why does a registered migration agent offer more protection? Are lawyers expensive? Wherever you hit confusion or difficulty on your migration journey, you’ll find the answer that’s right for you in Migration StarKnow.

The Tasmanian State Government held its latest online briefing session today, March 25, with the newest data and updates current as of yesterday, March 24.

For students currently studying an Australian foundation programme — including those at Taylors College and UNSW Global’s foundation programme — thinking about the university journey ahead and becoming an undergraduate soon must feel a little exciting, right? But if your GPA isn’t quite there and you’re worried about missing out on your dream university, don’t be discouraged.

Australia’s skilled migration program now places growing weight on applicants’ work experience, whether you’re stacking points for a Subclass 189 or applying for a Subclass 190 or 491 state nomination, an invitation depends on meeting the work experience requirements. Employer-sponsored visa work is, of course, an even more hardcore requirement for the application.

Yesterday brought more news on Australia’s border reopening, this time from the Health Department Secretary, Brendan Murphy. The professor served as Chief Medical Officer from the start of the pandemic before being promoted to Secretary of the Department of Health. Government officials always say they’re listening to the advice of the health and medical team — but in reality, that’s just the advice of the team he leads. Having heard from him so many times now, his views tend to come more from a medical and health perspective, and are probably more practical and objective.

Does the Immigration Minister back international student migration?! Canberra issues two rounds of invitations — and drops the points too?! Does the 190 grant surge run right through the weekend? Including Accounting? Tasmania’s 491 quota is running low — lodge fast! For more, watch Episode 31 of “What You Need to Know About Australian Migration” (15–21 March)