The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, has announced a number of measures to ensure the 2008-09 skilled migration program is more responsive to the changing needs of the economy. These changes will become effective on 1 January 2009.
The strategy involves the following:
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employer-nominated visas continuing to be managed on a demand driven basis. Successful applicants go straight into a skilled job and make an immediate positive economic contribution to Australia
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the skill profile of the intake under the points tested migration classes will be changed in favour of those with occupational skills identified as being a priority by State and Territory Governments and at the same time will lead to some reduction in the overall intake
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a ministerial direction under the Migration Act to ensure that applicants with identified skills in high demand are given priority processing under the points tested migration classes.
This combination of measures is a balanced response to the changes in global economic circumstances and the corresponding effects in Australia. These changes in strategy in no way diminish the significance of our immigration system as a tool for supporting Australia’s future economic and social development.
Benefits
These measures allow skilled migrants who: are sponsored by an employer for a specific job in Australia; are sponsored by a State or Territory government; or have skills in critical need, to be given priority for the remainder of 2008-09 program year. These changes will be facilitated through:
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quicker processing of employer-sponsored permanent migration applications, where skilled migrants are sponsored to go into jobs that cannot be filled locally
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providing state and territory governments with greater scope to meet critical skill shortages in their jurisdiction
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giving a higher level of priority through a ministerial direction under section 499 of the Migration Act to applicants who have an occupation on a list of skills in critical shortage but do not have an employer or government sponsor.
The Government will maintain the current planning target of 133 500 places as a ceiling on the 2008-09 program. Depending on the skill needs of employers the final number of grants may result in a program outcome below that limit.
The CSL will only apply to people who are seeking to migrate under the skilled migration program who are not sponsored by an employer or nominated by a state or territory government.
The following outlines key information about the CSL:
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the list was developed in consultation with State and Territory governments and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR). It is focused on building trades, information technology professionals, engineers and medical professionals
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the CSL is a smaller list of occupations developed in consultation with state and territory governments
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applications from people nominating the occupation of Accountant will receive processing priority only if they have completed the skilled migration internship program – accounting (SMIPA); and/or they have demonstrated that they have proficient English language skills under the International English Language Testing System (IELTS 7) in the past two (2) years
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under these arrangements, graduating overseas students who meet the requirements for either a temporary or permanent skilled migration visa will still be able to apply while onshore
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this list will be subject to ongoing review in consultation with state and territory governments, industry and unions to ensure that it remains responsive to skill demands.
This change will provide State and Territory governments greater scope to meet critical skill shortages in their jurisdiction.
Under current arrangements, State and Territory governments can sponsor a restricted range of occupations, in areas where they consider a skills shortage exists in their jurisdiction:
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jurisdictions have been provided with an expanded baseline list of occupations which will be reviewed regularly
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in addition, State and Territory governments have been offered a quota of 500 places in 2008-09 to sponsor skilled migrants in occupations beyond their existing lists of eligible occupations. |
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