Australian Immigration News – October 2019

• DAMA skills assessments (VIC, WA, SA QLD and NSW DAMAs)

• DAMA Skills Assessment processes: VETASSESS will be providing skills assessments for occupation for skilled and semi-skilled overseas workers for the following DAMA programs: SA – Adelaide City Technology and Innovation Advancement Agreement
  SA – South Australian Regional Workforce Agreement
  WA – Goldfields
  VIC – Great South Coast
  NSW – Orana (opening late September)
  QLD – Far North Queensland (opening soon)
• VETASSESS is the skills assessing authority for specified DAMA occupations not on the eligible skills lists.  DAMAs enable employers to sponsor overseas workers in a broader range of occupations than the existing skilled migration visa pathways. The occupations approved for each DAMA reflect the unique labour requirements in their region.

Visa applications for DAMA occupations with no skills and experience concessions, and normally available through the skilled migration program, will continue to have their skills assessed by the assessing authority indicated in the relevant legislation.

• Far North Queensland DAMA (FNQA) is now in operation. This DAMA features:
  • 70 occupations for employer sponsorship, including three non-ANZSCO occupations
  • pathways to permanent residency for holders of TSS visas granted under the FNQ DAMA in select occupations
  • a broad range of occupations that reflect FNQ skilled and semi-skilled shortages, with no caveats to apply
  • English language concessions for some occupations
  • salary concessions that reflect FNQ market rates, ensuring that worker terms and conditions of employment are not eroded
  • concessions relating to qualifications and experience for some occupations
  • a range of risk and integrity actions to ensure that the rights of both employees and employers are protected
  • a five year agreement to reduce red tape.
• Wimmera Times Online reports Wannon MP Dan Tehan and Immigration Minister David Coleman have visited regional Victoria to discuss the roll out of the Great South Coast region’s Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) before Christmas this year.

• Permanent Partner Visa cannot be refused until Temporary Visa is determined
• Additional requirements for NSW nominations
  • The additional requirement is to be currently living in NSW, and to have been employed in NSW for at least one year, in your nominated occupation.
• Canberra Matrix invitation round 2 September 2019
  •  Invitation date: 2 September 2019- Number of Invitations Issued: 111Matrix score range: All Matrix submitted with 130 to 70 points
• Working Holiday Visas: Increase to annual caps to a number of countries
  • changes to the WHM visa program which included: Expanding the regional areas where subclass 462 visa holders can work in agriculture
    (plant and animal cultivation) to qualify for a second year of stay in Australia
  • Increasing the period in which subclass 417 and 462 visa holders can stay with the
    same agricultural (plant and animal cultivation) employer, from 6 to 12 months.
  • The option of a third-year for subclass 417 and 462 visa holders who, after 1 July
    2019, undertake 6-months of specified work in a specified regional area during their
    second year
  • Offering an increase in the annual caps to a number of countries that participate in the
    subclass 462 visa program.
  • Increase the eligible age for subclass 417 visa applicants from Canada and Ireland to
    35.
• High Income Threshold increased: The High Income Threshold under the Fair Work Act increased on 1 July 2019 from $145,000 to $148,700. Applicants relying on meeting this threshold for an ENS or RSMS age exemption must ensure that the relevant threshold is met for each of the three requisite years.
• Points test changes from 16 November 2019: Applicants and intending migrants will not be disadvantaged by the changes to 6D points for Points Tested visas. These come into effect on 16 November 2019. SkillSelect will automatically update points for all Expressions of Interest (EOI) in submitted status.  This will not change the ‘date of effect’ for any EOI.