Immigration News: August 2022

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Australia’s 2022-23 Migration Program year officially started on 1 July, and states and territories have started to open. To date, Victoria, ACT, Queensland and South Australia have opened, with Tasmania to follow soon.

1. Victoria Skilled Migration Program

Victoria’s Skilled Migration Program opened on 11 August 2022. It’s open to applicants living in Victoria and overseas. It provides two visa pathways – the subclass 190 and 491 visas:

Victoria will assess Registrations of Interest (ROIs) for these visas until May 2023. The state encourages applicants who weren’t selected to apply during the 2021-22 Migration Program to submit a new ROI for the 2022-23 program.

Five priority occupation groups

Victoria will prioritise five occupation groups to address its most urgent skills shortages when selecting ROIs:

  • Healthcare and social services
  • Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
  • Advanced manufacturing, digital and innovation economy
  • Chef, cook, accommodation and hospitality managers – for the 491 visa
  • Early childhood, secondary and special education teachers

2. Victoria Business Innovation and Investment Program

Victoria’s 2022-23 Business Innovation and Investment program opened on 30 August.

The program is open to applicants in Victoria and overseas and provides Business and Investor migrants with a pathway to permanent residency in Victoria.

There are four visa pathways available:

  • Business Innovation Stream (Subclass 188 Visa)
  • Investor Stream (Subclass 188 Visa)
  • Significant Investor Stream (Subclass 188 Visa)
  • Entrepreneur Stream (Subclass 188 Visa)

3. ACT Skilled Migration Program

The ACT received an interim allocation of places for the 2022-23 program year. The territory can invite applicants living in the ACT and overseas, and its program provides two visa pathways:

  • Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190): 800 places
  • Skilled Work Regional Visa (Subclass 491): 1,920 places

The ACT manages its migration program through the so-called Canberra Matrix system, which is the ACT`s ranking system.

Minimum scores in the ACT Matrix will remain high (i.e. around 85 points for a 190 nomination while the 491 minimum score required will be lower.)

The demand for ACT nomination far exceeds the annual allocation of nomination places. There is no guarantee that your Matrix score will be ranked, even if you meet the eligibility criteria.

4. Queensland State Nomination Program

The Queensland State Nomination Program 2022-23 has opened for subclass 190 and 491.

This program year is open to applicants living in Queensland and overseas, offering skilled migrants a pathway to permanent residency in Queensland.

Migration Queensland does not have an ROI (Registration of Interest) process, unlike many other states.

Instead, Migration Queensland assesses all eligible EOIs lodged in the SkillSelect system that meets its requirements and eligibility criteria.

Successful candidates will receive an email invitation to lodge a full state nomination with Queensland and will have to submit further required documents where required.

Invitations will go to the highest points per occupation. Migration Queensland may also consider other requirements in cases where there are many EOIs for a particular occupation on the same points – e.g. regional location and years of work experience.

EOIs will remain in the queue based on their original points score.

5. Tasmania Skilled Migration Program

Tasmania has received an interim skilled visa allocation of nomination places for the 2022-23 program year.

Tasmania’s interim allocation includes:

  • Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190): 2,000 places
  • Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 491): 1,350 places

The Department of Home Affairs will revisit this allocation after the first quarter of 2022-23 to ensure that it keeps addressing the state’s skill shortages appropriately.

The 2022-23 program opens in August

The Tasmanian Skilled Migration State Nomination Program will open during August:

Phase 1:

The initial phase will include successful candidates carried over from the 2021-22 year, as well as the selection, invitation, and nomination of candidates in the Overseas Skilled Occupation Profiles pathway.

It is advisable for overseas candidates interested in Tasmanian nomination to ensure their SkillSelect EOIs are up-to-date and reflect the profiles published on the Migration Tasmania website.

Furthermore, overseas applicants must have an occupation listed on the Overseas Skilled Occupation Profiles list, and overseas applicants can’t register in the Tasmania Gateway without being contacted by Migration Tasmania.

Phase 2:

The second phase will open the program to high-priority ‘Gold Pass’ and ‘Green Pass’ applicants.

Phase 3:

The final phase will open the program to registrations of interest from all eligible candidates.

Tasmania will provide further details regarding each phase of the reopening as the program’s opening progresses.

6. South Australia Skilled and Business Migration Programs

South Australia’s 2022-23 General Skilled Migration program is open.

The South Australian Government has published a revised skilled occupation list, outlining the skills it has to fill through overseas talent and migrants already living and working in the state.

South Australia’s list is one of Australia’s most expansive, with skilled migrants able to seek state nomination from over 500 occupations.

The number of occupations open to overseas migrants has returned to pre-COVID pandemic levels with over 470 occupations this year, up from 380 in 2021-22.

The focus is on highly skilled migrants in in-demand and growing industries and economic sectors

The 2022-23 Skilled Migration will prioritise nominations for skilled migrants:

  • with backgrounds in in-demand industries, such as Health, ITC, Education, Engineering, Agribusiness and Trades, or
  • who can bring their skills to growing sectors such as Hi-Tech/Digital, Health and Life Sciences, Green Energy, Defence, Space and Cyber Security.

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