Blog

“I think I can do this alone, why would I need a migration agent?” If you know exactly what you are doing and if you feel confident lodging your own visa application, then NO, you wouldn’t need a migration agent. If you are up-to-date with the latest legislation changes, are familiar with exemptions to rules and regulations and also know what exact documents are required in support of your application, then you are ready to lodge your visa application by yourself. However, if you have read a lot of information about your specific visa on the internet and are not sure how to interpret the information then, YES you would be advised to consult a migration agent. If you hear “advice” from different people who are contradicting themselves and they all tell you to do one thing or the other because it’s worked for them, then YES you should definitely consult a migration agent. If your case is complex and doesn’t tick all the boxes, then that’s a big YES too. What does a migration agent do? How much will the migration agent cost? The costs can vary significantly depending on the visa you are applying for.  The costs also depend on: Can a migration agent fast-track  your application? No, they cannot. However, it is their job to make your migration process easier and thereby faster. You won’t need to spend hours, days or even weeks in endless forums on the internet only to hear contradicting advice and not have a clear understanding of your own situation. Where can I find a migration agent? If you wish to consult a migration agent, you absolutely need to make sure he/she is a registered migration agent with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority. You can use the registry to find a registered migration agent. If an migration agent has been recommended to you, make sure to look them up in the registry to ensure they are registered. If you have any questions or would like to request a consultation, you can contact us any time.

This list of eligible skilled occupations is valid as of 17th January 2018. Currently, these occupations are “stuck in traffic” meaning they might be removed, added or moved between the lists. On this page you will find occupations that have been added to the lists have been moved between the MLTSSL and the STSOL have been completely removed from the lists state occupations have caveat changes only These changes will only have an impact on applications that have been lodged either ON or AFTER 17 January 2018. If you have lodged an application BEFORE the 17th of January 2018, you will not be impacted by these changes. 1. New Occupations added to the STSOL Property Manager ***  Caveats: The following positions are excluded: if the nominated base salary is less than AUD$65,000 if the positions is with a businesses that has less than 5 employees if the position is with a business that has an annual turnover of less than AUD$1M positions that are not in regional Australia – see Eligible Postcodes in Regional Australia. Psychotherapist No Caveats Real Estate Representative *** Caveats: Excludes any of the following positions: if the nominated base salary is less than AUD$65,000 if the positions is with a businesses that has less than 5 employees if the position is with a business that has an annual turnover of less than AUD$1M positions that are not in regional Australia – see Eligible Postcodes in Regional Australia. 2. Occupations moved from STSOL to the MLTSSL Horse Breeder *** Caveat: The following positions are excluded: positions that predominantly involve low skilled tasks (e.g. fruit picking or packing, feeding of livestock or animals); or positions that are not located in regional Australia – see Eligible Postcodes in Regional Australia. Note: this caveat has not changed. Management Consultant *** Caveat: The following positions are excluded: positions in businesses that have an annual turnover of less than AUD$1M positions in businesses that have less than 5 employees; or positions with a nominated base salary that is less than AUD$90,000. Note: Amended caveat – base salary requirement raised to $90,000. 3. Occupations no longer on the lists Building Associate (ANZSCO 312112) Hair or Beauty Salon Manager (ANZSCO 142114) 4. State Occupation Lists If you are looking for state occupation lists, we have them all summarised here. 5. Caveat Changes to Occupations     If you are looking for state occupation lists, we have them all summarised here.

IELTS Test for Australian Immigration – Will our Migration Expert pass it? Your English Test score will more often than not determine whether you qualify to apply for a certain visa or not. This is why during our consultation, we often discuss the English Test requirements and what your visa options based on your English Test score. There are multiple tests you can take if you wish to migrate to Australia but the IELTS test for Australian Immigration seems to be the one that the majority of people is most familiar with. So in order to understand our clients better and to see for ourselves what it is that they need to know to pass the IELTS test for Australian Immigration, our migration expert decided to take it himself. Read our interview with him about what he thinks about the IELTS test as an evidence of your English language skills: 1.Why did you take the test? Firstly, I took the test to understand the level of skill that may be required. I had always wanted to assess my English through IELTS as I’ve been in this industry for so long and have seen so many clients comment on the world’s most famous and probably the most widely accepted exam. This would allow me to better understand the clients situation and guide them in the correct path if they needed guidance. Secondly, it was also one of the ways that you can meet the English requirements to become a Registered Migration Agent (RMA). To become an RMA, an IELTS score of overall 7 (with a minimum of 6.5 in each) was required for me, which is technically ‘Competent English’ but can also mean I required Proficient English. Proficient English is where I am required to achieve a 7 in each (which would allow me to get 7 overall to meet the requirements to become an RMA) 2. What do you think was good about the test? I enjoyed the listening part of the exam, it was all very well organised, the service was good, and all the little things. As I have studied in Australia for more than 9 years of my life in Primary and Secondary School, and another 4+ years at university level, I understand the importance of English. In my opinion, the IELTS exam is not something that truly tests someone’s English language ability. 3.What did you think was bad about the test? In my honest opinion, the test is very old fashioned. Why? Because you sit down in a room for close to 3 hours doing the Writing, Reading and Listening Tasks (in that order). And afterwards you talk to someone in your Speaking part of the exam. Writing – It is not particularly difficult although there is time pressure. You write about the topic or question that they have asked ensuring that your spelling, grammar, punctuation and structure is in the proper manner. Although I am worried about the way they may be marking this. Reading – Reading starts off easy but becomes quite difficult. It’s more comprehension testing rather than your reading and understanding ability itself, although I know that they are interrelated. But the difficulty with choosing the matching passage to a statement or the correct word to a statement/passage does not clearly tell anyone my English reading and understanding ability when it comes to everyday communication, even if it is for business purposes. Listening – The listening part was quite easy as you listen and fill in the blanks initially. But it gets harder as you have to quickly read, interpret the person talking, and find the suitable sentence or appropriate word for the blanks. I would say this is one of the easier parts of the exam if you do not have trouble understanding different accents. Speaking – They ask some random questions in the 1 on 1 interview while everything is being recorded. Then they ask you to speak about something for 1-2 minutes which I found quite difficult. Being fluent in English meant I was talking quite quickly about the topic and managed to cover most things in under a minute so I started to deviate from the actual question. It is an awkward conversation and I believe your accent can have a great influence in the results. 4.Do you think the test is a good representation of a persons’ English language skills? Personally, I do not think this is a good representation. It’s a very old method and the same person may get slightly different results depending on the marker or even the country they take the test in. 5. What do you think of this test compared to other English tests? I have not sat other English exams but I do know what they involve and what they are like since clients often tell me. I believe PTE is a good exam which does not take a lot of time and is marked in a very fair manner as it is an electronically marked. The results are also released in roughly 24 hours as compared to the IELTS exam which takes 13 days. For healthcare professionals, there is also the option to take the OET, a test specifically designed for healthcare professionals. 6. What do you suggest our clients do before taking the test? I would definitely recommend preparing for any exam in order to improve your results. I personally studied and prepared for roughly 10 hours before sitting the exam. This is after studying in Australia for over 13 years of my life. It is always very important to understand the structure of the exam and the type of questions that may be asked. 7. Where can you find out what score you need to get for the test? Depending on what the purpose for you exam is, most requirements can be found on the DIBP website. Alternatively, you can always call us to find out exactly what score is needed for your individual visa requirements.

If you are reading this, then you are most likely thinking about moving to Australia. And if you are thinking about moving to Australia, you are also thinking about how to stay there. While many people try to test the waters first by coming to Australia on a temporary visa, a large group of people has already decided that they want to move permanently and they are looking for ways to do so. 1. Permanent Residency through Sponsorship Company Sponsorship If a company or organisation decides to sponsor you, they can do that temporarily (for example through 482 Visa Sponsorship) or they can  use the ENS Direct Entry Stream, which is a permanent employer sponsored visa. State Sponsorship An Australian state sponsorship can also be an option to live in Australia as a permanent resident. That means that if an Australian state or territory government decides to sponsor you based on your skills, you will be able to work and live in Australia as a permanent resident. Relative & Partner Sponsorship If you have a relative in Australia or you are married or in a de facto relationship with an Australian (or New Zealand) citizen/ (or permanent resident), they can sponsor you as well (see: Partner Visas).  2. Permanent Residency through Skills This visa is points-tested. That means that if you have enough points based on your skills, age, experience etc. you can get invited to apply for this visa. It allows you to work and live in Australia as a permanent resident. (link to visa on mca) If you are invited to apply, you will have to meet the points score indicated on your invitation letter. Here you will find the points table to calculate how many points you would get: How to calculate points for skilled migration? Don’t forget the first step in this “skilled” journey is to find your occupation on the list, see which visas you can apply for and then start getting your documents ready. If you don’t fit into any of these categories, or you can’t see your road here please contact us to help you find your way to Australia.

Australian Senate rejects proposed visa, citizenship curbs In what is seen to have become a landmark decision in Australian political history, the Labor, the Greens and the Nick Xenophon Team effectively blocked the proposed Citizenship Laws changes by striking down the bill in the Senate on Wednesday, the 18th. The Coalition wanted would-be Australians to take a tougher English language test, face a wait of at least four years before being granted citizenship and give more power to the minister. Mr Peter Dutton says he will not stop and that the Government will keep negotiating with the crossbench. Meanwhile, all citizenship applications received after 20 April 2017 will be processed under the existing laws.

Many people from overseas seek permanent residency in Australia. Indeed, Australia is known as one of the main ‘immigration nations’. For example, from 2014 to 2015, 68% of migrants under the migration programme were skilled migrants. With this in mind, one would wonder what the pathways to permanent residency are. In this blog we will discuss how Australian Accredited Qualifications can contribute to the fulfilment of the requirements of skilled migration. Vocational education, an opportunity to earn extra points Upon completion of an Australian Qualification provided by a Registered Training Organisation, Australian visa applicants can earn up to 10 points if the visa is part of the points-test system. Possibilities of getting these qualifications include online study which can be undertaken from anywhere in the world. For those who have professional experience, it is easy to get Recognition for Prior Learning (RPL). Trades courses at certificate and diploma levels, for instance, can help in the pursuit of permanent residency. The most popular trades qualifications Tradespeople commonly referred to as tradies are sought after in Australia. Once the applicant has completed the qualifications that meet the Australian requirements, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency in Australia. Below are the main stages: Skills Assessment Lodge Expression of Interest (EOI) State Nomination (if required) Visa application Being a skilled migrant, it goes without saying that skills assessment plays a critical role in the visa application process. This is where Australian qualifications come in handy to confirm that people have the skills they claim to have. The right resources Once a person decides to start the process, there is a lot of information out there. It can be time consuming to get your head around and some of the information can seem contradictory at first. The most credible source for migration-related information is the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) and registered migration agents who help at different stages from general information and guidance as well as assist in lodging the visa. If you are wondering where to start, you are not alone and there is available guidance towards your goals. Have a look at our partners as well. Have a look at their facebook page or contact them directly!

SkillSelect invitation – 6 September 2017 Round Results Announced During the current round, 1750 Skilled – Independent (subclass 189) and 46 Skilled – Regional Provisional (subclass 489) visas were issued. This is a drop from the number of invitations issued in the last two rounds. Visa subclass Jul Aug Sept Total Skilled – Independent (subclass 189) 2000 2000 1750 5750 Skilled – Regional Provisional (subclass 489) 210 256 46 512 Total 2210 2256 1796 6262 Point scores for the pro rata occupations in the 06 September 2017 invitation round remained at least 65. Occupation Identification Description Points score 2211 Accountants 85 2212 Auditors, Company Secretaries and Corporate Treasurers 75 2334 Electronics Engineer 65 2335 Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers 65 2339 Other Engineering Professionals 70 2611 ICT Business and System Analysts 70 2613 Software and Applications Programmers 65 2631 Computer Network Professionals 65

I have my bet on VET! The underrating of vocational education in and across the country is no new news. The new and in fact bigger and startling news is that vocational education and training (VET) may promise graduates a more auspicious and successful career than a university degree, or at least equivalent. Don’t only take my word for it. A latest report from McCrindle, which was commissioned by the Skilling Australia Foundation, advocates this claim, confirming that vocational education and training may take you places than its rich cousin: a multi-thousand dollar university degree. The report may disappoint a lot of people’s perceptions about vocational education, who take vocational education and training for an impracticable education with little to no promises of a bright future. And I say a “lot of people”, because according to the report, four in five parents would prefer their children go to university after school over pursuing vocational education. Now, nowhere I am asserting that a university degree has any less significance or value; but attaining vocational education, sandwiched between a high school certificate and a university degree can do wonders for the student, who later may or may not choose to pursue a university degree at all. Ok! Let’s put it this way: a vocational education may unlock a student’s potential three-folds and open new pathways and arenas for higher education. Although, according to the figures in the report, nearly half of Australians think VET is no longer as relevant as university, government figures indicate a different story, according to which nine of the top 10 occupations predicted to have the most jobs growth are in vocational training areas. Now that is a significantly substantial number. One that ought to be given huge attention. I found three findings of the report extremely encouraging. First that the median full-time income for a VET graduate is $56,000 compared with a $54,000 for an undergraduate; secondly that nearly eight in 10 VET graduates have a job soon after training, while only seven in 10 university graduates secure a job that soon after completing their degree. Lastly that more than nine in 10 trade apprentices have jobs after finishing training. These are amazing numbers and those that must not be neglected by the students themselves to gain hands-on skills in short time but one that requires immense dedication, by their parents and guardians to have confidence in them and VET and the government and other authorities to ensure proper and sufficient funding for students to gain hands-on skills. Australian VET in India The need for such skills acquisition becomes even more crucial in countries where the population growth is increasing several times faster than the rate of its expansion of education and literacy; and that is one of the objectives behind McKkr’s launching the Australian VET in India. After a careful research of the needs of the Indian and Australian education industries, McKkr’s TAFE Training developed a programme to offer six nationally recognised qualifications in partnership with Hunter TAFE. This has been a result of my prediction of the growing need for VET and its significance in Australia, India and the rest of the world and thus I took the Australian VET to India with a vision to make an effective and recognisable contribution in vocational education and training. It is time that we stop treating VET as a less respectable choice than a university degree and stop treating it as the latter’s poor cousin. McCrindle’s latest report on the significance of VET now corroborates what I have been reiterating for quite some time and is just a “cherry on top”.

IELTS Writing Mark Schemes Writing is tricky. Always. Not only in academic exams but also professional. The IELTS Writing section is one of such tricky exams to pass and since there are no exact answers to the questions, the score is extremely relative to the write-up produced. Tips always help so here is a table that will give you an idea about how writing sections are marked. This may help you score a point or two higher. Read carefully, because reading carefully is no less than a trick either. Band Task Achievement Coherence and Cohesion Lexical Resource Grammatical Range & Accuracy 9 fully satisfies all the requirements of the task clearly presents a fully developed response uses cohesion in such a way that it attracts no attention skilfully manages paragraphing uses a wide range of vocabulary with very natural and sophisticated control of lexical features; rare minor errors occur only as ‘slips’ uses a wide range of structures with full flexibility and accuracy; rare minor errors occur only as ‘slips’ 8 covers all requirements of the task sufficiently presents, highlights and illustrates key features / bullet points clearly and appropriately sequences information and ideas logically manages all aspects of cohesion well uses paragraphing sufficiently and appropriately uses a wide range of vocabulary fluently and flexibly to convey precise meanings skilfully uses uncommon lexical items but there may be occasional inaccuracies in word choice and collocation produces rare errors in spelling and/or word formation uses a wide range of structures the majority of sentences are error-free makes only very occasional errors or inappropriacies 7 covers the requirements of the task (Academic) presents a clear overview of main trends, differences or stages (General Training) presents a clear purpose, with the tone consistent and appropriate clearly presents and highlights key features / bullet points but could be more fully extended logically organises information and ideas; there is clear progression throughout uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately although there may be some under-/over-use uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility and precision uses less common lexical items with some awareness of style and collocation may produce occasional errors in word choice, spelling and/or word formation uses a variety of complex structures produces frequent error-free sentences has good control of grammar and punctuation but may make a few errors 6 addresses the requirements of the task (Academic) presents an overview with information appropriately selected (General Training) presents a purpose that is generally clear; there may be inconsistencies in tone presents and adequately highlights key features / bullet points but details may be irrelevant, inappropriate or inaccurate arranges information and ideas coherently and there is a clear overall progression uses cohesive devices effectively, but cohesion within and/or between sentences may be faulty or mechanical may not always use referencing clearly or appropriately uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task attempts to use less common vocabulary but with some inaccuracy makes some errors in spelling and/or word formation, but they do not impede communication uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms makes some errors in grammar and punctuation but they rarely reduce communication 5 generally addresses the task; the format may be inappropriate in places (Academic) recounts detail mechanically with no clear overview; there may be no data to support the description (General Training) may present a purpose for the letter that is unclear at times; the tone may be variable and sometimes inappropriate presents, but inadequately covers, key features / bullet points; there may be a tendency to focus on details presents information with some organisation but there may be a lack of overall progression makes inadequate, inaccurate or over-use of cohesive devices may be repetitive because of lack of referencing and substitution uses a limited range of vocabulary, but this is minimally adequate for the task may make noticeable errors in spelling and/or word formation that may cause some difficulty for the reader uses only a limited range of structures attempts complex sentences but these tend to be less accurate than simple sentences may make frequent grammatical errors and punctuation may be faulty; errors can cause some difficulty for the reader 4 attempts to address the task but does not cover all key features / bullet points; the format may be inappropriate (General Training) fails to clearly explain the purpose of the letter; the tone may be inappropriate may confuse key features / bullet points with detail; parts may be unclear, irrelevant, repetitive or inaccurate presents information and ideas but these are not arranged coherently and there is no clear progression in the response uses some basic cohesive devices but these may be inaccurate or repetitive uses only basic vocabulary which may be used repetitively or which may be inappropriate for the task has limited control of word formation and/or spelling; errors may cause strain for the reader uses only a very limited range of structures with only rare use of subordinate clauses some structures are accurate but errors predominate, and punctuation is often faulty 3 fails to address the task, which may have been completely misunderstood presents limited ideas which may be largely irrelevant/repetitive does not organise ideas logically may use a very limited range of cohesive devices, and those used may not indicate a logical relationship between ideas uses only a very limited range of words and expressions with very limited control of word formation and/or spelling errors may severely distort the message attempts sentence forms but errors in grammar and punctuation predominate and distort the meaning 2 answer is barely related to the task has very little control of organisational features uses an extremely limited range of vocabulary; essentially no control of word formation and/or spelling cannot use sentence forms except in memorised phrases 1 answer is completely unrelated to the task fails to communicate any message can only use a few isolated words cannot use sentence forms at all Source: http://www.examenglish.com/IELTS/IELTS_Writing_MarkSchemes.html