This is a really significant change from the current Australian immigration system. It is likely that fewer people will qualify under the new scheme because under the new scheme you will not only need to gain enough points but, in addition, Australia immigration will decide whether or not you will be allowed to submit an application. This is compared to the current system wherein if you gain enough points under the particular visa scheme you are likely to get in.

From 1 July 2012, all new prospective Australian skilled migration visa applicants will have to submit an EOI and wait for an invitation before they can lodge their visa application. For those who have lodged a visa application before that date, Australian immigration will process the application in accordance with any priority processing direction in effect at that time.

Australian visa applicants will be selected based on their points test score in a number of selection criteria. All prospective visa applicants will be required to meet the relevant English language requirements and obtain the necessary skills assessment prior to their EOI submission. However, unlike now you will have to also be approved by SkillSelect to obtain your visa. This brings in greater uncertainty compared to the current system.

The SkillSelect system will affect applicants for the following Australian skilled visas:

• Independent Skilled Migration (subclasses 175 and 885)
• State Sponsored Skilled Migration (subclasses 176 and 886)
• Business Skills (subclasses 132, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 890, 891, 892, 893)
• Employer Nomination Scheme (subclasses 121 and 856)
• Regional Sponsored Nomination Scheme (subclasses 119 and 857)
• Subclass 457 Temporary Business (Long Stay) visa (subclass 457).

Remember if you wish to apply for a skilled immigration visa you should start preparing now so that you are ready to submit your application before 1 July 2012.

Once the new system in implemented, SkillSelect will begin issuing invitations to eligible applicants in August 2012. Invitations will be issued to the highest ranking EOIs in descending order. The date and time of submission of the completed EOI may be used to separate those who score equally, so apply as soon as possible. Australian immigration will also announce a cap for occupations to limit how many people are selected from a certain occupation group. This ensures that the migration program is not dominated by a narrow range of occupations.

Global Visa Support offers various Australian programmes. Please check our Australian page for more information: http://globalvisasupport.com/australia.html

Australian Immigration announced on November 30 the new Post-Study work visa program would be available for Bachelor or higher degree graduates starting in 2013, according to a joint press release from Chris Evans, Australian Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations and Chris Bowen, Australian Minister for Immigration and Citizenship.

“These changes bring Australia into line with arrangements in other countries and enable education providers to offer a more competitive package to international students who are seeking good quality and long-term study in Australia, regardless of their field of interest,”said Evans.

Currently, more than 80 percent of foreign students enrolled at the Bachelor degree level or above use the Temporary Skilled Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) to stay in Australia after they graduate. Additionally, some students who obtain qualifications other than a Bachelor degree or above can use the Temporary Skilled Graduate Visa, which provides an 18-month stay in Australia to study or work but requires applicants meet the qualifications for an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List.

The new arrangements will extend the visa stay period to two years, while Masters by research or PhD students will be eligible for stays of three and four years respectively.

Specific Criteria

In order to be eligible for the Post-Study Work visa, graduates must meet the following criteria:

• Graduates must have completed a Bachelor degree or higher level course in Australia in the last six months.
• Graduates must complete their degrees after at least two academic years’ study in Australia
• Applicants must demonstrate competent English language abilities

The new Post-Study Work Visa arrangements will be available for all students studying for a Bachelor degree or higher who make their student visa applications after 5 November 2011. These students will begin to graduate from mid-2013 onwards, so the post-study work visa arrangements are designed to be ready for them in 2013.

For students who obtain qualifications other than a Bachelor degree or above, like a vocational degree, the existing Temporary Skilled Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) will still be available. This visa allows graduates to stay up to 18 months for those who have occupations on the Skilled Occupation List.

Global Visa Support offers a variety of courses in Australia. For more details, please see this page: http://www.globalvisasupport.com/australia.html

The Knight Review is a government appointed strategic review of the student visa program to help reform the Australian immigration student visa program.

From 5 November, student visa applicants will need to include a confirmation of enrolment, issued by their intended education provider, as part of their student visa applications, the statement said.
A new ‘genuine temporary entrant’ (GTE) criterion was also implemented 5 November. According to the department, the criterion addresses whether the individual circumstances of an applicant indicate that their intention is for a temporary stay in Australia. It will be assessed by interview in most cases and will consider the student’s background and the value of the course to their future.

Additionally, the financial requirements for certain student visa applicants have been reduced, meaning students will need up to AUD36,000 less in the bank when applying for a visa. The department noted that “applicants for the vocational education and training and private education sectors in particular will benefit from this change”.

Other changes that are now in place include:

• Extending the time new PhD students can stay in Australia on a subclass 574 visa while their thesis is being marked;
• Discontinuing pre-visa assessment policy to help speed up visa processing;
• Allowing prepaid homestay fees to be included in the financial requirements assessment for a student visa;
• English language students can apply for a visa without first meeting minimum English skills requirements

“The change that came in this week recognises that the financial requirements for student visas were often too onerous, and discouraged applicants from choosing Australia as their preferred study destination,” said Bowen. “We want to avoid the situation where student visa holders are desperate to stay in Australia to work to pay off large study debts amassed at home.”

“While international students may aspire to remain in Australia, if they cannot achieve permanent residency or long-term employee sponsorship, they need to return to their home countries,” Mr Bowen said.

The majority of the stage two Knight Review changes are proposed to be implemented by mid 2012 with some other changes to commence in early 2013.

Please check our our Australian programs on our websiste: http://www.globalvisasupport.com.

The resources sector of Australia, which includes industries such as mining, are concerned about expected skills shortages as a number of multi-billion dollar projects get underway.

The BCA has urged the government to make changes to the 457 visa program and introduce a special faster labour agreement to approve visas for large projects.

The BCA said many employers are concerned about lengthy delays and paperwork involved in hiring temporary overseas workers.

A recent briefing with Immigration Minister Chris Bowen warned that at least 140,000 skilled migrants were caught up in a processing backlog of up to 28 months.

The immigration department recently announced speedier visa decisions for companies involved in reconstruction efforts related to the recent floods. The BCA wants that agreement expanded to other projects.

The resources sector of Australia, which includes industries such as mining, are concerned about expected skills shortages as a number of multi-billion dollar projects get underway.

The BCA has urged the government to make changes to the 457 visa program and introduce a special faster labour agreement to approve visas for large projects.

The BCA said many employers are concerned about lengthy delays and paperwork involved in hiring temporary overseas workers.

A recent briefing with Immigration Minister Chris Bowen warned that at least 140,000 skilled migrants were caught up in a processing backlog of up to 28 months.

The immigration department recently announced speedier visa decisions for companies involved in reconstruction efforts related to the recent floods. The BCA wants that agreement expanded to other projects.

If you are a student and no matter what your plan is to study in the United States starting from learning English in an ESL school or obtaining a degree from one of the American Universities on any subject under the sun, the bottom line is you would be required to obtain an F1 student visa for your self to get into the United States as a student.

It’s important that I mention that almost any one irrespective of the age of the person or his educational background might choose to apply for an F1 student visa. Also the procedure for the same is fairly simple and goes as per the under mentioned. Also you ought to understand that this is different than the exchange student visitor program that the United States patronizes by the recognized J1 visa program which is primarily a sponsored program and has a whole bunch of different details attached with it.

1. Download the F1 student visa guide for the purpose of application.
2. Now once that is done then you need t decide up on where in the United States you would choose to stay while you study
3. Now you need to choose up on the type of the school that you want to get an admission into. Like a college, a university, or may be a graduate school or an ESL school to learn English.
4. Now you need to get in touch with the school and initiate the admission process in to the same.
5. Once the school has accepted your admission request they would be issuing you a I 20 form. Please note that this I 20 form, is the going to be the most important part of the paper work that you prepare for the F1 student visa application.
6. Now you need to apply with the I 20 form to the United States embassy or Consulate for the F1 student visa, to the United States. Also please note that in case you are already in the United States than there are provisions that you would not be required to travel back to the home country. While your visa status is changed to that of a student.
7. While you travel to the United States on a F1 student visa for your studies. The United States government would allow you to work there legally too, for a limited number of hours every week to help you collect the money for the studies there.

The Green Card Lottery for immigrating to the United States is supposed to start soon. Yes, starting 2^nd October the applications for the lottery would be accepted, under the diversity visa 2011 program. Popularly this scheme is also known as the Green Card Lottery by lots of people around the world.

For decades now the United States has been a destination of choice for millions of people for the purpose of immigration. They look for a better living standard in the United States and through this program the dream of a lot of people now would come true. Under the Green Card lottery program the immigrants would not require sponsors for themselves, who are already residents of the United States. The activity of accepting the applications for the Green Card lottery would last for approximately 2 months and post that the same would be closed. The last date for submitting the application has been declared to be as the 30^th Nov 09.

There would be approximately 50000 visas that would be made available to people all over the world under the diversity visa 2011 program, to citizens of countries all over the world. The lucky people are to be chosen by a lucky draw. The people selected in this random selection procedure would get an opportunity to be a citizen of the United States come stay and work here. But this does not happen without having to fulfill any conditions.

The eligibility criteria which are mandatory, for any one to be eligible for the diversity visa 2011 program are.

1. The person should have a high school certificate or equivalent for the educational qualification.
2. Or with in the last 2 years the person should have atleast a work experience for a work type that would essentially require a two year training time.

The Unites States government would allow both the spouses to submit their applications which could be helpful in the procedure of making their chances better towards getting selected in the diversity visa 2011 program.

To apply for the diversity visa 2011 program otherwise known as the Green Card Lottery does not necessarily mean that you have to get in touch with a lawyer or an immigration agent, provided you are able to prepare the paperwork your self. Its extremely important that do prepare the paperwork correctly else your application would stand rejected in the lottery.