Series of Significant Updates in Australia Migration Program

After coming out successfully from the Wuhan COVID 19 virus pandemic, the Australian immigration department is making some significant changes in its programs, policies, and procedures. As a result, every now and then, we are getting frequent updates from Australia study visas or Australia permanent residency.

Here is a series of updates coming on Australia migration programs.

• Victoria’s skilled migration program is now open.
• Tasmania has also given skilled migration program updates,
• New South Wales has published the latest eligibility criteria.
• Queensland has declared its program relevant updates.
• ACT has also declared their latest invitation round.
• And last but not least, the validity of the NAATI test result is now increased up to five years.

Australian State Migration Updates

Four states and the ACT have declared their program update. Here is the brief of the individual update.

Victoria

• Victoria state’s Skilled Migration Program is now open for the year 2022-23.
• The program is open for both kinds of candidates, onshore and offshore. The state program provides the Pathway to Australian Permanent Residency.
• The purpose of the program is to bring the skills to the state that benefits the local employers and the Victorian Economy.
• The Victoria skilled migration program has two pathways.
  • Subclass 190 – The Skilled Nominated visa: candidates who qualify under the visa subclass 190 will get a permanent residence visa in Australia. Candidates can live and work anywhere in Victoria.
  • Subclass 491 – The Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa: The visa subclass 491 will allow the candidates to live and work in the Regional areas of Victoria. The aspirants will achieve their Australian PR through this TR to PR pathway.
• Here candidates need to submit their Registration of Interest (ROI) first and wait for the visa nomination through competitive merit. Submitted ROIs will be assessed by May 2023.
• As per the recent update, the state is giving priority to health occupations for subclass 491 visa nominations.

Tasmania

• The Australian Government has given an interim skilled visa allocation of nomination places to The Tasmanian authorities for the program year 2022-23.
• However, as per the Department of Home Affairs, these actions should not come into consideration for the full year’s quota. Because the allocation will revisit after the first quarter of 2022 – 23.
• Tasmania’s interim allocations are as per below:
  • Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa: 2000 places
  • Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) visa: 1350 places

New South Wales

• As per the recent update the NSW has published the latest eligibility criteria.
• The eligibility criteria is based on the three parameters. Skills, Residency, work experience and point score.
• Skills
  • To qualify under the visa Subclass 190 or Subclass 491, candidates are required to be skilled within an ANZSCO unit group.
  • The group should be identified on NSW Skilled Nominated Skills List for subclass 190.
  • The group should be identified on NSW Skilled Work Regional Skills List for subclass 491.
  • In addition, the candidates should also need to achieve other criteria of Subclass 190.
• Residency
  • For subclass 190 candidates currently must be residing in NSW or offshore. Additionally, the residency should be a minimum period of SIX months.
  • For subclass 491 candidates currently must be residing in NSW or offshore. Additionally, the residency should be a minimum period of THREE months.
• Work Experience & Point Score
  • For both subclasses, candidates must have a minimum skilled work experience and point score as per the NSW Skilled Nominated Skills List.
• Exemptions
  • International students who would like to apply for the Australian permanent residency must have completed their studies within the regional part of NSW in the last 24 months are eligible to get an exemption from the minimum work experience requirement.
  • However, the studies must be related to the nominated or closely related occupations.

Queensland

As per the recent update in Queensland, the state migration program is about to open from 16 August 2022 for both onshore and offshore applicants. The listed below streams are going to open for the program.

• Available Streams
  • Graduates of a Queensland university
  • Skilled workers living in Queensland
  • Skilled workers living offshore
  • Small business owners operating in regional Queensland

• Onshore Applicants:
  • As per the state authorities’ announcement, the state will select all the occupations which are eligible on the Department’s Skilled Occupation List.

• Offshore Applicants:
  • The occupations list is yet to be declared for the offshore applicants. The list will be released once the authorities will officially declare the opening of the program.

Australia Capital Territories

Canberra Matrix Invitation Round – 15 August 2022

• 2022-2023 Allocation of ACT Nomination Places:
  • The ACT received an interim allocation for the 2022-2023 program year.
• Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa: 800 places
• Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) visa: 1920 places
• Application Count @ 15 August 2022
• Total approvals:  218 approvals

• 190 Nominations: 85 approvals
• 491 Nominations: 133 approvals
• Total refusals: 52 applications

• 190 Nominations: 17 refusals  (17%)
• 491 Nominations: 35 refusals  (21%)
• Remaining Allocation 2022-2023
• Total allocation remaining: 2502 nomination places (238 per month)

• 190 Nominations: 715 (pro rata 68 per month)
• 491 Nominations: 1787 (pro rata 170 per month)

Naati Credentialed Community Language (CCL) Update

As per the recent update, from 9 August 2022, all Credentialed Community Language (CCL) credentials validity period is increased. As per the new amendment, now the validity increases up to five years. Previously the validity was three years.