2020 Changes to the points test

Chasing higher points score has been a common situation for most migrants.

There are some interesting changes for all points-tested Skilled visa applications come to life from 16 November 2019 . New points are available as follows:

  • If you have a partner who is skilled with competent English (current requirement) there will be 10 points rather than 5
  • If you do not have a partner or your partner is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, you will also get 10 points
  • If you have a partner who has competent English only, there will be 5 points to be gained
  • Specialist education points (where you study in Australia in a Master or PhD course with certain broad and narrow fields as defined in CRICOS) will increase from 5 to 10 points
  • Designated regional nomination or sponsorship points will also increase from 10 to 15 points

StudyIn is encouraging those who are aiming for a permanent residency visa to submit EOI applications when they reach the 65 pass marks.

Our RMA says it can be frustrating for people who are not getting an invite despite having enough points for the reason that the government is giving priority to a more eligible workforce.

However, there is nothing to fear because the minimum score remains unchanged and the application is free.

StudyIn Can Assist

We encourage applicants to seek professional advice on your options. A Migration Agent can thoroughly assess your case and explore your visa options, so you can be confident that you meet the Point’s Test requirements.

Book in for a consultation today.

New regional visas

The 491 and 492 Visas are here!

The government stated that changes to the 2019-20 migration program settings provided a greater focus on regional migration. More places have been allocated to the state/territory nominated and employer-sponsored visa categories, including setting aside 25,000 dedicated places for regional Australia.

Two new visas have been introduced with a pathway to apply for permanent residency.

The new Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) visa enables skilled workers and their families to live, work and/or study in regional areas of Australia for up to five years. The visa provides pathways to permanent residency after three years.

The new subclass visa 491 skilled work regional (provisional) and subclass visa 492 skilled employer-sponsored regional intends to attract more migrants to fill skill shortages in regional Australia.

EOI applications are expected to rise this year amid permanent migration ceiling drop. From 190,000, permanent visa skilled and family visa is reduced to 160,000

State and territory agencies offer a number of different ‘streams’ and generally cater to onshore skilled applicants, offshore skilled applicants, and recent tertiary graduates. Some states also provide options for small business owners or applicants with family living in the state or territory.

StudyIn Can Assist

We encourage applicants to seek professional advice on your options. A Migration Agent can thoroughly assess your case and explore your visa options, so you can be confident that you meet the State Nomination requirements.

Book in for a consultation today.

189 visas and EOIs: accountants, programmers and engineers dominate – January SkillSelect

Accountants, programmers and engineering occupations take up the majority of submitted Expression of Interest (EOI) applications for Subclass 189 – Skilled – Independent visas .

To start off the year, Immigration has issued 1300 invitations this round, with 1000 to Subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa applicants, and the balance to Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional (Family Sponsored) visa.

The minimum points score dropped slightly to 90 points, with the most recent Subclass 189 EOI to receive an invitation being lodged at the beginning of October 2019.

Pro-rata occupations:

Due to high levels of demand, certain occupations are issued invitations on a pro-rata basis. Places are first allocated to 189 EOIs, with remaining places issued to the 491 Family-Sponsored EOIs.

The scores for the 11 January 2020 round pro-rata occupations were as follows:

Occupation ID Description Minimum Points Score Latest date of EOI
2211 Accountants 95 (SC189) 23/04/2019 1:56pm
2212 Auditors, Company Secretaries and Corporate Treasurers 95 (SC189) 18/10/2019 10:51am
2334 Electronics Engineer 90 (SC189) 25/09/2019 6:35am
2334 Electronics Engineer 95 (SC491) 03/01/2020 3:10pm
2335 Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers 90 (189) 01/06/2019 4:20pm
2339 Other Engineering Professionals 90 (SC189) 28/08/2019 12:31pm
2611 ICT Business and System Analysts 90 (SC189) 01/09/2019 9:12am
2613 Software and Applications Programmers 90 (SC189) 02/10/2019 8:32am
2613 Software and Applications Programmers 90 (SC491) 11/12/2019 7:33pm
2631 Computer Network Professionals 90 (SC189) 30/09/2019 4:46pm
2631 Computer Network Professionals 90 (SC491) 20/11/2019 2:40pm

Who received invitations this round?

Software and Applications Programmers were the major winners this round, with a whopping 298 invitations issued across the 189 and 491 visa programs. The top five occupations made up a total of almost 53% of the entire invitation round, along with the Programmers, the top five included:

Database and Systems Administrators and ICT Security Specialists with 121 invitations;

Accountants with 98 invites;

ICT Business and Systems Analysts with 93 invitations; and

Civil Engineering Professionals with 76 invites.

Low-invitation occupations this round include Medical Imaging Professionals (approximately 1-2) Construction Managers (approximately 3-4), Management Consultants (3) and Cartographers/Surveyors (4).

StudyIn Can Assist

In the lead-up to the Student Visa cohort expiry date of 15 March, there will be a significant level of competition for invitations through SkillSelect. This means looking at alternative visa options, including the 485 Graduate visa (for International Students who have finished their studies), the 491 Skilled Work Regional visa, and a Subclass 190 State Nominated visa.

Book in for a consultation today.

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