New skills list to be announced in may 2010

[claireg]

Today's suspension announcement Fact Sheet:

 

Temporary Suspension of Certain General Skilled Migration (GSM) Visa Applications (Subclass 175, 176 and 475 Only)

The Australian Government has decided to temporarily suspend the acceptance of new applications for certain General Skilled Migration (GSM) visas. The number of pending GSM applications continues to grow as the demand for GSM places exceeds the available supply. The temporary suspension is being implemented to ensure that the occupational profile of applicants for GSM clearly reflects the needs of the Australian labour market.

The temporary suspension will also facilitate the transition from the current Skilled Occupation List (SOL) to the new SOL. It is anticipated that the Government will announce proposed changes to the SOL in May 2010.

The temporary suspension will apply from 8 May 2010. It is expected that it will cease at the end of the

2009-10 program year, that is at the end of 30 June 2010, subject to the approval of the Governor-General in Council of proposed amendments to the Migration Regulations 1994 which will enable the implementation of the new SOL.

Temporary suspension means that people will not be able to lodge a valid application for an affected GSM visa for the duration of the suspension. The temporary suspension applies to all primary (main) applicants for the following GSM visas:

•

Subclass 175 – Skilled Independent

•

Subclass 176 – Skilled Sponsored and

•

Subclass 475 – Skilled Regional Sponsored.

Applications for affected visa subclasses submitted on or after 8 May 2010 will be considered invalid and the application will be returned to the client together with the Visa Application Charge (VAC). However, associated fees such as those incurred for medical examinations, English language tests and skills assessments cannot be refunded as these payments were not made to the Government.

Applications for visa subclasses affected by the temporary suspension will be able to be made once the suspension has been lifted. More information on this change and other initiatives affecting the GSM program is available on the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s website at:

What's New? Recent Changes in General Skilled Migration

 

 

Cheers,

 

George Lombard

 

Does this mean that we have to wait now til 1 July and then HOPE that we are on the new SOL?

 

Our agent last night has just sent all of our visa app forms to check and sign to ensure we get in before 1 July 2010 changes.

[claireg]

God I am so angry with our Agent and DIAC. We told our Agent back in March we wanted to put in our 176 Family sponsored Visa then switch to SS when that came through and they ADVISED us to wait til SS came through.

 

Well we are still waiting for SS and with the speculation that the new SOL was coming into effect mid May as discussed last week we instructed them to Immediately lodge our 176 Visa. It has taken them 4 days to send the forms to us to check over. I received them this morning only to find that our visa subclass has now been suspended.

 

Now looks like it is too late. If we are not on the SOL even though we have SS we have no hope and our dreams our shattered. So sick of these changes that they can just dream up over night, Thanks DIAC

:mad:

[Alan Collett]

You have until midnight (Sydney time) to lodge your visa application ... good luck!

 

Best regards.

[claireg]

You have until midnight (Sydney time) to lodge your visa application ... good luck!

 

Best regards.

 

Hi Alan

 

As we have an Agent who are based in Melbourne (who are now probably asleep) then we are stuffed right?

 

Their office won't be open until Monday now.

 

Could i submit myself online? The only problem is that our agent has asked me for my brother to provide his info (passport bio date page, citizen cert, etc). I won't be able to get this to upload online by tonight.

 

This is the email that we received this morning:

 

Dear Claire and Peter,

 

As per your confirmation to proceed with your Australian Permanent Residency visa application, we have now prepared your application forms based on the information and documentation we have received to date.

 

In order to lodge the application, please have the following Forms completed and emailed to us as soon as possible:

 

o Completed and Signed Form 1276 (Questions 13, 20, 21, 30 [Note: You do not have to list all of your qualifications but I will be providing the Department with all of your certificates], 43, 49 – 55 [Part D: Does not need to be answered], 66, 67 [Pending the decision on your ACT State Sponsorship Application], 71 – 79 [Do not need to be answered], 80 – 82, 84, 85, 87 – 93 [Part M: Do not need to be answered], 99 [Payment Details – Credit Card details and signature required], 100 – 102 [signatures Required] require your attention)

 

o Completed and Signed Form 80 for yourself (Questions 13, 16, 19 – 21, 23, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32 – 35, 36 [signature Required] require your attention)

 

o Completed and Signed Form 80 required from Claire (Questions 13, 16, 19 – 21, 24 – 26, 28, 30, 32 – 35, 36 [signature Required] require her attention)

 

o Completed and Signed Form 1277 required from Julian (Questions 14 – 16, 19 – 39, [40 – 43 do not need to be answered as he is not an Eligible New Zealand Citizen], 50 – 51 [signatures Required from Julian and his Partner, if applicable] require his attention)

1. As per your instructions and because your ACT State Sponsorship Application has not been finalized, we are including this Form 1277 for Julian to complete as he is an Eligible Relative Sponsor and his sponsorship will allow you to still apply for the Skilled Sponsored Subclass 176 visa;

2. Please let Julian know that if he has any problems filling out this particular form, he may contact me via email and I will be happy to assist him.

 

As the attached forms are editable, you may simply make amendments to the form, save it and return to us via email.

 

However, we will require you to colour-scan the pages requiring signatures and email them back to us.

 

In addition to the Application Forms, you must also provide the following documents (colour-scanned and emailed):

 

o Updated Work Reference Letter from Current Employer (for Peter only);

o Payslips from Current Employer as evidence of employment for the past year (for Peter only and if possible, please also provide some payslips from the past 4 years);

o Julian – Australian Passport Biodata Page

o Julian – UK Passport Biodata Page

o Julian – Australian Citizenship Certificate

o Julian – Evidence that he has been employed for at least the past 2 years (i.e. Work Reference Letter, Payslips)

o Julian – Evidence that he currently resides in Australia (i.e. Utilities Bills, Correspondence showing his name and street address)

 

Should you require further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact us.

 

Do we have any hope of submitting ourself in less than 6 hours and then follow up with docs?

 

Feel like I could cry at this moment, like everyone else we have been hoping for 1 July.

 

Thanks

Claire

[Alan Collett]

In your situation, if you feel you are vulnerable to the removal of your occupation from the SOL, I would take the intiative and e-lodge your application.

 

In case of need: Professionals and other Skilled Workers - Online Applications

 

Supporting docs can be lodged at a later date.

 

Good luck, whatever you decide to do.

[George Lombard]

Claire,

 

Alan's right, lodge it yourselves. Can't believe people still do paper lodgments. Good luck!

 

Cheers,

 

George Lombard

[claireg]

In your situation, if you feel you are vulnerable to the removal of your occupation from the SOL, I would take the intiative and e-lodge your application.

 

In case of need: Professionals and other Skilled Workers - Online Applications

 

Supporting docs can be lodged at a later date.

 

Good luck, whatever you decide to do.

 

Thanks Alan. To be honest i just don't think that we will get everything in on time. We sent all of our certified docs to our agent and would have to go and get things re-certified by a lawyer plus I would have to colour scan tons of paperwork. I have a baby to look after and have to leave the house in about 1 hour to go to an appointment. I have less than 6 hours to do this and my partner is in work so I can't discuss what has happened properly until he gets home this evening.

 

The timing is against us.:arghh:

[Alan Collett]

" ... and would have to go and get things re-certified by a lawyer plus I would have to colour scan tons of paperwork."

 

No you don't, Claire.

 

You can lodge your e-visa application and attach documents to the application at your leisure over the next few days.

 

Put off the appointment, and input the application yourself ...?

 

Best regards.

[claireg]

Claire,

 

Alan's right, lodge it yourselves. Can't believe people still do paper lodgments. Good luck!

 

Cheers,

 

George Lombard

 

Hi George

 

It is not a Paper Lodgement, our Agent will be lodging online on our behalf. Do you know if I can go and LODGE online now and then our agent lodge all the docs online next week as everything is with them.

 

What is the basics that DIAC will accept for us to be "in the system" before midnight in Sydney tonight?

 

Sorry for all the questions

Claire

[claireg]

" ... and would have to go and get things re-certified by a lawyer plus I would have to colour scan tons of paperwork."

 

No you don't, Claire.

 

You can lodge your e-visa application and attach documents to the application at your leisure over the next few days.

 

Put off the appointment, and input the application yourself ...?

 

Best regards.

 

Thanks Alan, i have just asked George that question.

[George Lombard]

Claire,

 

All that an offshore applicant requires to lodge at the moment is the form - substantially complied with - and the application fee. Everything else can be lodged later.

 

But you must have obtained a skills assessment already, and must be under 45.

 

Even those required to obtain an IELTS test first will have the benefit of the recent concession described here: What's New? Recent Changes in General Skilled Migration .

 

Cheers,

 

George Lombard

[claireg]

Thanks Alan & George. I think we are going to go for it. I have just spoken to my partner and he agrees. We don't want to lose another 2 months and the if we are on the new SOL we may have to get skills re-assessed which could be another 3 month delay.

 

Wish me luck

 

Thanks once again for your help

Claire

[claireg]

Claire,

 

All that an offshore applicant requires to lodge at the moment is the form - substantially complied with - and the application fee. Everything else can be lodged later.

 

But you must have obtained a skills assessment already, and must be under 45.

 

Even those required to obtain an IELTS test first will have the benefit of the recent concession described here: What's New? Recent Changes in General Skilled Migration .

 

Cheers,

 

George Lombard

Thanks George, well we should be able to manage that OK. We already have the skills assessment, are under 45 and have IELTS too.

 

Phew, when i initially saw the annoucement i just panicked and thought it was everything we had to lodge.

 

I will get our agent to lodge all the rest of the docs on Monday

 

Thanks once again

Claire

[the coyne family]

Hi, please can you help, i can apply for a family sponsored 176, i have all the necessary documents and i have the online form filled out but i have one big problem, my husbands and 2 daughters had just under 2 years left on their passports so i decided to send off for new ones which i wont get back till some time next week..i still have the old numbers and passport pages. can i still apply with these and inform DIAC when i get the new ones?????

Maria.x

[claireg]

Hi, please can you help, i can apply for a family sponsored 176, i have all the necessary documents and i have the online form filled out but i have one big problem, my husbands and 2 daughters had just under 2 years left on their passports so i decided to send off for new ones which i wont get back till some time next week..i still have the old numbers and passport pages. can i still apply with these and inform DIAC when i get the new ones?????

Maria.x

 

Hi, I am just completing the online app now and it says passport has to be valid for at least 6 months so you should be OK with the old passports.

Claire

[the coyne family]

Hi Clare thanks for the reply i saw that as well but i remember seeing two years on another part of the DIAC website. My problem is i don't have the passports as i sent them in so i couldn't use them to travel it would be the new ones. I don't know if they let you change them after you have lodged god i feel sick cant believe this is happening i thought i had plenty of time as I'm sure so did lots of people. Good luck with your application.

Maria.x

Maria.x

[Ozzieland]

Hi Clare thanks for the reply i saw that as well but i remember seeing two years on another part of the DIAC website. My problem is i don't have the passports as i sent them in so i couldn't use them to travel it would be the new ones. I don't know if they let you change them after you have lodged god i feel sick cant believe this is happening i thought i had plenty of time as I'm sure so did lots of people. Good luck with your application.

Maria.x

Maria.x

 

You can intimate DIAC lateron with the new Passport details... Go on file your application... Good luck !!

[Guest Caitmelbourne]

Is there any way a skills assessment can be uploaded at a later date?

[Lucysdream]

Is there any way a skills assessment can be uploaded at a later date?

 

Hi waterkitty,

 

I have spoken to my agent via email this morning as we are in the same situation. We were just applying for skills assessment. The agent says you can't lodge visa without skills assessment so as far as I'm aware, no you can't.(sorry to say) They also said it was pushing it now anyway for skills to be assessed and to lodge visa before 1st July as there is such a backlog, so it might of been just as well they stopped visa lodging so those of us trying to apply don't lose our money if our jobs aren't on new list and the visa couldn't of been lodged in time anyway. :frown:

 

Fingers cross there will be good news with new list.

 

Goodluck Waterkitty.

[Ozzieland]

Is there any way a skills assessment can be uploaded at a later date?

 

Athough you can submit docs later, you will still need a date when the Assessment was made so unfortunately I dont think that would be possible.

[surhythms]

Hi, I am just completing the online app now and it says passport has to be valid for at least 6 months so you should be OK with the old passports.

Claire

 

 

Good luck Claire - we are just getting our agent to lodge our application now. We literally have 2.5 hrs to do this. Its a risk but at this stage its one taking. Good luck and lets just hope ACT come back soon with sponsorship grants

[Guest Caitmelbourne]

Ozzieland, I have a letter saying the skills assess is being processed, do you think it's worth a try or does it need to be the date of positive assessment grant?

[Ozzieland]

Ozzieland, I have a letter saying the skills assess is being processed, do you think it's worth a try or does it need to be the date of positive assessment grant?

 

 

Unfortunately, the date of the positive skills assessment is required. I dont really know if you can put a date and then have it changed later. May be an agent will be able to help you here...

[Guest Caitmelbourne]

Lucysdream, I guess saving the visa application fee is a positive...I'm still losing on the IELTS fee (meant to have in the morning) & the skills assessment. Not to mention the emotional loss :-(

 

Good luck to you too, sorry it turned out this way but when one door closes another one opens...I believe that to be true

 

xx

[Guest Caitmelbourne]

Thanks Ozzieland.

 

To be honest, I'm home in my PJs & no access to a scanner anyway, think I was just trying to torture myself with what ifs!!