Migration Program-cuts to GSM processing

Minister Evans has today announced cuts to the 2008-09 permanent skilled migration program by 14 per cent “to protect local jobs while ensuring employers can access skilled professionals in industries still experiencing skills shortages”.

The changes are a 14 per cent cut in the 2008-09 permanent skilled migration program intake [from 133 500 to 115 000], and changes to the Critical Skills List (CSL).
The Minister’s announcement said that occupations removed from the Critical Skills List include Bricklayers, Carpenters, Plumbers, Welders, and Metal Fitters, and that the list will now comprise mainly health and medical, engineering and IT professions.

The changes to this new CSL are that all trades occupations (ASCO Group 4) have been removed except:

• Aircraft Maintenance Engineer – Avionics
• Aircraft Maintenance Engineer – Mechanical
• Electronic Equipment Trades
• Gasfitter
• Wall and Floor Tiler

The Minister has stated that “The Critical Skills List will remain under constant review and the Government will remove occupations from the list if demand for those skills can be satisfied by local labour.”

We can therefore expect the Critical Skills List to be under continual review and changes can be expected at any time, depending on current economic circumstances.

Processing implications:

As of now, only General Skilled Migration applications which are State/Territory sponsored, or which have nominated occupations on the new Critical Skills List will be processed. There will be no visa grants to other applicants until further notice, which is not likely to be before 1 July 2009, and may be much longer.

Please note: The fact that DIAC is now only processing General Skills Migration applications which are State/Territory sponsored, or which have nominated occupations on the new Critical Skills List does not mean that other GSM applications cannot be lodged. This is simply a method of prioritising the processing so that the Government can better address the current skills shortages in the current economic climate. GSM applications which are not on the processing priority list can still be lodged.

GSM applications which are not on the priority processing lists may have a very long wait, not only because of the processing priority lists, but also because of the 14 per cent cut in the 2008-09 permanent skilled migration program intake from 133 500 to 115 000, and also because of imminent staff cuts across the Commonwealth Public Service, including DIAC. The length of the wait for non-priority applications is something that no-one, including DIAC, can estimate with any accuracy. I am sure this is not what you will want to hear, but it is the truth of the matter.

Business Migration Visas

Australia’s Business Skills Program aims to encourage successful business people to use their proven business skills and attributes to establish businesses in Australia that will benefit the country.Business Owner or Investor:

• Initially, business skills migrants enter on a provisional (temporary) visa for 4 years.
• After satisfactory evidence of a specified level of genuine business or investment activity, you may apply for permanent residence.

Business Talent:

• Direct permanent residence may be obtained by people who have high level business attributes and are sponsored by a state or territory government agency.

Further information on Business Skills visas is available from the Department of Immigration & Citizenship.