Migration 2023

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 The Australian government is determined to overhaul its skilled migration system to boost its economic growth and meet growing demand for foreign workers in various sectors. The proposal to revise the skilled occupation lists is imperative and critical to attract the right and required skills in Australia. Keep a close watch on any changes that may impact your migration goals to Australia. 

Read the latest migration news below.  

 https://www.sbs.com.au/news/skilled-migration-visa-list-shake-up-to-meet-growing-demand-for-foreign-workers 

The Immigration Minister recently emphasised that the government is keen on maintaining a "sharp focus" on  international students, skilled migrants and increasing migration to regional Australia.  There are upcoming changes to the General Skilled Migration program in November 2019 which will help and encourage people moving from overseas to live and work in regional areas.   

Read the recent article below:

 https://www.sbs.com.au/news/immigration-minister-to-focus-on-regional-migration-international-students 

  Sydney and Melbourne have made it into the top ten of the world's most liveable cities, in accordance with the recent analysis shared by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)’s liveability index. 

Whilst many people including migrants living here will agree that entire Australia is undoubtedly an amazing country for various reasons, Sydney and Melbourne are two of the major cities considered by overseas migrants on top of their lists to live and work in. 

Check out the full article below.

 https://www.governmentnews.com.au/melbourne-sydney-among-worlds-most-liveable-cities/ 

Are you ready for the visa changes this November?

Major changes will be introduced to General Skilled Migration (GSM) program of Australia starting 16 November 2019. Two new skilled regional visas will open which will replace two existing visas to promote regional migration. These include:

• Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491)
• Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494)

Understand their benefits and what they imply for you:

•  Priority processing of such visa applications = Quicker decisions
• More occupations available for nomination = More options to nominate More points available to claim = Better chances of visa invitation 
• Expansion of regional areas classification = More options to live and work
• Pathway to permanent residency= Permanent Residency

With the current migration scenario being highly competitive for other visas under GSM including subclass 189 and 190 visa, considering regional migration is highly recommended. Get in touch with us today to understand more about your potential visa options and how you can prepare yourself now to be ready and eligible in November. 

Sydney Opera House turns gold to mark the festival of lights, Diwali. 

Yet another celebration of a successful multicultural society, Australia continues to embrace people from different countries, backgrounds and religions. 

If you are aspiring to be a part of this beautiful country and community, get in touch with us today to realise your migration dream. Now offering 20% discount on initial visa consultation between 23 October to 31 October 2019. So don’t miss the opportunity to understand your visa options and upcoming visa changes from 16 November 2019!

 https://www.sbs.com.au/language/english/sydney-opera-house-lights-up-for-diwali 

 https://www.sbs.com.au/language/english/sydney-opera-house-lights-up-for-diwali 

NSW is considered one of the economic powerhouse state of Australia, having among the most competitive business locations, offering great career opportunities in a wide range of areas including but not limited to ICT employment, pharmaceutical companies, nursing, teaching, engineering and other multinational, professional and technical industries. It has many of the top Universities in Australia offering a variety of courses.

With a high quality of life for multicultural people and businesses, NSW is one of the most sought after as well as competitive destinations for migrants from all over the world. 

Recent legislative changes have opened doors to regional NSW with more opportunities to live and work in these areas offering similar work opportunities, lifestyle benefits and other facilities to those in major cities like Sydney.  

This is in fact the best time to make the move and take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to achieve your migration goal

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There are different visa options and pathways to permanent residency for NSW depending upon your circumstances. NSW participates in sponsoring eligible candidates through two of the main visa categories:

Skilled Nominated Visa Subclass 190: NSW conducts ‘invitation rounds’ where selected candidates are invited to apply for NSW nomination. As per recent update to program update, NSW will generally invite candidates for nomination who are offshore or currently living in NSW. The candidates must meet the all the visa and state nomination criteria. 

Skilled Work Regional Visa Subclass 491: This visa enables skilled workers to live, work and study in designated regional areas of Australia for five years. 491 visa holders will be eligible to apply for a Permanent Residence visa after three years on meeting specific requirements. Currently, you may apply under the following categories as applicable to your circumstances:

You are living and working in regional NSW: 

To be eligible under this stream, your nominated occupation must be on the NSW Occupation List relevant to this stream and have been working in your nominated occupation, or a closely related occupation for at least the last 12 months. You must also be living in a “designated regional area” in NSW, for at least the last 12 months.

You are offshore

To be eligible under this stream, your nominated occupation must be on the NSW Occupation List relevant to this stream and you must be residing outside Australia. Additionally, you must have an offer for ongoing employment in a “designated regional area” in NSW from an employer who is registered in Australia. The job offer must be in your nominated, or a closely related occupation, for a minimum of 12 months full time employment. Alternatively, you may also be eligible provided you have at least five years of “skilled employment” in your nominated occupation, or a closely related occupation or have an immediate family member living in a “designated regional area” in NSW.

You’ve recently completed study in regional NSW

To be eligible under this stream, your nominated occupation must be on the NSW Occupation List relevant to this stream and have completed study within the last 12 months at an education provider/s, located in a “designated regional area” in NSW. The study was continuous and meets the “Australian study requirement”. The qualification obtained must also be assessed as closely related to your nominated occupation* by the relevant assessing authority. Additionally, you must have lived in a “designated regional area in NSW” while completing this study. 

One must fully understand the legislative criteria of NSW nomination as well as the Department of Home Affairs to obtain a positive outcome. These include various criteria such as satisfying the points test, skills assessment, age, English language ability, health and character. There are a number of occupation lists and nominating the correct occupation relevant to your visa program is crucial.

So if you are planning to migrate to NSW, this is the best time to make a move. Get in touch with us today to assess your eligibility and receive end-to-end assistance with lodging your visa. 

There are different visa options available to sponsor a parent to Australia. The best visa option depends upon their individual circumstances and meeting the criteria for a parent visa program. 

For a permanent visa pathway, there are two main categories including contributory and non-contributory. The difference between the two is primarily the processing times and the application costs. Contributory parent visas are certainly a faster pathway to permanent residency and may take approximately 4 years as per current processing times. On the other hand, non-contributory parent visas whilst far cheaper, can have a long processing time of up to 15 to 20 years or more. 

There are four categories of visa under the contributory pathway:

· Contributory Parent (Migrant) Subclass 143 -Permanent Residency

· Contributory Parent (Temporary) Subclass 173- Temporary Residency

· Contributory Aged Parent (Residence) Subclass 864 – Permanent Residency

· Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) Subclass 884 -Temporary Residency

The Temporary visa subclasses above (173 and 884) allow a parent to come and live in Australia for a period of 2 years and then apply for a permanent visa. Alternatively, a parent can apply directly for the permanent visa (143 and 864). The benefit of the Temporary visas is that the payment of the visa fee is staggered or split into two parts whereas for the permanent one, the fee must be made in full payment to receive permanent residence straightaway on grant of the visa.

All parent applicants for above visas must pass the balance of family test, health and character requirements. Their sponsor, usually their child who is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen, must also meet sponsorship criteria including providing an Assurance of Support. The major benefit of applying for parent visa whilst you are already in Australia if eligible, is that you can obtain a bridging visa to remain in Australia until the visa is granted. To be eligible to lodge an onshore parent visa application, they must be old enough to receive the age pension in Australia, which is currently 66 years age or older but will gradually increase in later years. 

Among the temporary visa pathways for parents, other than the well-known visitor visa subclass 600, parents can also consider Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa subclass 870. This visa enables parents of Australian citizens or permanent residents to be sponsored for an extended temporary stay in Australia for a period of up to five years at a time. This visa does not lead to permanent residency. However, one can apply for further visas to stay up to a maximum of ten (10) years cumulatively on this visa. 

There are two different validity periods available:

· 5 year visa, with a cost of $10,000 per applicant

· 3 year visa, with a cost of $5,000 per applicant

The 870 Visa process involves applying and having a parent sponsor application approved before lodging the visa application. There is no balance of family test or Assurance of Support requirements for this visa. However, the parent sponsor must meet all sponsorship criteria including the requirement for a specified minimum taxable income. 

If you would like to know more information on the parent visa options and obtain expert advice on the best pathway for your parents, get in touch with us today. sona@iplanmigration.com

+61 449923401

www.iplanmigration.com.au