​The Department of Home Affairs receives thousands of Visitor Visa applications per year and they are under pressure to make decisions on these in good time – after all, you want to travel to Australia as soon as possible and they need to ensure these visas are decided with thought towards the safety and integrity of the country and the visa program. Currently visa application processing times for a Visitor Visa 600 is taking between 8 and 24 days.

The Visitor Visas that you are best to use a registered migration agent are:

• Visitor Visa 600 – applying outside of Australia
• Visitor Visa 600 – applying from within Australia
• Business Visitor Visa 600 – applying outside of Australia
• Sponsored Family Visitor Visa 600 – applying outside of Australia

These all cost $190AUD per person and even in a family unit, each person must make their own individual application and satisfy each criteria.

Other Visitor Visas that are easily applied for by yourself are:

• Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) 601 – service fee of $20AUD applied for via the ETA app with an approved passport.
• eVisitor 651 – this visa is free and available to those holding approved passports. Lodge this through ImmiAccount.

We highly recommend the following steps:

1. Use a registered migration agent.  Yes the visa application fee is low and so it’s easy to think “I can just do this myself”… “why would I spend so much money on an agent?” – but agent’s are worth it. They are more likely to be trusted by the Department when they receive an application. A migration agent’s reputation for success is linked to the application. A reputable migration agent does not want to lodge an application that will be refused!
2. It is not enough to simply fill out the application form stating why you want to travel to Australia. It is far more than that. This is where an agent will review your case and advise where your case is strong and more importantly where it is weak and likely to fail. They will work on a strategy to address those issues and turn the case around to be favourable.
3. Include supporting documents at the time of lodging the application.  Do not wait on the case officer to request these.  A complete application will make it easier for assessment and this will avoid delaying the case officer from making their decision.  In turn, you have your visa granted quicker.

These common mistakes are made and should be avoided:

1. Financials – failure to prove that you are able to support yourself during your stay and most importantly, able to then depart.  If you are deemed a risk to stay to work or become destitute whilst on your visit, you will be refused.
2. Insufficient reasons to return home – the Department understands why you want to visit Australia; but they need to be certain you will also depart once your stay is done. Why will you return home? Work? Family? Schooling?  Australia is a wonderful destination, and it can easily entice people to remain longer than they intended to.
3. Providing fraudulent or bogus documents – the Department are very good at identifying documents that are not issued correctly, manipulated or fake.  Never do this.  It will not only lead to your application being refused, but any future applications will also be affected. It’s just not worth it!
4. Failing to provide additional documents as requested by the Department by the due date. There is a reason why the Department are making the request, so taking prompt action is important.
5. Failing the medical check or not being of good character (police checks) – understandably, the Department want to ensure that anyone entering the country will not be of harm to those already here. 

 
When you are ready to visit – we are ready to help you!  Contact Great Australian Migration with your travel plans and we will provide a free basic eligibility assessment and service quote. 

IT LOOKS LIKE THE 482 TSS VISA WILL BE CHANGING...
WHAT WILL IT BE CALLED?  "SKILLS IN DEMAND" 
WHAT WILL THE NEW SUBCLASS NUMBER BE?  NO IDEA...
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​So what do we know?

​When the Labor Government came into power they immediately started to work on “fixing” the migration numbers post COVID lockdowns and re-evaluating the visa program. This was to identify how to correctly manage the desperate need for skilled persons to return to Australia and/or remain in Australia permanently, ensuring visa holders would not be taken advantage of during desperate times and into the future.
Some of those changes took place quickly and continue today:

• increasing the minimum salary required to be paid per year (TSMIT).  It was raised from $53,900 to a minimum of $70,000AUD plus superannuation. It is expected that TSMIT will be retitled to Core Skills Threshold – aligning with the new visa program.  
  Announcement made on 28/05/2024: TSMIT indexing will commence as of 01 July 2024 and the adjusted amount is $73,150AUD.
• streamlining Labour Market Testing requirements. Where employers were previously required to attempt testing the labour market on three recruitment platforms (including one on the government platform, Workforce Australia), this has now been reduced to two. In time, it appears that advertising periods will be extended from 4-6 months and perhaps abolished altogether as the Government looks towards other independent mechanisms that are more robust in identifying genuine labour market needs.
• allowing ALL 482 visa holders to be sponsored for permanent residency two years after working on their 482 visa. This opened those sponsored in the Short-term stream to the 186 permanent residency transition visa.

The government has also committed to many other visa changes. We expect these to come in the next 6 months.

The biggest change? The 482 Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa will be replaced and the new program will be called the “Skills in Demand” visa.

It is expected to be similar to the current TSS visa, in that there are streams and will be granted for 4 years.  The streams though seem to be based around the salary one would earn and for the majority, have a skill
​or occupation that is deemed “in demand” per a skill list - as the name suggests.
The 3 streams are:

1. Specialist Skills Pathway: this will apply to applicants in any occupation where they will earn above $135,000AUD per year. This pathway will have priority processing however it will NOT be for trades workers, machinery operators and drivers, and labourers.  The aim is to have these visas granted within 7 days; but will be limited to 3,000 visa positions a year.
2. Core Skills Pathway: applicants earning between the minimum TSMIT and $135,000AUD will most likely make up the majority of visa applicants. The occupation will need to be on the Core Skilled Occupation List (CSOL). The aim is to have visas processed in about 3-4 weeks
3. Essentials Skills Pathway: this pathway will apply, most likely, to those skills that are paid under the TSMIT threshold and are applying under the Labour Agreement TSS visa at the moment – such as aged and disability care related workers. This pathway would be distinct from the Core Skills Pathway and the Specialist Skills Pathway. These arrangements would be sector specific, capped, and embedded with stronger regulation and minimum standards. It is expected that visa processing should also be 3-4 weeks.

The government has also indicated that it plans to increase case officer numbers at the Department in order to fulfill the reduced processing time they hope to achieve.​

• Visa holder mobility and PR options – a “Skills in Demand” visa holder will have a pathway to permanent residence. Periods of employment with any approved employer will count towards permanent residence requirements. This means you may not need to be tied to one employer for the 2 years prior to applying for PR. Visa Holders may be able to apply for permanent residency through self-nomination independent pathways, such as through a reformed points test (currently Skilled Migration that is only available through invitation and those on the MLTSSL – not currently open to those on the STSOL).
• The government looks to be giving more leniency for employees to remain in Australia after their employment ends. Currently, sponsored 482 visa holders are only allowed to remain for up to 60 days once their employment ends without having re-engaged with a new employer towards nomination into a new employment position.  The government has indicated they intend to increase this to 180 days and to allow work with the new employer prior to the nomination decision.   UPDATE: the 180 days will be the new time period in which you can find a new sponsoring employer, but even better you can work during that period in any occupation and for any employer!
• At the moment, if a TSS 482 Visa holder wants to change employers, it is difficult to identify a new employer that can take on a new nomination and offer employment suitable under the visa program. The government intends to implement a public register of sponsors. Having a public register of approved sponsors, will assist visa holders wishing to find a new sponsor, and will help sponsors who are looking for skilled workers quickly.

 
At this time, all this information has been taken from the Department of Home Affairs: Migration Strategy – released in December 2023.
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/programs-subsite/migration-strategy/Documents/migration-strategy.pdf

Nothing has been formally advised and so we will continue to monitor and bring updates as they occur throughout the remained of the year.  For now, the TSS 482 Visa is still the process to undertake and processes to be followed.

If you require visa or employer sponsorship advice, please look to Great Australian Migration…  We are here to help you!  

With the change of the financial year soon approaching, the Department looks forward towards its migration plan.  This mainly relates to how many visas to allocate to different areas of the migration program and how some visas can be changed or removed altogether to better service Australia’s needs. The Department has released their planning levels and overall, there has not been a great adjustment in migration numbers.  A reduction of only 5000.

Where we have seen a significant change is to the Skilled Migration program for those looking to migrate independently.  The financial year 2023-2024 saw 30,375 visa allocations; now it is reduced to 16,900. This is most likely due to the TSS 482 Visa short-term stream now open to permanent residency, so they needed to balance up those visa numbers.  This year there were only 36,825 places whereas next year, that increases to 44,000.
At the moment there is consultation in regards to how the Skilled points system can be modified to better suit the program; how partner should be better considered in the points system; education levels and of course, the skilled occupation list. However at this stage, all remains the same and when changes are announced we will be there to let you know all the details.  In the meantime….

Although the Department has reduced independent Skilled Migration numbers, they have actually increased Government sponsored skilled visas – for both major cities and regionally.  This year State/Territory allocated visas was 30,400… next year sees that increase to 33,000.  What will be interesting to see is what number of visa placements will be given to each state and territory; and in turn how will those State and Territory governments balance their allocation.

The Skilled program for Government sponsorship has somewhat closed for this year, in that each state has either closed their programs or exhausted their allocation. So now is the perfect time to continue getting your documents ready for when the new program opens in the coming months.

1. Skills Assessment – these can take months to obtain!  Make sure you are applying with all the documents the assessors need to avoid any further delay or possible refusal.  Engaging with a migration agent to help you determine if you will meet the requirements and assist with putting together a successful application is worth every cent!
2. English test – even if you are holding an eligible passport and don’t need to sit a test to pass this component, you may actually benefit from doing so.  As the visa is points based, the more points you score, the more likely you are to be selected… so study hard and obtain those top points rather than relying on your passport to pass.
3. Work experience – every month of formal paid full-time work is extremely valuable in building your professional experience.  Make sure it is as closely related to your tertiary study as possible. Areas most likely to garner a visa invitation will be those who are in fields of work that are highly desirable and lacking in Australia: health professionals; teachers; construction industry; specialist IT; engineering specialists.   
4. Research the states and territories of Australia to determine which interest you in terms of their lifestyle, population, climate and possibility of obtaining employment.  You can then focus on their priorities when selecting candidates – for example: WA were focusing on construction and trades; VIC focused on high English scores; others focused on work experience. Also, do not avoid the regional program.  Yes, you may need to be outside a major city for a few years, but once your PR is granted, you are free to live and work anywhere in Australia.  Who knows, you may actually like it and stay.  Short-term pain for long-term gain!
   
   

Great Australian Migration offers a FREE Skilled Migration eligibility check to see if you meet the program needs.  Take advantage and send through your resume ensuring the following details are included:
- date of birth and marital status
- tertiary education and qualifications: name of studies and timeframe of study
- work experience: title and task responsibilities; date frame of employment
- English level: if you have taken a formal test, please advise the result.  If not, you can use this guide to provide an approximate level: https://ielts.org/organisations/ielts-for-organisations/compare-ielts

The services offered by a registered migration agent are worth the investment.  At Great Australian Migration we promise to give you a fair and honest assessment!

​Let's jump right into it.... What do you need to know about the recent Student Visa changes?

The Department has always wanted you to show that you can financially support yourself and your family whilst you are in Australia studying, so this is not new.  What is new is the amount of funds you need to demonstrate.  This has increased to align with inflation and indexation.  Living costs now sits at $29,710AUD for the student alone and funds will need to be evidenced for additional family members – whether they come to Australia with you or not.
You will also need to have your international school fees covered for at least the first 12 months of study, and also for any dependent children who will study in Australia.  You will also show you have enough funds to purchase a ticket to return home.
Yes, you are given work rights; however these are generally limited in hours and are not to be used to fund your stay in the country.  Rather they are to supplement… that is to say, if you are not able to work for any reason, you would still manage whilst continuing your studies, which after all, is the main reason you came to Australia. 

As all schools and subjects in Australia are taught in English, it is essential that you have a suitable level of reading, writing, comprehension and spoken English to be able to communicate with your peers, teachers and others whilst in Australia.  This also prepares you for whatever the future holds should you continue on your migration journey, especially within the Australian workforce.
If you find that you are not successful in attaining the required English entry score – be it for the visa or for the course itself – you can look to package your studies to include an English course to be taken prior to commencing your qualification.

So what level of English do you need and how do you demonstrate this?

1. The minimum score required for a Student visa from an IELTS test score (or equivalent such as PTE) is 6.0.
2. The minimum score required to undertake a packaged ELICOS/main studies course = IELTS is 5.0.
3. The test score required for students undertaking university foundation or pathway programs that deliver reputable English language training will be IELTS 5.5.

The test providers are IELTS, PTE, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge C1 Advanced and OET.
​
Things to note:

• Tests can’t be taken more than 2 years prior to lodging your application or from when the Department will make a decision on your application if you didn’t provide this with your application.
• No “at home” or “online” tests will be accepted, even if they are provided by the authorized test providers.
• There are some exceptions so please ask us if you think this is your case.

 
As you can see, there are many things to consider and understand.  This is where a registered migration agent is so important and worth every additional cent to pay for their knowledge, expertise and efficiency in lodging and obtaining a Student Visa.  Don’t get caught out, contact Great Australian Migration to make your migration plans a reality!