Australia

Piority Processing Effective From 23 September 2009

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship has set new priority processing arrangements for certain Skilled migration Visas. These arrangements are designed to better address the needs of industry by targeting skills in critical need across a number of sectors. The direction applies to applications have been finalized and will effective on every application after September 2009.

PRIORITY PROCESSING:-

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship power to consider and finalize visa applications in an order of priority that the Minister considers appropriate. The Minister has set priority processing arrangements which apply to the following visas from September 2009:

  • EMPLOYER NOMINATION SCHEME (ENS)
  • REGIONAL SPONSORED MIGRATION SCHEME (RSMS)
  • GENERAL SKILLED MIGRATION (GSM) visas except for:
  1. Skilled-Recognized Graduate Subclass 476
  2. Skilled-Designated Ares-Sponsored (Residence) Subclass 883
  3. Skilled-Regional Subclass 887

Under the Ministerial Direction, the following processing priorities apply:-

  • Applications from people who are Employer Sponsored under the ENS and the RSMS
  • Applications from people who are nominated by a State/Territory Government and whose nominated occupation is listed on the CRITICAL SKILLS LIST (CSL) as mentioned below
  • Applications from people who are sponsored by family and whose nominated occupation is listed on the CSL
  • Applications from people who are neither nominated nor sponsored but whose nominated occupation is listed on the CSL
  • Applications from people who are nominated by a State/Territory Government whose nominated occupation is not listed on the CSL
  • Application from people whose occupations are listed on the Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL)

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