Julie T. Heller Immigration Planning Consultants

Prospective skilled migrants take note: many now ineligible for application or visa grant

admin — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 01:57:48 +0000

Immigration Minister Chris Evans announced major changes to skilled migration, without warning, effective today (8 February).

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can no longer obtain additional points for having an occupation on the Migration Occupations in Demand List, which was revoked today.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

Nominating existing 457 visa holders

admin — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:25:17 +0000

One of the many changes to the law made on 14 September 2009 was to allow for a transfer of the remaining time left on a 457 visa to a new sponsoring employer provided a new nomination is approved.

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).

Reusing medical tests

admin — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 03:35:44 +0000

From 9 November 2009 it will no longer be possible to “upgrade” health examination reports. Under the current system people who had sat components of a medical could undertake any missing tests and update their medical results e.g. just undertake a HIV test. To avoid duplicate testing, it may be advisable to undertake full permanent residency medical testing for temporary visa applicants who need to do some, but not all, of the medical checks. Whether this is advisable in individual cases will vary, particularly as medical test results do not remain valid forever.

Citizenship Test Study Guide

admin — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 06:15:39 +0000

The citizenship test will be revised from 19 October 2009 to focus on civic responsibility focused questions. A study guide is available from the DIAC website at: http://www.citizenship.gov.au/learn/cit_test/_pdf/Australian%20Citizenship%202009.pdf

English testing for student visas

admin — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 01:00:05 +0000

Following a recent decision of the Full Federal Court in the case of Minister for Immigration and Citizenship vs Kamal [2009], student visa applicants may be eligible for visa grant if they sit an IELTS test and receive the requisite score after applying for the visa and before the date of decision. However, students should beware of submitting an application without IELTS information as an unfavourable decision could be made if DIAC is unaware an IELTS test will be sat in the future.

Customers can now contact us on our UK numbers: 08700 687 786 or 07031 900 858

admin — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 03:11:46 +0000

New discretion for health waiver

admin — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 03:09:19 +0000

Visa applicants or their families who are applying for a limited range of employer sponsored visasin the ACT or Victoria may now be eligible for discretionary visa grant. Please contact us for more information if you may have difficulty passing the standard health tests.

Skilled migrant quota reduced

admin — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 01:54:28 +0000

The 2010 quota for skilled migration to Australia has been cut by around 15%. The impact of quota reductions is impossible to control. However, other visa options, particularly employer-sponsored visas remain unaffected. Contact us for more information about eligibility for these other visa types.

Stronger emphasis on sponsorship and job offers in visa processing

admin — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 02:56:39 +0000

Important changes occurred over Christmas to the processing of migration applications by skilled applicants. From 1 January 2009, applicants with state/territory or employer sponsorship and unsponsored applicants with skills on a new Critical Skills List, will receive priority processing. A reduced quota in the offshore skilled program has also been introduced. Please contact us to discuss whether prioritised processing may be available to you.

Rikus Bekker, Parsons Brinckerhoff

admin — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 10:27:21 +0000

Hi Julie,
You’re a star. Thanks a million. It means a lot to us the PR. Make one sort of feel at home! Hope I can give you a huge chocolate one day.
Thanks for all your excellent service and believe this could be a record PR approval. I will send ALL my friends and people that will be immigrating to you.
Keep well,
Rikus