Changes to Australias Skilled Migration Program May - June 2012

A long history of successful migration

Composition of the Migration Program Source: DIAC internal data 0 20,000 40,000 60,000 80, , , , , , ,000 Total Skill Total Family

2012/13 Skilled Migration Program Composition 2012/13 Budget: Highlights & Implications 2011/122012/13 Employer Sponsored 125, ,250* Points Tested Business Skills Skilled Stream Target ENS RSMS Independent State Sponsored SAS 46,000 47,250 72,450 74,400 7,200 7,400 44,350 24,000 4,100 45,550 24,650 4,200 30,000 16,000 31,250 16,000 * Includes 200 places for Distinguished Talent Visa

Have you got the skills? SkillSelect

SkillSelect is Australias new service for managing its skilled migration program, incorporating significant visa reform and the deployment of a new online service. Intending Migrant Australian Employers State/Territory Government SkillSelect Accelerated Visa Processing EOI Visa Reforms SkillSelect

SkillSelect Visa Architecture Mandatory EOI Discretionary EOI

Key Policy Changes for all SkillSelect Visas

SkillSelect Access/Register Visa eLodgement & Processing Australian Employers Access SkillSelect with AUSkey Search Employment arrangement conducted outside SkillSelect Intending Migrant Complete EOI Maintain Profile Invited to Apply Complete Application Nomination and Application Access SkillSelect with AUSkey State & Territory Government Nominator Search Nominate DIAC Nomination Quota per month SkillSelect: How does it work?

Intending Migrants: How does it work? Complete EOI Maintain Profile Invited to Apply Complete Application Employers Search STOs Nominate DIAC Periodic invitation rounds Visa Processing

EOI Elements Personal Details Skills Education/Credentials Experience Visa Choices Geographic preferences Access to assistance and advice Intending Migrants: How does it work?

State & Territories: How does it work? Nominator Search Nominate

State and territory governments can search in SkillSelect and select potential applicants for nomination. SkillSelect will then generate an invitation to be issued to the selected nominees. State and Territories: How does it work?

Employers: How does it work? Sponsorship arrangement conducted outside SkillSelect Access SkillSelect with AUSkey Search Nomination & Application Employers: How does it work?

Employers will be able to search for clients using a range of powerful search tools, to find the clients they need for the business: Qualifications Experience Occupation English language ability Business experience Business assets and investment funds Employers: How does it work?

AUSkey is a single electronic key to access government online services It is: Available to all Australian employers with an Australian Business Number Currently being used by more than 750,000 Australian employers Secure, and able to be obtained by different employees of a business for different purposes It will: Allow employers to access SkillSelect securely to find and contact Intending Migrants who may have the skills and experience that they require Allow DIAC to track and record all usage of the system by Employers, to further refine the SkillSelect system To get and AUSkey please visit Changes to Independent Migration AUSkey: How does it work?

DIAC Program Manager: How does it work?

Occupational Ceilings: How does it work? Limit on how many EOIs are selected for skilled migration from occupation groups Once this limit is reached, no further invitations for that particular occupation group will be issued Ceilings set by DIAC

Changes to Independent Migration Minimum Eligibility Thresholds Clients that meet specified objective eligibility thresholds can submit a complete EOI Client selects visa type SkillSelect asks questions relating to each subclass of interest Clients are given feedback whether their claims are sufficient to meet the minimum threshold Points calculation is not a threshold requirement Updating Claims If no threshold is met EOI incomplete

EOI Minimum Claims - GSM Skilled Independent and Family Sponsored Subclass 189 Skilled S/T Nominated Subclass 489Subclass 190Subclass 489 Skills Assessment IELTS 6 Skilled Occupation Age < 50 Family Sponsor in regional area Willingness to reside in regional area Willingness to be nominated by S/T Willingness to reside in regional area

EOI Minimum Claims - Employer Nominated Skills Assessment Subclass 457 IELTS 6 (waiver available ENS/RSMS) Age < 50 (potential for exemption) IELTS 5 CSOL 3 years experience Willingness to reside in regional area Subclass 187 (Direct Entry) Subclass 186 (Direct Entry) CSOLANZSCO Skill Level 1-3 ANZSCO 3 Skill 3 Skill Assessment

EOI Minimum Claims - Business Innovation Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) (188) Business Innovation Investor $ PBA Business Turnover $ $ Personal and Business Assets Age < 55 (potential for exemption) $ PBA $ business component * Subclass 888 operates outside of SkillSelect Business Talent 132 Significant Business History Venture Capitalist Willingness to be nominated by S/T $ Personal and Business Assets $ business component $ funding Australian Venture Capital Firm Business Turnover $ p/a

Invitation Criteria Independent State and Territory Nominated Employer Sponsored Highest score Occupation on SOL Over pass mark Nominated Within State Migration Plan Sought after attributes Sponsored

notification and SkillSelect inbox Clients claims in SkillSelect are frozen upon invitation issue Direct to eLodgement Some information unable to be edited once invite issued If the client changes any information in eLodgement that formed the basis of the invitation, a processing flag will be created. SkillSelect will record and pass all relevant nomination details for State and Territory Nominated visas via eLodgement. Visa Application: How does it work?

Timeframes Age Two Years Two Invitations 60 Days Suspension Date of Effect

Benefits of SkillSelect Meet Australias skill needs Minimise processing times Respond quickly to changing economic needs Allocate independent places to the best and brightest An additional facility for employers to search and contact prospective skilled workers Streamline and optimise State and Territory migration plans. Fair and equitable Skilled Migration program

Current1 July 2012 Temporary Business Long Stay subclass 457 Employer Nomination Scheme Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme Skilled Independent Specification of Occupations for 457 Employer Nomination Scheme Occupation List (ENSOL) No occupation list Skilled Occupation List (SOL) Skilled – Sponsored and Skilled – Regional Sponsored State sponsored- see relevant State occupation list Family sponsored- SOL Consolidated sponsored occupation list (CSOL) ANZSCO skill level Consolidated Sponsored Occupation List

Permanent Employer Sponsored - Reforms Collapsing existing subclasses from 6 to 2 with 3 streams each Temporary residence transition; direct entry & agreement streams Changes to key visa criteria including English language & skills Raising the upper age limit from 45 to 50 years Refocussing RCB network on untested direct entry stream - RSMS Streamlining pathway from 457 to PR (ENS or RSMS) Introducing one consolidated sponsored occupation list (457, ENSOL, StatSOL)

Permanent Employer Sponsored Program Direct Entry Stream Temporary Residence Transition Stream Agreement Stream

Exemption categories Objective Exemption Categories Age Skill English

Regional Sponsorship Migration Scheme Encourage migration to areas outside of the major metropolitan centres of Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong, and Melbourne From 1 July 2012 RCBs will provide advice on positions in the Direct Entry stream of RSMS providing a local perspective Government announced: – places allocated to RSMS in –Regional Engagement Strategy –Regional Migration Agreements –Top priority in Ministers Priority Processing Direction Visa cancellation and no training requirement retained

Changes to Independent Migration Points Based Skilled Migration 6 visas consolidated to 3 Simplified visa requirements Apply through SkillSelect From I July 2012: 175, 176, 475 closed to new applications 885, 886 and 487 closed from 1 January Skilled independent (replaces 885 & 175) 190 Skilled nominated (replaces 886 & 176) 489 Skilled regional provisional (replaces 487 & 475)

Simplified requirements 1 July 2012 simplified eligibility requirements for points tested skilled visas Invitation to apply for a visa Onshore, no prerequisite visa required. Inside Australia any substantive visa or Bridging visa A, B or C Work experience and Australian Study no longer threshold eligibility requirement Can be inside or outside Australia Points Test factors set to time of invitation Skilled family sponsored - provisional only

Business Skills Review Comprehensive review Research shows current program settings stifle innovation and risk taking Half of all provisional visa businesses are in fast food, cafes and restaurants Need to align program to broader strategic objectives of the skilled migration program Focus on visa simplification and deregulation

Selecting for and fostering innovation Program name will be changed to Business Innovation and Investment Program Target migrants with a history of innovation Facilitate entry of entrepreneurs who have sourced venture capital funding in Australia Introduce a points test for provisional visa applicants, giving weight to innovation Introduce a new visa stream for Significant Investors Incorporate into SkillSelect and entirely state sponsored Business Innovation and Investment

Changes to Independent Migration Business Innovation and Investment 13 visas consolidated to 3 Focus on innovation Apply through SkillSelect From 1 July 2012: Subclasses , 845, 846 closed to new applications. Subclasses still open for current provisional visa holders. 132 Business Talent (Migrant) (Permanent) 188 Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) (replaces ) 888 Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) (replaces 845, 846, )

Application Process from 1 July 2012 Current program visas No new primary applicants for existing provisional visas. Existing provisional visas progress to existing permanent visas. No change in process (ie: paper lodgement, paper sponsorship) New program visas New provisional visa progresses to new permanent visa Visas have streams (eg: business innovation stream, investor stream) SkillSelect, electronic lodgement, electronic sponsorship S/Ts may grant access for an applicant to extend the provisional visa old to old, new to new

AGE Range (yrs)Points ENGLISH Range Vocational – Proficient Points Vocational +5 Proficient +10 FINANCIAL METRICS Net Business and Personal Assets Points $ $ $ $ QUALIFICATIONS LevelPoints Trade Certificate or higher5 Bachelor Degree or higher in Business, Science or Technology 10 OTHER Points Business Experience over four years 10 Investment Experience over seven years 15 Business Skills Points Test FINANCIAL METRICS Business TurnoverPoints $ $ $ $ INNOVATION Points Registered Patents or Designs15 Evidence of Trademarks10 Evidence of Joint Venture Agreements5 Evidence of Export Trade15 Gazelle Business10 Evidence of receipt of grants or venture capital funding 10 STATE/ TERRITORY NOMINATION Special Endorsement10

More Information Online Resources: Skilled visas Visa wizard Booklets Migration Blog SkillSelect Agent Gateway Facebook Department of Immigration and Citizenship