IMPORTANT NOTICE
Changes to Priority Processing – 8 February 2010
Direction No. 45 - Order of consideration - certain skilled migration visas

The Migration Act 1958 contains powers by which the Minister can consider and finalise visa applications in an order of priority that the Minister considers appropriate. Departmental officers are required to follow this Ministerial direction, which applies to every stage of visa processing.

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, has set new processing priorities for certain skilled migration visa applications. The direction came into effect on 8 February 2010 and applies to new applications lodged on or after 8 February 2010, and those already lodged or in the final stages of processing, and replaces the previous Priority Processing Direction (No. 42) which commenced on 23 September 2009.

The new priority processing arrangements apply to the following visa programs:
The Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS)
The Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS)
General Skilled Migration (GSM)

The following GSM visa subclasses are exempt from the priority processing provisions specified in Direction 45:
Skilled – Recognised Graduate Subclass 476
Skilled – Graduate Subclass 485
Skilled – Designated Area – Sponsored (Residence) Subclass 883
Skilled – Regional Subclass 887

Applications for these visa subclasses will be processed in the order in which they are received.

The following GSM applications are exempt from Direction 45

applications that have been remitted by the Migration Review Tribunal for
reconsideration;
applications where it is readily apparent that the criteria for grant of
the visa would not be satisfied;
applications by members of the family unit of a person who holds a
temporary or provisional GSM visa (subsequent entrant applications).
visa applications for a Skilled – Regional Sponsored Subclass 487 visa
where the applicant holds a Skilled – Independent Regional (Provisional)
Subclass 495 visa, Skilled – Designated Area-sponsored (Provisional)
Subclass 496 visa, Skilled – Regional Sponsored Subclass 487 visa or
Skilled – Regional Sponsored Subclass 475 visa at the time they apply.

The Skilled Migration visa processing priorities

Under the Ministerial Direction, the following processing priorities (with
highest priority listed first) apply:
1. Applications from people who are employer sponsored under the ENS and
the RSMS.
2. Applications from people who are nominated by a State/Territory
government agency under a State Migration Plan agreed to by the Minister.
3. Applications from people who are nominated by a State/Territory
government agency and whose nominated occupation is on the Critical Skills
List (CSL).
4. Applications from people who are neither nominated nor sponsored
under Priority Groups 1,2 or 3 but whose nominated occupation is listed on
the CSL.
5. Applications from people who are nominated by a State/Territory
government agency whose nominated occupation is not listed on the CSL
6. (i) Applications from people whose occupations are listed on the
Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL); as well as
(ii) Applications from people who are sponsored by family and whose
nominated occupation is not listed on the CSL.
7. All other applications are to be processed in the order in which they
are received.

The complete list of occupations on the CSL is available on the department’s website:
http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/pdf/critical-skills-list.pdf


Application Processing Times for GSM Applications

Information on application processing times is published on the
department’s website at Client Service Charter


If your application is in any of priority groups 2, 3 or 4, it is estimated that your visa application will be finalised within 12 months of your lodgement date. Please note that processing times can be affected by circumstances beyond the department’s control.

If your application is in any of priority groups 5, 6 or 7 and you have applied for an offshore GSM visa or intend to apply for an offshore GSM visa, it is unlikely that your application will be finalised within 3 years of the date of the application.

If your application is in any of priority groups 5, 6 or 7 and you applied for an onshore GSM visa or intend to apply for an onshore GSM visa, it is unlikely that your application will be finalised within 2 years of the date of the application.

Please note that your nominated occupation is the occupation you nominated
at the time you lodged your application and cannot be changed.

Application processing times are indicative only and are based on the current visa application rate, the current Priority Processing Direction, and the availability of places in the Migration Program.

Processing priorities are subject to change. Any changes to these priorities or processing times will be updated on the department’s website at: What's New? Recent Changes in General Skilled Migration

Priority Processing Exemptions

Visa Subclasses 476, 485 and 887 are exempt from the priority processing
changes. Applications under these subclasses will continue to be processed in the order in which they were received by the department – the following subclass by application lodgement date identifies cases currently being considered:

Visa Subclass

Skilled – Recognised Graduate Subclass 476
VF 476 (paper): 15 April 2010
VF 476 (e-lodged): 15 April 2010
Skilled – Graduate Subclass 485
VC 485 (paper): 5 May 2009
Skilled – Regional Subclass 887
VB 887 (paper): 6 May 2010

Processing News

MINISTER'S ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEW SKILLED OCCUPATION LIST – 17 May 2010

On 17 May 2010, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, announced the list of occupations included in the new Skilled Occupation List (SOL). It is intended that the new SOL will come into effect from 1 July 2010. Applications lodged prior to the implementation of the new SOL will not be affected.

Further information about this announcement can be found on our website.
What's New? Recent Changes in General Skilled Migration

TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF CERTAIN GENERAL SKILLED MIGRATION (GSM)
APPLICATIONS – 7 MAY 2010


The Australian Government has decided to temporarily suspend the acceptance of certain General Skilled Migration (GSM) visa applications. This temporary measure will begin on 8 May 2010 and is expected to remain in effect until the end of 30 June 2010.

The temporary suspension applies only to primary (main) applicants for the
following visa subclasses:

Subclass 175 – Skilled Independent (Migrant) visa
Subclass 176 – Skilled Sponsored (Migrant) visa
Subclass 475 – Skilled Regional Sponsored (Provisional) visa

If you have already submitted a valid application for one of the affected
subclasses prior to 08 May 2010, this change does not affect you. Your
application will be processed as normal and in accordance with priority
processing arrangements.

Further information about this announcement can be found on our website.
What's New? Recent Changes in General Skilled Migration


OTHER CHANGES TO THE SKILLED MIGRATION PROGRAM

In addition to the new Priority Processing Direction the Minister has
announced other changes to the GSM Program. Information about these
changes have been published on the department’s website at:
What's New? Recent Changes in General Skilled Migration