New rules

[eager6]

Very confused about what is happening since new list of SOL released!
We have application in with TRA for Wall and Floor Tiler so hoping all goes well, how do you find out which states are sponsoring Wall and Floor Tilers?
Agent has advised us that they do not know the full picture yet (applying for 176)
Does anyone know what States are sponsoring W&F Tilers!!

[Ozzieland]

Very confused about what is happening since new list of SOL released!
We have application in with TRA for Wall and Floor Tiler so hoping all goes well, how do you find out which states are sponsoring Wall and Floor Tilers?
Agent has advised us that they do not know the full picture yet (applying for 176)
Does anyone know what States are sponsoring W&F Tilers!!

Wall and Floor Tiler is on the new SOL. However since the points system is not know to anyone and the State's SMP is expected around 1st July, 2010, you will have to wait to know where you stand.

[Gollywobbler]

Very confused about what is happening since new list of SOL released!
We have application in with TRA for Wall and Floor Tiler so hoping all goes well, how do you find out which states are sponsoring Wall and Floor Tilers?
Agent has advised us that they do not know the full picture yet (applying for 176)
Does anyone know what States are sponsoring W&F Tilers!!

Hi Eager6

Welcome to Poms in Oz.

State and Territory Migration Sites - australia.gov.au

Each State has its own State Immigration Department and each of those departments has its own website. The fast, reliable link to all of them is above.

That said, though, DIAC - Department of Immigration & Citizenship - is part of the central, Federal Government in Oz. The drill is that the State's nomination (sponsorship) comes from the State concerned but the application for a subclass 176 visa has to be submitted to DIAC and for a sc 176 visa, the application would be lodged at the Adelaide Skilled Processing Centre or ASPC.

GSM means General Skilled Migration. This term is synonymous with skilled independent migration. "Independent" means that no employer-sponsor is involved with trying to get the visa applicant a visa for Australia. GSM visas rely on a Points test instead.

AEST is Australian Eastern Standard Time. Canberra is on AEST and the DIAC computer is in Canberra. AEST is British Summer Time + 9 hours.

On Friday 7th May 2010, DIAC suddenly announced that no more applications for any of the offshore GSM visas would be accepted after midnight AEST that night. The announcement is below and the sc 176 visa is one of the ones that is affected:

What's New? Recent Changes in General Skilled Migration

GSM visa applications are nearly all made on-line nowadays, which saves lots of time and effort for everyone involved. It is not possible to make an application for a sc 176 visa at the moment and it will not become possible to do so until the "temporary suspension" is lifted, later on during 2010.

In response to DIAC's announcement (described above) all the States except for the Australian Capital Territory have said that they will not accept any more new applications for State nomination for any of the visa subclasses that DIAC have suspended.

I don't know why the ACT have not slammed their own doors in the same way as all the other States. However, regardless of why they have not slammed their own door, the ACT still seems to be willing to accept applications for SS (State sponsorship) in the event that your hearts are set on settling in the ACT?

Meanwhile, DIAC made a further announcement on Monday 17th May 2010. They announced the list of the occupations which will be on the new SOL:

What's New? Recent Changes in General Skilled Migration

I would give you the new list of occupations, to make this easy for you, but the new list is a pdf file and apparently there is something wrong with Adobe according to my machine. However, you can find the list in the link above and open the document for yourselves.

How does all this affect you and why is your agent reluctant to discuss the next possible step for yourselves?

The reason why your agent is reluctant to discuss the next step is because nobody knows, for sure, what the next step will be for someone like you.

Your occupation is on the new List of Occupations, so there is no problem with that bit.

The Minister for Immigration has promised a new Points test. It is probable that he will not lift the current suspension on making visa applications until he has set the new Points test, has attached it to the various visas and has persuaded Parliament to agree to and pass the enabling legislation which makes all these changes possible.

Nobody knows what the new Points test will be or how it will work. We are all waiting for DIAC to reveal more about this but they probably won't say a word until 1st July 2010, which is the first day of the 2010-2011 Migration Program Year.

Also, in addition to the existing system of State sponsorship, the Minister is threatening new State Migration Plans as well and the existing information about these SMPs is that they will also require State sponsorship, meaning that there could well be two types of State sponsorship rather than only the one that exists at the moment.

The idea with the SMPs is that States will be able to use them to identify and attract the occupations in greatest demand in the relevant State. Some States have a great demand for occupations which are not on the new List of Occupations. The Minister says that the States which need these additional skills will be able to include them in the new SMPs.

There is so much uncertainty about what the new set of facts will be that your agents are simply not able to give you adequate - or indeed any - advice about your options at the moment. It is definitely better for them if they simply shut up for the time being because they do not have a clue what is going to happen. Nobody was expecting the Minister for Immi to pull the flanker that he suddenly pulled on 7th May 2010 but the Minister pulled that flanker all the same.

Your own best bet for the time being is to read this forum closely and also to study the DIAC website regularly:

Department of Immigration & Citizenship

Any new twist in the tale will be reported on the DIAC website first, followed by eager analysis on Poms in Oz from about 10 minutes later onwards!

Cheers

Gill

[Mary Cockerill]

HI Gill. ACT are still accepting applications for sponsorship as their current list of occupations forms their individual SMP. Julianne O'Brien, the lead officer in the state sponsorship programme was commissioned to investigate and prepare the projected programme over 12 months ago. ACT have recently embarked on overseas visits, consulting with current and prospective clients with a view to advancing the opportunities within the state of ACT. These are not advertised visits (not advertised in South Africa, I am not sure about other countries), they have been promoted through agents (both registered and non registered). Angents, applicants and prospective applicants were able to question the representatives of ACT on the advantages/disadvantages of ACT sponsorship and opportunities. It was a most informative evening and very exciting to see that ACT have been very forward thinking in their approach to their proposed programme.

[eager6]

Thanks Guys for your replies.This whole visa process is so exhausting mentally.Fingers crossed my OH passes TRA and we will take next step when it comes (if it comes)

[archisami]

HI Gill. ACT are still accepting applications for sponsorship as their current list of occupations forms their individual SMP. Julianne O'Brien, the lead officer in the state sponsorship programme was commissioned to investigate and prepare the projected programme over 12 months ago. ACT have recently embarked on overseas visits, consulting with current and prospective clients with a view to advancing the opportunities within the state of ACT. These are not advertised visits (not advertised in South Africa, I am not sure about other countries), they have been promoted through agents (both registered and non registered). Angents, applicants and prospective applicants were able to question the representatives of ACT on the advantages/disadvantages of ACT sponsorship and opportunities. It was a most informative evening and very exciting to see that ACT have been very forward thinking in their approach to their proposed programme.

Hi Mary,
thanks for the information.
As I know many guys are sponsored by ACT,would you plz share more info about the combination of their SMP or the day of release,if any?

[eager6]

Hi Mary
Do not know much about ACT.We are a family with 4 young children.Would you say it is a good area for families with good schools etc...We were thinking of either Perth or Adelaide but like proximity of Canberra (near Sydney)

[Mary Cockerill]

Hi Eger6, I personally have not had the pleasure of visiting Canberra, but do know someone who has. What I learned at the meeting that delegates of ACT just embarked on, is that Caberra is nearly 100 years old, it was developed to be the capital of Australia, when it could not be desided wether Melbourne or Sydney should be the capital in the early 20th Centuary. Canberra was planned and developed in the area between NSW and Victoria and was, from the outset a 'planned' city. The population of ACT is less than 500,000 people of all nationalities, and to accomodate further growth new suburbs are being devleoped. I was impressed by the information I heard regarding unemployment levels and on what Canberra has to offer. Of course I feel it is very important for anyone thinking of relocating to anywhere in the world, to seriously research the area they are intening, or thinking of living. I am sure you will do this. cheers