For instance, the subclass 845 visa is a good option for those who have already been in Australia on temporary visas (students, visitors, subclass 457s etc) for at least 272 days and owned 30-51% of a successful business for at least 18 months.

Business skilled applications can also assist those over 45 years of age to migrate to Australia.

If you have been running a business in Australia or are interested in business migration in the future, please contact us at info@jtimmigration.com.au or 03 8060 2457.

Many applicants will now only be able to migrate using other visas.  However, some can still apply for visas using the old skilled occupations list. The table below sets out which list may apply to you.

For those affected by the changes, please contact us for advice on (+613) 8060 2451.

If you have any questions about the article, or about compliance plans for your organisation please contact one of our consultants.

If you are not an engineer, doctor, nurse, IT specialist or have work experience in sustainable technologies it is recommended that you have your situation reviewed and if possible, lodge your skilled migration application before the skilled occupations list is expected to change in June 2010.

To migrate to Australia as a skilled person you need to have an occupation on the current “skilled occupations list”. From June, this list will be overhauled and will reflect only occupations that Australia currently has in short supply. Some occupations in trades, retail, business and professional services below managerial level are likely to be affected and may be removed from the list.  If your occupation is removed from the list, you will be ineligible to apply for a visa.

Pre-September 2007 applicants who are eligible to do so and whose occupation may be removed from the skilled occupation list, may want to consider relodging their visa application, as pre-September 2007 applications exceeding a new quota will not be assessed and they will be returned to applicants together with the visa application fee paid.

Applicants can no longer obtain additional points for having an occupation on the Migration Occupations in Demand List, which was revoked today.

Skilled workers who are unable to apply for a visa following these changes may need to rely on employer-sponsorship to migrate to Australia. For more information about this you should contact us.

If you are intending to nominate person who already holds a 457 visa linked to another sponsor, you should be mindful of their intended start date.  Once the nomination is approved, the 457 visa holder is required to commence working for your organisation.  The only exception is where they need to serve a notice period with their previous employer.  From the date of the nomination approval your organisation will be responsible for the sponsorship obligations, including health costs if the 457 visa was granted prior to 14 September 2009.  However, health costs may be avoided if you require your visa holder to apply for a new 457 visa (even if their current visa is still valid for some time).