Kiran Kumar Rohidas’ Post

🚀 Have Your Say on Skilled Visa Points Test! 🚀 🔍 Review of the Skilled Visa Points Test ✍️ The Department of Home Affairs is seeking your input on the Skilled Visa Points Test. Your feedback will shape the future of skilled migration pathways in Australia. 🔹 Express Your Thoughts: Answer the questions raised in the review to ensure fair opportunities for skilled and talented migrants. 🔹 Lodge Your Submission: Share your insights with the Department of Home Affairs to contribute to the review process. 🔹 Current Findings Extract: o   Prospective migrants submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) before visa application. o   Invitations based on various criteria like priority occupations, high points scores, or state/territory nominations. o   A transparent system allocating limited permanent visas to numerous migrants for Skilled Independent visa (Subclass 189), Skilled Nominated visa (Subclass 190) and Skilled Work Regional visa (Provisional) (Subclass 491). o   Reforms aim to respect migrants' decisions while ensuring fairness and certainty. Share your perspective today! Let's shape a better future for skilled migration in Australia. #SkilledMigration #VisaReforms #AustralianImmigration #HaveYourSay #AustraliaVisa https://lnkd.in/gQXNA5K2

As of August 2024, there have been several notable changes and updates to Australia's permanent residency (PR) program. Here are some key changes and developments: Skill Select and Points System: The SkillSelect system continues to play a crucial role in Australia's PR process. Recent updates have focused on adjusting the points system, including changes to the points awarded for certain factors like work experience, education, and language proficiency. It’s important to review the latest points table to understand how these changes might impact your eligibility. Occupations List Updates: The Skilled Occupation List (SOL) and Consolidated Sponsored Occupation List (CSOL) are regularly updated to reflect the current labor market needs. New occupations might be added, and existing ones might be removed or reclassified. Staying updated with these lists is essential for determining eligibility for various skilled migration visas. State and Territory Nomination: Each Australian state and territory has its own nomination criteria for the Skilled Nominated Visa (subclass 190) and the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa (subclass 491). Changes in state and territory nomination criteria can affect your chances of receiving an invitation. Regional Migration Initiatives: There has been an emphasis on encouraging migration to regional areas of Australia. New incentives and programs may be introduced to attract skilled workers to these regions. The Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) and other regional visas may have updated criteria or benefits. Family and Partner Visa Changes: There have been updates to the processing times and requirements for family and partner visas. This includes changes in sponsorship requirements, financial criteria, and documentation. Visa Processing Times: Processing times for various PR visas can vary, and there have been adjustments due to changes in immigration policies and global events. The Department of Home Affairs provides updated processing time estimates on their website. Policy and Regulatory Updates: The Australian government periodically introduces new policies or regulations affecting immigration. These can include changes in visa eligibility, fees, and application procedures. For the most current and detailed information, you should regularly check the official website of the Australian Department of Home Affairs. #australiamigration #australiapr #australiaupdates2024 #immigrationchanges

Another change to Australia’s immigration system! Are you ready? Important Update: Changes to Onshore Student Visa Applications from 1 January 2025 If you’re planning to apply for a Student visa while in Australia, a significant change is coming that you need to be aware of. From 1 January 2025, the Department of Home Affairs will no longer accept Letters of Offer with Student visa applications lodged in Australia. Instead, you will need to include a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) at the time of application. Key Points • Applications submitted before 1 January 2025 with a Letter of Offer are not affected. • Applications lodged on or after 1 January 2025 without a CoE will be deemed invalid, and no Bridging Visa will be granted. • This change aligns the onshore and offshore Student visa requirements, ensuring stronger commitment to study and greater certainty for Australia’s international education sector. • There is no change for students under Foreign Affairs, Defence, or secondary exchange programs. What This Means for You If you’re already in Australia on a visa and planning to study, you must ensure: • You have your CoE ready before lodging your Student visa application. • Your visa remains valid to maintain lawful status. • You explore other visa options if you cannot secure a CoE in time. Why This Matters This change ensures better alignment in Australia’s Student visa program and strengthens the integrity of the international education sector. However, it also places greater responsibility on applicants to prepare their documents in advance. Let’s discuss! If you have questions or concerns about this new requirement, share them in the comments. Have you experienced challenges securing a CoE or navigating Student visa rules? Your insights could help others in similar situations. For more information check out https://lnkd.in/gtDmsQWk. #StudentVisa #AustraliaMigration #InternationalEducation #StudyInAustralia #VisaChanges2025 #ImmigrationAdvice

It's disheartening to hear that from today, the non-refundable fee for international student visas will increase from $710 to $1,600, making Australia the world's most expensive destination to apply for a student visa! The gov media release said "This increase reflects the increasing value of education in Australia and reflects the Albanese Government’s commitment to restoring integrity in the international education sector." I would say this shows how international students are both treated as cash cows and unwelcome. This damages and devalues, instead of increasing value, Australian international education. UK's student visa fee is around AUD900. Canada charges approximately AUD170 for a Study Permit, US around AUD290 and New Zealand AUD345. Link to media release: https://lnkd.in/g-ZtqjHf #intled #internationaleducation #internationalstudents #Australia

Protecting international students from exploitation or exploiting them? I have just looked back at some key government policy documents and reports over the past 3 years and in all these docs, the government consistently emphasised that one of their main drivers for introducing measures and policy changes is to protect “vulnerable international students from exploitation”. But would they self-contradict their ultimate goal above as increasing the non-refundable fee for international student visas by 125%, from $710 to $1,600, is itself exploiting “vulnerable international students”, especially given that the fee is non-refundable amid an increased visa rejection context? This fee hike is fundamentally for both generating more cash from international students and cutting down the number of international students, rather than “restoring integrity in the international education sector”! The policy docs I have looked at that highlighted the urgent need to protect international students from exploitation are: Draft International Education and Skills Strategic Framework (May, 2024 – where the direct quote above came from), The Nixon Review into the Exploitation of Australia’s Visa System (March 2023); The Parkinson Review of the Migration System (March 2023); Migration Strategy (Dec, 2023), “Quality and Integrity-the Quest for Sustainable Growth”: Interim Report into International Education (Oct, 2023) and Australian Strategy for International Education 2021-2030 (Oct, 2021). UK's student visa fee is around AUD900. Canada charges approximately AUD170 for a Study Permit, US around AUD290 and New Zealand AUD345. The gov media release: https://lnkd.in/g-ZtqjHf  #intled #internationaleducation #internationalstudents #Australia

🎓 Study in Australia – New Ministerial Direction 111 for Student Visas Australia has introduced Ministerial Direction 111 (effective from 19th December 2024) for processing offshore Subclass 500 Student Visas. Here's what you need to know: ✅ Faster Visa Processing (Priority 1 – High): Applies to student visa applications linked to education providers in higher education and vocational training sectors who haven’t reached 80% of their 2025 allocation. Includes scholarship holders, TAFE students, and applicants from the Pacific and Timor-Leste. ✅ Standard Processing (Priority 2): For providers who have already reached their threshold or other general offshore applications. This approach ensures fair and efficient processing for all education providers, including small and regional institutions. 📌 Note: This is not a visa cap, nor does it affect the approval criteria—it only prioritizes the order of processing. For detailed information, refer to the official announcement by the Department of Home Affairs: https://lnkd.in/dt2skwK7 Thinking of studying in Australia? Now’s the time to act! 🌏 #StudyInAustralia #StudentVisa #MD111 #EducationAbroad

Changes to onshore Student visa applications from 1 January 2025. From 1 January 2025, the Department of Home Affairs will no longer accept Letters of Offers from individuals applying in Australia for a Student visa. Onshore applicants will be required to include a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) at the time of application. The change will only impact applications lodged on or after 1 January 2025. Visa applications lodged before that date using only a Letter of Offer from an education provider are not affected. Read more at https://lnkd.in/d9YeuPpY... #silburnmigration #migrationnews #migrationbrisbane #migrationexpertsbrisbane #MigrationUpdates

𝐃𝐨𝐇𝐀 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐚 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 - 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 ! 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 : I have received an invitation for/lodged a Skilled Permanent Visa. Am I eligible for a refund on my application? 𝐀𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫: There are very limited circumstances under which a refund of an application charge will occur once the application has been lodged. DoHA will only refund a VAC in certain circumstances. This includes if: ➡️the application was unnecessary at the time it was made ➡️a mistake was made by the Department ➡️the applicant has died ➡️the sponsorship or nomination was not successful ➡️the application was made because of a mistake by the applicant and it is withdrawn in writing before a decision is made. Whilst you may choose to apply for a refund, it is very rare that a refund is approved. 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝 - https://lnkd.in/gNHtFy_A #AustraliaPR #RefundRequest #Elgiblity #SkilledWorkers #PR

🛑 The DHA has announced the release of the new Core Skills Occupations List (CSOL) today, which is intended to apply to the Core Skills stream of the new Skills in Demand (SID) visa. The DHA's announcement also states that the SID visa will replace the subclass 482 Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa on 7 December 2024. The list includes 456 occupations, with some notable changes from earlier lists. The CSOL will also apply to the Direct Entry stream of the permanent subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme visa. Given this announcement, it appears that the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth) will be amended so as to enable the SID visa to be introduced. Any changes that require the involvement of parliament (such as those set out in the Migration Amendment (Strengthening Sponsorship and Nomination Processes) Bill 2024) will be left to next year, when parliament resumes. #TSSvisa #SIDvisa #immigrationlawyer #nomoslegal

Did you know that it is possible to recruit migrants into roles that are not on the skills occupation’s lists? Many Australian employers do not know about Labour Agreements which allows the sponsorship of critical roles which are in short supply including semi-skilled. Labour agreements enable approved businesses to sponsor skilled overseas workers when there is a demonstrated need that cannot be met in the Australian labour market and where standard temporary or permanent visa programs are not available.  There are > 2,500 Labour Agreements currently registered on the Govt website including Aged Care, Labour Hire, Meat, Horticulture, Retail, Construction, Transport, Logistics, Manufacturing, Asset Management, Hospitality, Advertising, Professional Services.   Granted by the Govt there are five kinds of Labour Agreement – Company Specific, Regional Designated Area, Industry Wide, Project (resources and infrastructure), Global Talent. Benefits include. ·        Concessions on the types of skills that can be sponsored. ·        Agreement has 5-year term where employer specifies occupations & numbers to be recruited. ·        Streamlined visa processing. ·        4–5-year Visas and pathways to PR for sponsored employees. Labour Agreements provide an added component to your workforce strategy. The following link provides more information. Labour agreements (homeaffairs.gov.au) New Beginnings Skills International in conjunction with our Migration Agent partner can provide guidance and support in obtaining a Labour Agreement. Please contact me to find out more. paulbirch@newbeginningskills.com +61 (0) 428373506 or book a meeting to discuss https://lnkd.in/gXBs5jqW