Here’s everything you should know about Skilled Migration November 2019 changes. We know this is super important for many of you, so this edition is extra special and is straight from our Principal Migration Agent and former-Immigration Officer (he literally wrote this blog for you)!
1. REPLACEMENT OF 489 WITH 491
- 491 is a temporary visa
- Must now only live in designed regional areas while holding the 491 visa
- Eligible for PR via the 191 visa
- Cannot switch to some other permanent visa types like 189, 820/801, etc.
- Visa will be granted for 5 years, instead of 4
2. REPLACEMENT OF 187 (RSMS) WITH 494
- No longer a permanent visa; 494 is a temporary visa
- Will need to work for 3 years in a designated regional area to be eligible for PR
- No longer need an employer to sponsor you for the PR application
- Eligible for PR via the 191 visa
- Cannot switch to some other permanent visa types like 189, 820/801, etc.
3. REPLACEMENT OF 887 WITH 191
- 191 is a permanent visa
- Will need to live and work in a designated regional area for 3 years, instead of 2
- Must now also earn a minimum salary (now confirmed to be $53,900) for the last 3 financial years prior to being eligible for PR
- Salary to be demonstrated through official tax Notice of Assessments
- Will also be available for 494 visa holders
4. POINTS TEST CHANGES – PARTNERS
- Applicants without partners, and those whose partners have both the relevant skills assessment and competent English, will score 10 additional points
- Applicants with “unskilled” partners with only competent English will score 5 additional points
- Applicants with partners with neither competent English nor the relevant skills assessment will no additional points
5. POINTS TEST CHANGES – OTHERS
- 491 visa sponsorship/nomination will now add 15 points instead of 10
- Obtaining a Masters by Research or PhD in engineering, ICT, or science in Australia will score 10 points instead of 5
Tips from our principal migration agent
I have noticed that some people view the 491 visa as if it’s a new pathway to PR. In actual fact, the 491 visa’s requirements to transition to PR are harder than those of the 489 visa.
Potential applicants should also be aware that to get the 491 visa to begin with, the same principle of first requiring state nomination (or family sponsorship) still applies.
Nomination would generally require you to move to a particular state to work and/or study, before you can apply for nomination and subsequently the 491 visa.
As for the state in which you choose to do this depends on the state’s requirements and your situation. I would recommend waiting until after the November changes to re-calibrate your plans for state nomination, as some states may likely change their requirements in response to the changes from Immigration listed above.
In anticipation of these major changes and to allow authorities to communicate all required changes and our team to update all the fact sheets, we will be postponing our PR Strategy Sessions until Monday, 25 November 2019.
Want to make an advanced booking to secure your preferred time? Feel free to do so here.
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