The last month has seen more changes in the migration arena. The Government have released the SOL, the Skilled Occupation List which has shrunk from over 400 occupations to 181. This has been regarded as bad news by many students but in reality there are many options which we will discuss further below. As things change so the focus needs to change and with adequate planning the opportunities are still there. The message is to swim with the tide, don't fight it, and there will be a safe haven somewhere!
Doctors and Medical Practitioners
The Sub-Class 422 - Medical Practitioner Temporary Visa will no longer be available from 1st July, 2010. Those who have the visa can remain on it until the visa expires, they change employment or they are granted another class of visa and they can continue to add family members to it. However no new 422 visas will be granted. Instead, and due to changes in September last year, the 457 Business Temporary Long Stay Visa can be used. These visas now have streamlined processing, the visa holder can now work on contract and for a group employer and the specialty requirements of medical practitioners can be catered to. Therefore from 1st July employed Medical Practitioners should use the 457 Sub-Class for Temporary Visas and the RSMS or ENS for Permanent Residency.
Students - How, What, Why?
Many students feared that the end had come with the new SOL, Skilled Occupation List, and the changes and long term delays in the General Skilled Migration Program. In reality things are not as bad as they might first appear. Students need to recognise that there has been a change in focus from skilled independent migration to employer sponsored migration. With the Global Financial Crises GFC, (that didn't' t really impact Australia) last year the Government reacted by not wanting to risk high employment and exacerbating this by providing visas to students who did not have jobs. The whole emphasis shifted from skilled independent to employer sponsored thus ensuring that graduating students had a definite job before being granted a visa.
It is also important to recognise that students who held their student visa before 8th February this year can also rely on the "old" SOL if they need to get a Graduate Skilled temporary visa (485) for 18 months before December 2012. This can provide time to find an employer and undertake an employer sponsored application.
One of the key factors that many students do not seem to be aware of is that the SOL does NOT apply to employer sponsored migration!! In other words if you have a Diploma or better (from Australia or overseas) and an employer sponsor you can apply for Permanent Residence for many skilled occupations under the employer sponsored visas, even for jobs NOT on the SOL. The SOL is not relevant to these applications! Therefore students undertaking Vocational Courses should forget General Skilled Migration GSM, forget the SOL, and focus on getting a diploma or degree AND a job sponsor for a Skilled Occupation requiring a diploma, degree or better.
This is the alternative that the Government Proposes:
Options for people who are NOT able to apply for independent General Skilled Migration (GSM) (or who do not want to and can find an employer sponsor! including those doing Vocational or TAFE courses)
· Temporary or Permanent under the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS)
· Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) - this is THE best pathway at the present time.
· State/Territory Nomination – The Queensland State Government will have a State Migration Plan supporting positions in Queensland – these do not need to be on the SOL
· A further student visa
Therefore:
- Students are encouraged to undertake study in a field they intend to work in once they graduate! This is now (and always was) the smart pathway.
- It is strongly advised that you do not undertake studies with the sole purpose of obtaining a visa.
- There is no guarantee that a student will be eligible for skilled migration purely on the basis of having undertaken a course related to an occupation on the SOL. The SOL may change annually.
Divers
DIAC has determined that because Professional Dive Instructors train recreational divers (they also train commercial divers) that THEY are also recreational divers and therefore cannot be sponsored under the DIVER ASCO Code. By the same argument a Chef in a resort would be a "Recreational Chef" because they cook for people on holidays! However this has created a significant problem for the Tourism Dive Industry. To address this Dive Queensland, the industry body, is preparing a submission for a renewed Labour Agreement providing for bilingual Dive Instructors to be sponsored by their members. Whilst this may take a few months to negotiate it is hoped that it can be finalised as soon as possible as the industry relies on bilingual instructors for safety for their industry and the tourists involved.
Australia - The Future
Quoting from Financial Planning March 2010 the Government Intergenerational Report looks forward to 2050 to define key trends and challenges ahead for Australia as a society and economy.
The challenges include an ageing population, escalating pressures in the health system and climate change, and will have an impact on Australia's economic growth, living standards and government finances. With the rate of population growth slowing and the population ageing, the number of people of working age to support each retiree will fall from the current five to 2.7 in 2049-50. Labour force participation will also fall to 61% resulting in slower future rates of economic growth.
Projections on population ageing show the number of people aged 65 - 84 will more than double by 2050 and those aged 85 and over will quadruple with these two groups expected to constitute 23% of the population by June 2050. I wonder how many readers will be in those categories themselves !
I will leave you to draw your own conclusions from what all this means for your future!
TRA (Trades Recognition Australia) Fees and information:
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Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) has advised the following new fee schedule for the Job Ready Program:
The TRA website is being updated accordingly. |
This is quite likely NOT required if you are following the Employer Sponsored pathway to migration as we recommend.
www.migrationplus.com.au
Check it out, it has a facility to call us on line at no charge during business hours, and it has Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Hindi introduction pages - we keep updating it with latest news clips in addition to this newsletter and under the tab for visa there is a Migration Pathways PDF that shows numerous pathways for migration to Australia. Let us know what you think!
And Now for Some Quotes:
"He/She who asks a question is a fool for a minute: he/she who does not remains a fool forever" - Old Chinese Proverb - we encourage you to ask questions before you act, it is better to get it right the first time than to try to fix it later! No question is silly.
"My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there" - Charles F Kettering - and how true of Migration!
"Choose to live, work and succeed in the most powerful nation on earth: Imagination" - Can Zandra - Life is your story, you can tell it how you choose!
Until next time.......best wishes......be safe and enjoy life, you only have one ticket after all!
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Chris Dr Christopher R White DBA, MBA, B.Bus, ALGA CA, FCPA,CFP, JP Migration Plus Network Pty Ltd : ABN 45136723987 Education Agent Counsellor F006 Level 15, Cairns Corporate Tower, 15 Lake Street, Cairns Qld 4870 Australia |
Communications:
Telephone: 07 4041 2620 Fax: 07 4041 5011 Email: visa@migrationplus.com.au
Post: PO Box 1477 Cairns Qld 4870 Australia Skype: vzn6971 |
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Helping YOU, Helping OTHERS
Migration Plus adds value to the community in which it works. At least 5% of our profit goes towards our charitable fund Step Up and Reach Out which assists selected young people from around the world who choose to improve their position in life through education and learning. Particular emphasis is given to those at potential risk and those who will assist other young people in a variety of ways eg: teaching and mentoring, and thereby improve their lives and that of others. Assistance is given to young people who choose to step up and reach out in return for a commitment that they will help others in some way in the future. This accords with our philosophy of putting a little back to the global community in an outreach of commitment. Our partners and clients are of course invited to contribute to this gift deductible fund.
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Helping You, Helping OTHERS
Migration Plus adds value to the community in which it works. At least 5% of our profit goes towards our charitable fund Step Up and Reach Out which assists selected young people from around the world who choose to improve their position in life through education and learning. Particular emphasis is given to those at potential risk and those who will assist other young people in a variety of ways eg: teaching and mentoring, and thereby improve their lives and that of others. Assistance is given to young people who choose to step up and reach out in return for a commitment that they will help others in some way in the future. This accords with our philosophy of putting a little back to the global community in an outreach of commitment. Our partners and clients are of course invited to contribute to this gift deductible fund.
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