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The most common question we hear is "how long will I have to wait?" and round results may give you an indication of how long your wait is going to be. We say may, because no one can really say for sure. It depends on how many points you achieved, how many other EOIs have been submitted (especially those with higher points),, which occupation you nominated and so forth. Some of it is out of your control so all we can say is when you decide to submit an EOI, do it quick, do it properly and the more points the better. The rest is out of your hands, but we know that I-just-need-to-know feeling and so we're giving you the tools to to ease that all that nail-biting anxiousness.
Before we begin, if you are on any visa other than the 189 or 489 relative sponsored ones, this article does not apply to you.
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Your Expression of Interest (EOI) has been submitted. That was hard work, but the work ahead might be be tougher - the wait. We completely understand that it can be frustrating waiting but there is nothing that can be done about it. Getting to know the process may help alleviate some of the mystery and drama of the unknown. Or it may not, but in the unfortunate event that you need to submit your EOI again or if you haven't already, understanding might help you make a stronger submission.
SkillSelect is the system through which you submit your EOI and it prioritises applications according to points (the higher the better) and which application is first in. Each round, results are released to the public. You can find them here through clicking on the invitation round tab. These results tell you: -
How many invitations were issued by visa subclass (189/489 relative sponsored)
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Invitations sent by month through the current programme year
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Invitations sent by points
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Lowest point score that received an invitation by subclass (and when the last invitation was given out for that round)
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If any occupations are pro rated (and when the last invitation was given out for that round)
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If any occupation ceilings have been hit
Each (skilled migration) programme year which runs from July to June the next year. Each programme year, occupations that are in need in Australia are released on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) and quotas are refreshed. Every month, or invitation round, a set number of invitations are handed out. This happens by
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Highest points first
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First come first served
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It does not matter which occupation you have nominated, unless your occupation is listed as pro rated
Wait what? What does all this mean for me? Let's use a recent SkillSelect round result as a study. You can find it here. (All images that follow are taken from DIBP website)
There are a predetermined number of invitations to be given out each round and as 65> point applications are allocated places first, 60 point EOIs only get remaining invitation spots. In the above graph, there were only 700 over invitations left to be disseminated for the 23 March round results. Hypothetically, if there were 1,200 60 point EOIs registered, the later 500 or so EOIs will only be considered in the next invitation round. Remember, highest points first, then first in first.
This table shows us when the last lowest score point EOI was accepted under "visa date of effect". If you have a 60 point application for a 189 visa and it was submitted on 15 March for example, you would could almost be certain to receive your invitation in the next invitation round (given your application is complete and accurate). If your EOI is for a 489 relative sponsored visa, a score under 70 will mean that it is unlikely that you receive an application any time soon, if at all - there are too many other high scoring EOI submissions in that period.
Pro rated occupations
Pro rated occupations are occupations that receive very high number of EOI applications. Because of the 'popularity' of these occupations, invitation places are staggered to ensure the quota's for these high demand places are not given out too quickly. This way the system allows higher point applicants to be considered throughout the programme year.
This programme year, the ICT Business and Systems Analysts, Accountants and Software and Applications Programmers groups are pro rated. To know if you fall under these occupation groups you will need to know your ANZSCO code.
Notice how the ANZSCO numbers are 6 digits long? That is because they refer to a specific occupation under an occupation group. To know which occupation group you belong to, look at the first 4 digits of your occupations ANZSCO code. It follows that ICT business analysts and systems analysts are under the [2611] ICT Business and Systems Analysts group and are pro rated occupations. Like before, "visa date of effect" refers to the last EOI that received an invitation for that pro rated occupation group - a Systems Analyst who achieved at least 70 points and applied after 12 March would have to wait for following invitation rounds.
Occupation ceilings
Round results will also tell a reader if an occupation ceiling has been reached. Simply put, the quota for a certain occupation group has been fully allocated and no more invitations are going to be sent until the next programme year (if the occupation is still on the next programme year's SOL)
Here is a screenshot from the DIBP website showing the quota for each occupation group for each programme year. You can access the list through this link and then through the occupation ceilings tab.
[2339] Other Engineering Professionals had 1000 places allocated and all 1000 have been filled. No more invitations for any occupation that falls under the [2339] group (aeronautical engineer, agricultural engineer, naval architect etc.) will be sent out.
Do remember that these are places available vs places allocated and not the number of applications being received. Whilst the [2335] Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers group looks like it is about to hit quota (1544/1788), it does not fall under a pro rated group. A pro rated group would be likely be less close to hitting its quota because it is pro rated. The competition for you if you fall under a pro rated group, is still going to be higher.
Regardless the game is over if your group's occupation ceiling has been reached, at least til the next programme year.
Last little note from us: It is paramount that your registered EOI points can be met in your application. In the event that you receive an invitation on 70 points and you can only actually achieve 60, your application is liable for refusal despite meeting the minimum score, as you were possibly not meant to receive that invitation to begin with.
Please read our previous article on "Time of Invitation Criteria" in Volume 260
By Jee Eun HAN
Migration Agent (MARN: 0850073)
Australian Immigration Law Services 
