Australian Economy and its Opportunities in 2022

Australian Economy Outlook

After rebounding rapidly from last year’s COVID-19 recession, the Australian Economy has recently weakened due to the containment measures to combat new outbreaks of the virus. Therefore, as the Australian Economy is heading towards its reopening, the recovery will eventually resume. Therefore, the major focus is currently placed on the reform measures to revive productivity growth, lift living standards and strengthen the resilience of the Australian Economy. .

Although the sudden emergence of Omicron means a gradual reopening of the Australian Economy, lengthy lockdowns are quite unlikely. In fact, according to the latest forecast, the Australian Economy is expected to bounce back in 2022 for a number of reasons.

These include:

• the government’s substantial fiscal support
• the economy’s underlying momentum
• the financial support to households and businesses in areas affected by lockdowns
• the vaccination rollout’s progress

As Australia eventually enters a post-Covid phase, it is looking at immigration to boost population growth and to revitalise the economy. Australia’s government has signalled a boost to immigration, but details are still to be released.Therefore, more favourable immigration policies are currently being speculated, which inevitably means more opportunities for immigrants.

Strong trade link between Australian Economy and the Asian region

Australian economy is highly globalised. Trade accounts for over 40% of its nominal GDP. Twelve of Australian economy’s 15 largest trading partners are in the Asian region. These partners account for two-thirds of Australian economy’s total exports. This reflects Australia’s geographical good fortune and its free trade agreements with key Asian economies.

China remained Australia’s largest trading partner in 2020, accounting for around 31% of total two-way trade. Japan and Korea continue to be important trade partners, representing around 13% of total trade.

Many exporters have diversified their markets. For example, the ASEAN region now accounts for almost 13% of total trade. Australia also maintains strong trading links with traditional partners. The EU and the UK account for 13% of total trade. The US accounts for another 9%.

What does this mean in terms of immigration?

If you are an investor or a business personnel, then Australian economy offers you a great opportunity to make profitable investments. Especially, if you come from an Asian region with strong economic ties to Australia, you can leverage your local network to build a profitable business in Australia.

If you are an investor or would like to set up your business in Australia, you can look into the visa options in the following section.

Business and Investment visas to participate in Australian Economy

To be able to invest or operate your own business in Australian economy, you would need to apply for a visa under the Australian Business Innovation and Investment Programme (BIIP).

There are currently four BIIP streams. They are as follow:

• Business Innovation Visa Stream (Subclass 188A)– Applicant must establish and manage new or existing businesses in Australia
• Business Investor  Visa Stream (Subclass 188B)– Applicant must invest AUD 1.5 million in an Australian state government or local government bonds
• Significant Investor Visa Stream (Subclass 188C)– Applicant must invest AUD 5 million in an Australian state government or local government bonds
• Entrepreneur Visa Stream (Subclass 188E)– Applicant must commercialize an innovative business and obtain an investment agreement of AUD 200,000 and operate that commensurate business enterprise in Australia

To obtain Subclass 188 Visas, the applicant must secure nomination by the State government. This process begins with the submission of an expression of interest (EOI).Each state and territory government in Australia has their unique requirements on the type of skill set and kind of investments that they are after. Therefore prospective applicants need to understand what those requirements are before lodging their applications.

These visas are temporary visas that get granted for a period of four years. After the 4 years period, you do have the option to extend this visa for additional two years or apply for the permanent visa. You can apply for the Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888), if you meet the underlying requirements.

If you are a small business owner, then you can look into the Small Business Owner stream under the permanent visa, Subclass 190. More information on the different Australian states and territory’s requirements can be found here.

To learn more about  Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa, you can also visit:

• Business Visa in QLD: 188 and 888 visa, 491 visa
• Australian Business Innovation and invest Programme (BIIP)
• How to Set up a Company in Australia
• Investing in Australia: FAQ

Australian Economy and the Labour Market

Migration has been an important influence on Australian economy and the society. Making up for both the demand-side of the economy and its workforce. In fact, Australia’s immigration growth drives economic growth. Perpetuated by Covid-19, the border closure has cut-off the number of immigrants by a large percentage, therefore, leading to a strong projection of labour shortfalls.

What does this mean?

Given the status quo,  Australia’s migration program now includes a greater emphasis on skills, increased numbers of temporary immigrants, and more diversification in the country of origin. This means that moving forward you have a higher chance of securing permanent residency  if you have skills that are listed on the Skilled Occupations Lists. This allows you to apply for Skilled Migration visas in Australia.

Skilled Migration Visas in Australia

General Skilled Migration is the best way to migrate to Australia permanently as it provides a path for visa holders to apply for permanent residency. There is no requirement for linkage to only one employer in this case.

The Benefits of Skilled Migration Visas

There are various important and useful benefits that a skilled migration visa holder gets in Australia including:

• A skilled migration visa provides an opportunity for people to live, work, and study in Australia.
• It provides public healthcare services.
• It allows the visa holders to have their children attend a public school.
• It does not require an employer to sponsor the visa holders.
• Some of these visas are permanent (180 and 190).
• The 491 visa leads to permanent residence after three years.

Types of Skilled Migration Visas in Australia

• Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa [Subclass 491]: Skilled Work Regional Visa (Subclass 491) is a provisional visa, it is a great pathway for obtaining a permanent residency visa via the Skilled Regional visa (Subclass 191) or the Skilled Nominated Visa [Subclass 190].

• Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189): The Subclass 189 is a permanent visa that allows you to live and work in any area of Australia permanently. For this visa you’ll be invited to apply by the Federal Government.

• Skilled Nominated Visa [Subclass 190]: This is also a permanent visa category, which is based on point-test and allows skilled migrants to live and work in Australia permanently. However, unlike the previous visa, you’ll need a state nomination for this visa.

• Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa [Subclass 191]: Once you have fulfilled all the requirements after having secured the Subclass 491 visa, you should be able to apply for this visa. Subclass 191 which will finally allow you to live and work in any area of Australia permanently.

All these visas require an invitation before you are able to apply for these visas. The state, territory and the federal government invitations are determined through the Point Score Test.  Therefore, you’d be required to submit a crackling EOI, that allows you to secure the highest Point Score. Hence, get a state nomination.

To learn more about the nomination process, and how to apply for these visas you can check the following sources.

• October Invitation Round 2021: Subclass 189 and Subclass 491

• New South Wales Skilled Migration Program for 2021-2022

• South Australia’s Skilled Migration Program from 2021-2022

• Victoria’s Skilled Migration Program for 2021-2022

• Tasmania Skilled Migration 2021- 2022: 190 and 491 visa

• Queensland’s Skilled Migration Program- 190 visa and 491 visa

Australian Economy Cost of Living

Australian cities have become more internationally competitive for expatriates. The cities offer a lower cost of living compared to most major cities in the Asia–Oceania region according to Mercer’s 2021 Cost of Living Index.

This makes Australia a cost-competitive destination for:

• international companies that want to relocate employees and their families
• young workers who want to broaden their horizons.

Australia has one of the world’s strongest and most efficient regulatory environments. According to the IMD, Australia ranks highly in terms of labour regulations, equal opportunity legislation and access to credit.

In the World Economic Forum’s latest survey, Australia ranks:

• lowest in the world for debt dynamics (the change in the public debt-to-GDP ratio)
• second highest for social capital (which includes social cohesion and engagement)
• third highest for trade openness.

Therefore, you are planning to relocate, Australia indeed is the best relocation destination you can choose. Below we have listed out another visa category that should allow you more convenient choices to secure permanent residence.

Global Talent Independent (GTI) Program  [Subclass 858]

The Australian economy needs the brightest and best global talent to work in ten future-focused sectors. The aim is to support the economy by introducing innovative skills to high priority industries.

The target sectors are:

GTI program offers a flexible pathway for distinguished applicants in target sectors.As a requirement, you’d need to prove an annual income of $153,600 AUD and a nomination from an Australian citizen.

For more information on the Application process, you can check the following:

• Global Talent Independent (GTI) Program: The versatile migration pathway

Personal Consultation and Visa Assessment

At Path Migration, we have a team of immigration lawyers who are specialized in this field. Aside from having an in-house chartered accountant, we also partner with various industry stakeholders to provide you with a holistic service.

We have already helped set up businesses for clients from India, Hong Kong and Bangladesh, to just name a few of our clientele base. In addition to that, we have helped bring in foreign employees for different industries, such as IT sector, education sector, etc.

If you sound like someone who would benefit from our wide network of industry specialists and would like to put forward the best application for your business, then you can contact us or directly email to hello@pathmigration.com.

Additional Information:

• A Guide To Selecting The Right Course To Study In Australia
• Changes In 485 Visa That You Should Know
• Tips for a Successful Partner Visa
• Australian Visa Cancellation: All You Need To Know

The post Australian Economy and its Opportunities in 2022 first appeared on Path Migration and is written by sonal

Australian Visa Cancellation: All You Need To Know

Are you someone who got the blues because of those inevitable worries for Australian visa cancellation? If that sounds like you, then do know that you are not alone. After all, visas are a significant part of your life and future. However, there are ways that you can better deal with your worries.

You can always learn more about what Australian visa cancellations entails and what options you have, in case you are ever faced with one. Therefore, we have taken this opportunity to explore all the questions and concerns surrounding Australian visa cancellations. We hope this will help you with both avoiding any risks that may potentially lead to an Australian visa cancellation, as well as, make use of  all the opportunities that you have if your Australian visa gets cancelled.

What to do if my Australian visa gets cancelled?

• Firstly, you must consider making an application for appeal or another visa that may be applicable to you.
• Simultaneously, you should also apply for a bridging visa, which allows you to lawfully stay in Australia, as you await the outcome of our substantive visa application.
• Get in touch with the Department of Home Affairs or an Australian Migration lawyer to know more about your rights and obligations (that you might be subjected to).

How long can I remain in Australia after visa cancellation?

• After your visa has been cancelled, carefully check the Notice of Cancellation for an appeal option. If you are able to apply for an appeal then you can lawfully stay in Australia until a decision has been made on your appeal application. If your migration application is appealed to the Administrative Tribunal it could be at least 2 to 4 year before your case is assigned to a member. If your migration application is appealed to the Federal Court the current wait time can be at least 12 months before a hearing.
• In the situation where you do not hold any visa according to the Australian Migration Laws, you may be detained by the authorities if you fail to depart Australia by the specified date.
• If you aren’t sure what your options are after the cancellation of your current visa, then we would recommend that you seek professional consultation prior to departing Australia.

At Path Migration, we have a team of immigration lawyers who have dealt with many visa cancellation and refusal cases. Our team works closely with the clients and we have always been able to ensure lawful stay of our clients. We can help you apply for an appeal and get your visa cancellation revoked. In addition to that, the team can also help you apply for other visas that you may qualify for. For more information, or to discuss your case feel free to contact us, or just send us an email at hello@pathmigration.com.

What are the visa conditions after Australian visa cancellation?

• If your Australian visa has been cancelled, then you are no longer bound to any visa conditions, since you need a valid visa for those conditions to be effective.
• Your stay, however, will become unlawful in Australia, therefore, to avoid detention by Authorities, you must voluntarily depart Australia by the specified date or apply for another visa.

What happens during the interim period between receiving the Notice of cancellation and departing Australia or applying for an appeal? 

• After you receive the notice of cancellation you should ensure that you maintain your legal status in Australia by ensuring your bridging visa is still valid and if it is not, then you must apply for a bridging visa.
• While your case is waiting for a decision you should still maintain the conditions of the visa that was cancelled. For example, if your student visa was cancelled; then you should ensure you continue studying as this will be important evidence that will assist the visa Appeal.
• If you receive a notice of cancellation it is important to contact an Immigration lawyer as there are time limitations on applying for appeals and another visa.

What to do if my sponsored employer cancels my sponsored employee visa?

• As a sponsored employee your visa can be been cancelled due a number of reasons including:

1. You have been made redundant or you are asked to leave the company for breaching the employment contract.
2. Your sponsor has breached the conditions of Sponsorship and cannot sponsor employees.
3. Your sponsor has decided to sell the business and the new owners may not wish to continue to sponsor or change the ABN details of the new entity.

The above are some examples of why a change in the Sponsor’s situation may impact on your 482 visa. The next steps that you can undertake will be dependent on your particular situation. A couple of different options are explained below:

• If your a holder of Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 482), and your employment with your sponsored employer has ended prior to the expected date then you need to undertake one of the following actions:
  • You’d need to find another employer, who’d sponsor you.
  • Apply for another visa that you may qualify for; this could include Student Visa, partner visa or a training visa.
  • Prepare to depart Australia.
• If you believe that you have been let go unfairly, or you expect your employer might be letting you go soon, then we’d recommend that you seek legal advice beforehand so that you are prepared for the unexpected.

Can my employer cancel my 482 visa?

• The 482 visa can only be cancelled by the Department of Home Affairs. Actions taken by your employer can result in your 482 visa being cancelled. If there’s any change in your employment arrangement that may affect your visa, they are legally bound to notify the Department of Home Affair of those changes.

What happens to my Superannuation fund?

• If your visa has been cancelled or it expired, and you are departing Australia permanently, in that case you can access your super for free with the ATO’s DASP online system.
• Before you can access your superannuation you will need to provide a copy of your cancelled visa to the Superannuation fund.

Path Migration has helped many businesses sponsor new employees, therefore, the team can provide advice regarding the rights and responsibilities, and options for both sponsored employees and sponsor employers. Our team has wide experience in Skilled Migration visas, Business Skills migration visas, Employer Sponsored Work visas, as well as the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) Review, Judicial review and Ministerial Intervention. For more information, do not hesitate to contact us.

Can I cancel my visa?

• If your circumstances have changed and you’d like to have your current visa cancelled then you’d need to do that by writing to the Department for Home Affairs. It is important to note here that this process takes some time to process.

How to cancel my visa application?

• If you have recently lodged an application for a visa that you haven’t received an outcome for yet and now would like to withdraw your application, then follow these steps.
  • Log in to your ImmiAccount.
  • Click on ‘view’ to open your application.
  • Then select ‘Update details’
  • Finally click on ‘withdrawal of a visa application’ to permanently withdraw your application.
• Prior to withdrawing, do note if your current visa is a bridging visa or not. As the bridging visa might also cease if you withdraw the application based on which that bridging visa has been granted.

Can I cancel my appointment with the Department of Home Affairs?

• If you fail to show up on your scheduled appointment without any prior notification regarding the change, in that case the Department of Home Affairs will proceed with their decision on your visa application or your case as they deem the best.
• However, if you are able to provide a reasonable explanation for the failure to show up, you would need to provide your reasoning in writing to the case officer as soon as possible.

Why was my visa cancelled?

• You were non-compliant with your visa conditions. This can include:
  • If you are a student visa holder, and you are no longer enrolled in a registered course.
  • If you fail to fulfill the obligations to answer questions about goods on your incoming passenger card; or you fail to follow the directions given by a bio-security officer.
• You did not meet the character requirements
  • You have been sentenced to 12 months or more imprisonment.
• You have provided false information on your visa application
• You have been charged with paying for a visa sponsorship.
• To know specifically why your visa has been cancelled you need to check your Notice of Cancellation.

Will the visa application fee be refunded if the visa has been cancelled or visa application rejected?

• No, the visa application fee and the visa cancellation appeal fee are both non-refundable. Therefore, regardless of the outcome, the fee will not be refunded.

Can my Permanent Resident visa be cancelled?

• For those with a permanent visa, the risk of visa cancellations are still there like any other visa if you fail to comply with your visa condition.
• However, do note that unlike temporary visas, the permanent visas are slightly harder to cancel.
• These permanent visas can be cancelled regardless of whether you are located on-shore or off-shore.
  • In case you happen to be off-shore at the time of cancellation, the chances of you applying for an appeal becomes very difficult.
• Therefore, if you are anticipating that your visa might be cancelled, it would be recommended that you remain in Australia until you have received a final decision. This will allow you to utilize the option of filing an appeal.

Is it possible for a cancelled visa to be reinstated?

• After having applied for an appeal for a cancelled visa, if the Administrative Appeal Tribunal (AAT) determines that the prior cancellation decision has been incorrect, in that case your visa is no longer cancelled. Unfortunately, due to terminology, it’s not said that your visa got reinstated, rather, after the AAT’s decision, it’s treated as if the prior incorrect decision of visa cancellation never happened.

Do Permanent visa holders get deported?

• If your permanent visa has been cancelled and the AAT decides that the prior decision of visa cancellation sustains, in that case either you depart Australia voluntarily or you get deported from Australia by the immigraton authority.

Can the Permanent Residence visa be revoked?

• If the immigration authorities determine that your circumstances have changed so drastically that according to the laws and requirements on which you have been granted that permanent residence visa can no longer fit you, in that case your visa gets cancelled. Again, it’s a matter of terminology, that we say your visa is getting “cancelled” rather than “revoked”.
• One of the common examples of why your visa might be cancelled is if it has been discovered that you provided false information in your application.

Can a permanent visa expire?

• Usually permanent residence visas have a time limit, for example a 5 year validity.
• This time validity works slightly differently from other visas with similar validity.
• If the time limit expires, that means you’re still able to remain in Australia, however, your option of travelling overseas with an expired visa is curtailed. Unfortunately, if you depart Australia, you won’t be able to re-enter after that 5-year time validity period has expired.

What can lead to the cancellation of 186 visa?

• If it has been unearthed that either you or your sponsor employer has provided false or misleading information. This can be in relation to your skills for occupation based on which you are being nominated.
• Also if it has been found that the relationship between primary and secondary applicants is fake.

How to apply for an appeal against a visa cancellation?

• You need to check your Notice of Cancellation to see if you have the option of appeal or not.
• If you have the option to file for an appeal, then you must submit the application with the AAT by the given deadline on your notification letter.
• The application is made online.
• At the time of application, you also need to pay an application fee for your application to be reviewed.
• So that your stay in Australia does not become unlawful due to not having a valid visa, after filing for an appeal you can apply for a bridging visa.
• Another thing one must note is that generally the deadline for applying for an appeal for a visa cancellation is substantially shorter than that of visa refusal. Therefore, in case of visa cancellation one must act fast if they are to utilize all the opportunities present to them.

Visa cancellations under Section 501 or 501CA of the Migration Act 1958

• Unfortunately if you have been convicted for criminal activities for more than 12 months, a mandatory cancellation will apply to you.
• In fact, this Section 501 gives the Minister the power to cancel your visa if your criminal convictions equals or exceeds 12 months.
• If you receive a Section 501 cancellation it is very important that you make submissions within 28 days to the Department of Home Affairs. If you fail to respond to the cancellation your appeal grounds can be limited.
• Factors to consider that you may want to consider including in your submission to the Department of Home Affairs relating to the Section 501 is

• Disclose all your family members in Australia
• Discuss the nature of the offence and the reason it was committed
• Focus on the steps you have taken to not commit further offences; this could include training courses or rehabilitation.
• Outline the people that would be impacted if you are deported; for example children or elderly family members

What to do if your visa has been cancelled under Section 501?

• You would need to submit an appeal. You need to make sure that your application is very well presented with all the right documents and reasonings. As explained above it is very important to make submissions relating to the Section 501 cancellation as soon as possible. You must respond to the Department of Home affairs within 28 days.
• In case you are late meeting the deadline, you may still have a chance to lodge an application. We would recommend that you contact an immigration lawyer to help you with this.

At Path Migration, we have dealt with many visa cancellation and refusal applications. We have been successful in reinstated permanent residency for clients that have had their visa cancelled due to criminal activities relating to fraud and drug offences. The S501 submissions are very complex and it is highly recommended that you consult an immigration lawyer to assist with these types of applications.

At Path Migration, we have a wonderful team of immigration lawyers who are highly experienced and specializes in migration law. To book your personalised consultation please contact us or email directly to hello@pathmigration.com.

You may also be interest in: 

• Australian Border opening Advice
• Australia’s Travel Exemption
• Australian Migration: July Invitation Round 2021
• Tasmania Skilled Migration 2021- 2022: 190 and 491 visa
• Employer’s Guide For Foreign Workers Sponsorship under the 482 Visa Stream

The post Australian Visa Cancellation: All You Need To Know first appeared on Path Migration and is written by sonal

Queensland’s Skilled Migration Program- 190 visa and 491 visa

According to the recent announcement made by the Queensland Government, the Queensland Skilled migration program is currently open for nomination. That means if you are a professional with your occupation listed on the eligible occupation list or a graduate from Queensland, you are able to apply for permanent residency through 190 visa or pave the way to permanent residency by applying for 491 visa.

Famously known as the Sunshine State with incredible weather and amazing career opportunities, Queensland has it all. Not only are the cities listed here as the world’s most liveable , but it’s offering of a high standard of living makes this state an ideal place for work and living among many skilled migrants. If you are still uncertain, then here are a few lists of things commonly offered by Queensland, which we are certain would help you make the right choice for your life.

• It offers equal work opportunities.
• Safe working conditions are never up for questioning or ever compromised.
• Did you know that according to the OECD 2019 list, it offered the world’s highest minimum wage?
• And the list of all the places that you can vacation at with your friends and loved ones is just absolutely endless.

Skilled Visa Options for Queensland’s Skilled Migration

If you are considering applying for a state nomination from Queensland, you can apply for either of the visa categories, depending on your minimum requirement eligibility.

• Skilled Nominated Permanent Visa (Subclass 190)

• Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 491)

The state government has a quota of 1,000 places for the Skilled Nominated Subclass 190 visa and 1,250 places for the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Subclass 491 visa. The minimum eligibility requirements for both of the visa categories are listed in the subsequent sections.

Skilled Nominated Permanent Visa (Subclass 190)

This is a permanent visa category, which is based on point-test and allows skilled migrants to live and work in Queensland permanently.

There are three streams under which one can generally apply for nominations. However, due to COVID-19, the Skilled workers living offshore stream is currently closed, and will be reviewed in December 2021.

The other streams that you can apply under are as follow:

• Skilled workers living in Queensland

• Graduates of a Queensland University

Eligibility

To be eligible for this nomination from Queensland, you need to meet the minimum requirement criteria set out by both the Australian Department of Home Affairs and Migration Queensland.

The eligibility requirements to apply for this visa are as follows.

• You must have a point-test score of above  80, including the state nomination points. It’s important to note that Migration Queensland will be selecting candidates with the highest scores for each occupation. Therefore, even if you have a score above 80, there’s no certainty that you’ll be selected for state nomination.
• For the Graduate stream, your PhD course at a Queensland university/institute needs to be 100% completed.  Note Masters or Bachelor graduates cannot apply for this visa under the graduate stream.
• To be nominated, you need to select an occupation that’s listed on the eligible occupation list.
• You need to undertake a positive skills assessment in your nominated occupation.
• You are under the age of 45.
• You also need to meet the minimum English Language proficiency requirement as set by your nominated occupation.
• If you are providing work experience in your application, you need to show a full-time post-qualification work experience, consisting of at least 35 hours of work per week, for at least the last 6 months prior to submitting your application.
• If you intend to use an employment contract as a part of your application, you need to sufficiently prove that you are currently employed with a Queensland employer that is registered in Queensland for at least the next 12 months. You also need to meet the minimum 35 hours per week work requirement.
• You have to commit to living and working in Queensland for at least 2 years after the grant of the 190 visa.

Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 491)

This is also a point-tested visa, however, it’s a provisional visa that allows you to stay and work in Australia for 5 years. This visa allows you to develop a pathway to get a permanent visa later on. You can apply for this visa if you are a skilled worker, and you have an employment contract in regional Queensland. If you are successfully granted this visa, you’ll also be eligible for Medicare.

There are four streams under which you can apply for this visa. Similar to the previous visa discussed in the previous section, unfortunately due to COVID-19, the Skilled workers living offshore stream is currently closed, and will be reviewed in December 2021.

The other streams that you can still apply under are as follow

• Skilled workers living in Queensland

• Graduates of a Queensland university

• Small business owners operating in regional Queensland

Eligibility

To be eligible for this nomination from Queensland, you need to meet the minimum requirement criteria set.

• You need a point-test score of at least 65 (inclusive of the state point), before you are eligible to apply. It is also important to note that Migration Queensland will be selecting candidates with higher scores, therefore, securing a minimum score of 65 doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be chosen for nomination.
• To be nominated, you need to select an occupation that’s listed on the eligible occupation list.
• You need to undertake a positive skills assessment in your nominated occupation.
• You are under the age of 45.
• You also need to meet the minimum English Language proficiency requirement as set by your nominated occupation.
• If you are a current Masters or Bachelor student or recent graduate from a Queensland university/ institute, you can also apply for this visa under the Graduate stream.
  • To be eligible you need to prove that your course is 100% complete, and you have a minimum GPA of 6.0.
  • For Graduate stream applicants, no job experience is required, but you need to provide a job offer for at least 20 hours per week for the upcoming 12 months.

• If you are applying under the Skilled worker living in Queensland stream, you need to provide at least a three month full-time work experience.
  •  The work experience must show that you have been living and working in regional Queensland after the completion of your qualification.
  • Your full-time work must include a 35-hour per week work schedule.
• If you don’t have any work experience and you are applying under the Skilled worker living in Queensland stream, you can also include an employment contract for ongoing employment in a regional area of Queensland.
  • You need to be employed with a Queensland employer that is registered in Queensland for at least the next 12 months.
  • You also need to meet the minimum 35 hours per week work requirement.
• If you are a small business owner operating in regional Queensland, you can apply for this visa under the Small business owners in regional Queensland stream. You are required to meet the following requirements, along with the basic requirements stated above.
  • Prior to submitting your application, you need to show that you have successfully been operating your business for at least 6-months. However, if you have a start-up business you have to show that you have been successfully operating your business for a minimum of 2 years prior to applying.
  • You are currently on a valid visa that allows you to work on your business full-time, i.e. for a  minimum of 35 hours per week.
  • You need to show evidence of a purchase of an existing business in regional Queensland. It’s important to note here that any home-based businesses unfortunately don’t meet the requirements; and in the case of a purchase of a franchise, you need to be successfully operating for a minimum period of 2 years before you can apply.
  • If you happen to purchase an existing business, the minimum purchase must be of AUD 100,000. If you are running a start-up business, then along with operating for 2 years, you also need to show  a minimum turnover of AUD 200,000 in the year prior to your application.
  • You need to have 100% ownership for your business, unfortunately no partnerships or joint ventures are accepted for this visa state nomination.
  • You must have at least one employee in your business. The employee needs to be an Australian resident.
  • You also have to provide evidence of adequate settlement funds. More information on the Settlement Fund Declaration can be found here.
• You have to commit to living and working in Queensland for at least 3 years after the grant of the 491 visa.

Once you are certain which visa category you better fit in, and have a higher chance of getting nominated for, you can prepare for the application.

How to Apply for Queensland’s Skilled Migration

The application procedure, although quite complex, has been designed in a few steps to help you easily apply for Queensland Skilled Migration Program.

1. Eligibility Requirement: You must very carefully check the minimum requirements set out by both the Australian Department of Home Affairs and Migration Queensland. And have all your documents at hand.
2. Expression of interest (EOI): You need to log in to SkillSelect and add your EOI. Your EOI must include your work experience, employment contact, qualification documents and other important information. Please take your time in this step, and make sure you are providing all the correct information.
3. This Step is only for application under Small business owners in regional Queensland stream for 491 visa, if you are applying under other streams move onto the next steps. All the applicants in this stream, must submit the online 491- Small Business Owner Assessment form.
4. Invitation: After you have completed the above steps that apply to you, Migration Queesland will be reviewing your EOI, and check if you meet the minimum threshold for a nomination. Again, it’s important to remember that even if you meet the minimum requirement there’s no certainty that you’ll be selected for an invitation. Usually, applicants with really high point-test scores are chosen.
   1. If you have been selected for state nomination, you will receive an email invitation to make your application and provide the documents requested from you.
   2. All the documents must be uploaded through the Document Portal link mentioned in your invitation email; due to changes in rules, documents sent via email or post will not be accepted.
5. Documents: While you are uploading your required documents, you also need to pay a non-refundable application fee of AUD 20 (plus 20% GST) if paid within Australia, for Skilled Nomination (Permanent) visa (Subclass 190), as well as for Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (Subclass 491).
   1. If you are applying for a Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (Subclass 491) under the Small Business Owners Pathway, in that case, you can only apply if you are within Australia, therefore, payments are also made within Australia. In addition to that, the non-refundable fee that you must pay for the application processing is AUD 440 (plus 10% GST).
   2. The Migration Queensland will then be reviewing your documents, during this time, keep an eye on your email and mail, since they will be asking for more documents if they deem necessary.
   3. You must keep the time in mind as well, since after you have received your email invitation, you will only have 14 days to finalise your application from the date of invitation. In case you are unable to provide all the necessary documents within this time frame , then you must get in touch with Migration Queensland to seek an extension, so as your application is not closed.
6. Visa Application: After Migration Queensland has received your application, and approved all the documents you have submitted, The Department of Home Affairs will then send you an invitation to lodge your visa application.
   1. From the day you receive this application, you’ll only have 60 days to lodge your application.
   2. If you notice that you have made an error in your application, or your circumstances have significantly changed that you no longer fit the visa category that you have been invited for, or if you have missed the lodgement date, in that case you’d have to submit a new EOI after 6 months.

As mentioned previously, this application for Queensland Skilled Migration can become very complex and overwhelming. Not only do these applications include a lot of paperwork but from the steps above it’s apparent that one needs to keep track of the timing as well, which further adds to the complexity. Moreover, as an applicant in order to understand what papers to include and which category or streams gives your application the best chance of success, you should consult with professionals who are experts in the field of migration law.

At Path Migration, we have dealt with many applications and have always had a successful application. We helped with applications from current students and recent graduates applying for Queensland Skilled Migration ; we also assisted with setting up businesses in Australia through Queensland Skilled Migration .

If you are someone who is actively looking for permanent residency in Australia and would like professional consultation regarding your personal situation then do not hesitate to contact us. At Path Migration, we have a wonderful team of immigration lawyers who are highly experienced and specializes in migration law. To book your personalised consultation please contact us or email directly to hello@pathmigration.com.

You may also be interest in: 

• South Australia’s Skilled Migration Program from 2021-2022

• New South Wales Skilled Migration Program for 2021-2022

• Victoria’s Skilled Migration Program for 2021-2022

• Tasmania Skilled Migration 2021- 2022: 190 and 491 visa

The post Queensland’s Skilled Migration Program- 190 visa and 491 visa first appeared on Path Migration and is written by sonal

Western Australia Skilled Migration Program for 2021- 2022, is a great option if you are looking to migrate to Australia or transition to a permanent visa. Like any other state and territory in Australia, you first need to be nominated by a state before you are able to apply for the subclass 190 visa.

The Government of Western Australia nominates eligible migrants for the Skilled Nominated and Regional (Provisional) Skilled Nominated visa categories. To be eligible for the nomination you would first need to meet the minimum requirements. In addition to that after you have received your invitation, you would still need to comply with certain rules to be awarded the visa by the Department of Home Affairs.

The rules you must comply with are as follow:

• You need to satisfy the border rules at the time of application. If you are moving from another state or territory to Western Australia (WA), there are certain rules that apply as a part of WA’s controlled border arrangement. Therefore, you need to make sure that you are aware of the rules and you are obliging those at the time of move. More information on WA’s controlled border arrangements can be found here.
• The WA Migration Services processes the nominations on behalf of the State Government. Hence, after you have arrived in WA, you would need to register your arrival with them. Registration information can be found here.
• You need to have enough funds to cover you and all of your dependents for a minimum of three months. You must take into account the settlement costs and the living expenses to budget your fund. More information is provided in the latter sections.
• After you have arrived in WA, you have to live and work here for a minimum of two years.
• You are also required to complete a settlement survey every six months for this two-year period.

Application Streams for Western Australia Skilled Migration

So nominations for WA can be applied under two streams.

• Stream 1 (General stream): It has been currently divided into Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 occupations.

• Stream 2 (Graduate stream)

You need to match your current skills to see which stream better fits you. Once you are certain about the stream, you can apply for nomination under that stream. Do note that it’s a very important phase of your application as any wrong decision on your part might lead to an unsuccessful application.

In addition to that you must keep in mind that the window of application portal for nominations are only open for a certain time, thus, if you are under time constraint (i.e. you current visa is coming to an end soon) you must prepare ahead of time so that you are not missing out of any important deadlines. Furthermore, ensure that you are selecting the right category and submitting the correct documents to prevent any delay or invitation rejection from common human errors.

You can check what stream you can apply for based on the occupation you wish to be nominated under. The WA’s occupation list can be found here. This occupation list also identifies if you can apply for regional areas or not.

Western Australia Skilled Migration Visa Options

Depending on the occupation identified, you may be eligible for the WA State nomination using one of the following visa subclasses:

• Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190)

• Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 491)

Below is a list of common criteria that you need to fulfill to apply for nominations under either of the streams.

• Currently Reside in Australia

• • To be eligible for application you are required to be already living in Australia at the time of application. You can provide any one of the following documents as a proof of your residence in Australia.
    • Copy of Lease Agreement.
    • Your Utility Bill.
  • However, if you are subject to a section 48 bar, in that case unfortunately you are automatically not eligible for WA state invitation.

• English Requirement 

• • As a part of your application, you need to show that you meet the minimum English Proficiency required for your nominated occupation, according to the ANZSCO list.
  • Please kindly visit the Australian Bureau of Statistics website for information on ANZSCO codes.
  • However, if you are a passport holder from any of these countries- the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, the United States of America or Ireland- you don’t have to provide an English proficiency certificate.

• Sufficient Settlement Fund

• • If you are currently living outside of WA, you are required to prove that you have enough funds to cover your settlement cost and living cost for a minimum of three months.
  • As a rule of thumb you should at least have  following amounts:
    • AUD 20,000 for a single person
    • AUD 30,000 for a couple
    • AUD 5,000 for every additional dependent.
  • You can provide your bank statements or papers on personal asset valuations to show you have access to the minimum fund.

• Occupations in Regional Australia

• • If you are looking to be nominated in an occupation in regional Western Australia, then that occupation first needs to be designated as “regional Western Australia only” in the General and Graduate stream occupation list for you to be able to apply for that nomination.

Requirements for General Stream

• The Two Occupation Lists

• • For Schedule 1, you need to show that you have a minimum of 1 year work experience in the occupation you are seeking to be nominated for.
  • For Schedule 2, you don’t have to show that you have any previous work experience. However, you are required to provide a genuine job offer in WA for the occupation that you are applying to be nominated for.

• Work Experience

• • You need to be able to claim a minimum of 5 points for work experience through your expression of interest lodged on SkillSelect. In order to achieve that you need to have a minimum of following achievements.
    • Over the past 10 years , you have a 1-year work experience in Australia in the nominated occupation or closely related field.
    • Or, over the past 10 years you have worked for a minimum of 3-years overseas work experience in the nominated occupation or closely related field.
  • You can only count the work experiences gained post-qualification, needs to be a paid employment, where you need to have worked for a minimum of 20 hours per week.

• Employment Contract

• • You are required to have a contract of full-time employment in WA in the nominated occupations or its closely related field.
  • The contract should show at least a 12 month employment tenure from the date of your application.
  • The contract should clearly state your employer details, job description, job title and related ANZSCO code, and all the terms and conditions of the employment.
  • In addition to the above, the contract must be signed and dated by both the employer and employee. However, do note that the contract can only be drafted by the employer, not the employee.
  • Full time employment is defined as an average of at least 35 hours work per week. You can also provide two contracts of employment to make up the 35 hours.
  • You will need to provide a copy of your contract as part of the State nomination application and it must be provided as one document.
  • Do note that any employment contracts submitted by an independent contractor or for self-employment do not meet the above requirements and are not suitable to apply for WA State nomination.

Requirements for Graduate Stream

• WA Study Requirement

• • In order to qualify for nomination under this steam, you need to show that you have gained any one of the following qualifications from an accredited educational institution in Western Australia.
    • It may include a PhD, Masters degree, Bachelor degree or other higher degrees (such as- Bachelor Honours Degree, Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma).
    • You can also include any vocational education and training (VET) qualification at a Certificate lll level or higher.
  • Your study period needs to be for a minimum of 2 years. It has to be a full-time and face-to- face education (do note that due to Covid-19 there has been a relaxation of the face-to-face requirement).
  • In case your degree is less than 2 years, you are also able to use different qualifications in order to make up for the two years.
  • The education institution that you are seeking to gain the qualification from has to be registered as the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), and it needs to be registered with the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS).
  • If you aren’t sure how to find a WA accredited educational institution, then we recommend that you visit this website, which lists out all the WA accredited educational institutions.
  • At the time of making the visa application, you would need to be able to provide adequate evidence as a part of the completion of your WA study requirements. You can provide any or most of the following documents:
    • The award certificate
    • A complete record of your results, this may include your transcripts or a statement of attainment, which clearly demonstrate that a full-time study length of at least two years.
    • You can also include a letter from the accredited educational institution that confirms your course of study, mode of study, duration of study and the completion date. In case you have studied multiple couple courses, you would need to provide a separate letter from all of the institutions you studied at.

• Work Experience/ Contract of Employment

• • You need to have a minimum of 6 months work experience or a 6-month work contract in your nominated occupation or a closely related field.
  • If you are using Work Experience at the time of application, ensure that you are adding the following information on your expression of interest (EOI) lodged on SkillSelect.
    • Work experience was gained after you have completed your qualification.
    • It was/is a paid employment.
    • You need to have worked for a minimum of 20 hours per week.
    • It’s an employment in your nominated occupation or closely related field.
  • If you are using a contract of employment, you must include the following in your EOI.
    • You have a minimum of 6 months remaining for your tenure from the date of your application for the State nomination.
    • In case you haven’t started working yet, you need to start within 3 months of your application.
    • It’s an employment in your nominated occupation or closely related field.
    • It needs to be a full-time employment, i.e. 35 hours of work per week, in Western Australia.
  • If you happen to be a sole trader, then do note that you will not be able to apply for nomination under this stream using a contract of employment drafted by you as a sole trader.
  • For more information on fair contracts, we recommend that you visit: Fair Work Ombudsman website to know more about Independent Contractors and Employment contracts, and Employment Agreements outlined by Austrade.

After you have carefully conducted a personal evaluation to determine whether you meet most of the minimum requirements for one or more of the streams for state nominations, you can move on to the next section.

How to Apply for WA State Nomination

To make the process easy for you, we have listed out the application process in a few steps. However, do note that easy of the steps have a certain degree of complexity and we recommend seeking a third party help to help you with the application process.

• SkillSelect: You need to login to SkillSelect. There’s where you lodge your Expression of Interest (EOI).

• EOI: Your EOI is the most significant and fundamental document of your application. The whole outcome of your application substantially rests upon your EOI. Therefore, you need to spend considerable time and effort drafting a great EOI. Your EOI needs to include the following information:

1. 1. 1. Clearly state that you are seeking a state nomination from Western Australia; in case you are seeking nomination from other states or territories do make sure to correctly select that.
      2. You must indicate that your current residence is in Australia.
      3. You need a minimum of 65 points in the Department of Home Affairs points test.
      4. Adding your skills assessment evidence for the occupation you are seeking to be nominated under.
      5. You are applying under the Graduate stream, you would need to add the evidence of WA study evidence to your EOI.
      6. Evidence of your English language proficiency (do note it’s not applicable for a certain group of passport holders, check above).
      7. Clearly state that you are below the age of 45.
      8. Appropriate evidence of work experience and/ employment contracts.

• WA Migration Services: Once you have submitted your EOI on SkillSelect, WA Migration Services will be reviewing them.

1. 1. 1. If you qualify based on the ranking system, then you would receive an email with a link to the State nomination application form. After you have received that email, you have 28 days to complete that application.
      2. This is where you are also needed to provide all the documents to demonstrate that you meet the state nomination criteria.
      3. You are also required to pay a non-refundable application fee of AUD200.

• Outcome: If your application returns successful, you will be nominated by WA Migration Services on the SkillSelect, and you will also receive an automatic invitation from the Department of Home Affairs to lodge your visa application. If your application is successful, you would need to follow the rules mentioned at the beginning of this article.

It is very important for you to ensure that you are not providing any incorrect or misleading information as a part of your application. At any point after you have submitted your EOI for visa application if your circumstances have altered you must notify the respective authority. Do note that may alter your EOI point score. In the adverse event that your EOI point score falls and you feel that’s unjustified, you can add further appropriate evidence to redeem that point.

As we have already discussed previously, you need to be vigilant and mindful of the invitation round deadlines. More information on WA’s invitation round deadlines and requirements can be found here. We understand that this whole application process can be very tricky for you to handle by yourself, thus we do recommend that you seek professional advice to help you with the application process.

At Path Migration, we have dealt with many applications for state nominations and have always had a successful application. We take the time to carefully go through our clients’ documents and personal circumstances so that we are able to put forward an application that gives you the best chance of success.

Not only have we helped with applications for current students and recent graduates, but we have also assisted set up businesses in Australia for offshore applicants. We have also had a good many experiences with skilled individuals seeking permanent residency by highlighting how their work experiences are so well related to their current occupation and the occupation nominated.

If you are someone who is actively looking for permanent residency in Australia and would like professional consultation regarding your personal situation then do not hesitate to contact us. At Path Migration, we have a wonderful team of immigration lawyers who are highly experienced and specializes in migration law. To book your personalised consultation please contact us or email directly to hello@pathmigration.com.

You may also be interest in: 

• South Australia’s Skilled Migration Program from 2021-2022

• New South Wales Skilled Migration Program for 2021-2022

• Victoria’s Skilled Migration Program for 2021-2022

• Tasmania Skilled Migration 2021- 2022: 190 and 491 visa

The post Western Australia Skilled Migration Program 2021-2022 first appeared on Path Migration and is written by sonal

Investors’ visa or business visas are one the common visas that allow investors to legally enter and operate in Australia. In most cases, these visas also pave a pathway for permanent residency in Australia. If you are someone who is looking to invest in Australia, this article contains all the information that you should know before investing.

How to invest in Australia?

There are a variety of ways that you can invest in Australia.

• You can make a foreign direct investment that is productive. In fact, given how foreign direct investment has helped the Australian economy grow and prosper in the last couple of decades, it is highly welcomed by the Australian Government.
• You can also invest through acquiring Australian shares and assets. In that case, every acquisition will be reviewed by the Australian Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) to ensure that the Australian interest is upheld.

Generally, the majority of the investment proposals succeed in getting approval. After the approval, foreign investors share the same rights and protections as that of the domestic investors under the Australian laws.

What are the different government levels in Australia?

Australia has a representative parliamentary democracy with a multi-layer governance system. There are three levels of government with distinct and defined law-making powers:

• Federal Government: The Federal government makes decisions through the Federal Parliament in Canberra, located in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).
• State/ Territory: Australia has six federated states and two federal territories with their individual self-governing parliaments.
• Local Councils: There are 560 local councils (also called shires or municipalities).

As a foreign investors it’s crucial to have a good understanding of this multi-layer governance system, as each layer tends to affect a number of sectors and industries that you may intend to invest in.

What is Foreign investment framework?

The foreign investment review framework is set by the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975 (the Act) and the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Fees Impositions Act 2015 (the Fees Imposition Act). The Australian Government expects both foreign and domestic investors to operate within the framework, ensuring high standards of conduct at all times.

According to the Act, the foreign investors are required to notify the treasurer of any proposed foreign investments that meet the requirements criteria. The Treasurer holds the power to review these investment proposals and ensure they uphold national interest. Most of the proposed investments are approved. While notifying the Treasurer of the proposed investments, the foreign investors are also required to pay a fee according to the Fees Imposition Act.

What are the new Foreign investment reforms?

To better accommodate the latest changes in the world and Australian economy, new reforms have been introduced in Australia’s foreign investment framework from 1st January 2021.

The reforms update the framework in a range of areas, including in relation to national security, compliance monitoring and enforcement, and streamlining certain investments. A simpler and fairer fees framework is also introduced.

Importantly, the reforms preserve the underlying principles of the framework: that Australia welcomes foreign investment for the significant benefits it provides but also ensures that investments are not contrary to the national interest. Australia’s foreign investment framework remains non-discriminatory and applications will continue to be assessed on a case‑by‑case basis.

What are Investor obligations?

As mentioned above, we further stress that all the investors are expected to understand Australia’s regulatory environment and abide by all the relevant requirements to maintain the highest standards of corporate behaviour.

For more information on obligations of which foreign investors, please check the Fact sheets by FIRB.

How to Obtain Approval?

You need to lodge an application in advance of any transaction. You can submit the application electronically on the Foreign Investment Review Board (the FIRB) web portal.

All Applications must have a cover letter. The cover letter must include the following information.

•  A clear detailed statement about the proposed transaction. With information on commercial rationale behind the transaction including any information regarding the size and significance of the target.
• The extent to which the transaction may affect Australia’s ability to protect its strategic and security interests and any steps (proposed or taken) to mitigate potential risk.
• Any impact of transaction on other government policies including taxation, environmental impacts and native title.
• The impact of the investment on the economy and community, including changes in employment, investment in the local area, and the entity’s future plans for the target and timing.
• Any information regarding domestic or international investigations
• For entities and businesses you must provide structure diagrams including holding entities (both direct and indirect) of the entity, target and target group both (1) pre-implementation and (2) post-implementation. Pre and post implementation structure diagrams are required for all applications with interest details (ie: per cent holdings) outlined up to the ultimate owner.
• Entities and businesses also need to include copies of last financial year’s audited financial statements or, if unavailable, latest financial records or unaudited financial statements are needed to be added.
• At the time of application, a fee is payable.
• After submitting your application, the Treasurer has 30 days to consider an application and make a decision. In certain circumstances, the Treasurer may extend this period by up to a further 90 days. The applicant will be notified about this extension through a written notice.

How to come to Australia?

After the approval of your application, you can apply for a business visa that best suits your needs and requirements. Since the Australian Migration Law is always changing it’s hard to provide a fixed guidance or recommendation. Therefore, it’s always best to verse yourself with the latest information prior to applying.

However, as per the new changes from July 2021, the following business visas are available for application.

• Business Innovation and Investment (permanent) visa (subclass 888)
• Business Innovation and Investment (provisional) visa (subclass 188)
• Business Owner (subclass 890)
• Business Talent (Permanent) visa (subclass 132)
• Distinguished Talent visa (subclass 124)
• Global Talent visa (subclass 858)
• Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186)
• Investor visa (subclass 891)

The eligibility requirement of each of the visa varies, therefore, before applying you need to see for which category you meet the requirement.

What can Path Migration do for you? 

Path Migration has a team of immigration lawyers who are experts in Migration Law. We have an in house network that can help you both set up your business in Australia and provide you with all the resources you need to operate your business in Australia.

To ensure that all the documents are correctly added to all your applications, we also have in house accountants, therefore, you don’t have to worry about any financial document you may lack. We take pride in consulting our clients throughout the process to ensure that we are submitting the best application and are successful.

We have already helped establish businesses in the education and IT sector in Australia. Our clients come from all over the world, but in recent times we have helped many clients from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Hong Kong to help set up their business in Australia. In addition to that, we have helped them to settle down in Australia with their families.

If you sound like someone who is interested to begin their next journey in establishing a successful business then do not hesitate to Contact Us or send us an email to hello@pathmigration.com. Why wait when you can book a consultation right now and get started!

You may also be interest in: 

• Employer’s Guide For Foreign Workers Sponsorship under the 482 Visa Stream
• Australian Business Innovation and Investment Program
• Skilled Migration Visas for Australia
• Australia’s Key Economic Indicators

The post Investing in Australia: FAQ first appeared on Path Migration and is written by sonal

Are you an international student tingling with excitement regarding the course you’ll be studying in Australia? Being a top destination for education, we completely understand both the thrill and the anticipation of the experience that you must be going through. Afterall, this is definitely a decision that may flip your life 180 degrees and transform all your dreams into a reality. Therefore, if you find yourself in a dilemma to pick the best course for yourself from all the different ranges of courses, this is a beginner’s guide for you. This guide has been designed to provide you with all information required to proceed with this life-changing decision and we hope at the end of this guide you will be more certain with what you need to do.

We understand that as an international student this can be one of the hardest decisions that you may need to make. Since, most of the time the students are not only focused by the course they’ll study, but also the lifestyle that they will be acquiring when they move down under. Many students move here, not only to do the best course that will land them the best job and have the dream career, but it’s also to get a permanent residency to be able to continue living that life. If you are someone who’s thinking of getting a permanent residency after you have spent such a crucial phase of your life in Australia then you have got to be thinking about that from now on.

This is important because everything you do while you are in Australia will help pave your way to obtaining a permanent residency. Therefore, you must have a game plan from the beginning. At this point we must also stress that it’s always prudent to do extensive research and have backup plans, in case the versatile Australian migration law changes the odds against you.

It’s needless to say how complex the Australian migration law can be, in addition to that the requirement for permanent residency is usually changing every year to best fit the economic demands of Australia. Hence, choosing a course only based on getting a permanent residency is not smart, as after 2 or 3 years of study, graduates from your course may not be in demand. Therefore, you must have a more realistic approach to your decision and planning in course selection.

So as not to bombard you with a ginormous mountain of information, we have listed everything in a few simple steps. We hope that this concise and systematic guide will be easier for you to follow and in case you do have further questions, you can always reach out to us.

Step 1: What is your end goal?

Before you start with anything you must figure out what is this one thing that you are really trying to achieve from this experience and most definitely can’t compromise on. Is your end goal:

• The quality education that you’ll be acquiring;
• All the places that you can visit in Australia;
• Landing the best paying job in your field of interest;
• Getting a permanent residency.

The list can go on, but depending on exactly what you want to achieve from this experience of studying in Australia you should do your research. If you are certain about the course or field of study that you’d pursue, we suggest that you look into the following places first:

• QS World University Rankings: This website will provide you with all the information about the universities that are ranking at the top for your field of study. Although knowing about universities’ world wide ranking at the top for your course can be a bonus, let’s enjoy the beautiful feature of looking into top ranking universities from particular countries, let’s say for example Australia! This helps make your search easier and also less overwhelming. P.S the 2022 ranking is already released, therefore, if you are as excited as we are to start this journey, we recommend that you have a sneak peek.
• Quality Indicator for Learning and Teaching (QUILT): This has definitely got to be your go-to place to learn about all the information about what your uni life is going to be. Although, we don’t play any favourites but knowing about the student experience and graduate outcomes for any university definitely helps! Who wouldn’t like to know how satisfied the employers are with the graduates from a particular university? They have all the latest information, collected through surveys from students, graduates and employers to give you a realistic picture and help you make a wise decision.
• University website: This is something we just can’t stress enough, go to all the university websites that interest you and find out all about your course. Since, that’s where you will be studying at the end. Find out about:
  • The course structure
  • The duration of the course
  • And most importantly the cost of the course

Make sure that you are comparing one university program with the other, and if you need more information, never hesitate to reach out to them. The universities in Australia have a whole international student admissions team that are just waiting to connect with you.

In case you are looking to travel more, then we recommend that you look up universities from all the different states and territories with more places to visit. Or see if some university has a partnership with universities located in different states or territories, which will allow you to do a few courses in other states or territories.

If you want to get a permanent residency, then you should know that student who have studied and stayed in Tasmania for two can apply for subclass 190 visa after the completion of their study.

Step 2: Self Assessment 

After you have figured out what your end goal is, you need to undertake a preliminary self assessment to gauge what you already have and what you may need. This helps achieve a more realistic understanding of yourself and how to adjust your goal, if you must.

To conduct this self assessment, we recommend that you carefully go through the following list of questions. At the end of this exercise, we hope you will be more focused.

• What is your current age and the age you’ll turn into when you graduate? 

• • Your age is a crucial factor, especially if you are hoping to get a permanent residency.
  • The skilled migration program in Australia follows a point based system, and in most cases the age is capped at a maximum of 45 years old.
  • Furthermore, depending on your age, you may choose the course with the most feasible duration so as you are not turning 45 when you graduate.
  • If you are not worried about permanent residency or other kinds of visas, then you may ignore the age factor.

• How much is your budget?

• • When you are thinking about budget you also need to factor in the living cost, along with your tuition fees.
  • If you are being sponsored or you are getting any form of scholarship you must also take into consideration any fee hike in upcoming years, particularly if your course is more than a year long.
  • Generally, approximately AUD 21,041 is considered to be an ideal minimum budget to cover your living expenses in Australia.
  • Also make sure you are able to buy a health insurance plan for any health related issues.
• What is your career goal?
  • You can make a list of a couple of occupations that you can pursue after you have graduated.
  • If you are after permanent residency, we recommend aligning your career goals with the occupations on the Skilled Occupation List.

• What are your strengths and weaknesses?

• • This is an important aspect to factor in, since it will help you stick to your goals. Also why would you want to pursue something you don’t like, especially when you don’t have to.

• How have you prepared for studying abroad?

• • This is where you need to align your current academic background and English proficiency with the minimum requirements of your interested course.
  • If you fall short of any requirements, you can always take steps to fulfill those.

Step 3: Australian Migration Law

While you are so focused on your course and university, it is so easy for one to lose focus of Australian migration law that plays a crucial role in this journey, particularly if you are looking for a permanent residence. The first place we recommend you to have a look into is the Department of Home Affairs website. This will help you get a fundamental understanding. Moreover, you will also find a detailed list of all the different kinds of paper you need to make any application for a visa approval.

Do note that the papers required will vary depending on the state and territory you are planning to go to. Thus, take your time as you carefully navigate your way around this complex maze of obtaining a visa. Along with it, we also recommend that you seek professional advice, just so you are receiving the proper guidance and not missing out on any opportunities.

The Best Course

After you have successfully gone through all the steps, we are certain that you will have a list of courses from different universities that best satisfies and fits into:

• Your interest
• Your budget
• Your skill sets
• Your prospects of getting a permanent residency

This is the best pool that you should consider applying into and pursuing.

If you require consultation on personal circumstances or application, you can also reach out to our team at Path Migration. 

At Path Migration we have assisted students, both onshore and offshore, get the best outcome from their visa application. If you are looking to eventually transition to permanent residence then it’s very important that you initially choose the most appropriate visa category to help you achieve permanent residence smoothly.

At Path Migration, we have a team of immigration lawyers who specialize in immigration law. The team will provide you with all the in-house resources that will help make your applicant a success. If you have already been refused a visa or have had your visa cancelled then you will also be benefitted from your own personalized consultation. If you are unsure whether this visa category applies to you or not, then don’t hesitate to contact us or directly email us at hello@pathmigration.com.

You may also be interest in: 

• Changes In 485 visa that you should know
• Covid-19 408 Visa In Australia
• Skilled Migration Visas For Australia
• Global Talent Independent (GTI) Program: the versatile migration pathway

The post A Guide To Selecting The Right Course To Study In Australia first appeared on Path Migration and is written by sonal

For the Skilled Migration 2021-2022 Program, Tasmania has been allocated a total of 2200 places for Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) and 1100 places for Subclass 190 Permanent Residence ( Skilled Regional) visa.Of the above allocated places, around 500 of those places will be used for applications that got carried forward from the 2020-2021 program. If you wish to migrate to Australia or transition from a temporary visa to a permanent visa then it may be worthwhile for you to see if you qualify for the Skilled Migration Program in Tasmania.

To better understand which subclass gives you a better chance of a successful application, below we have included sections that briefly talks about each of the categories and the eligibility requirement which varies depending on the subclass one is intending to apply for; finally, followed by how to make an application.

190 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa

For 190 Permanent Residence ( Skilled Regional) visa, one can only apply under any one of the two streams:

• Working Stream: This is applicable for anyone who has at least a 6-month work experience in Tasmania prior to applying for the visa. Along with it, the following conditions also need to be met.
  • You must be occupied in any one of the occupations listed on the Tasmanian Skilled Occupation List (TSOL).
  • To be considered, you need to be employed either on a full time basis with a minimum of 35 hours of work per week; or you may be employed in 2 or more part time jobs.
  • Both you and your dependents (if any) are required to reside in Tasmania, at the same time you must provide adequate proof that you actually want to continue living there.
  • The business that employs you needs to be well-established and have a record of successfully operating in Tasmania for at least the last 12 months.
  • It needs to be shown that there is a true and continuing demand for your position in the business. Therefore, at the time of applying for the nomination you are required to show a 12 month contract and at least there should be 3 months still remaining until the expiration of the contract.
  • The salary and benefits that you receive should be equivalent to that of the competitive market rates.

• Graduate Stream:  For students who have graduated or will be graduating from a CRICOS registered course in Tasmania can apply under this stream. However, depending on when you have commenced your course the eligibility requirements will vary.

• • Commenced before 30 June 2021

• • • • It needs to be a full-time course with on-campus participation in Tasmania.
      • Need to have lived in Tasmania for a minimum of 2 years and while you have been studying.
      • Both you and your dependents (if any) are required to reside in Tasmania, at the same time you must provide adequate proof that you actually want to continue living there.
      • In cases where you are not currently in any skilled employment, you have to demonstrate how your studies enhanced your ability to find skilled employment in Tasmania. This may include areas unrelated to your study in Tasmania.
  • Commenced after 30 June 2021
    • Along with the course being CRICOS registered, it needs to be a minimum of 92 weeks long; and the study basis must be full time with on-campus participation in Tasmania.
    • Need to have lived in Tasmania for a minimum of 2 years and while you have been studying.
    • Both you and your dependents (if any) are required to reside in Tasmania, at the same time you must provide adequate proof that you actually want to continue living there.
    • If you are not currently in any skilled employment, you have to demonstrate how your studies enhanced your ability to find skilled employment in Tasmania. This may include areas unrelated to your study in Tasmania.
    • If you have had a sydney visa (Subclass 500) while finishing your last course of study in Tasmania, the course needs to be a degree (bachelor, masters or any higher degree), or a diploma (standard, advanced, associate or graduate). Or any qualification related to Priority Industry Training and Workforce Development Area also counts.

If you find that you meet most of the requirements, then you can consider applying for the 190 state nomination. If you are uncertain about your eligibility, we’d recommend that you seek professional advice so that you are not missing out on any opportunities. At the same time, we would recommend that you have a look into the eligibility requirements for Subclass 491 visa.

Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491)

The subclass 491 has 6 categories under which one can apply for state nomination. The requirement to fit under any one of these categories are listed below.

• Working Stream: Same as the requirements discussed above, but there are a few differences which are listed below:
  • You are not required to be working in your nominated occupation.
  • If your occupation is listed in Tasmanian Skilled Occupations List (TSOL), and you have the appropriate skill assessment then you will be eligible for nomination under this category after three months of employment.
• Graduate Stream: Most of the requirements are the same as the ones discussed above in 190 sections.However, the few differences are outlined below:
  • Along with the course being CRICOS registered, it needs to be a minimum of 40 weeks long; and the study basis must be full time with on-campus participation in Tasmania.
  • Need to have lived in Tasmania for a minimum of 1 years and while you have been studying.

• Overseas Applicants (TSOL) requirements:

• • The occupation that you intend to seek nomination under must be listed in the TSOL.
  • Both you and your dependents (if any) have not resided in another Australian state or territory in the last 12 months.
  • You have scored the minimum point in your English language proficiency test as per your TSOL occupation.
  • You have access to sufficient funds to cover the cost of migration and to support yourself and your dependents for at least 6 months while you look for work.
  • According to TSOL, if your occupation is classified as “High demand”, you are eligible to apply without having to provide any employability evidence.

• Overseas Applicant (Job Offer) requirements:

• • You have received a formal job offer for your nominated occupation that is based in Tasmania.
  • The occupation must be listed on TSOL.
  • You have scored the minimum point in your English language proficiency test as per your TSOL occupation.
  • Both you and your dependents (if any) have not resided in another Australian state or territory in the last 12 months.
  • The business that employs you needs to be well-established and have a record of successfully operating in Tasmania for at least the last 12 months.
  • The salary and benefits that you receive should be equivalent to that of the competitive market rates.

• Family in Tasmania:

• • To be eligible for this stream you need immediate family members who meet the following criteria.
    • Have held Australian Permanent Residentship or an Australian Citizenship at least 12 months prior to the lodgement of your application.
    • They have been living in Tasmania for at least 12 months.
    • They are willing to support you in the process of seeking employment in Tasmania after you have arrived.

• Small Business Owner Requirements: 

• • In order to be considered for applying under this stream, you need to fulfill the following conditions:
    • Show that you have set up and actively run your solely owned business in Tasmania for a minimum of 6 months.
    • Show that your business is able to generate you a personal income of at least AUD 53,900 for a minimum of 3 years among the upcoming 5 years.
    • You need to clearly demonstrate that you have a clear understanding of your responsibilities and requirements towards treating your employees fairly. You do that by finishing the key units on the Fair Work Ombudsman’s online learning centre.

This briefly outlines the requirements for both the 491 subclass and 190 subclass. If you feel that you qualify for any one of these visa categories then you can follow the steps outlined in the next section.

Application Process

It must be understood that the application process can be quite complex and includes different sets of documents that need to be supplied at the appropriate time. To help easily understand the process, we have broken down the whole thing into 5 gullible steps.

• Check the Eligibility: Of course we can’t stress enough, a huge amount of research and consideration is required on your part to see if you indeed meet the main eligibility requirements outlined by the Department of Home Affairs for skilled migration.

• Check Requirements: Along with fulfilling the above requirements, you must also meet the nomination criteria listed out by the Tasmanian Government. It can be found here.

• Expression of Interest: Additional care must be taken in this step as you want to ensure that the EOI you are submitting via SkillSelect gives you applicatio the best chance of success.

• Apply for Nomination: You then need to apply for nomination from the Tasmanian Government website. You must note that the application processing time varies and it may take upto three months to process your application.

• Apply for Visa: If the Tasmanian Government offers you with a nomination, then you will be notified and invited to apply for the appropriate visa via Skillselect. Which means that you are able to apply for your visa through the Department of Home Affairs.

This application process although appears pretty straightforward, however, understanding what papers to include and which category or streams gives your application the best chance of success can be a very complex and overwhelming process In addition to that these processes are very time sensitive, therefore, you must always be vigilant regarding anything that might be asked of you and provide those documents on a timely basis.

How can Path Migration help you?

At Path Migration, we have dealt with many applications for state nominations and have always had a successful outcome. We take the time to carefully go through our clients’ documents and personal circumstances so that we are able to put forward an application that gives you the best chance of success.

Not only have we helped with applications for current students and recent graduates, but we have also assisted set up businesses in Australia for offshore applicants. We have also had a good many experiences with skilled individuals seeking permanent residency by highlighting how their work experiences are so well related to their current occupation and the occupation nominated.

If you are someone who is actively looking for permanent residency in Australia and would like professional consultation regarding your personal situation then do not hesitate to contact us. At Path Migration, we have a wonderful team of immigration lawyers who are highly experienced and specializes in migration law. To book your personalised consultation please contact us or email directly to hello@pathmigration.com.

You may also be interest in: 

• South Australia’s Skilled Migration Program from 2021-2022

• New South Wales Skilled Migration Program for 2021-2022

• Victoria’s Skilled Migration Program for 2021-2022

• Employer’s Guide For Foreign Workers Sponsorship under the 482 Visa Stream

The post Tasmania Skilled Migration 2021-2022: 190 and 491 Visa first appeared on Path Migration and is written by sonal

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) government has newly added another stream to their Skilled Migration Program helping you achieve 190 visa. It is the Small Business Owner (SBO) stream that acts as a pathway to achieving 491 or 190 nominations in ACT, for anyone who meets the underlying requirements. This is one of the smart ways to aim for permanent residency in the long run.

Currently, aside from ACT, two states are also offering an opportunity for a place in the Small Business Owner stream. The states are Tasmania and Queensland. Therefore, or an individual looking to be nominated through this stream there are a couple of options for them to browse through. However, one must be cautious about the eligibility conditions because depending on the state and/ or territory they vary.

Before getting into the details of how to apply for the invitation of a place through the Small Business Owner stream, then subsequently applying for the visa, we’d first look into the eligibility conditions. To help you better understand the eligibility conditions and also know your options, the eligibility criteria of Queensland, Tasmia are also listed below, along with that of the ACT. This helps you with comparing the Small Business Owner stream in these states and territories, therefore, choose the option that better suits your situation.

The underlying conditions for the Small Business owner stream are as follow:

As you can see from the above table that briefly lists the conditions applicable for the SBO nominations, depending on the state and territory, the requirements are different. Therefore, before applying, you should carefully consider which state and territory gives you the best chance of success. In fact, we also recommend that you seek professional counselling to help you make the best decision.

If you believe that you are better suited to secure a place in the Small Business Owner stream in the ACT, then you can look into the application procedure outlined in the latter section.

Important Updates

Unlike other states and territories, the ACT follows a matrix system that determines your eligibility based on the score you get. Generally, anyone meeting the eligibility conditions can apply, however, the selection for invitation depends on the demand for the inhibition. The minimum cut off score is also decided after all the applications have been received and the total demand has been assessed.

Before moving on to the application procedure, there are few important things to take under consideration. Following the July 2021 announcements, few updates have been made to the ACT Small Business Owner stream. The updates are listed below:

• You are no longer required to provide the Commitment to Canberra statement.
• If you are a self-employed applicant then you should earn at least AUD520 per week, in case of full time employment, it should be AUD1000.
• The requirement that employees need to work in Canberra for an interstate employee has now been simplified. As they are able to work in a service office but it can be online or from home.
• The spouse employment requirement has also been simplified. In case your spouse fails to meet the requirements of being employed for at least 3 months, that’s still alright, as an tertiary qualification from an Australian institution in any occupation now suffices. The tertiary qualification can include 3 year trade, a Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree or PhD.
• Unlike some states, for ACT 190 and 491 nomination under the SBO stream, one does not need a full time work right. Rather, the SBO employment eligibility is dependent on one’s minimum income, instead of working hours. Therefore, if you hold a student visa and have a minimum earning of AUD 13,000 in six months then you can apply for 491 and 190 ACT nomination.
• This update is for the best, as the SBO supporting documents have been reduced, however, a stat dec confirming the ACT business activity/ employees is still essential.

Application Process

Based on the above eligibility criteria and the recent updates, if you deem yourself eligible then you can follow the following steps.

• Submit the Canberra Matrix: First you are required to submit the Canberra Matrix in order to determine your score. It is important to note that one a matrix has been submitted, it can neither be updated nor be withdrawn. Therefore, you must be cautious so as not to make any error or provide any  misleading information in your matrix.

• Apply for ACT Nomination: If you have been invited to apply based on your score then you now need to apply for the ACT Nomination. You must make this application within 14 days after the day of the invitation grant. You also have to make a payment of AUD 300 as application fee. The ACT government only [provides one nomination place per person, unless you have a genuine reason for them to do otherwise. Therefore, you make sure that you are keeping track of your deadlines and your application does not have any errors.

• Apply for the Visa: If you successfully get nominated  by the ACT, you are then required to apply for the appropriate visa with the Department of Home Affairs. You must be wary that you need to apply for the visa within 60 days since you have been granted nomination.

This application process although appears pretty straightforward, however, understanding what papers to include and which category or streams gives your application the best chance of success can be a very complex and overwhelming process In addition to that these processes are very time sensitive, therefore, you must always be vigilant regarding anything that might be asked of you and provide those documents on a timely basis.

At Path Migration, we have dealt with any applications and have always had a successful application. We take the time to carefully go through our clients’ documents and personal circumstances so that we are able to put forward an application that gives you the best chance of success.

Not only have we helped with applications for current students and recent graduates, but we have also assisted set up businesses in Australia for offshore applicants. We have also had a good many experiences with skilled individuals seeking permanent residency by highlighting how their work experiences are so well related to their current occupation and the occupation nominated.

If you are someone who is actively looking for permanent residency in Australia and would like professional consultation regarding your personal situation then do not hesitate to contact us. At Path Migration, we have a wonderful team of immigration lawyers who are highly experienced and specializes in migration law. To book your personalised consultation please contact us or email directly to hello@pathmigration.com.

You may also be interest in: 

• Employer’s Guide For Foreign Workers Sponsorship under the 482 Visa Stream
• Australian Business Innovation and Investment Program
• Skilled Migration Visas for Australia
• Australia’s Key Economic Indicators

The post Small Business Owner Stream: A Pathway for 190 Visa first appeared on Path Migration and is written by sonal

If you want to migrate to Australia without getting sponsorship from an employer, then skilled migration visas are the perfect choice for you. You must possess professional skills in an occupation that is demanding in Australia. There are various factors that should be considered by you before applying for such visas including occupation, experience, education, and English language skills.

General Skilled Migration is the best way to migrate to Australia permanently as it provides a path for visa holders to apply for permanent residency. There is no requirement for linkage to only one employer in this case.

Benefits of Skilled Migration Visas

There are various important and useful benefits that a skilled migration visa holder gets in Australia including: –

• A skilled migration visa provides an opportunity for people to live, work, and study in Australia.
• It provides public healthcare services.
• It allows the visa holders to have their children attend a public school.
• It does not require an employer to sponsor the visa holders.
• Some of these visas are permanent (180 and 190).
• The 491 visa leads to permanent residence after three years.

The Application Process For Skilled Migration Visas

The application process for skilled migration visas is highly challenging for even well-educated applicants. You need to go through the application process quite calmly. Here is a general breakdown of this process to simplify the requirements for you: –

Eligibility 

The first and foremost step is to check your eligibility for a particular visa. You should go through the Points Test to know whether you are eligible for a visa or not. Along with the points test, you should pass a skills assessment test too. You can obtain a full skills assessment from your relevant assessing authority.

Submission of Expression of Interest (EOI)

After passing the Points Test and Skills Assessment Test, you will be required to submit an EOI. You can use SkillSelect in this regard if you possess the necessary skills. It is a primary requirement if you apply for a Subclass 189 or a Subclass 190 visa.

Receiving an Invitation 

The Australian government, the Australian employers, and/or the Australian state governments will invite you to apply for the skilled visa based on your EOI. For the 191 and 491 visas, the state invitation is a primary requirement.

Apply for Visa

The Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) will send you an invitation for applying for a particular skilled migration visa. After receiving this invitation, you are required to lodge a visa application within the next 60 days. You are not eligible to apply for a visa if you have not received an invitation.

Types of Skilled Migration Visas

There are various skilled migration visas offered by Australia to foreigners. Each of these visas has its own requirements and benefits. Let us discuss them in detail.

Skilled Regional-Subclass 491

On November 16, 2019, the 491 visa replaced the 489 visa. It is originally a temporary skilled migration visa that may lead to permanent residence (PR). You do not need to be sponsored by an employer to acquire this visa. It requires you to commit to living and working in a regional area in Australia.

The 491 Visa Requirements

It is important for you to meet the 491 visa requirements before applying for it. Here are all of those requirements that you should fulfill to get it: –

• Your current age is between 18 and 45 years
• You must hold a positive skill assessment on a regional or state list
• You must hold competent or higher English level in IELTS (a score of above 6)
• You must hold a valid/approved passport
• You must be nominated by a region or state to apply for the visa
• You must fulfill the health and character requirements
• You must pass the skilled migration test (65 or above points)

Skilled Regional-Subclass 191

The 191 Visa is for those who have already lived, worked, and studied in a regional area of Australia on an eligible visa. After getting the 191 visa, you will be able to live, work, and study permanently, anywhere in Australia. You will also be able to sponsor your relatives for permanent residence. You will also get an opportunity to apply for Australian Citizenship under this visa.

The 191 Visa Requirements

You have to fulfill the following requirements before applying for the Skilled Regional-Subclass 191 visa: –

• You must have an eligible visa
• You have already lived for three years in a designated region of Australia
• You have had a taxable income at or above a particular income threshold for at least three years
• You, as a primary or secondary applicant, have ensured your compliance with the eligible visa terms and conditions

How Path Migration can help you? 

You must have gained enough knowledge about the application process and eligibility requirements related to Skilled Regional Subclass 491 and 191 visas. Now, let us discuss how Path Migration can make the application process easier for you by overcoming some common yet complex challenges.

Skills assessment lodging 

You have to meet the requirements issued by different skills assessment authorities to start the application process. Our services will help you to ensure the validity of all required documents for these assessments.

Solving visa-related problems 

Your application could suffer from some common issues and problems and they must be rectified before submission. Our professional migration visa agents will help you rectify such problems and ease the application submission with guaranteed results.

Reviewing Points Test Results

It is not as easy to calculate points test results as it looks. We have experienced staff members that can help you to get rid of complications related to the points test score. They will advise you on the likelihood of getting an invitation from the Australian officials to apply for a visa.

Quick application processing  

The aim of Path Migration is to make the skilled migration visa application process smooth and quick. Most of the people want to migrate to Australia from other countries as soon as possible. We have the ability to process decision ready applications for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Skilled Migration Visa? 

Australia invites skilled people from all across the world to provide their services in Australia on various visas including the 191 and 491 visas. These visas offer permanent or lead to permanent residence to the foreigners.

How many points should I get to acquire a general skilled migration visa?

The minimum points to acquire a general skilled migration visa to Australia depend on which visa you are applying for. However, you need to get at least 65 points to submit an expression of interest (EOI).

How can I apply for a general skilled migration visa? 

You can only apply for a general skilled migration visa to Australia if you are being invited by the Australian government or employer. You can submit an EOI to get an invitation.

Which Australian state is easy for general skilled migration?

Different states and territories in Australia have different requirements related to the general skilled migration. However, NSW and Victoria are hard to migrate to as compared to other states in general.

How can I get extra points while applying for a general skilled migration visa?   

There are various ways you can adopt to gain extra points for general skilled migrations including improving English skills, getting more work experience, taking the NAATI exam etc.

Is passing skills assessment necessary for general skilled migration? 

Different skills assessments have different requirements. You must have a skills assessment before applying for a skilled visa.

Which skills are highly demanding in Australia for general skilled migration?

In Australia, medical, engineering, business, and computer professionals are highly demanding. People possessing these skills can easily migrate to Australia to provide their services.

You may also be interest in: 

• New South Wales Skilled Migration Program for 2021-2022
• South Australia’s Skilled Migration Program from 2021-2022
• Employer’s Guide For Foreign Workers Sponsorship under the 482 Visa Stream
• Global Talent Independent (GTI) Program: the versatile migration pathway

The post Skilled Migration Visas for Australia first appeared on Path Migration and is written by sonal

Invitation Round July 2021: Australian Migration

For anyone intending to migrate to Australia or transition from a temporary residence to a permanent residence, you might want to be aware of the July Invitation Round for 2021. Generally, the invitation rounds for Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) and Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) – Family Sponsored visas, are expected to be run quarterly. Dates for the rounds will vary depending on the circumstances.

Invitation numbers in each round will alter based on the number of applications being processed by the Department. With that being said, the State or territory government nominations for Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) will not be impacted by the departmental invitation rounds.

Currently the Government is being vigilant as they carefully monitor migration and visa settings to ensure they are consistent with public health measures, are flexible and do not displace job opportunities for Australians, so that Australia can effectively respond to the immediate and subsequent impacts of COVID-19. For the remaining 2021-22 program year, the Department will run quarterly invitation rounds.

When invitations are issued under the independent, and skilled regional (provisional) visas, an “occupation ceiling” might be applied. Occupation ceiling refers to an upper limit imposed on the total number of EOIs that will receive invitations for skilled migration from a particular occupation group. This allows the skilled migration program to maintain balance and pursue attracting migrants that will fill out a variety of skilled occupations.

This occupation ceiling values are dependent on a percentage of stock employment figures for each occupation.  The Australian Bureau of Statistics provides the required employment numbers, that rightly depicts the total number of people employed in Australia in each occupation.

It is important to note that the occupation ceilings, however,  do not apply to State or Territory Nominated or Business Innovation and Investment visa subclasses.

July Invitation Round 2021

The first invitations from the July invitation round have already been issued on 26th July 2021. 250 invitations have been issued for Skilled Independent Visa (subclass 189) and 500 invitations have been issued for the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) [Family Sponsored].

Generally, the applicants are ranked based on the point score. Then the highest rank applicants are invited to apply for the relevant visa. For those applicants with equal points scores, the time at which they have achieved their points score for that subclass (referred to as the date of effect) determines their order of invitation. Expressions of Interest with earlier dates of effect are invited before later dates. The minimum point score for Skilled Independent Visa (subclass 189) has been 80 and the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) [Family Sponsored] has been 65 for the July round invitation.

To better deal with the high influx of demand and keeping in line with the previous program years, the occupation groups listed below are generally subjected to a pro rata system. The pro rata arrangements allow the invitations to be available throughout the program year.

Firstly, the SkillSelect allocates available places to Skilled – Independent visas (subclass 189), and then the remainder of the space is assigned to Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) – Family Sponsored. In case all the places are occupied by subclass 189 visas then there will not be any invitation for subclass 491 visas in these occupations.

July Invitation Round: State and Territory Governments Nomination 2020-21

The number of intending migrants who received nominations from State and Territory Governments from 1 July 2020 to the end of June 2021 is shown in the following table:

If you are someone who is actively looking for permanent residency in Australia and would like professional consultation regarding your personal situation then do not hesitate to contact us. At Path Migration, we have a team of immigration lawyers who specialize in immigration law.

Given the mammoth of experience the team brings in, we provide feasible and practical counselling on your successful pathway to Australia. The team is well adept with knowing what helps increase the chances of success for your application.

If you are unsure whether this visa category applies to you or not or if you are looking to be successfully nominated, then don’t hesitate to contact us or directly email us at hello@pathmigration.com.

You may also be interest in: 

• New South Wales Skilled Migration Program for 2021-2022

• South Australia’s Skilled Migration Program from 2021-2022

• Australian Business Innovation and Investment Program

• Global Talent Independent (GTI) Program: the versatile migration pathway

The post Invitation Round July 2021: Australian Migration first appeared on Path Migration and is written by sonal