General Skilled Migration: Brisbane Processing update

[News]

2009-2010 Updated Priority Processing

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, has set new priority processing arrangements for certain Skilled Migration visas. These arrangements are designed to better address the needs of industry by targeting skills in critical need across a number of sectors. The current priority processing Direction commenced on 23 September 2009.


The Direction applies to applications in the pipeline that have not been finalised, and to applications lodged with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, on or after 23 September 2009.


Priority Application Processing Information

As a result of the priority processing direction explained above only applications from the following priority groups will be allocated to case officers.

The Direction gives the following processing priority to Subclass 485 visa applicants (with highest priority listed first):
1) applications from persons who have completed an Australian Doctor of Philosophy (PHD) at an Australian educational institution in Australia;
2) applications from persons who have nominated an occupation on the Critical Skills List (CSL);
3) applications from persons who have completed an Australian Bachelor degree and Australian Masters degree at an Australian educational institution in Australia;
4) applications from persons who have completed an Australian Bachelor degree and Australian Honours degree (at least upper second class level) at an Australian educational institution in Australia;
5) applications from persons who have completed an Australian Bachelor degree or Australian Masters degree at an Australian educational institution in Australia;
6) all other valid applications are to be processed in the order in which they are received.

Other Subclasses 885, 886 and 487affected?
Under the section 499 Ministerial Direction, the following processing priorities (with highest priority listed first) apply:
(a) 1. applications from persons who are employer sponsored under the ENS and the RSMS;
(b) 2. applications from persons who are nominated by a State/Territory government and whose nominated occupation is listed on the
Critical Skills List (CSL);
(c) 3. applications from persons who are sponsored by family and whose nominated occupation is listed on the CSL;
(d) 4. applications from persons who are neither nominated nor sponsored but whose nominated occupation is listed on the CSL;
(e) 5. applications from persons who are nominated by a State/Territory government whose nominated occupation is not listed on the CSL;
(f) 6. (i) applications from persons whose occupations are listed on the Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL); and
(g) (ii) applications from persons who are sponsored by family and whose nominated occupation is not listed on the CSL;
(h) 7. all other applications are to be processed in the order in which they are received.

*If your application is not currently a priority under the Direction, you should expect significant delays before your application is allocated to a case officer. To find out the expected timeframe for processing your application, please refer to the department’s website at
http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/gener.../whats-new.htm.

You will be contacted once your application is allocated to a case officer. The order in which your application will be assigned to a case
officer will depend on its priority under the Minister’s Processing Priorities. Please do not contact the Department to request your
application be exempt from the Priority Processing Direction. Case officers must adhere to the Minister’s Direction.

Nominated occupation of Accountant
If your nominiated occupation is Accountant please advise us if you have Proficient English (7 or more in each band of your IELTS results) as you meet CSL requirments and your application will receive a higher priority of processing.

Allocation Dates for week commencing 11 January 2010

VC- 485 (Group 1 and 2 - PhD qualifications and CSL Only) Applications lodged up to 16 December 2009

VC- 485 (Group 3 and 4 and 5 - Bachelor & Masters or Bachelor and Australian Honours degree (at least upper second class level) or Bachelor or Masters) Applications lodged up to 7 August 2009

VB - 886 (CSL Only) Applications lodged up to 16 December 2009

VB - 885 (CSL Only) Applications lodged up to 8 December 2009

VB - 887 Applications lodged up to 27 December 2009

* Please note that whilst your case may have been allocated to a case officer, assessment may not commence for up to 10 working days.

OTHER PROCESSING NEWS

Are you a Computing Professional with Specialisation?

If you have a skills assessment from Australian Computing Society that states your nominated occupation as "Computing Professional (ICT Recent Graduate)" this does not place you on the CSL and you are therefore not eligible for priority processing at this time.

Do you have IELTS 7's?

IELTS 7 scores are relevant to Accountants only. If you have nominated an occupation other than Accountant and you have achieved IELTS 7's this does not qualify you for priority processing on the Critical Skills List. If you are an Accountant with IELT's 7's then you are eligible for priority processing under the Critical Skills List.

If you are an Accountant with IELTS 7s we’d like to hear from you to ensure we don’t miss your application in the weekly allocations.