22–23 Financial Year PR Quota Announcement
Skilled Migration ►
On 29 March, the federal government announced the 22–23 financial year budget, with overall skilled migration PR quotas rising!In terms of percentage increase,the Regional category (mostly Subclass 491 plus some Subclass 494) and the Subclass 189 were the biggest winners, with visa numbers up 123.21%.
In terms of sheer numbers,the employer-sponsored category,which in the current financial yearalready had 22,000 placesas a base, will continue in the new financial year toincrease by 10,000, rising to 30,000 places, making the outlook very promising.
The Department of Home Affairs website has confirmed the 22–23 financial year PR quota allocation
In the post-pandemic era, employers across every industry are short-staffed. Australia has an acute shortage of skilled workers across the board in the short to medium term. Regardless of whether Labor wins the May election or the Coalition retains government, using migration to address the labour shortage will remain the cornerstone of policy.
Plus the news that even STSOL occupations can now convert to PR via the Subclass 186 TRT pathway!
Today let’s take a closer look atemployer-sponsored migration!
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New Policy: Employer Sponsorship Open to Short-Term Occupation List Holders!
► A favourable new policy announced on 17 March is truly game-changing news for applicants whose occupation is on the short-term list. Why? Following the earlier employer sponsorship policy changes, a significant number of legacy Subclass 457 and Subclass 482 visa holders who did not meet the transitional provisions can now definitively apply for the Subclass 186 TRT pathway.
Prior to this new policy,visa holders on the short-term list who wanted to apply for PR had to meet three years of full-time work experience, pass a skills assessment, and achieve IELTS 6 in each band before they could even lodge a Subclass 494 regional employer-sponsored provisional visa. After holding the Subclass 494 for three years and satisfying the relevant work and residency requirements, they could then apply for the Subclass 191 to convert to PR. When you factor in processing times,a short-term list applicant could be looking at roughly 7 to 8 years just to obtain PR — practically a full-length war effort……
► About the New Policy
The legislation has already passed — the new policy takes effect on 1 July 2022
Applicants must satisfy the following conditions:
1. During the period1 February 2020 to 14 December 2021, must have been in Australia and resided there for at least 12 months.
2. At the time of lodging the visa application, must be lawfully employed by an Australian business.
3. Must be a Subclass 457/482 visa holder and have worked for the same employer for 3 years
4. Must be under 45 years of age
5. Must meet the English language requirement of IELTS 6 in each band
For those who’d like to explore the requirements in more detail,
feel free to contact us directly!
► Overall advantages of theEmployer Sponsorship TRT pathway:
1. Applicants do not need to leave major cities to work in regional areas. Regional job opportunities are limited and employers can be hard to find
2. Many occupations do not require a skills assessment (trades excepted)
► Who falls under the Short-Term Skilled Occupation List:
The Short-Term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) currently contains 215 occupations. Some common examples include:
Across-the-Board Good News for State Nomination in the New Financial Year
State Nomination Information Sharing Group
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How to Obtain a Subclass 482 Visa?
► 482 is the stepping stone to employer-sponsored PR
The Subclass 482 visa is a 2–4 year work visa that allows holders to work full-time and, upon meeting the relevant conditions, transition to the Subclass 186. The Subclass 482 can include a spouse and children, meaning one approval benefits the whole family. Secondary applicants can also work full-time. Throughout the Subclass 482 period, holders not only accumulate work experience but also take a critical step towards applying for the Subclass 186 employer-sponsored permanent residency.
► Basic Requirements for a Subclass 482 Application
a. A suitably qualified employer willing to sponsor the applicant
Eligible employer requirements include: the ability to genuinely offer the nominated position, a sound operating record, healthy financials, and a reasonable organisational structure, among others.
When nominating certain specific positions, employers face more detailed requirements.
For example,for an accountingemployer:
a. Must have an annual turnover of at least AUD 1,000,000
b. Must have more than 5 employees
c. The duties of the nominated position cannot be low-level work (the role must be at least Assistant Accountant level; positions such as AP, AR, and Bookkeeper are not accepted)
b. The nominated occupation must appear on the relevant occupation list
Applicants must have at least 2 years of full-time work experience closely relevant to the nominated position (part-time experience is acceptable but must be converted to full-time equivalent)
c. English Language Requirements
MLTSSL applicants require IELTS 5 in each band; STSOL applicants require an overall score of 5 with no individual band below 4.5 (or an equivalent score in another accepted English language test)
d. Work Experience
Applicants musthave 2 years of full-time work experience obtained after completing a relevant qualification. Note that regarding work experience, as a general rule: (minimum qualification relevant to the nominated occupation)only post-graduation relevant experiencecounts towards meeting the requirement;full-time is defined as 38 hours per week; part-time hours must be pro-rated; only paid work counts towards the experience requirement.
Employer Sponsorship: Fast Processing Times
Currently, Subclass 482 applications lodged onshore in Australia are processed very quickly,with sponsor accreditation and nominations typically decided within 6 months — and in some cases as quickly as 2 months. The visa itself is also fast compared to other work visas, with approval in around 3 months being very common.
How to Convert a Subclass 482 to Permanent Residency
1 ►
As mentioned above, eligibleSTSOL occupationswill from 1 July 2022 also be able toconvert via the Subclass 186 TRT to PR.
If the occupation ison the MLTSSL, there has always been aSubclass 186 (TRT/DE) pathway to PR.
2 ►
The first option is theSubclass 186 TRT pathway, which refers tocontinuing to work for the same employer for 3 years after obtaining the Subclass 482 and, combined with IELTS 6 in each band, applying for the Subclass 186,thereby obtaining permanent residency.
The second option is theSubclass 186 Direct Entry pathway, which refers towhere all work experience (not necessarily experience gained after the Subclass 482) totals 3 years, combined with IELTS 6 in each band and a skills assessment,allowing a direct, one-step application for the Subclass 186.
The second option is significantly faster than the first transition pathway — just 1 year of work after the Subclass 482 and you can apply for the Subclass 186 DE,though the Subclass 186 DE does impose higher requirements on the employer.
STSOL + Offshore?
Is There Still a Pathway to Permanent Residency?
Under the standard Subclass 186 TRT policy, it has primarily been available to those on the medium- and long-term list. The new STSOL Subclass 186 TRT policy currently applies only to onshore applicants — they must have been in Australia between 1 February 2020 and 14 December 2021 and resided there for at least 12 months.
So this favourable new policy does not yet cover overseas applicants. What pathway is available for someone outside Australia whose occupation is on the short-term list?
These applicants can enter Australia viathe Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visaand, upon satisfying the relevant regional residency and work requirements, convert to permanent residency.
Subclass 494 Regional Employer Sponsorship — Eligibility Requirements
– Applicant must be under 45 years of age
– Applicant must have more than 3 years of full-time work experience closely relevant to the nominated occupation
– Must pass a skills assessment
– Must have a sponsor in a regional area
– Must achieve IELTS 6 in each band
Converting the Subclass 494 to Permanent Residency
– After holding the Subclass 494 for 3 years, applicants may apply for the Subclass 191 to convert to permanent residency.
The conditions for conversion to permanent residency are:
– Must have resided in a regional area for 3 years
– Must meet the minimum taxable income requirement of AUD 53,900 over 3 years in a regional area.
If you have read this article
and would like to assess whether you are eligible for employer sponsorship,
get in touch with us for a personalised assessment!
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Marketing Specialists / Graphic Designers / Chefs and 200+ Other Occupations Now Have a More Direct Path to PR!
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