General Skilled Migration English language changes

Commencement: 1 January 2010

From 1 January 2010, the Migration Regulations 1994 (’the Regulations’) are amended to change the English language
requirements for onshore General Skilled Migration (GSM) visas.  In particular, the amendments:

•increase the English language requirements for applicants nominating trade occupations (Australian Standard
Classification of Occupations (ASCO) Level 4 occupation) by removing the option of ‘vocational English’;
•remove the option for applicants to receive points towards a qualifying score for the General Points Test for
‘vocational English’;
•require applicants applying with ‘concessional competent English’ to attain an average score of 6 in the
International English Language Testing System (IELTS);
•provide that applicants applying with ‘concessional competent English’, will no longer be restricted to being
nominated by a State or Territory, or sponsored by a person who resides in a State or Territory, in which
arrangements are established for suitable English language training, nor will they be required to enroll in an
English language course and pay the fee; and
•ensure that where a primary applicant is relying on partner points in the General Points Test, no points will be
awarded if the partner has ‘vocational English’ and if claiming ‘concessional competent English’, they have not
met the new requirements as set out for primary applicants.

Record intake of Migrants

An article which appeared in a Melbourne Newspaper earlier in December made some astounding observations about
Australia’s current Immigration situation.

The writer of the article states that Australia has now reached an intake of Migrants this last year of over 500,000.

This was for Permanent Residency, students and also long stay migrants, which will also include those on a Temporary visa.

There is a NET Migration to Australia of roughly 275,000, which is 15% more than a year ago, due to the fact that there are those Migrants who have chosen to go back home, and then there are Australian Citizens, who, for whatever the reason, perhaps a change of job, have chosen to move to another part of the world.

GSM English changes as from 01 JAN 2010

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has announced there are changes to the requirements for applicants in the ON-SHORE General Skilled Migration Program from 01 January 2010. These changes are as follows:-

•increase the English language requirements for applicants nominating trade occupations
(Australian Standard Classification of Occupations (ASCO) Level 4 occupation) by removing the option of
‘vocational English’;
•remove the option for applicants to receive points towards a qualifying score for the General Points Test
for ‘vocational English’;
•require applicants applying with ‘concessional competent English’ to attain an average score of 6 in the
International English Language Testing System (IELTS);
•provide that applicants applying with ‘concessional competent English’, will no longer be restricted to being
nominated by a State or Territory, or sponsored by a person who resides in a State or Territory, in which
arrangements are established for suitable English language training, nor will they be required to enroll in an
English language course and pay the fee; and
•ensure that where a primary applicant is relying on partner points in the General Points Test, no points will
be awarded if the partner has ‘vocational English’ and if claiming ‘concessional competent English’, they have
not met the new requirements as set out for primary applicants.