491 - Turn down ITA

[SimontoOz]

Hi,

As the title says, what happens if I receive an ITA for a 491 visa and decide now is not the right time to apply? Does my EOI get deleted and if further down the line I want to try again do I need to submit another EOI? If it doesn't get deleted is there a time period I have to wait before a 2nd ITA can be issued and is there a limit on how many times I can say I don't want to lodge an ITA?

 

Thanks

[CapitalS]

20 minutes ago, SimontoOz said:

Hi,

As the title says, what happens if I receive an ITA for a 491 visa and decide now is not the right time to apply? Does my EOI get deleted and if further down the line I want to try again do I need to submit another EOI? If it doesn't get deleted is there a time period I have to wait before a 2nd ITA can be issued and is there a limit on how many times I can say I don't want to lodge an ITA?

 

Thanks

Im curious as to why after spending all that time and effort you wouldn’t want to lodge your visa? Obviously everyone has different circumstances but the process is taking so long just now that it probably won’t be into next year before visa is even processed and then you only have to activate the visa you don’t have to move immediately. That probably gives you a couple of years leeway  
 

you may never get invited again? 

[SimontoOz]

I understand why you ask, with the current situation (COVID) i feel it doesnt hurt to consider the impact on job availability/security and whether the risk is too great currently. Turning down an ITA would be the last resort (and extremly unlikely) but I couldn't find anything online as to what happens if I don't follow up on the ITA.

[paulhand]

7 minutes ago, SimontoOz said:

I couldn't find anything online as to what happens if I don't follow up on the ITA.

It's on the main Skill Select page:

"Your EOI will be removed from Skillselect:

• if you receive 2 invitations and you don't lodge a visa application in response to either of these invitations, or
• if you receive an invitation to lodge a visa application for a permanent or provisional visa and are subsequently granted that visa."

[SimontoOz]

Thanks @paulhand, i did look on there but must have missed it

[Marisawright]

8 hours ago, SimontoOz said:

I understand why you ask, with the current situation (COVID) i feel it doesnt hurt to consider the impact on job availability/security and whether the risk is too great currently. Turning down an ITA would be the last resort (and extremly unlikely) but I couldn't find anything online as to what happens if I don't follow up on the ITA.

Bear in mind that if you get the visa, all you're obliged to do is to visit Australia for a day - then the visa counts as "activated".  After that, you have almost 5 years to make the permanent move. 

[RD there is light]

Hi all,

On a similar note, please can anyone shed light on this scenario:

ITA received for 491 SA at the end of June 2020.  Have 60 days to apply.  Have also another EOI for 491 WA family sponsor though no invitation as yet.  Our preference would be WA as ultimately we have family there.  Qu - while SA has issued ITA, does it affect the EOI for 491 WA?  We are hoping to wait for the next invitation round in August and pray for 491 WA family sponsor ITA.  If this doesn't come through, then we will proceed to apply for the SA one.  Obviously then, we understand that we will accept and live and work in SA as per visa conditions if and when this is granted.

The reason I ask the question is I am not sure whether the SA ITA impacts the EOI for WA at all?  If it does, then is it likely we are wasting our time waiting?  Could two separate EOIs be triggered with ITA from two states i.e. can you have two invitations at the same time?

[Marisawright]

2 hours ago, RD there is light said:

ITA received for 491 SA at the end of June 2020.  Have 60 days to apply.  Have also another EOI for 491 WA family sponsor though no invitation as yet.  Our preference would be WA as ultimately we have family there.  Qu - while SA has issued ITA, does it affect the EOI for 491 WA?  We are hoping to wait for the next invitation round in August

As far as I'm aware, there won't be an invitation round for August.  The quotas haven't been released for this financial year (which runs from July to June in Australia) and none of the states can consider any new visas until they are. There's unlikely to be any news on quotas until October at the earliest.

Given the sharp rise in unemployment due to Covid, I'd say that even then, there will be a lot less invitations issued. I would grab the offer you have with both hands.  Remember that if you get the visa, you do have five years to make the move.

Edited August 9, 2020 by Marisawright

[paulhand]

1 hour ago, Marisawright said:

As far as I'm aware, there won't be an invitation round for August.  The quotas haven't been released for this financial year (which runs from July to June in Australia) and none of the states can consider any new visas until they are. There's unlikely to be any news on quotas until October at the earliest.

Given the sharp rise in unemployment due to Covid, I'd say that even then, there will be a lot less invitations issued. I would grab the offer you have with both hands.  Remember that if you get the visa, you do have five years to make the move.

There was a  small invitation round in July for 189 and 491 family sponsored applications, which are both done at the Federal rather than State level. As I understand it, the points barrier for the family 491 was 100 and it was a very small number. 

I wouldn’t be holding my breath for an invite in this stream.

However, remember with the 491 you need to spend 3 years living and working in the regional area to be eligible for the 191 permanent visa, so actually the timeframe to make the move is really 2 years not 5. 
 

 

[RD there is light]

On 09/08/2020 at 14:55, Marisawright said:

As far as I'm aware, there won't be an invitation round for August.  The quotas haven't been released for this financial year (which runs from July to June in Australia) and none of the states can consider any new visas until they are. There's unlikely to be any news on quotas until October at the earliest.

Thanks for this.  I mentioned this as I saw there was an invitation round in July, all be it small numbers for 189 and 491 family sponsor.  I have read that the official quota will be around Oct which will be well past my 60 days.  Think I'll continue with applying to SA 491, as you are right, with the current situation, it is very fluid and you never know when things can change.  Would be silly to miss this ITA and then wait for unknown number of months before possibility for 491 WA invitation.

[RD there is light]

On 09/08/2020 at 16:38, paulhand said:

There was a  small invitation round in July for 189 and 491 family sponsored applications, which are both done at the Federal rather than State level. As I understand it, the points barrier for the family 491 was 100 and it was a very small number. 

I wouldn’t be holding my breath for an invite in this stream.

However, remember with the 491 you need to spend 3 years living and working in the regional area to be eligible for the 191 permanent visa, so actually the timeframe to make the move is really 2 years not 5. 
 

 

Thanks Paul.  I think I may have inadvertently really blown my chances previously as I had 75 points in early June with DOE of Feb 2020.  Looking at the June round, there were 491 family sponsor invitations to applicants with 70 and DOE April 2020.  But I managed to score an extra 5 points for employment so changed my EOI to update this and thus lost my old DOE from February.  I am kicking myself as I feel as though I would have had a strong chance of being invited back in June if I hadn't updated my points.  Only unknown with this would have been whether 491 family sponsor would be affected at state level i.e. would WA have considered my points only for family sponsorship or would my occupation also need to be considered?

Do you know anything more about the 491 criteria re spend 3 years living and working in the regional area?  i.e. would I be able to move in say 18 months after living in SA to WA if I had a better job offer? I read that WA is still all regional so this would be possible, though I would need to notify SA migration if I move state as part of the conditions.