Guest Siavash Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 hi there im new to this site an still tryin 2 get my head round it all.me an my partner were goin state spon but with these new rules he now has to take the english test, he's an accountent an i was wonderin can anyone whose taken it let me know how hard it is he has to score an overall 7. thank heather:jiggy: I would say it was easy,... at least for me, however it depends on the English knowledge and test techniques at the end ... wish you all the best siAvAsh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gollywobbler Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Meanwhile I've found theplanning numbers for 175 and 176 visas for 2009/2010: Migration Program Statistics - Statistics - Publications, Research & Statistics skilled independent: 41.600 state / territorysponsored: 11.200 So not 55.000 as supposed in my previous post. It makes the waiting time even longer... Hi HoriFTC There is no date on the stats, which makes me disinclined to trust them. It is evident that the skilled tream is not working in the way that DIAC originally thought it would work. Go Matilda - Your Gateway to Australia - News According to Alan Collett's new article there is considerably more demand for employer sponsored PR visas than DIAC anticipated at the time when the new priority processing system began almost 10 months ago. Stats for the Student visa program were published on 10th August 2009 so they should be reasonably up to date, at least. Australian Immigration Fact Sheet 50. Overseas Students in Australia Nearly 300,000 Students went to Oz in 2007/8 alone. If you look at the countries they came from, there is no way that the majority are not looking for pathways to PR, despite the Minister's cosy claim to the contrary on Tuesday 22nd September 2009. Temporary migrants and visitors factored in population figures Weasel words if you ask me! Cheers Gill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest June Pixie Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 GollyWobbler that is exactly what I was thinking – They have my lodgement fee now; $2525 and they can sit on that for another 3 years. That could have been gaining interest in MY account!!!!! I only lodged on 18th August!! I’m furious. To all those people who say “Yeah but you can save up, take stock, and get a perspective on things!” We’ve been doing that for the past 4 years in planning this!! You don’t one day just suddenly decide to up sticks and the next when it all goes **** up start whining about changing goalposts. We knew about changes in legislation, about what the changing labour force means to the CSL and MODL and we know about realistic time-scales for finally getting a visa. What we didn’t know about is swindling governments and corrupt politicians!! Immigration must be Australia’s best chance of filling the coffers and us poor fools have been had. For every 5 people willing and able to wait there will be 2 or 3 who cannot due to logistical problems or, like me, a bitterness about the whole thing or a combination of both. Now how much 'free' money will that make the Australian government I wonder? It’s not a case of waiting X amount of years for things to maybe/perhaps swing back or whatever queue they have to go down. People have children who will be too old, not as inclined to go or the timing will be all wrong. People have already been at this stage of waiting at the start of their journey and now they come against this. We may be hysterical and having a knee-jerk reaction to it all, but if anything has come out of this for me it’s the fact that Australia cannot be trusted, their ‘mate-ship’ theory and ‘fair go’ ideals may ring true to outback farmers but on a professional level there are some serious issues. Once bitten, twice shy for me I’m afraid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TheHollies Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 GollyWobbler that is exactly what I was thinking – They have my lodgement fee now; $2525 and they can sit on that for another 3 years. That could have been gaining interest in MY account!!!!! I only lodged on 18th August!! I’m furious. To all those people who say “Yeah but you can save up, take stock, and get a perspective on things!” We’ve been doing that for the past 4 years in planning this!! You don’t one day just suddenly decide to up sticks and the next when it all goes **** up start whining about changing goalposts. We knew about changes in legislation, about what the changing labour force means to the CSL and MODL and we know about realistic time-scales for finally getting a visa. What we didn’t know about is swindling governments and corrupt politicians!! Immigration must be Australia’s best chance of filling the coffers and us poor fools have been had. It’s not a case of waiting X amount of years for things to maybe/perhaps swing back or whatever queue they have to go down. People have children who will be too old, not as inclined to go or the timing will be all wrong. People have already been at this stage of waiting at the start of their journey and now they come against this. We may be hysterical and having a knee-jerk reaction to it all, but if anything has come out of this for me it’s the fact that Australia cannot be trusted, their ‘mate-ship’ theory and ‘fair go’ ideals may ring true to outback farmers but on a professional level there are some serious issues. Once bitten, twice shy for me I’m afraid Living under the rulings of 'Moron Brown' and 'Phoney Blair' for the past few years, I think we all know about swindling governments and corrupt politicians! :arghh::biglaugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gollywobbler Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 If DIAC knows as published in their report, that the numbers of lodged applications in the category "skilled independent" was 5.100/month recently (2008/2009) and they make a planing level for this category for 2009/2010 of only 41.600/year could mean only 2 things: - they refuse applications in high quotas - they not even want to decide about applications in 1 year And I not even mentioned the applications in the pipeline. Hi again HoriFTC DIAC's Annual Report for the 2008/9 Migration Program Year (y/e 30th June 2009) will be published in mid December. By now the figures are known and have been finalised because the Minister has to get Cabinet to approve them and then they have to go to the House of Representatives. Rather than have the Senate hanging around waiting to consider them at the last minute before the Report has to be published, the Senate gets a chance of some advance scrutiny via the Senates Estimates Committees: Parliament of Australia: Senate Estimates The Minister is due for an all day toasting from the Legal & Constitutional Affairs Committee on Tuesday 20th October 2009. Andrew Metcalfe (the boss of DIAC) and Peter Vardos (DIAC's Head of Policy) plus the Heads of Policy for each of the skilled visas will all accompany the Minister in a posse. They do the same in the UK. Dozens of civil servants attend the Committees. The ones without a speaking role are all armed with laptops which are rigged up to the Internet so that the people at the Committee can get instant information from colleagues back in DIAC's HQ and other offices, they have skivvies running around all day long carrying papers from HQ to the Senate etc and all of them have blackberries, plus the whole thing is broadcast live on TV and radio. The object of all this effort is to ensure that the Minister does not offer the Committee any information which is inaccurate or misleading. I don't know how promptly the transcript of the proceedings will be published but I think it does happen quickly. Maybe not 48 hours but I don't think it takes as long as a week. This particular Committee seems good. They do ask probing questions. Senator Guy Barnett Chairs it and he seems to have a lot of experience. The Minister got a similar grilling at the end of May 2009. Parliament of Australia:Senate:Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional: Budget Estimates 2009-2010 — (May 2009) I am interested in the Health requirement for migration so I read the discussion about that. The rest concerned stuff that was of zilch interest to me so I did not wade through the rest as well! To give you the flavour though, please click on the link below: http://www.aph.gov.au/hansard/senate/commttee/S12042.pdf If you read a bit of it, it will give you an idea of how the Committee operates. I reckon it will be worth reading the transcript of the proceedings on 20th October because I suspect that the Minister and his flunkeys will be defending the contents of their 2008/9 Annual Report. No doubt DIAC will want to confine the discussions to the first half of 2009 only but some of the Senators are punchy, persistent and they get answers to questions which are not strictly allowed. Cheers Gill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharmedP3 Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 you cant blame The DIAC They have to follow directives the only person to blame is Evans he has made the guidelines I'am sure many of the staff at the DIAC are fed up with these changes as we are ok their lives might not be changed by these decissions but they must have feelings and see the unfairness of this latest change imagine you turn up for work at 9am on Wednesday to be told forget what you have been doing the past 6 months knowing that some familes are so close and have spent so much money to be told put those files away for another 3 years and go and find all these type to start on :chatterbox: WJK You're quite right, my wording was inaccurate... it isn't DIAC's fault.... it's EVANS!!! Thankyou for correcting that for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest June Pixie Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Living under the rulings of 'Moron Brown' and 'Phoney Blair' for the past few years, I think we all know about swindling governments and corrupt politicians! :arghh::biglaugh: Always a comparision! Hey Ho! But nowhere in my years of working and living in the UK has the Labour goverment swindled nigh on 2 grand off me. Just proves the saying that "All politicians are corrupt, just some are MORE corrupt than others". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McKlaut Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Just sent my thoughts to Mr. Stone. Hope I'm not along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gollywobbler Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Just sent my thoughts to Mr. Stone. Hope I'm not along. HI McKlaut Dr Sharman Stone is a woman but I'm sure she won't hold it against you! I reckon that people should lobby Senator Guy Barnett as well. Please see my reply to HoriFTC above about the forthcoming Senate Estimates Committee meeting. Parliament of Australia:Senate:Senators:Senator*Guy*Barnett Senator Barnett is the Chair of the relevant committee. It is not a constituency matter so e-mails should be sent to him at his Parliamentary address, not via his constituency office in TAS. He should be addressed as Dear Senator or Dear Senator Barnett and the e-mail should be headed Immigration and Citizenship Portfolio. Do not call him Dear Chair lest he might think you are taking the mick..... Include this link for his flunkeys: http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/pdf/faq-priority-processing.pdf That will ensure that they know what everyone is complaining about. Cheers Gill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McKlaut Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 HI McKlaut Dr Sharman Stone is a woman but I'm sure she won't hold it against you! Gill Oops... Never thought I would be involved in Aus politics during migration process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tamarama Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Hi all, I just sent my letter via Gills request to Senator Barnett also to both shadow minister and Senator Evans plus ABC in Sydney and Melbourne. I sent a letter to Michael Hugo in SA Immigration this was the response I recieved this morning let me know what you all think?? Thank you for your email. I realise that the news from DIAC on Wednesday will impact many State Sponsored applicants and cause much frustration. I understand that the time frame published by DIAC is likely to be a worse case scenario, Ultimately it is your decision whether or not you wish to continue with your DIAC visa application as your time and money is at stake. Regards Michael Hugo A/Manager - General Skilled Migration Immigration SA Department of Trade and Economic Development Level 10, 50 Pirie Street Adelaide South Australia 5000 GPO Box 1264 Adelaide South Australia 5001 T – 8204 9905 F – 8204 9244 www.migration.sa.gov.au Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Impatient Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Interesting how mellow I am now about all this. Actually, it has made us think long and hard about want we should do in the next 2-3 years and whether or not we should take a punt on a temp visa when the exchange rates are so appalling. As our circumstances dictate that we need to do something next year anyway, we are now seriously considering buying a property in the UK and commiting ourselves to 2-3 years living a new life here and reviewing the situation as things change. We may leave the 475 app running just to see, but think the frustration, uncertainty, lack of trust in the migration system and the exchange rate will make us relax for a couple of years and reassess our options. There remains one really good opportunity that might open up for us in the next 2 years (zero risk financially and with early citizenship), but we think that would be the only way we will now proceed. We shall see, maybe one day my join date of Apr 2006 will make me the longest serving member to have not made it to Oz. Good luck to you all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bill_er_Bong Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Mr Imp... Leave your application running... keeps options open. No point in pulling out for the sake of it. I know what you mean about the exchange rate etc... this un-expected wait could be a blessing in disguise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellyjamie Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 im thinking the same BB, we ahve a £5k redemption on our morgage if we sell befor mar 2011, which were just going to deal with had we got our visa next year but with the added wait of how ever long maybe now we,ll just wait till then to sell and have the extra 5k to take with us:unsure: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyT Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Hi, I have a bit of a nightmare, we were in the final stages, CO, meds finalised, police checks uploaded, then down to priority 5. My eldest is finishing school next year, hoped to be out next summer. This now completely throws everything up in the air. I can't see a 17/18 year old at college wanting to move to Oz, I think our chance has gone. The only other avenue is to get a job sponsor, which I have been led to believe is really difficult. Plus I am in childcare, which is notoriously badly paid. Deflated, Tracey x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merlino Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 will those with meds finalised and all docs met be notified that they are affected by this new twist? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connaust Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Domestic politics and media have had too much influence upon public opinion, politicans just follow..... On a positive note the timelines are worst case, now, but processing times of different categories can be seen as a valve or gate, that can be opened at fairly short notice, not just closed like this weeks news. There are already rumblings of skill shortages emerging again as we speak, plus reviews? One only needs to read misinformation in Oz media to understand, started by Howard's dog whistling over boat people years ago which was taken up by the media.... Presently media is quoting totally over the top estimates of population growth based on flawed data which includes short term tourists (this has been propagated by both anti immigration and the environmental lobbies close to previous and present govts.). This was preceded by a year of shock media stories and headlines about PR rorts, perceptions of too many cooks, hairdressers etc. and that "Asians", "Foreigners" etc. were somehow taking advantage of Australia.... it does not take much for many Australians to believe such stories. Finally, economic slowdown, but me thinks Australia is well positioned to recover faster than elsewhere, meaning more skills migration while Oz studnets (and families) all aspire to attend university and graduate from courses with no employment outcomes.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gollywobbler Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 will those with meds finalised and all docs met be notified that they are affected by this new twist? Hi Merlino This is not what you want to hear but please see Q9 and Q11 of the FAQ in the link below: http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/pdf/faq-priority-processing.pdf On 16th March when the Minister suddenly reduced the CSL by half, DIAC were ordered to leave people in the lurch even though their COs were about to grant their visas. The Minister has done it again. Best wishes Gill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merlino Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 wtf... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merlino Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 thanks gill.. would CO's have information on whether they're processing the visa or no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KellyandTom Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Dear All, received this email today from a migration agent - not ours but I subscribe to their newsletter. Might be of help to cheer people up: DIAC Processing Changes - Some Clarity DIAC have again amended their processing priorities for GSM visa applications. Information relating to these changes can be found at: http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/pdf/faq-priority-processing.pdf Having studied these changes we will now attempt to clarify so that you may understand them more clearly. Based on the information provided it would appear that the processing priority changes will impact as follows: Subclass 175 visa applications with state/territory sponsorship - these applications will be minimally affected by these changes and some slight increase in processing times should be anticipated. Subclass 176 visa applications with state/territory sponsorship - As above. Subclass 175 visa applications with no state/territory sponsorship - DIAC are now advising that processing times may extend to end 2012, irrespective of how long an application has already been in the pipeline. Some important facts to consider: 1. The GSM program for 2009-10 is set at 108,100 places (this means 108,100 primary applicants). 2. The CSL list currently consists of 41 occupations. 3. 75% of occupations on the CSL are Health, Allied Health or Professional Engineer based. All these occupations have historically had a lower than required take up rate under the GSM program (the main reason that they are on the CSL). Given the factors at 1 - 3 above it becomes readily apparent that the bulk of the 108,100 places in the GSM visa program year will not be filled by listed CSL occupations. Some will be filled by applicants with employer sponsored visas but undoubtedly the bulk will be via the state/territory sponsorship arrangement. In Summary Clients who have applications lodged and have state/territory sponsorship should not see significant change to processing times for their applications. This information does not allow for additional processing times that will occur due to increased volume of state/territory sponsored applications that DIAC have and will continue to receive. For clients who are not yet at the visa application lodgment stage, we would again reiterate that you should be actively considering some form of state/territory sponsorship as an integral part of your visa application strategy. (Spending 2 years in a "non preferred" state may be more suitable than spending 3+ years in the UK waiting for an application to finalise). Hope this helps. Kelly :biggrin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gollywobbler Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 thanks gill.. would CO's have information on whether they're processing the visa or no? Hi Merlino By now the COs at the ASPC will all have been given strict instructions about what they are expected to do with the applications which are "on each Co's desk" as it were. The COs were told not even to spend time contacting applicants who were in the very last stages of processing. The applicants only found out when everything went dead and they phoned the ASPC to enquire. The junior staff who answer the phones are not allowed to put callers through to COs, so the junior staff ended up breaking the bad news to the applicants. They don't bother to answer e-mail enquiries about changes like this one because the information is on the DIAC website and the Minister is under pressure to cut the costs of running DIAC. 700 DIAC staff jobs are at risk in the latest round of cutting public expenditure in Oz. THye have already culled staff in the overseas offices and at HQ in Canberra. The expectation is that the next DIAC job-losses will happen on the coal face of visa processing. This can be justified by the argument that the Minister has cut the quota of skilled PR visas from 133,500 to 108,1oo for the 2009/10 Program Year. The Minister also crows that applications for temporary employer sponsored visas are down by 40%. Supposedly this is because the streamlined Aussie employer is hiring Aussies instead and isn't that wonderful? Media Centre - Media Releases 2009 I have a strong suspicion that the 457 visa has been made so unattractive for Aussie employers that many are now frightened to risk going anywhere near it. However, it is another good excuse to shed 457 processing staff from DIAC, plainly. DIAC's visa processing staff must be hugely demoralised, I suspect, plus the ASPC staff must feel completely beleaguered, wondering what new horrors await them as they walk through the ASPC's door every morning. They all know that they are on the sharp end of helping migrants to make one of the most significant new leaps of their whole lives. I'd guess that they are calling themselves the mushrooms. Fed on sh*t and kept in the dark about developments and plans being hatched up on high in Canberra. Cheers Gill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest flipflop Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Domestic politics and media have had too much influence upon public opinion, politicans just follow..... On a positive note the timelines are worst case, now, but processing times of different categories can be seen as a valve or gate, that can be opened at fairly short notice, not just closed like this weeks news. There are already rumblings of skill shortages emerging again as we speak, plus reviews? One only needs to read misinformation in Oz media to understand, started by Howard's dog whistling over boat people years ago which was taken up by the media.... Presently media is quoting totally over the top estimates of population growth based on flawed data which includes short term tourists (this has been propagated by both anti immigration and the environmental lobbies close to previous and present govts.). This was preceded by a year of shock media stories and headlines about PR rorts, perceptions of too many cooks, hairdressers etc. and that "Asians", "Foreigners" etc. were somehow taking advantage of Australia.... it does not take much for many Australians to believe such stories. Finally, economic slowdown, but me thinks Australia is well positioned to recover faster than elsewhere, meaning more skills migration while Oz studnets (and families) all aspire to attend university and graduate from courses with no employment outcomes.... Such that I see has happened in the UK, I have heard of a back-lash of Aussies blaming immagrants because they cannot get a job which of course is stupid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TheHollies Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Dear All, received this email today from a migration agent - not ours but I subscribe to their newsletter. Might be of help to cheer people up: DIAC Processing Changes - Some Clarity DIAC have again amended their processing priorities for GSM visa applications. Information relating to these changes can be found at: http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/pdf/faq-priority-processing.pdf Having studied these changes we will now attempt to clarify so that you may understand them more clearly. Based on the information provided it would appear that the processing priority changes will impact as follows: Subclass 175 visa applications with state/territory sponsorship - these applications will be minimally affected by these changes and some slight increase in processing times should be anticipated. Subclass 176 visa applications with state/territory sponsorship - As above. Subclass 175 visa applications with no state/territory sponsorship - DIAC are now advising that processing times may extend to end 2012, irrespective of how long an application has already been in the pipeline. Some important facts to consider: 1. The GSM program for 2009-10 is set at 108,100 places (this means 108,100 primary applicants). 2. The CSL list currently consists of 41 occupations. 3. 75% of occupations on the CSL are Health, Allied Health or Professional Engineer based. All these occupations have historically had a lower than required take up rate under the GSM program (the main reason that they are on the CSL). Given the factors at 1 - 3 above it becomes readily apparent that the bulk of the 108,100 places in the GSM visa program year will not be filled by listed CSL occupations. Some will be filled by applicants with employer sponsored visas but undoubtedly the bulk will be via the state/territory sponsorship arrangement. In Summary Clients who have applications lodged and have state/territory sponsorship should not see significant change to processing times for their applications. This information does not allow for additional processing times that will occur due to increased volume of state/territory sponsored applications that DIAC have and will continue to receive. For clients who are not yet at the visa application lodgment stage, we would again reiterate that you should be actively considering some form of state/territory sponsorship as an integral part of your visa application strategy. (Spending 2 years in a "non preferred" state may be more suitable than spending 3+ years in the UK waiting for an application to finalise). Hope this helps. Kelly :biggrin: :notworthy: Wooo-ooooh - thats good to hear!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freebo Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Such that I see has happened in the UK, I have heard of a back-lash of Aussies blaming immagrants because they cannot get a job which of course is stupid. Yeah, that was my thought too, many people in the UK are not exactly keen on overseas migrants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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