Upcoming changes in Australia immigration: How will it help you?

If you are planning to migrate to Australia, you should be aware of the proposed changes to Australia’s point-based immigration system which will come into effect from November this year. The good news is that these new changes will be beneficial to applicants.

As part of the new rules, the changes proposed in the points-based system are:

• 10 points to applicants who do not have a spouse or a partner.
• 10 points if you have a skilled spouse or partner
• 15 points for applicants who are nominated by a State or Territory government or sponsored by a family member residing in Australia
• 10 points for applicants for STEM qualifications
• 5 points for applicants who have a spouse or partner who has competent English. The spouse or partner need not go through a skill assessment if this is the case

In order to encourage immigrants to settle down in regional areas extra points are awarded to those who apply for regional visas (an increase from 10 to 15 –points). In addition, the regional visa validity has been extended to 5 years instead of the earlier four years to encourage applicants to move to regional areas.

Two new regional visas 

Under the proposed rules two new regional visas will be available from November this year. The government has shared the regulations for these two new visas.

Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa: This visa will replace the current Subclass 489 visa. This visa will have 14,000 places allocated per year. This visa is a skilled migration visa that requires nomination by the state government or the sponsorship from an eligible family member who is settled in that designated regional area. To qualify for this visa, you must be under 45 years and have a positive skills assessment.

How will you benefit? 1) Visa validity extended from 4 years to 5 years 2) 500 eligible occupations which are an additional 70 compared to non-regional areas 3) Visa applications will undergo priority processing

Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored: This will replace the current (RSMS) visa and will have 9000 places allocated per year. This visa requires sponsorship by the employer and the position must have a validity of five years.  Applicants must undergo a suitable skills assessment and must have a minimum work experience of three years. The maximum age limit for this visa is 45 years. The other requirements are competent English skills, RCB advice and must meet the AMSR requirements.

How will you benefit? 1) 9000 places allocated to employers means 700 occupations which is 450 more than what is allocated in non-regional areas 2) Priority processing

Under the new rules, applicants to regional visas can apply for permanent residency after staying in the place for three years. Now you can apply for a PR after a three year stay in a region.

Extension of temporary graduate (Subclass 485)

1. International graduates from regional areas will get an additional 12-months post-study work visa.
2. Local and international students who opt to study in regional Australia for higher education or vocational courses will be eligible for a scholarship.

Anyone who has gone through a visa application process will tell you that being well informed is half the battle won.  As an immigration consultant, we wholeheartedly agree. If you are planning to apply for a visa to Australia either for work, study or migration, you must be aware of these new rules so that you can use it to your advantage.

With this information, you will get an insight into how you can use the rules and eligibility requirements and ensure a positive response. As immigration consultants, we help clients understand these changes and help them choose the best option under the new rules so that they get their visa to Australia.

Y-Axis offers a wide range of visa and immigration services as well as products to overseas immigrants including Australia Evaluation, Visit Visa for Australia, Study Visa for Australia, Work Visa for Australia and Business Visa for Australia.

If you are looking to Study, Work in Australia, Visit, Invest or Migrate to Australia, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company.