SkillSelect Update for August 2018

josie By Josie Marr
Monday, 10 September 2018

The Department of Home Affairs recently released data for the Skill Select Invitation round which took place on 11 August 2018.

This article compares these results to July and takes a look at how these changes may impact applicants.

The next invitation round is scheduled to take place tomorrow, 11 September 2018 however, we expect that information to be made available over the next few weeks.

Invitations

Again, we saw the number of invitations issued to visa applicant hopefuls increase.

2490 invitations were issued to prospective 189 visa applicants, up from 1000 last month, although the data also shows that people needed to score at least 70-75 points to be in with a chance.

10 invitations were sent to prospective 489 Regional Provisional visa applicants sitting on 80 points which has been no change from previous months.

Pro-rata occupations

Longer processing times applied to most pro-rata occupations that had a drop in point score whereas most of the pro-rata occupations that remained at the same point score continued to be processed in 4 weeks:
Occupation ID Occupation groups Point score (July) Date of effect Point score (August) Date of effect
2211 Accountants 85 06/07/2018 80 15/03/2018
2212 Auditors, Company Secretaries & Corporate Treasurers 80 16/02/2018 No change 14/03/2018
2334 Electronics Engineer 75 16/06/2018 No change 19/07/2018
2335 Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers 75 19/06/2018 70 04/12/2017
2339 Other Engineering Professionals 80 27/06/2018 75 16/05/2018
2611 ICT Business and Systems Analysts 80 05/07/2018 75 07/04/2018
2613 Software and Applications Programmers 75 11/04/2018 No change 20/06/2018
2631 Computer and Network Professionals 75 11/05/2018 70 27/09/2018

Pass mark increased

Prospective visa applicants are reminded that the pass mark increased from 60 to 65 on 1 July 2018.

This means that people who do not have a minimum point score of 65 points will not be considered for the 189, 190, or 489

What options do you have if you have not reached the points score required?

State and Regional Sponsorship

State sponsorship is an exciting option for many clients who have not been able to reach the point score for occupations under the 189 pathway.

More occupation choices

While applicants for the 189 must have an occupation on the MLTSSL, states and regions may be able to sponsor for MLTSSL, STSOL and ROL occupations. This means that there may be a greater opportunity for a migration pathway by seeking state or territory sponsorship.

What is the point score for State 190 and Regional 489?

The point score for most states and regions is still 65, including either:
  • 5 points for state sponsorship
  • 10 points for regional sponsorship
However, some states such as VIC and NSW places are competitive for some occupations and a higher point score may still be required.

Other ways to increase your points

Additional points many be awarded in a number of ways including, but not limited, to:
  • Increasing your level of English
  • Higher education in Australia or overseas
  • Years of work experience in Australia or overseas
  • NAATI
  • Professional Year
  • Partner points

Conclusion

Whilst it is encouraging to see the points scores for invitation decrease and the number of invitations increase in some areas, legislative changes are continuing to be made to the general skilled migration program and require close attention to detail. We strongly recommend prospective applicants to seek expert advice and guidance from a reputable Registered Migration Agent or practicing solicitor that specialises in Immigration law.

If you would like to know more about how these changes impact you please book a consultation with one of our advisors.

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