October Invitation Round 2021: Subclass 189 and Subclass 491

The second SkillSelect round for 2021, known as the October Invitation Round, was released on the 29th of October 2021. In this October Invitation Round, a total of 400 invitations have been issued by the Department of Home Affairs for the following visa categories.

• Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass189)
• Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 491)- Family Sponsored.

The invitation rounds for Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass189) and Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 491)- Family Sponsored are expected to run on a quarterly basis. The dates for each of the rounds are not set prior to the round and they tend to vary. In fact, the total number of invitations issued also varies depending on the number of applications the Department of Home Affairs processes.

However, it’s vital to know that the number of nominations from the State or Territory governments for Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 491) is not affected by the departmental invitation rounds. The number of nominations approved by State and Territory Governments for the following skilled visas have also been released:

• Subclass 190 Skilled – Nominated visa; and

• Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) State Nominated visa.

The following sections discuss which category of occupations and visas received how many invitations for the October Invitation Round; including the minimum point thresholds for the October Invitation Round. Along with latest statistics and information on the number of nominations from the State or Territory governments.

October Invitation Round 2021: Breakdown

The table below outlines the total number of invitations issued for the October Invitation Round on 29th of October 2021 for each of the visa categories.

October Invitation Round 2021: Invitation Process

Typically, applicants with the highest point totals are invited to apply for the appropriate visa. For applications with identical points scores, the order of invitation is determined by the moment they reached their points score for that subclass (referred to as the date of effect). It’s important to remember that the Expressions of Interest (EOI) with earlier dates of effect are given precedence for an invitation relative to the EOI with later dates of effect.

The next section discusses this with the most recent statistics.

October Invitation Round 2021: Thresholds

This table illustrates the minimum points score and the latest date of effect month for the October Invitation Round 2021.

October Invitation Round 2021: Occupation List Subject to Pro-rata

Usually there is quite a significant number of applications from certain occupation types for Subclass 189 and Subclass 491. Therefore, to ensure a program-year-long availability of invitations, the pro-rata arrangements are made for these occupations. This arrangement ensures that the department is able to issue invitations through-out the program year.

Among all the applications received by the Department, the SkillSelect gives most priority to the applications for the Skilled Independent visa (Subclass 189). Once the allocation has been made for Subclass 189, the remaining places are given out to the applicants for Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (Subclass 491)- Family Sponsored. There will be no invites issued for subclass 491 visas in these occupations if all subclass 189 visas are filled.

The table below lists the occupations subject to pro-rata arrangements. The remainder of invitations have been issued for non-pro-rated occupations in the October 2021 round.

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.

Invitation Issued During 2021-2022 Program Year

This table lists the total number of invitations that have been issued for the 2021-2022 program year, so far. We can see that till now, 450 invitations have been issued for Subclass 189 and 700 invitations have been issued for Subclass 491.

It’s important to note here that the invitations issued by Australian States and Territories are not included here, more on that is discussed in the subsequent section.

October Invitation Round: State and Territory Government Nominations

The following table shows the total number of applicants who have received a nomination from the State and Territory government in October 2021.

Next SkillSelect Invitation Round

If you want to apply for and receive an Australian Skilled visa in the next SkillSelect Invitation round, you can check the occupations on the priority list to check if your nominated occupation falls in or not. There are currently 44 occupations on the priority migration occupation list.

If you are all set to apply for a skilled visa in Australia this year through the most relevant skilled visa category, you may get your eligibility status checked by a qualified migration lawyer in Australia.

Visa Application Assessment

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. You can get your points checked by an expert, and accordingly, the immigration expert at Path Migration will suggest which program is suitable for you to apply for the visa.

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

• Victoria’s Skilled Migration Program for 2021-2022

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

• Return of International Students in Australia by 2021: Australian International Border Opening

The post October Invitation Round 2021: Subclass 189 and Subclass 491 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

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

Following the announcements on 14 July 2020, New South Wales (NSW) has been allocated 4000 places for Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190) and 3640 places for Skilled Work Regional Visa (Subclass 491) as a part of it’s Skilled Migration Program 2021-2022. Relative to other states and territories, NSW has the highest number of place allocation for both Subclass 190 and Subclass 491. Therefore, it represents an opportunity for anyone looking to stay and work in Australia.

Thus, to understand how the NSW Migration Program 2021 – 2022 works, you need to know a couple of important things. First you need to understand the minimum requirements to help you determine if you are eligible to apply for this visa category or not. Secondly, it is vital to distinguish between Subclass 190 and Subclass 491, so that you can pin the correct visa category applicable for you. Finally, you can learn the application process in a step-by-step guide discussed later in this blog, to assist you in the simplest way possible when you are ready to start your application.

Minimum Eligibility

When it comes to applying for Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190) and Skilled Work Regional Visa (Subclass 491), one must take into account a couple of important factors. Unlike other visa categories, one must receive an invitation from the state first before you are able to apply for Subclass 190. That’s mainly because a selection-based invitation process is used by NSW to make sure that the nominees are meeting the state’s skill demand for the economy.

Therefore, below is a brief outline of the minimum eligibility requirements for Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190). 

If you deem yourself to be successfully meeting all the underlying minimum eligibility requirements then it would be recommended that you check out the application procedure discussed in the later section. However, if you find yourself lacking a few mandatory conditions then it’s worthwhile to see if you meet the requirement to apply for the Skilled Work Regional Visa (Subclass 491).

Although, 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). Therefore, the next section briefly discusses the  Skilled Work Regional Visa (Subclass 491) to give you the fundamental idea about the visa category to help you determine if it’s worthwhile for you to consider that visa.

Skilled Work Regional Visa (Subclass 491)

It must be understood that the minimum eligibility requirements of Skilled Work Regional Visa (Subclass 491) are slightly different from that of Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190). This, of course, is inevitably due to the fact that both these visa categories are designed to systematically target different objectives and mitigate the economic needs of the state.

There are three streams that one needs to consider, while applying for this visa category.

• Stream 1- Living and working in regional NSW: You will be deemed applicable for this stream if you fulfill the following criteria.
  • First the occupation you are wishing to nominate should be on the nominated region’s occupation list. If it is on the list, you then need to obtain a valid skill assessment for that occupation.
  • You need to be living in a designated regional area of NSW. You should be residing there for a minimum of the last 12 months, before you apply under this stream.
  • You need to be working for a minimum of the last 12 months in the occupation you are nominating or in a closely related field,  the designated regional area of NSW.

• Stream 2: Recently completed study in regional NSW: You will be deemed applicable for this stream if you fulfill the following criteria.
  • Like the previous stream you also need a valid skills assessment for your nominated occupation.
  • You need to have completed your study or education with an education provider that meets the following conditions:
    • The study must have been completed no more than the last 24 months;
    • The education provider is based in a designated regional area of NSW.
    • Your study meets the underlying Australian Study requirements as outlined by the Department of Home Affairs.
    • Finally, your qualification needs to be at least closely related to the occupation you are nominating.
  • Lastly, but not the least, you have lived in the designated regional area of NSW for the whole duration of the study.

•  Stream 3: Hold skills in an occupation required in Regional NSW: You will be deemed applicable for this stream if you fulfill the following criteria.
  • Hold a valid skills assessment for an occupation that appears on your nominated region’s occupation list.
  • Be currently residing in an Australian state or territory

To determine if you qualify for any of the above streams you need to check if the regional area of NSW you currently reside is participating or not. The list of  participating regional NSW can be found here. If you meet the regional area check, along with all the underlying requirements discussed above, you can move on the application procedure discussed below.

Application Process

Both Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190) and Skilled Work Regional Visa (Subclass 491) require an invitation from the state before you are able to apply for these visas. Before, it must be understood that this process involves a variety of paperworks, can get quite complex and can be time consuming. Therefore, you must harbour a lot of patience as you commit to undertake this important journey.

To keep it concise and easy to understand for your the steps have been broken down into the following:

1. Expression of Interest Submission
   • The first thing you must do is to submit your Expression of Interest (EOI) on SkillSelect. During this step if you are applying for nomination from NSW, do select NSW as your desired state.
   • It’s important to remember that an EOI is not a visa application and there’s no cost or fees involved when submitting your EOI in SkillSelect.
   • After you have successfully submitted your EOI, it will be valid and stored for two years.
   • During this period, you can update any changes to your circumstances on your EOI.
   • If your personal circumstances change for the better, then do know that any changes made on your EOI will also be reflected through a higher point score. That will help you rank higher and increase your chances of getting an invitation.
   • Do remember that your application will be directly refused if you provide any false or misleading information, hence, you must duly remember to update your application accordingly.
2. Invitation to Apply
   • If your application is successful then you will receive the invitation from SkillSelect.
   • During this period, it’s important to keep track of time, as from the day of invitation grant you have only 60 days by when you must apply for the visa with the Department of Home Affairs.
   • In case your application has not been approved, then unfortunately, you won’t be notified about that. Rather, the department releases the minimum score points for the EOI select bar, that point will be an indicator for you to conclude if your application has been accepted or not.
3. Application
   • Once you have all the documents that you need you can apply for the visa that you have been invited to apply for.
   • You apply for the visa through your ImmiAccount.
   • On your ImmiAccount application you need to attach all the documents.
   • During this phase, you also need to pay the required visa processing fee. Your visa application will not be processed unless you have made the payment.
   • After you have successfully received your application, you will be notified about the receival of the application via email. You will also be notified of any Bridging visa that may also be granted to you.

For your benefit the whole application procedure has been presented here in the most simplified manner. 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: 

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

• Australia’s Travel Exemption

• Australian Business Innovation and Investment Program

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

The post New South Wales Skilled Migration Program for 2021-2022 first appeared on Path Migration and is written by sonal

AUGUST 2019 SKILL SELECT ROUND

The August 2019 skill select round has been results have been published with only a very limited number of invitations. The number of 189 visa invitations was only 100 invites this is low as in July 2019 189 invitations was 1,000. The expectation is that this fluctuation in invites will continue throughout the year with the expectation that invites should increase in the second half of the year.
Analysis of Pro-rata occupations:
The table below presents the minimum points score for the pro-rate occupations.

The table demonstrates that the 189 Visa is very competitive at the moment. The minimum score for Accountants and other engineering professionals is 90.
11 August 2019 Invitation Rounds scores for pro-rata occupations are:

* Note: Computer Network Professionals published points score could be an error.

OUR ADVICE
The skilled visa program has become very competitive. The points score required for the 189 visa remains other options for permanent residency will continue to be competitive such as the 190 visa or the 489 visa. Applicants can increase their points by:
• Obtaining a higher English score
• Undertaking the NAATI exam
• Studying in Australia (i.e. gaining a qualification)

If applicants can’t consider any of the above mentioned options, then they may need to consider going to a regional area and applying for the Subclass 491 Skilled Regional Visa which will be available in November 2019.
We encourage applicants to seek professional advice on your options. Please feel free to contact our team at hello@pathmigration.com or 02 8815 8135

The post SKILL SELECT ROUND – AUGUST 2019 first appeared on Path Migration and is written by sonal

The Immigration department has just released their FIRST Skill Select Invitation Round for the year 2018-19. Along with this have come 3 big pieces of news!

1) Subclass 189 and 489 family sponsored invitation are now going to be issued on the 11^th of each month (unlike before, when they were released every fortnight).

2) The number of invitations for 189 occupations has increased from 600 to a whooping 1000 places per month!

3) The required points for non pro-rata occupations was 75, which has now come down to 70! Applicants who lodged their 189 application at 70 points can expect to hear good news in about 4 months!
 PRO-RATA OCCUPATIONS:

*The above information is true as off July 2018

Experts also predict that the scores may drop in the near future!

MINIMUM ELIGIBILITY

The points required for minimum eligibility increased from 60 to 65.

OTHER OPTIONS?

In case you don’t have 65 points (new minimum requirement), you may consider the following:

1) State and Regional Sponsorship (subclass 190 and 489)

State and regional sponsorship visas also include many other occupations from lists such as STSOL and ROL. These visa sub-classes also give you 5 extra points for state sponsorship and 10 extra points for regional sponsorship!

HOW TO INCREASE YOUR POINTS

If you’re still looking for other ways to increase your points, please read the following blog:

https://pathmigration.com/blog/tips-on-achieving-the-maximum-points

The post SKILL SELECT ROUND: August 2018 first appeared on Path Migration and is written by sonal