Getting Down Under

Australia’s 2013-14 Migration Program Numbers Released

Mark — Mon, 20 May 2013 05:05:49 +0000

Australia’s 2013-14 migration program will be maintained at 190 000 places in 2013-14

Broken down, the numbers provides 128 550 places for skilled migrants, 60 885 places for family migration and 565 places for migration under special eligibility.

The government has made a small shift of 700 places – from the skill stream to the family stream – in response to the continuing high levels of demand for family stream places from Australians, particularly in the partner category.

‘Skilled migration continues to make up more than two-thirds of the program because of its obvious benefits to our economy and society,’ Minister for Australia Immigration, Brendon O’Connor said. ‘Targeted skilled migration enables Australia’s economy to grow by addressing skills gaps and bottlenecks.

‘It is important that our skilled migration program is driven by genuine skills needs. Under the Gillard Government, skilled migration to Australia will continue to be carefully targeted to ensure skilled migrants complement but do not replace the domestic labour force.’

Skilled migrants who are sponsored by employers to fill vacancies that cannot be met locally and regional skilled migrants will continue to be given the highest priority in recognition of the needs of employers and regional areas.

‘Our regional and state and territory skilled migration program categories are unchanged – we remain committed to helping regional economies and communities grow,’ Mr O’Connor said. ‘A regionally focussed skilled migration program which targets the best and brightest combined with a family program that enables Australians to live with their close relatives and partners will continue to deliver for Australia.

‘This Budget keeps our economy strong, makes the smart investments for our future and ensures every Australian gets a fair go.

‘We are investing for the future, putting jobs and economic growth first and protecting the important services that Australians rely on.

‘The Gillard Government is doing this to keep our economy one of the most resilient in the world – we have low unemployment, solid growth, contained inflation and low interest rates.’

This article originally appeared on getting down under.com. Since January 2006, Getting Down Under has been providing Free Australian Immigration news, advice and resources and currently stands as one of the largest independent Australian Migration Websites in the world. As well as the latest Immigration News, getting down under also hosts a thriving immigration forum which can be found by clicking here

Post-study Work Arrangements For International Students Now Available

Mark — Thu, 02 May 2013 00:12:21 +0000

If you are thinking about applying for the Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485), you might be interested to know that a number of changes have been made to this visa class which introduce new post-study work arrangements for certain graduates of an Australian bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree.

These changes now mean that the subclass 485 visa now provides recent graduates with the opportunity to spend more time in Australia following their studies to gain practical work experience to accompany their Australian qualification(s).

With the changes coming into effect on 23 March 2013. Subclass 485 visa applicants must now apply in either the Graduate Work stream or the Post-Study Work stream. Each stream of the subclass 485 visa has its own specific requirements that applicants must satisfy for their application to be successful.

The Graduate Work stream is for international students who have recently graduated with skills and qualifications that relate to an occupation in demand in the Australian labour market, as determined by the Skilled Occupation List.

The Post-Study Work stream is for international students who have recently graduated with a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree from an Australian educational institution, regardless of their field of study. This stream of the subclass 485 is only available to international students who applied for and were granted their first Australian student visa on or after 5 November 2011, which is the day the genuine temporary entrant requirement was introduced in the student visa program.

If you are applying for a subclass 485 visa, you now need to provide evidence with your application of having health insurance to cover your stay in Australia.

More information about the new subclass 485 visa, including information about how to apply, is available on the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s website.

Resources: 457 Visa on the Australian Immigration Department Website

163 Thousand Reasons To Work In Oil And Gas

Mark — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:03:50 +0000

So it would seem that the oil and gas industry is the place to be here in Australia

A recent survey undertaken by recruitment company Hays found that the Australian oil and gas workers earn $163,600 a year on average, 35% more than employees in the U.S. and almost double the global average.

That compares with $93,400 in the U.K., according to the study which ranks the UK in 11th place, behind the USA in 6th and the Netherlands in 4th. The survey analysed pay for engineers, geoscientists and related jobs.

Now I think it’s fair to say that this salary represents a serious amount of coin however moving to Australia doesn’t necessarily mean that all jobs are so well paid.

The ‘mining boom’ has, in some instances driven costs up. This basically means that if you’re not one of the lucky ones in the oil and gas or mining industries, then you might start to feel a bit of a pinch!

Low income earners in Perth for example are battling harder to find homes to rent. The median price of a rental property in Perth has jumped 16 per cent to $520 per week, up from $450 per week in 2012. Researcher Anglicare’s Rental Affordability Snapshot released today, shows that only five per cent of Perth’s rental market is affordable for people on the minimum wage. Couples on the minimum wage with children can only afford 2.6 per cent of rental properties, down from 7.8 per cent last year.

All important things to keep in mind when deciding on where to settle in Australia.

Incoming search terms for this article:

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Perth and Darwin Rental Prices Hitting Record Levels

Mark — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 00:50:10 +0000

It’s been a little while since we wrote an article about the cost of housing in Australia so thought it might be a good time to see what’s going on!.

Having done a little research on the matter, it would seem that for some new arrivals to Australia, it’s not all good news.

For those looking to move to Western Australia or the Northern territory, it’s worth noting that renting a home in Perth is now nearly as expensive as Sydney, with the mining boom driving rents to a record level. Fresh figures from the Real Estate Institute Of Western Australia (REIWA) show that in the three months to February metropolitan rents in Perth increased by 4.4 per cent, lifting the overall median from $450 to $490 per week, and representing a rise of $60 on the same time last year.

The research shows a house now costs $490 a week to rent in Perth and $700 a week in Darwin. Meanwhile, rental growth has been non-existent in Sydney and Melbourne for more than a year.

It’s all down to the highly paid fly-in fly-out workers apparently who can afford to bid up the price of housing well beyond the levels that locals could afford. Perth house rents rose 22.5 per cent and units by 17.1 per cent in the last year. The vacancy rate for rental properties was just 0.9 per cent in February, according to research by a company called SQM.

How rent prices have moved

Research has also found that costs are even steeper in Darwin, where a much smaller population and supply of housing stock is struggling to contend with an influx of workers for the liquid national gas projects. In the last year, Darwin house rents soared 22.8 per cent and unit rents by 22.2 per cent. Only 1.3 per cent of rental properties are currently available there.

In contrast, rents for houses in Melbourne held at $360 and have not experienced any growth in more than two years. Unit rents rose just 1.4 per cent, well below the rate of inflation.

In Sydney, house rents held steady at $500 for the year, but unit rents have risen by 4.4 per cent. About 2.7 per cent of rental properties are vacant in Melbourne and 1.5 per cent in Sydney, A much better position for those looking to move to the south and east coasts.

So there we have it. How will this effect where you’re wanting to settle if at all?

Visitor Visa To Simplify Short Stays In Australia

Mark — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 01:37:48 +0000

Visitor visas will be simplified and a new short stay activity visa will be rolled out this month.

The new visitor visa framework builds on the Better Regulation Ministerial Partnership commitment to cut the total number of visa subclasses by up to 50 per cent by 2015.

“The Gillard Government is determined to cut red tape and make it easier for visitors to understand which visa they need for a short stay visit or work visa,” Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Brendan O’Connor said.

The number of visitor visas will be cut from nine to four subclasses and a number of requirements have been standardised.

Visitor Visa – The Four Subclasses:

• Tourist stream: for people travelling to Australia for a holiday, recreation or to visit family and friends. If you apply for this visa in Australia, you must be in Australia when the visa is decided. If you apply for this visa outside Australia, you must be outside Australia when the visa is decided.

• Business Visitor stream: for business people travelling to Australia for a short business visit. This includes going to a conference, negotiation or meeting. The new short stay activity visa enables people to come to Australia to carry out short-term, non-ongoing, highly specialised work, where the skills required are not otherwise readily available. You must be outside Australia when you apply and when the visa is decided. It’s worth noting that this visa will allow you to engage in business activities while in Australia, provided you:

1) Do not work for or provide services to a business or organisation inside Australia or

2) Do not sell goods or services to the public.

• Sponsored Family stream: for people travelling to Australia to visit their family. You must have a sponsor who might be requested to provide a bond. You must be outside Australia when you apply and when the visa is decided. You cannot apply for another visa while you are in Australia.

• Approved Destination Status stream: for people from the People’s Republic of China who are travelling in an organised tour group. You must be outside Australia when you apply and when the visa is decided.

It’s worth noting that this visa class is not related to the 457 program for temporary skilled visa. If it’s your intention to work and live in Australia longer term, then the 457 or skilled visa streams will still need to be followed.

More information available in the video below:

Resources: Press Release

Australian 457 Visa Program To Be Clamped Down

Mark — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 03:46:10 +0000

He’s only been in charge for a month however new Australian immigration minister Brendan O’Connor, has announced changes to the Australian 457 Visa program following evidence that one of the country’s main temporary work visas is being abused by Australian companies to undercut Australian workers and has announced a crackdown.

The federal government accused some employers of discriminating against Australians with Mr O’Connor saying the 457 visas will be tightened to ensure they are only used to address genuine skills shortages, and local workers are getting a “fair go”.

Key Changes to the Australian 457 Visa Program.

There are several key changes being brought forward

The introduction of a genuineness criterion under which the department may refuse a nomination if the position does not fit within the scope of the activities of the business.
An increase in market salary exemption threshold from $180 000 to $250 000 to ensure that higher paid salary workers are not able to be undercut through the employment of overseas labour at a cheaper rate.
The removal of English language exemptions for certain positions. Many long-term 457 workers go on to apply for permanent residence, and this change will ensure that the 457 program requirements are brought into line with the permanent Employer Sponsored program which requires a vocational English ability. This change will benefit visa holders by ensuring that 457 visa holders, who have an ongoing position with their employer and want to apply for permanent residence in the long-run are not disadvantaged because of their language ability. Applicants who are nominated with a salary greater than $92 000 will continue to be exempted from the English language requirement.
Enhanced regulatory powers for the department to ensure that the working conditions of sponsored visa holders meet Australian standards and that subclass 457 workers cannot be exploited or used to undercut local workers.
Amendments to existing training benchmark provisions to clarify that an employer’s obligation to train Australians is ongoing and binding for the duration of their approved sponsorship, including for newly established business.
Amendments to clarify that 457 workers may not be on-hired to an unrelated entity unless they are sponsored under a labour agreement.
Amendments which will allow the department to refund a visa application fee in circumstances where an employer nomination has been withdrawn.

Changes supported by Australian unions

Dave Oliver of the Australian Council of Trade Unions said that the construction sector had declined by 68,000 jobs in the past 12 months while there had been a 38 per cent increase in 457 visas. “It doesn’t make sense. Local jobs are disappearing and yet there is a significant increase nationwide of the amount of 457 visas that are being granted,” he said.

“We’ve seen this for too long as a lazy option for employers.

“It’s just a matter of a tick-and-flick form where they can bring workers from overseas, as opposed to investing in their own workforce by employing apprentices and providing training for their workers.”

“457 Visa Program should be Freed up, not tightened further!”

Innes Willox, chief executive of the Australian Industry Group, said the 457 program needed freeing up, not further tightening.

“Unemployment is still at historically low levels and there are many areas where local skilled labour is simply not available,” he said.

“Employers will always prefer to hire locally but we still don’t have the right skills in the right places and employers have been forced to turn to immigration programs to supplement their local workforce.”

The IT Sector in particular could be impacted by any proposed changes with any new regime risks damaging the sector and cutting the number of jobs available as the tight job market forces jobs offshore.

When will the changes to the 457 Visa Program happen?

The changes to the 457 Visa Program will be introduced on 1 July 2013. In the lead up to the changes, detailed information will be made available by the federal government to assist sponsors and visa holders and their representatives understand the new requirements.

So, do you see these changes as a good thing?

Australian Skills Assessments – Do you have what it takes?

Mark — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 03:43:45 +0000

Australia is the only country in the world that has a pre-migration skills assessment scheme with the aim being to help you find out if you have the necessary skills and qualifications to work in your nominated occupation once you arrive in Australia.

The skills assessment scheme has achieved encouraging results for skilled migrants in the Australian labour market. The Continuous Survey of Australia’s Migrants shows that more than 90 per cent of offshore skilled migrants who migrate with a satisfactory skills assessment are in skilled employment within six months of arriving in Australia.

If you want to apply for an Australian points tested skilled migration visa, you will need to submit an expression of interest (EOI) in SkillSelect and be invited to apply for a visa.

When to do a skills assessment?

Before you submit an EOI, you will have to obtain a satisfactory skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority for your nominated occupation. The Skilled Occupation List provides a complete list of the relevant assessing authority for each occupation on the list, as well as contact details for these authorities.

It’s really advisable that you don’t skip the skills assessment step and go straight to EOI. Undertaking a skills assessment before you submit your EOI may result in you spending time and money on a visa application that may not meet all the necessary requirements.

Skills assessments versus licensing or registration

A skills assessment should not be confused with licensing or registration. A skills assessment helps you to determine whether your skills and experience is relevant to Australian standards in your nominated occupation while registration or licensing means you hold a license or registration and have permission from the relevant authority to practise in Australia.

If you wish to apply for an employer sponsored visa, you will need to provide evidence of Australian registration or licensing of your occupation to prove that you are eligible. For example, to work as a plumber in Australia, you must be registered with or obtain a licence from a local authority in the state or territory where you want to practise as a plumber. In some cases, a successful skills assessment is also required in addition to meeting the licensing and registration requirements.

Does my chosen occupation require registration or licensing?

You can check if your occupation requires registration or licensing by visiting the Australian skills recognition information page and selecting your occupation.

Remember though that the Australian Immigration department does not give advice about skills assessments or registration and licensing requirements. They simply process visa applications according to the information and documents you provide them.

For information about skills assessments, contact the relevant assessing authority. For questions relating to licensing and registration, contact the relevant registration body in your state or territory.

Submitting An Expression Of Interest (EOI) In SkillSelect

Mark — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 02:18:56 +0000

The Australian Department of Immigration has recently published some top tips to help you submit your Expression Of Interest (EOI) In Skillselect

There’s some good stuff in here so we’ll share these tips below:

1. Make sure you express an interest in the right visa for your circumstances. Skilled visa options are available on the SkillSelect website at www.immi.gov.au/skills/skillselect or you can use Visa Wizard to help you find out which visa is suited to you.

2. Confirm if your occupation is eligible for skilled migration by checking the relevant Skilled Occupation List.

3. Get to know the specific requirements for the visa you are interested in. Only certain skilled visa options are available through SkillSelect. The visa information booklets on our website will help you understand who qualifies to migrate to Australia. In particular, Booklet 11, SkillSelect includes information about how the system and process works.

4. Ensure all your documents are in order before you start your online EOI. Until you provide evidence of all required documents, such as an IELTS test and skills assessment, you will have an incomplete EOI in SkillSelect.

5. Read the ‘Getting started’ user guide on the SkillSelect support site. It has step-by-step instructions about entering your EOI details.

6. Record the unique EOI identification number that is generated once you have created your EOI profile. This number will be your username when you log-in to SkillSelect. Most importantly remember your security question answers. If you happen to forget your password this will be the only way to reset it.

7. When you fill out the EOI questions you should take your time and ensure you understand the questions. If you get stuck or don’t understand a question—use the question mark icons. They provide information to help you answer.

8. Update your details in your EOI as soon as your circumstances change. This will ensure your updated details are considered in the next automatic invitation round. You also won’t be caught out if you receive an invitation before updating your details—SkillSelect automatically suspends access to an EOI when it sends an invitation.

9. An invitation to make a visa application may be issued within a short timeframe after you submit your EOI. Remember, you must be able to support the claims you make in your EOI with documentation and have this ready to provide when making your application.

20. Check the monthly reports tab on the SkillSelect web page. These reports indicate the number of invitations issued for the previous automatic invitation round. It also gives a breakdown of the number of invitation issued against each of the occupations on the Skilled Occupation List. If an occupation has reached its ‘ceiling’, or the maximum limit of invitations that can be issued for that certain occupation, then it is unlikely that any more automatic invitations will be issued for that occupation during that program year.

Have any of you already submitted your EOI? Do you have any further tips you can share?

Incoming search terms for this article:

how to cancel eoi when you are already invited?

Brendan O’Connor – New Minister for Immigration and Citizenship sworn in

Mark — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 05:58:15 +0000

So the first snippet of immigration news for 2013 which some of you may find of interest is the news that the Australian Immigration Department have a new boss.

Brendan O’Connor was sworn in as Minister for Immigration and Citizenship on 4 February 2013.

His bio seems a bit drab but alas, it will be interesting to see what, if any new ideas he brings to the role.

Interestingly enough, his background highlights links to unions. Prior to entering Parliament, O’Connor was a union official from 1986 to 2001 and assistant national secretary of the Australian Services Union from 1993 to 2001.

Does this mean he’ll be keen to return a focus onto local Australian workers before considering the value foreign workers can bring into Australia through the immigration channels.

Only time will tell I guess.

Tap, tap, tap – Is this thing still on?

Mark — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 04:49:19 +0000

Hello out there and best wishes for 2013 everyone!

Our regular visitors will have noticed it’s been a very quiet time here at GDU. Christmas is always a quiet time for Australian Immigration and on the flip side it’s been a very busy time in Mark-ville so apologies for the lack of updates.

Christmas was HOT (approx. 40 degrees) and split across two days. We had a traditional English Christmas on Christmas day with a Turkey and all the trimmings. Then on boxing day we flipped over to the other side of the world and enjoyed a good old Aussie Christmas with a delicious mix of barbequed prawns, snags (sausages) steaks and other meats (with a hint of salad on the side).

2013 may well see some changes here at Getting Down Under. We have a lot of information but the more we write the more difficult some of this information is to find so we’ll be looking at a complete overhaul (and redesign) of the site in the first half of this year. I have a few ideas, I just need to work out how to change my scribbles into reality so watch this space.

In the meantime we’ll continue to provide you the most relevant, up to date and useful information we can in a format which is easy to digest and use.

Thank you for visiting our site and best wishes to all of you who are looking to make 2013 your year you for getting down under.

All the best

Mark