Welcome to the first edition of IMMIGRATION NEWS for 2012 and to the new subscribers. This free service is brought to you by Australian Immigration Law Services. You can subscribe by using the link on the right hand side or by visiting our web site. Please feel free to forward this email to any of your friends.

 

Some of you may know DIAC will introduce some big changes to General Skilled Migration visas from 1July 2012. In this issue, we will cover some of the changes to Points Tested Skilled Migration Visas.

 

Location requirements

 

From 1 July 2012, it does not matter where you are at time of application lodgement or decision. You can be in Australia or outside Australia. Also it will no longer be necessary for you to hold a particular prerequisite visa if you are onshore at the time of lodgement. That is, anyone holding a substantive visa, or Bridging visa A, B or C will be able to apply for a visa if you are invited through EOI. It is expected that those who are onshore when the application is lodged a bridging visa will be granted to allow them to stay in Australia until the visa is granted.

 

 

Removal of Australian study or recent work experience pathway requirements

 

 In the current system, you need to meet the recent Australian study requirement in the last 6 months or have recent skilled employment experience for a period totaling at least 12 months in the last 24 months before applying for a visa if you are applying overseas. From 1 July 2012, these requirements will be removed. Thus, you can apply for a visa after 6 months you completed your Australian study from July 2012 as long as you are invited to apply.

 

 

Secondary applicants

 

After 1 July 2012, spouses, de facto partners and dependent children can be added to the application even after applications are lodged. They can be added until the time of visa decision. This is the same way the offshore visa subclasses currently operate.

 

The current onshore classes do not allow this process which is a great disadvantage to those current GSM applicants who have been waiting years in Australia, on bridging visas for a decision to be made on their applications.

 

 

 

The new points test DIAC has released at this moment is similar to the current one. The pass mark is currently set at 65 points but is designed to be changed.

  

Have a look at: 1 July 2012 Points Test

 

 

 

For the recent ones using the new newsletter format, they can be found here;

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs092/1106091886176/archive/1107439026932.html 
 

For our older newsletters they can be found on our web site through the following link;

http://www.australiavisa.com/english/new_newsletter.htm