New Skilled Occupation List (SOL) – MODL and CSL out…
A streamlined Skilled Occupation List (SOL) will be part of the changes to the Australian skilled migration program. The Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL) is to be scrapped immediately and the Critical Skills List (CSL) phased out…
Here is the statement for the Australian Minister of Immigration Chris Evans.
Migration reforms to deliver Australia’s skills needs
Monday, 8 February 2010
The Rudd Government is reforming the permanent skilled migration program to ensure it is more responsive to the needs of industry and employers and better addresses the nation’s future skill needs.
The reforms will deliver a demand rather than a supply driven skilled migration program that meets the needs of the economy in sectors and regions where there are shortages of highly skilled workers, such as healthcare, engineering and mining. The major reforms to the skilled migration program are:
20 000 would-be migrants will have their applications cancelled and receive a refund.
All offshore General Skilled Migration applications lodged before 1 September 2007 will have their applications withdrawn. These are people who applied overseas under easier standards, including lower English language skills and a less rigorous work experience requirement. It is expected about 20 000 people fall into this category. The department will refund their visa application charge at an estimated cost of $14 million. Average applications cost between $1500 and $2000 and most contain more than one person.
The list of occupations in demand will be tightened so only highly skilled migrants will be eligible to apply for independent skilled migration visas.
The wide-ranging Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL) will be revoked immediately. The list is outdated and contains 106 occupations, many of which are less-skilled and no longer in demand. A new and more targeted Skilled Occupations List (SOL) will be developed by the independent body, Skills Australia, and reviewed annually. It will be introduced mid-year and focus on high value professions and trades. The Critical Skills List introduced at the beginning of 2009 which identified occupations in critical demand at the height of the global financial crisis will also be phased out.
The points test used to assess migrants will be reviewed to ensure it selects the best and brightest.
Potential migrants gain points based on their qualifications, skills and experience, and proficiency in English. The current points test puts an overseas student with a short-term vocational qualification gained in Australia ahead of a Harvard-educated environmental scientist. A review of the points test used to assess General Skilled Migration applicants will consider issues including whether some occupations should warrant more points than others, whether sufficient points are awarded for work experience and excellence in English, and whether there should be points for qualifications obtained from overseas universities. The review will report to Government later this year.
Certain occupations may be capped to ensure skill needs are met across the board.
Amendments to the Migration Act will be introduced this year to give the Minister the power to set the maximum number of visas that may be granted to applicants in any one occupation if need be. This will ensure that the Skilled Migration Program is not dominated by a handful of occupations.
Development of state and territory-specific migration plans.
Individual state and territory migration plans will be developed so they can prioritise skilled migrants of their own choosing. This recognises that each state and territory has different skills requirements. For example, Western Australia may have a shortage of mining engineers while Victoria may have a requirement for more architects. Under the new priority processing arrangements, migrants nominated by a state and territory government under their State Migration Plan will be processed ahead of applications for independent skilled migration.
The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, said the new arrangements will give first priority to skilled migrants who have a job to go to with an Australian employer. For those who don’t have an Australian employer willing to sponsor them, the bar is being raised.
‘There are plenty of occupations where there is an adequate supply of young Australians coming through our schools, TAFE colleges and universities to take up new job opportunities. They must be given the opportunity to fill these vacancies first,’ Senator Evans said.
‘But there are some occupations where there will be high demand for skills. Hospitals can’t go without nurses, country towns can’t do without a local GP and the resources sector increasingly needs skills.
‘These latest changes will continue reforms already implemented by the government and result in a more demand-driven skilled migration program that attracts highly skilled migrants to Australia to work in areas of critical need.’
The government recognises that the changes will affect some overseas students currently in Australia intending to apply for permanent residence.
Those international students who hold a vocational, higher education or postgraduate student visa will still be able to apply for a permanent visa if their occupation is on the new Skilled Occupations List. If their occupation is not on the new SOL, they will have until 31 December 2012 to apply for a temporary skilled graduate visa on completion of their studies which will enable them to spend up to 18 months in Australia to acquire work experience and seek sponsorship from an employer.
The changes will in no way impact on international students coming to Australia to gain a legitimate qualification and then return home.
Indian Engineer overcomes local experience job barrier in Australia..
Visa Processing Times for Australia
Visa waiting times under Australia’s new visa priority rules mean longer waiting periods for those not sponsored or occupations not on the Critaical Skills List CSL
The visa processing times for Australian visas will change due to new priority rules announced by the Australian immigration department (DIAC) on September 23, 2009
Visa applicants without sponsorship and not on the CSL are likely to have more than two years to wait for assessment of their visa applications.
Sponsorship – Get High Priority for Australian Migration
Migrants with a sponsor get priority when applying for a general skilled migrant visa to Australia. You can be sponsored by States or companies. Save time, reduce worry and reduce the cost of migration by finding a sponsor.
See the priority for visa application assessment and details on the various Australian DIAC lists from the tribus lingua Migration Information blog
Project Australia provides a wide range of ways you can find an employer to sponsor your migration. Employer sponsorship has two great things going for it:
- it gives you priority in the visa process
- it gives you a job when you arrive in Australia
Sponsorship is worth a lot of money to you. It is not easy to make happen but is well worth having a crack at. (translation = it is not easy to achieve, but it is so valuable you should try very hard to get an Australian sponsor)
An obvious source for a company sponsor is to get a job with one of the many Australian owned international engineering or construction companies
State and Regional Sponsorship
Each State and Territory and some of the regions have sponsorship schemes. Here are a list of some of the links to the sites to provide additional information.
http://www.migration.wa.gov.au/
http://www.migration.sa.gov.au/sa/home.jsp
http://www.development.tas.gov.au/migration/skilledmigration.html
http://www.migration.qld.gov.au
http://www.business.nsw.gov.au/migration/skilled_migration.asp
http://www.business.act.gov.au/index
http://www.liveinvictoria.vic.gov.au/
http://www.migration.nt.gov.au/
Get yourself a sponsor. Sponsorship reduces the waiting and takes a large part of the uncertanty out of migration. It removes the greatest financial risk of migrating to Australia, landing a job after arrival. Search the State and Territory sites for their schemes and /or look for a company sponsor.
Go to the top of the migration waiting list – find an Australian sponsor.
Working Holiday Visa Australia
What are the benefits of getting a real job on the working holiday visa in Australia?
So you’d rather not pick grapes…Picture yourself starting or boosting your career with international work experience in your chosen industry. Think of the benefits of returning from a year overseas, having not only enjoyed the travel but also gained valuable professional work experience which counts on your résumé. When faced with attending job interviews, it would look a lot more impressive than, say, a stint overseas doing bar work or getting paid peanuts for picking fruit.
Professional work experience in a country such as Australia amounts to a whole package of benefits. It expands your learning not only in a professional sense but also in more personal ways. It teaches you valuable lessons about your abilities, boosts your confidence and gives you a whole new perspective on your work and life and the world in general. And you would have earned a decent wage in the process.
How manybackpackers do you know can knock off work for the weekend and afford to go to the cricket, a show or a decent restaurant?
It’s a lot more feasible than you probably think. It’s simply a matter of changing your approach and swapping your backpack for a briefcase.
In Backpack to Briefcase learn how to come to Australia on a working holiday visa and trade your Backpack for a Briefcase!
Excerpted from Backpack to Briefcase: Make Your Australian Holiday Work for You!
Learn more about Backpack to Briefcase…
©tribus lingua media. All rights reserved.
IELTS English Test Cheats Caught in Australia
Migrant students doing IELTS English tests in Australia were caught cheating on IELTS English exams according to this article from the Sydney Morning Herald..
Why take the risk of paying large amounts of money and getting caught cheating?
From the Migrate Australia Course you can learn how to improve your Engish and obtain a wide range of resources to help you get started and land a job in Australia.
Don’t get caught out wasting money. Look for good honest value.
Get free information to help you with the IELTS English test from the Migrate Australia Course..
ASCO Codes – Australian Occupations for Migration
ASCO – the Australian Standard Classification of Occupations must be understood by migrants. Not every occupation is listed in the ASCO.
If your job is not included in the codes list, what do you do?
Two web sites provide ASCO information to help you decide the occupation to nominate for qualification assessment and a general skilled migrant visa application.
The Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship web site has the Australian Skills Recognition Information (ASRI) page. This page tells you the eligibility requirements for each ASCO occupation category, the assessing authority and skilled occupation information such as points, MODL, ENSOL and SOL.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) website provides more detailed descriptions of typical tasks for an ASCO occupation code. This information provide a definition of the occupation.
The ASCO definitions are limited to the basic disciplines such as electrical, mechanical, civil and chemical. There are few industry type definitions such as power, transport, water or railway engineers.
If you cannot find your occupation in the ASCO definitions, consider the basic ebgineering skills you use in your industry. If you call yourself a railway engineer, what do you really do.?If you are involved with rolling stock, you probably fit within the general tasks of a mechanical engineer. If you are involved in design of tracks ,your occupation is probably closer to a civil engineer.
If all else fails you can try as an engineer (nec). If you do this, you may find yourself not on any of the occupations in demand.
Study the ASCO occupation task descriptions to identify where your job fits in the ASCO classification coode system. Selecting the most appropriate occupation can improve your opportunities for a successful qualification accreditation and visa application. An accredited migration agent can assisst you to make the best decision.
For more information:
Tribus Lingua helps engineering migrant land a job in 7 days!
Project Australia – the formula for success every engineering migrant needs!
Iranian civil engineer Mehdi Razkenari was the lucky winner of a prize for free coaching in the Project Australia approach to getting a job donated by publisher tribus lingua. This helped him land his first engineering job in Australia with Negri Construction, Civil Engineering Contractors. At the Engineers Australia Careers Expo in Melbourne in April Mehdi, along with hundreds of others entered into a draw for free coaching and advice on the Project Australia process with Ailis Logan, founder of tribus lingua and Ian Little, author Project Australia, Land that engineering job in Australia.
Mehdi arrived in Australia from Iran in January 2009 on a general skilled migration visa.
He was job ready. He had six years of varied site and project engineering experience on a range of projects in the Middle East. His qualifications had been accredited by Engineers Australia and his English was well above the minimum standard required.
In 3 months Mehdi made over 1000 job applications without getting an interview. Not surprisingly he and his wife were getting discouraged and thinking of returning to Iran. The Expo prize has changed his life. Direct coaching on the Project Australia process enabled Mehdi to demonstrate what he had to offer to an employer.
A week later at Mehdi’s next job interview he was offered a job with Negri.
Mehdi’s success was due to his perseverance and willingness to adapt to a new approach. After the coaching he had developed a CV that showed who he really was and what he had to offer.
What can all engineers learn from Mehdi’s experience?
High quality targeted job applications win the job.
- A quality CV is needed to get you to interview.
- Prepare thoroughly for job interviews.
- A good mentor is invaluable.
- The skills can be learnt from home.
- Be able to demonstrate your knowledge of Australian standards.
- The importance of networking at Engineers Australia functions.
Richard Negri of Negri Construction describes Mehdi as a “fantastic” addition to the Negri team. Mehdi will be working on some of the largest Victorian infrastructure projects and gaining invaluable experience at Negri Construction.
To contact the publisher about this article submit an enquiry on our contact page, contact tribus lingua.
Learn more about Project Australia
MODL, CSL, SOL and ENSOL – Australian Migration Lists
MODL, CSL, SOL and ENSOL - Australian visa application times are determined by these occupation in demand lists. What are they and how do they affect your visa application?
- MODL – Migration Occupations in Demand
- CSL – Critical Skills List
- SOL – Skilled Occupation List
- ENSOL – Employer Nomination Scheme Occupation List
For further information go to the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) website Australian Skills Recognition Information (ASRI) page -
http://www.immi.gov.au/asri/a-z.htm
On January 1, the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) announced a new list of occupations, which is known as the Critical Skills List (CSL). This is in addition to the Skills Occupation List (SOL) and Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL). The purpose of the introduction of the CSL was to place weight on the skills that are in acute shortage in Australia and give these applications further priority in processing.
Changes affect visa application processing time
On March 19, DIAC announced new procedures for visa application processing for skilled migration. The order of priority for processing of visas is:
- employer sponsored permanent migrant applications
- state/territory nominated visas,
- CSL occupation.
- MODL occupation
- family sponsored and independent applications receive the least level of priority.
Migration agents have reported seeing the difference in processing time now. The demand for Accountants (Degree, ICASL, CIMA qualified), Engineers (Degree level), and Computer professionals (specialist software skills) is acute. There is a noticeable difference in processing times reported from the previous era, if you belong to either State nominated or CSL category visas.
Trades (technical) occupations were taken off the CSL category due to the current economic trend where less demand is created for jobs at technical level.
In these turbulent economic times we can expect more changes to migration requirements in Australia. It is important to seek advice from a registered migration agent who should be able to provide you with current advice. Refer to the following Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) web page for further information on migration agents. http://www.immi.gov.au/visas/migration-agents/using/mara/ You do not need to use a migration agent to apply for any visa. However, if you choose to use a migration agent, you should use a registered migration agent.
Is your occupation an occupation in demand for Australia and included on the SOL, MODL, CSL or ENSOL lists?
Engineer Migration to Australia. Your Occupation, Qualifications and Work Experience
Work experience is not compulsory for engineers applying to Engineers Australia for assessment of qualifications obtained outside Australia.
There are many steps in applying for a general skilled migrant visa to Australia. the two areas related to engineering work experience are qualifications assessment (accreditation) and the points allocation for the points test for a general skilled migrant visa application. Assessment of qualifications for engineers is carried out by Engineers Australia and visa applications are assessed by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC). These are two totally separate functions carried out by separate organisations – so we will look at them separately.
Qualifications assessment
Work experience is not compulsory for engineers applying to Engineers Australia for assessment of qualifications obtained outside Australia for an engineering occupation. Everything you need to know is given in The Migration Skills Assessment Handbook. Read this from cover to cover. Download the handbook from the Engineers Australia website : http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/
You will notice there are three pathways to accreditation of level 1 qualification for migration (the basic education requirement) :
Australian qualifications
Washington and Sydney Accords
Competency Demonstration Report (CDR) for non-recognised qualifications
There is no work experience requirement for this level of qualifications recognition.
If you don’t have a recognised qualification (either Australian or by the Accords) you need to write a CDR. You have to demonstrate you have engineering competencies for the level of occupation you are applying for. You need to demonstrate you have the appropriate knowledge and skills and can apply them at the level of your nominated occupation.
You need to write three career episode reports (CERs) as part of your CDR. This is where work experience should help you. Your work experience can provide projects and activities to demonstrate your understanding and application of engineering principles and practice. So work experience is desirable to give you a base to provide something to write about. But you are assessed by your personal actions, not time spent anywhere or in any particular job.
General Skilled Visa Application
Work experience can help you gain additional points in the points test. You need to read Booklet 6: General Skilled Migration, which is available online from the booklets section of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship website.
http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/booklets/booklets.htm
There are two very important factors to be aware of with work experience in the points test:
It must be relevant. It must relate to the occupation you are applying for. This could be different from you degree or other qualification. For example: A person with a mechanical engineering degree may be applying as a software engineer Any mechanical engineering experience may not be considered relevant to the software engineer occupation.
It must be recent experience. Any periods without work, such as while studying for a higher degree could reduce your points.
So What?
When developing your plan for migration, your Project Australia, make informed decisions to provide the best and most economical result. It is recommended that you seek advice from a registered migration agent for Australia. This is a complex area with the rules changing regularly in the current economic climate. For engineers migrating to Australia, qualifications assessment and visa applications are handled separately. Understand the difference to ensure success in applying to migrate to Australia.
