Come and visit us at the Working Abroad Expo – Singapore
Last weekend, the department attended the
Working Abroad Expo in Kuala Lumpur and gave residents the opportunity to speak to our experts about migrating to Australian on a skilled visa. This opportunity presents itself again, specifically to anyone who lives in Singapore as DIAC will attend the expo in Singapore on May 11-12.
Our experts will be available to talk to you throughout the day about the different visa options available for living and working in Australia. They will also answer any questions about submitting an expression of interest through the SkillSelect website and will present each day from 1.15–2.00 pm.
When: May 11-12, 11.00 am to 4.00 pm
Where: Traders Hotel Singapore, 1A Cuscaden Road, Singapore
To register online or for more information, visit www.Workingabroad.net/exhibitions-and-events/singapore/
The Working Abroad Expo in Kuala Lumpur saw around 1000 attendees over the weekend of May 4-5. Many attendees found the information presented by our experts to be very valuable.
If you are unable to attend the expo in Singapore then you can learn more about SkillSelect by visiting www.immi.gov.au/skills/skillselect/
Remember, there is no better time to express your interest through SkillSelect, so read about our top 10 tips here:
migrationblog.immi.gov.au/category/skills-australia-needs-events/
SkillSelect Facebook live chat—update
We recently invited people who ‘like’ us on Facebook to take part in a live chat about SkillSelect.
The SkillSelect team spent an hour on the event page answering over 100 questions and engaging with 1188 users, proving to be our busiest live chat so far. Posts about the live chat reached a further 15 632 people, more than half our audience on Facebook.
There were many great questions asked during the live SkillSelect chat. So for those of you who have not yet liked our Facebook page, we have provided a quick snapshot of some of the questions raised and our answers.
Q. If I get exactly 60 points for the Skilled Independent (subclass 189) visa, how long does it take for my Expression of Interested (EOI) to be approved (for invitation)?
A. Invitation rounds are currently held twice a month. If you have 60 points at the moment, then you stand a good chance of being invited in the next couple of rounds provided your occupation has not reached its yearly invitation ceiling.
Q. What does it mean by Associate Degree or Advanced Diploma? Are they the same as a Bachelor degree?
A. You should contact your assessing authority and ask them to confirm if your qualifications are of the recognised standard to an Australian Bachelor Degree. You may also find the following post on the SkillSelect Technical Support site useful regarding claiming points for educational qualifications, visit https://skillselect.govspace.gov.au/2013/03/07/points-for-educational-qualification/
Q. Is there any change taking place to the Skilled Occupation List in July 2013?
A. The Skilled Occupation List (SOL) is reviewed annually. The current SOL was released by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) in June 2012 following advice from the Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency. Consultation for the development of the 2013 SOL commenced in October/November 2012. The 2013 SOL is expected to be released by DIAC in mid-2013 and is expected to come into effect from 1 July 2013.
Q. Is there a minimum employment experience threshold needed to apply for a Skilled Independent (subclass 189) visa through SkillSelect?
A. There is no minimum employment experience threshold for this visa type. However, some assessing authorities may require a certain amount of employment experience to achieve a suitable skills assessment. If you have skilled employment experience, you can use this to increase your points in the points test.
Q. Is it possible for SkillSelect to send an acknowledgement automatically when medical reports are accepted/ assessed successfully?
A. SkillSelect and e-Visa are two separate systems and processes. SkillSelect is the database for selecting intending migrants for an invitation and e-Visa is where you lodge your visa. If you want to find out about your medical results you should contact your case officer or send an enquiry through our contacts page on the website, www.immi.gov.au
Q. Why do applicants (from non-English countries) need 7 in each band for IELTS?
A. For points tested visas it is a threshold requirement that a person have at least ‘competent English’, which is a minimum of six in each of the four components of the IELTS test.
To be awarded points for higher English language ability all applicants, regardless of citizenship, must demonstrate their level of competency by sitting an English language test such as IELTS as proof of their language competency.
As well, some skills assessing authorities require higher English language levels for certain occupations. You can confirm this with your relevant assessing authority.
More questions and responses are available on the department’s Facebook live chat page.
We’d like to hear from you on what topic you would most like to read from us next. Complete the poll below andthe topic with the highest number of responses will be the feature of our next post. Stay tuned!
Which of the following topics would you like to hear more about in our next blog?
- English language requirements (13%, 36 Votes)
- Skills assessments (14%, 40 Votes)
- How State and Territory Government nomination works in SkillSelect (25%, 70 Votes)
- Employment and qualifications in SkillSelect (27%, 77 Votes)
- EOI information and statistics (21%, 59 Votes)
Total Voters: 281
Loading ...Skills assessments—helping you fit into the Australian labour market
Did you know that Australia is the only country in the world that has a pre-migration skills assessment scheme?
A skills assessment helps you find out if you have the necessary skills and qualifications to work in your nominated occupation in Australia.
The skills assessment scheme has achieved encouraging results for skilled migrants in the Australian labour market. The Continuous Survey of Australia’s Migrants shows that more than 90 per cent of offshore skilled migrants who migrate with a satisfactory skills assessment are in skilled employment within six months of arriving in Australia.
If you want to apply for an Australian points tested skilled migration visa, you will need to submit an expression of interest (EOI) in SkillSelect and be invited to apply for a visa.
Before you submit an EOI, you will have to obtain a satisfactory skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority for your nominated occupation. The Skilled Occupation List provides a complete list of the relevant assessing authority for each occupation on the list, as well as contact details for these authorities.
You should undertake a skills assessment before you submit your EOI so that you don’t spend your time and money on a visa application that may not meet the necessary requirements.
A skills assessment should not be confused with licensing or registration. A skills assessment helps you to determine whether your skills and experience is relevant to Australian standards in your nominated occupation while registration or licensing means you hold a license or registration and have permission from the relevant authority to practise in Australia.
If you wish to apply for an employer sponsored visa, you will need to provide evidence of Australian registration or licensing of your occupation to prove that you are eligible. For example, to work as a plumber in Australia, you must be registered with or obtain a licence from a local authority in the state or territory where you want to practise as a plumber. In some cases, a successful skills assessment is also required in addition to meeting the licensing and registration requirements.
You can check if your occupation requires registration or licensing by visiting the Australian skills recognition information page and selecting your occupation. The department does not give advice about skills assessments or registration and licensing requirements. We process visa applications according to the information and documents you provide.
For information about skills assessments, contact the relevant assessing authority. For questions relating to licensing and registration, contact the relevant registration body in your state or territory.
More information about the skills assessment process is available on the department’s website.
Open Q&A on the 457 program
We’re always trying new ways of communicating with the public about our migration programs. So this week our 457 policy team is opening up the migration blog to any questions you have about the 457 visa and temporary skilled migration to Australia.
While we can’t provide advice about individual cases, any other questions about the program no matter how specific or broad are welcome.
Here are some examples to stimulate ideas:
- Why do we have temporary migration to Australia?
- How do market rates work?
- What happens if I get fired while on a 457 visa?
- Why do I need to get health insurance while on a 457 visa?
We are looking forward to your questions.
A New Year and a New Migration Blog
Sydney Fireworks (Photo: Copuetboy, Flickr)
Hello, happy New Year and thanks for your interest in migration. For those of you who have engaged with us previously, welcome to a slightly changed Migration Blog. As some may remember, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) first entered the blogosphere in June 2011, with the Skilled Migration Blog.
After great success over the past seven months, we’ve decided to expand the blog to include a much broader range of topics relating to migration. Family, Students, Working Holiday Makers as well as a host of other visa categories are very important parts of the overall Migration Program and will be explored on these pages in the future. We will also take the opportunity at various times to publish some of our research. Including the small name change, we’ve also changed our domain to: http://migrationblog.immi.gov.au
I encourage you to engage with blog posts. Ask questions and share content if you find the information interesting and informative. Hopefully our blog continues to grow and provide another avenue for anyone interested in migration to participate.
Cheers Peter Speldewinde, Acting First Assistant Secretary, Migration and Visa Policy Division
