Immigration Lawyers and Migration Agents

Your Australian Visa Our Focus

On 30 Mar 2021 the Hon Karen Andrews MP was appointed as new Minister for Home Affairs.^[1]  This follows the previous Minister for Home Affairs the Hon Peter Dutton MP, being appointed as Minister for Defence the same day.^[2]

The Hon Alex Hawke MP continues in his role Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs.

Today it has been announced by Immigration SA that they have received a limited allocation from the Department of Home Affairs for GSM 491 visa and 190 visa nominations and Business/Investment visa nominations. 

On 4 December 2019, Immigration SA opened nomination applications for the new subclass 491 visa and re-opened nomination applications for the subclass 190 visa. At the same time some new selection requirements have been introduced.

Immigration SA has announced it will temporarily halt the granting of new business migration state nominations after it reached its quota from the Australian Government for the 2018/19 program year.

Immigration SA has announced it will temporarily will close its General Skilled Migration (GSM) state nomination application system from 24 June to early July 2019 in order to undertake system updates.

Tougher vetting imposed by Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has led migration to plummet to its lowest since 2007. As reported by the Department of Home Affairs, actual intake fell from 183,608 in 2016-2017 to a staggering 162,417 for the 2017-2018 financial year. This is attributed to a 46 per cent increase in visas being refused and an additional 17 per cent rise in application withdrawals due to the greater scrutiny, according to The Australian. Even though the government is not required to fulfil the current migration cap of 190,000, nearly every previous year they have.

Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP) State Nomination 188/132 Re-Opened for South Australia

Immigration SA has re-opened the application system for Business Innovation and Investment State nomination 188/132 on Monday 9^th July 2018. With the re-opening of the Business and Investment State nomination 188/132 applications it is very important to remember that there is a quota that determines the availability of applications. This means that there are limited places available and that the system will close again. As a result, it is important to apply as soon as possible.

Key terms: Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated visa – Subclass 489 Skilled Regional Sponsored visa – Immigration SA – State Nomination – End of Financial Year 2018

Immigration SA (South Australia) has announced that the online application system for the subclass 190 State Nominated Visa and subclass 489 Skilled Regional Sponsored Visa (State) nominations for South Australia will close at 9 a.m. Monday, 25 June 2018 (South Australian time).

If you do not submit and pay for the SA State Nomination application before the system closure, the incomplete application will be deleted.

You are advised to submit your SA state nomination application before the system closure, so that you are protected from any possible new changes on 1 July 2018.

However do note that you should only submit complete and well supported applications, to allow smooth processing of your application and a positive outcome.

If you need an assessment of your SA State nomination application, please contact Work Visa Lawyers as soon as possible to have an assessment.

Key terms: Migration Policy Changes – Online system outages – 1 July Changes – Western Australia State Migration – State Sponsorship – Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated visa – Subclass 489 Skilled Regional Sponsored visa – Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) – Australian citizenship

ImmiAccount System Outage on 30 June 2017

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) has announced that the ImmiAccount system will not be available from the following times:

New South Wales, Victoria, ACT, Queensland

9pm AEST Friday 30 June until 1pm Saturday 1 July 2017

South Australia, Northern Territory

8.30pm ACST Friday 30 June until 12.30pm Saturday 1 July 2017

Western Australia

7pm AWST Friday 30 June until 11am Saturday 1 July 2017

If you are thinking about submitting an online visa application you will need to do so before the times above.

Key terms: South Australia State Sponsorship – Chain Migration – High Points Nomination - Supplementary Skill List – Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated Visa – Subclass 489 Skilled Regional Sponsored Visa

Immigration South Australia (SA) has announced changes to its state sponsorship programme effective yesterday, 5^th April 2017. Two major changes were announced and the details are below.

Change to High Points Requirement

Immigration SA allows access to the Supplementary Skill List of occupations if a SkillSelect applicant is able to meet the high points requirement on the points test. Starting from yesterday the high points requirements has been increase from 80 to 85 points. Applicants will now need to seek additional 5 points to nominate occupations on the Supplementary Skill List or special condition occupations.

Occupations no longer eligible for High Points or Chain Migration Nomination

Hosted by the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA), the Friendship Cup continues to grow each year. The cricket friendly is a symbol of multiculturalism and some of the great healthy activities that South Australia has to offer.

The day got off to a tough start with a change of venue due to the heavy rains affecting the grounds. As a result the matches were moved and played at Victoria Park. The change in plans however did not dampen the great skills and enthusiasm which were on display on the day.

A total of 12 teams played in the Cup, representing Sri Lankan, Bhutanese, Nepalese, Indian, Pakistani, Afghan, the Australian Army and SAPOL community groups. Immigration SA and Adelaide University also participated in the 1-day event.

Immigration SA, the South Australia state department which manages state nomination policies and processes state nomination applications, has introduced a new nomination option for international graduates who studied in South Australian public universities.

What is a High Performing Graduate?

According to Immigration SA, you can claim to be a High Performing Graduate for SA state nomination by meeting ALL of the following requirements:

• Currently residing in South Australia
• Studied at a South Australian public university, which includes:
  • Flinders University
  • University of Adelaide
  • University of South Australia
• Completed one of the following qualifications:
  • PhD
  • Masters by Research
  • GPA of 6.0 or above in a Masters by Coursework degree (following completion of a Bachelor degree in South Australia)
  • First Class Honours in a dedicated Honours year (following completion of a Bachelor degree in South Australia)
  • GPA of 6.0 or above in a Bachelor degree

Note: GPA – Grade Point Average

High performing graduates from other South Australian higher education institutes may also be considered on a case-by-case basis. You will need to email your academic transcript to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

You should check that you meet the requirements above before emailing the Immigration SA team.

What is the benefit of obtaining the state nomination via the High Performing Graduate pathway?

Benefits in seeking state nomination via the High Performing Graduate stream include the following:

• Additional points for your Skill Select subclass 190 or 489 visa application

(Additional 5 points for subclass 190; additional 10 points for subclass 489)

• Access to a more extensive list of occupations on either the State Occupation List or the Supplementary Skilled List, including nominating occupations where “Special Conditions Apply”
• Obtain waivers for Immigration SA’s work experience and English language requirements

If you need further information, please contact Work Visa Lawyers via the contact details listed below.

Comments by Chris Johnston – Principal Lawyer and Registered Migration Agent at Work Visa Lawyers

South Australia has done it again. Previously the Immigration SA team introduced the High Points sponsorship option, to attract high calibre migrants for state sponsorship. With the introduction of the High Performing Graduate sponsorship pathway, it is expected that more General Skilled Migration applicants will be making South Australia their home. The additional sponsorship pathway is definitely welcomed among international graduates to seek extra points and waivers for their visa application.

Policies like this also make SA a more attractive place for International Studies. High achieving students may choose to study in SA due to the favourable state nomination requirements provided by Immigration SA for SA international graduates.

While the High Performing Graduate sponsorship option is available for graduates of the 3 public universities listed, SA international graduates from other institutes with excellent academic records can still seek SA nomination by sending their academic transcript to Immigration SA for consideration on a case-by-case basis. You should seek Immigration SA opinion if you have excellent grades.

You should also note that there are other criteria that need to be fulfilled, such as obtaining sufficient points in the Expression of Interest (EOI), meeting health and character requirements, and so on.

Always check with a Registered Migration Agent first before starting your visa application.

This information is accurate on 19 February 2016

Source:

1. http://www.migration.sa.gov.au/International-graduates/high-performing-international-graduates-of-south-australia

Do you need help with an Australian visa application?

At Work Visa Lawyers we are experienced in assisting applicants in all matters relating to Australian visa applications. Our areas of expertise include Skilled Migration visas, Business Skills Migration visas, Employer Sponsored Work Visas, Partner and other Family Migration visas as well as Migration Review Tribunal, Judicial Review and Ministerial Intervention.

If you require further information regarding your Australia visa options you can contact us through:

(08) 8351 9956 or +61 8 8351 9956

or   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.