Starting today, across four consecutive days the MIA (Migration Institute of Australia — MARA-registered migration agents’ body) has organised info sessions with each state government, and the heads of the skilled-migration programs from every state will be attending.
Tuesday — QLD and VIC
Wednesday — Canberra (ACT) and TAS
Thursday — SA and NT
Friday — WA and NSW
First, a quick bulletin on today’s invitation news
NSW has issued another round of 190 invitations
Here is the data we have gathered — the numbers are modest, and the invited occupations are quite scattered.That said, it is clear NSW is issuing invitations more frequently this year than last — the previous round was on 6 November, and less than three weeks later another round has gone out.
In addition, we have one data point on a Registered Nurse (NEC) receiving a 491 Pathway 2 invitation — an onshore applicant on 70+15 points.
QLD — opening with “good news”
The major changes for this year have already been announced previously; today was essentially a recap.
–Capacity will be increased from January, so a noticeable uptick in invitation volumes and nomination processing will only be seen from January onwards.
–Invitation rounds will be more frequent this year, with smaller batches each round — the aim is to shorten processing wait times.
– As at the morning of the 25th, the state government had seen 93,600 EOIs selecting QLD.
– If an EOI error causes a successfully approved QLD nomination to be non-lodgeable or refused, the state government will NOT issue another invitation or nomination in the same financial year;if, after receiving an ROI invitation, the supporting documentation is rejected during assessment, a resubmission within the same financial year is possible and may potentially receive another invitation.
– The state officer re-emphasised thatapplicants cannot apply via the work / graduate stream while still studying,and the work experience must be obtained after completion of the qualification.
– A doctoral (PhD) qualification carries a degree of advantage in selection — this applies to both onshore and offshore applicants.
– On the day ROI opened this year, about 3,500 ROIs were received; over the following week roughly 1,000–2,000 per day, and thereafter down to a few hundred.The state government again stressed that applicants are NOT selected on the basis of ROI/EOI submission time.. The state government identified 1,130 onshore and 1,970 offshore ROI applications that were duplicates,and only the most recently submitted one will be considered — duplicate submissions serve no purpose.
– After receiving a pre-invitation, if your skills assessment or any points-adding item is about to expire, notify the state government as soon as possible. QLD will try to process the case as quickly as it can, but cannot guarantee it will be in time.
– Onshore graduate-stream applicants must currently be residing in QLD. A QLD graduate who is overseas can only apply via the offshore stream.
– If you have already graduated and still hold a student visa, you may submit via the graduate stream — provided you also meet the post-graduation work-experience requirement.
– Offshore teaching occupations do NOT need to obtain QLD registration before submitting an ROI.
–For onshore applicants, brief departures during the employment period — such as normal tourism or family visits — do NOT break the 6/9-month continuous-employment requirement,though the state officer noted this may affect the “earning” component.
–QLD’s NIV (Nomination for Investor Visa) program nomination requirements are expected to be released within this year.
VIC — the state receiving the largest 190 allocation this year
– This year VICstill plans to issue invitations roughly once per month,with no fixed date — the release timing depends on how large a backlog of pre-invitations the state government has to process.
–Overseas 491 this year prioritises Education, Health and Social Services — the traditional “Big Three” occupation groups, same as last financial year.
–Onshore and offshore applicants theoretically compete in the same pool.. The state government has not specifically split the 190 or 491 allocations between onshore and offshore — both are placed in one pool and selection is based on the same set of ROI criteria. Of the invitations issued so far this year, the vast majority of VIC invitations have gone to onshore applicants.
–The several ROI selection criteria are NOT ranked in order of priority.VIC repeatedly stressed that it will consider all of an applicant’s ROI criteria holistically — having work / work experience is NOT automatically weighted more heavily than English.
– For onshore applicants this year,there is still NO minimum residency duration requirement —onshore applicants simply need to ensure they are residing in VIC at the time of submission.
– The reduction in 491 allocation this yearhas resulted in the removal of the VIC graduate 491 exemption —all onshore 491 applicants must already be working and living in VIC.
–Holding a job offer but not yet having started work does NOT allow you to claim “work” or “earning” on the ROI.
Tomorrow it is TAS and Canberra’s (ACT) turn — if there is news worth sharing, we will pass it on straight away. If you would like a holistic assessment across all state nomination programs, pleasecontact our customer service below:
NewStars Group Introduction Video
(Filmed in 2021)
SA State Nomination Opens ROI on 24 November — Onshore Selection Rules Clarified
QLD / VIC / TAS Issue Invitations Simultaneously! A Golden Window for Offshore Low-Point Invitees
Australian Migration: NT’s MINT Program — Direct 190 PR from as Low as 65 Points! Open This Financial Year!
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Code: 01 — Australia’s most popular skilled migration programs: 189, 190, 491
Code: 02 — Employer-sponsored visas combining work and PR in one step: 482, 186, 494
Code: 03 — Study first, migrate later — course and major recommendations
Code: 04 — High school / Gaokao / undergraduate study pathways
Code: 05 — Essential for student migration: the 485 Temporary Graduate (post-study work) visa
Code: 06 — Arrange immediately after PR: Parent migration and visas
Code: 07 — Master of Marriage: Partner migration
Code: 08 — Pivoting to Hong Kong: the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) and Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP)
Code: 09 — Must-have for parent / family / friend visits: the 600 Visitor visa
Code: 10 — Weekly updates of visa grants / invitations / skills assessments — Success Stories
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