Future of migration for existing applicants

[Guest Gollywobbler]

It is a most unsatisfactory position, but can I suggest that there is no point in beating yourself up about the situation.

 

Make known your views to those who might be able to do something (eg the Minister, Opposition policians), and accept that little or nothing may happen.

 

Reconcile yourself to a possible 3 year processing time, get on with your lives, and periodically (not every day) check whether there is any news. If you have an agent s/he should let you know as soon as there is any news.

 

Change your expectations, and you will be happier as a result. Those 3 years will zip by, and you'll wonder where they went.

 

Best regards.

 

Morning, Alan

 

Your advice to those whose lives would not be seriously adversely affected by a major delay is above.

 

What is your advice for those who will have to abandon their migration plans - and throw away thousands of dollars spent on agents fees, skills assessments, visa appliication charges etc but their family circumstances simply won't permit them to wait for at least another 30 or so months before they can even get a visa, let alone be able to do anything about the physical move to Austraiia?

 

DIAC and their Minister need to wake up and realise that they have swindled money out of thousands of people via offering them incentives which have now been scrapped. They cannot expect any further credibility or any sort of support until they clean this mess up. They are playing with fire because they are playing with other people's futures as if those other people were rag dolls of no value or importance.

 

I have never seen a more inept, bungled pantomime in my life than the one being performed out in Australia. The head man of the ASPC has a mobile phone, has he not? What is he doing that is so pressing that he is not at his desk arranging an immediate media release? Where is their bloody Minister? He has a vague idea about what he has authorised, hasn't he? Why doesn't he say something publicly himself if he can't find anyone at work in his Department?

 

Grrrrr.

 

Gill

[Guest floater]

Quite right!

I never thought I would have to fight so hard for a visa. This is a two way deal, we get to follow our dreams of living in oz, they get skilled workers, and LOTS AND LOTS of our money.

I knew it would be a difficult road to travel, but I had no idea the immigration minister would seed the surface with nails.

Its such a shame that we should all have to start our new lives in a new country with a bitter taste in our mouths.

[Alan Collett]

Hello Gill.

 

My advice is the same as I would say to anyone who feels aggrieved by an injustice: push as hard as you feel you reasonably can to right the wrong. The steps that you and Jamie are taking to hold our public servants and elected representatives to account are in line with that strategy.

 

But also recognise that Governments can generate more spin and have deeper pockets than you or I are likely to be able to afford - and that there is a point at which throwing good money after bad by (say) initiating litigation is perhaps unwise. That is AC being the pragmatist.

 

The bottom line is that the Minister's responsibility is to Australians, and that is an emotive rallying call that you have to counter by demonstrating that his actions are at odds with the interests of the country.

 

Best regards.

[Alan Collett]

Quite right!

I never thought I would have to fight so hard for a visa. This is a two way deal, we get to follow our dreams of living in oz, they get skilled workers, and LOTS AND LOTS of our money.

I knew it would be a difficult road to travel, but I had no idea the immigration minister would seed the surface with nails.

Its such a shame that we should all have to start our new lives in a new country with a bitter taste in our mouths.

 

I absolutely hear what you say, but there are large numbers of Australians who are of the view that migration should be stopped to "protect the interests of Australian families."

 

As I have said above, I believe the approach must be to highlight the adverse consequences for the Australian economy by failing to take all necessary steps to be transparent and equitable in dealings with intending skilled migrants.

 

Methinks it is mainly an economic argument - shortages of skills means upward pressure on wages, adverse consequences for inflation, etc. But remember that the Unions have the ear of the Minister's Office - and as a rule Unions want higher wage outcomes for their membership. So there is a political aspect to factor in as well.

 

Best regards.

[Guest bindog1uk]

If the Australians didn't want us why did they take our money then!

[Guest sabink]

So if they are progressing 3.5k applications then, we should have a number of people in a ready to be granted situation I would think. Interesting to see if anyone slips through, as a result of this processing

[Alan Collett]

To bindog1: Because they can ... :twitcy:

 

Seriously, this is an issue of fairness and equity, and you should appeal to the Aussie sense of fair play by making it more widely known what the Australian Government has done in the name of the people.

 

Best regards.

[Guest Off to the Sun]

Hi All

 

Please see the headlines on the DIAC website urgently,

 

http://www.immi.gov.au/about/reports/budget/budget09/_paes-pdf/0910-paes-full.pdf

 

Please read all the bumph. There s quite a bit of new data.

 

Rushing to go out, Back later,

 

Cheers

 

Gill

 

 

 

Expenses

The administered expenses are estimated to change from $517.6 million to

$559.3 million since the 2009-10 Budget. The increase primarily relates to additional

funding for Christmas Island and payments to the Red Cross.

Income

In 2009-10, the Department will administer the collection of revenue on behalf of the

Government of $1,122.2 million, which is an increase of $13.6 million since the

 

 

2009-10 Budget

 

Thanks for that Gill, I've flicked through it and I'm no accountant but from the above, if they got in $1,122.2m and spent $559.3m that leaves $562.9m profit they've made from us, where has that money gone? They have no right to run their humanitarian projects on our money. Christmas Island??? The bloody cheek. I feel sick. :no:

[Guest Off to the Sun]

ok just googled Christmas Island, oh sweet mother of god its a detention centre like Guantanamo, now I really feel sick. This is what we paid for......

 

Inside the Christmas Island detention centre – Crikey

 

There are some lovely pictures of the barbed wire and electric fences, I wonder are we entitled to time-share :err: I bagsy December!!*

 

*Sorry its not a laughing matter but I had 2 hrs sleep last night and I'm stupid with it.

[McKlaut]

DIAC and their Minister need to wake up and realise that they have swindled money out of thousands of people via offering them incentives which have now been scrapped. They cannot expect any further credibility or any sort of support until they clean this mess up. They are playing with fire because they are playing with other people's futures as if those other people were rag dolls of no value or importance.

 

I have never seen a more inept, bungled pantomime in my life than the one being performed out in Australia. The head man of the ASPC has a mobile phone, has he not? What is he doing that is so pressing that he is not at his desk arranging an immediate media release? Where is their bloody Minister? He has a vague idea about what he has authorised, hasn't he? Why doesn't he say something publicly himself if he can't find anyone at work in his Department?

 

Grrrrr.

 

Gill

If they push my application away just because I made my decision of having meds and police checks in advance without CO request I WILL NOT give up making everybody in the world aware what today's Australian migration is. :arghh:

 

Oh. DIAC, Dont make such awful steps!

[markntracey]

We did our meds and police checks with out a CO requesting them because the email they sent us when we first lodged our application last Nov said if you haven't already done so please send the following: which listed everything including meds and pc. We have our SS and are ready to go and our Meds and PC expire end of Jan.

[MouseBear]

Hi, just joined to today but have been following all the useful posts for a while now. Thank you to everyone trying to find out information and posting it here for others to share. Myself and my OH have been trying to get a visa since 2007. I'm a fully qualified primary teacher and my OH is a builder (VETESSE assessed as a bricklayer). Started with a 175 and moved earlier this year to 176 WA.

 

I was just wondering if they've said they're gonna try to process 3500 SS - I thought that was pretty much all of the State Sponsorships in limbo at the moment?? Have I got that mixed up? Looking at the WA occupations list, Groups 1, 2 and 3 are all pretty much the CSL professions - wouldn't they already have been processed in Priority Category 2?

 

Thanks

[RonnieRocket0]

Sorry, but did I read this correctly, those who have been requested by a CO to complete Meds & Police checks prior to 23rd Sept are likely to be finalised by the end of the year??

I am on a SS 176 with WA. If anyone can verify this I would be most grateful.

Kind regards

 

Ronnie R

[Guest johnsonclan]

Sorry, but did I read this correctly, those who have been requested by a CO to complete Meds & Police checks prior to 23rd Sept are likely to be finalised by the end of the year??

I am on a SS 176 with WA. If anyone can verify this I would be most grateful.

Kind regards

 

Ronnie R

 

 

Hi, we too are SS176 with WA but OH is a Cabinet Maker and not sure yet whats happening given the rumours re tradies been excluded ?? Have e mailed agent today and they have not received any info re this recent news yet so we are waiting with bated breath ???????????? If tradies are excluded is this for this migration yr only which ends 30th June or longer ?? Seems silly when we are constantly reading about the shortages of tradies in WA and see for ourself as we regularly have a copy of an Australian newspaper delivered and there are always jobs advertised ???

Left arm right arm springs to mind. Noone seems to know what the other is doing !!!!

[Guest pom64]

So guys

I'm i right in saying if you are a tradie your application wont get a look in, as i am a bricklayer/site manager WA sponsored since Feb 08 co requestedmeds july 09 all met and finalised august 09 but now they are saying tough, nice one Au's

Regards

pom64

[stevie ellis]

So guys

I'm i right in saying if you are a tradie your application wont get a look in, as i am a bricklayer/site manager WA sponsored since Feb 08 co requestedmeds july 09 all met and finalised august 09 but now they are saying tough, nice one Au's

Regards

pom64

Aye this does not seem fare am in same boat am a slater roughcaster . everything met as well . another boot in the baws.

[MouseBear]

Hey,

From what I've read everything is still very much speculation. My OH is a Bricklayer and we are trying to keep our ear to the ground too. I think the DIAC are trying to put something together for the public. I suppose it takes time because of the situation - trying to stay positive even though they are making it forever difficult.

[George Lombard]

Another early summer morning in Sydney - the kids and the birds are sleeping and singing respectively - and as of 5pm last night the MIA hadn't been able to derive any further information on this critical issue, raising the question of why information of such critical commercial significance is not shared equally within the profession, quite apart from the failure to come to terms with the interests of those affected.But I do have to say, from bitter experience, that the last thing you can rely on DIAC to do is administer a queue meekly, there are always changes of priorities and in fact in 2004 there were two queues with wildly diverse outcomes for people who applied before and after 1 July. And just to echo Alan's comments above, when you get to operational issues like this, it can be a better personal strategy to hope you're in the next tranche and undertake lobbying accordingly. I'm sure Peter Meares is still interested.Cheers,George Lombard

[McKlaut]

in fact in 2004 there were two queues with wildly diverse outcomes for people who applied before and after 1 July.

Good morning George,

 

As far as i remember I applied before 17/12/2008 so I request my old rules without any priorities.

I mean, the example with 2004 year is not correct unless there were retroactive changes that time too.

[Guest heljef1]

Hi all.

 

I wanted to join this thread to keep updated with events.

 

We too have been affected by the changes, my oh is an electrician and we are south australia state sponsored. We have had meds and pc's finalised and were just playing the waiting game like many of you.

 

Tried phoning our agent today but she hasn't answered so will try again tomorrow and see if she can shed any light or give us any info.

 

Keeping fingers & toes crossed this could be good news

[Guest sabink]

I have just had confirmation from a contact in the ACT skilled migration program, sponsoring us, that the 3.5k applications filtering through is also what they have heard from their MIA sources

[MouseBear]

Hi all,

So now I suppose we all just have to wait to see who the lucky ones might be to be part of that 3.5k?? Does anyone know how many State Sponsors are waiting? I thought the number was around 3600 in October so are they planning to clear all SS applied before the 23rd September or just a few? It's very confusing??

[Mylady]

I wonder if they are excluding the tradies for a reason.Maybe the new MODL or FSL would have more tradies on them with better priority processing times.I dont know anymore,just speculating.

[Guest Gollywobbler]

Hi All

 

I've been trying to discover a bit more about Senator Chris Evans. Why is he such a patsy with the militant trades unions in Oz?

 

Here is the Wiki information:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Evans_(Australian_politician)

 

It seems that his political career has been meteoric. His academic background and work history have been unremarkable, with the sort of white collar job which he now says Australia no longer requires migrant workers to fill - even though he is a British migrant himself.

 

Trades Unions are traditionally convinced that if they can strangle the supply of skilled tradies, they can catapult the wages of those tradies into the stratosphere. The problem with that is that it catapults the cost of living into the stratosphere as well so the tradies soon discover that the extra bucks in their pockets can't buy them anything extra. Everyone else learns the same lesson at the same time - the hard way.

 

Mr Wilden at Australia House in London - who told me that he is DIAC's Top Man in Europe - went to great lengths in a phone call with me the other morning.

 

When I pointed out to Mr Wilden that hospitals in WA are reining in on employer sponsored visas for nurses but the West Australian newspaper contains loads of adverts for skilled tradies, Mr Wilden was unmoved. According to him WA has a population of 3 million max. A further 19 million people occupy the ramainder of Australia. Mr Wilden says that Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are swamped with out of work tradies.

 

According to Mr Wilden, Canberra has to "balance the needs of the whole country." According to me the States & Territories - via their State sponsorship lists - were already doing that before Canberra interfered on 23rd September 2009. NSW, VIC and QLD were not looking for tradies for any of their Metro areas. All the other States and Territories were because they understand the need for specific types of skilled workers in their own States and they know whereabouts in their States the workers of each type are needed the most. The State Governments do not need to have Big Brother in Canberra telling them who they require and who they can manage without.

 

Going back to the Minister, though, he is not a skilled tradesman and never has been. Academically he has not been through the rigour of a specific degree for any specific work discipline either. After that he seems to have leapt into the arms of the Trades Unions when he was a callow kid straight out of Uni, totally wet behind the ears but hugely impressionable too, as I was at his age.

 

Unlike the Minister, though, a firm of solicitors in the City of London soon had my nose pinned to the grindstone and I was too busy trying to get my head round 70-page commercial leases and 100-page Development Agreements and JCT Buikding Contracts for major commercial developments to have time to pursue any other "causes" except sailing and learning to cook well enough to avoid poisoning myself and my friends.

 

I suspect that the Unions - his own alma mater - have got Senator Evans warmly by the gonads. I think it explains his volte face in excluding tradies from the CSL Version 2. I think Jamie Smith and the other MIA members who attended the meeting with DIAC on Wedesday may well be right in surmising that Minister Evans will not try to help skilled tradies any time soon because he is too busy saying "Yessir" to his party's political paymasters instead, unfortunately.

 

In an e-mail waiting for me from a friend in Oz by the time I got home last night, I was told that 3 Liberal Senators resigned from their seats yesterday. I've no idea why. I am told that this development increases the possibility that Krudd will call an election early in 2010. I hope he will. It might put a stop to all the nervous, jittery dithering from Krudd's Minister for Immi.

 

Cheers

 

Gill

[mlsdq]

Maybe they should process those who applied on or before 9/23 also. I don't have a CO yet but if I wait 3 years from now, my IELTS will expire. But personally, I will be so happy if those who have submitted their meds and pccs will be processed ahead of us. It's more unfair to them.

 

Goodluck to us. I know and believe, DIAC is working on this. Let's just wait and be more hopeful.