Closure of ACT nomination program to overseas applicants for 2015/16 – Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa – Australia Immigration

Effective immediately (18 March 2016 at 4pm AEST) – The ACT Migration program is closed to all overseas residents. If the applicant is not in Australia, they will not be able to apply for ACT nomination of a Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa until the program reopens on 1 July 2016. Applications for ACT nomination submitted before 4pm 18th March 2016 will still be processed in queue order. Please note, the current processing time is 3 – 4 months due to the large number of applications received post publication of the February 23 Occupation List. CANBERRA RESIDENTS This action does not affect Canberra based applicants. If the applicant is living in Canberra the 190 ACT nomination program is still open if they meet the nomination criteria. The average processing time of applications from Canberra residents is 4 weeks. Source: Migration Agents News – directly sent to Migration agents by the States.

SkillSelect 17 February 2016 Round Results

The table below shows the number of invitations issued in the SkillSelect invitation round on 17 February 2016.

Invitations issued on 17 February 2016

Visa Subclass	Number
Skilled – Independent (subclass 189)	1,600
Skilled – Regional Provisional (subclass 489)	5

During 2015-16 the following number of invitations have been issued:

Invitations issued during 2015-16

Visa subclass	July	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Total
Skilled – Independent (subclass 189)	2,300	2,300	2,300	2,000	2,300	1,400	4,800	3,200	20,600
Skilled – Regional Provisional (subclass 489)	80	80	80	40	40	10	10	10	350
Total	2,380	2,380	2,380	2,040	2,340	1,410	4,810	3,210	20,950

The above figures do not include invitations issued for State and Territory Government nominated visa subclasses. State and Territory Governments nominate throughout the month for specific points tested skilled migration and business innovation and investment visas. Separate results for these visa subclasses are provided monthly.

17 February 2016 results

The following graph shows the points for clients who were invited to apply in the 17 February 2016 round.

Invitation process and cut offs

The highest ranked clients by points score are invited to apply for the relevant visa. For clients who have equal points scores, the time at which they reached their points score for that subclass (referred to as the visa date of effect) determines their order of invitation. Expressions of Interest with earlier dates of effect are invited before later dates.

Visa Subclass	Points score	Visa date of effect
Skilled – Independent (subclass 189)	60	10 February 2016 4.37 pm
Skilled – Regional Provisional (subclass 489)	70	16 February 2016 2.42 pm

Due to the continuing high numbers of EOIs received for the below occupations, invitations for these occupations will be issued on a pro rata basis in each monthly invitation round over the 2015-16 programme year. These arrangements are subject to change throughout the programme year.  SkillSelect first allocates available places to Skilled – Independent (subclass 189) visas and then remaining to Skilled – Regional (subclass 489) (Provisional – Family Sponsored) visas. If all places are taken up by subclass 189 visas then there will be no invitations issued for subclass 489 visas in these occupations:

• ICT Business and Systems Analysts
• Accountants
• Software and Applications Programmers.

The points score and the visa date of effect cut-off for the above occupations in the 17 February 2016 invitation round is as follows. Below points score and visa date of effect is for Skilled Independent (subclass 189).

Points scores and the visa dates of effect cut off for the above occupations in the 17 February 2016 invitation round

Points	Description	Points score	Visa date of effect
2211	Accountants	65	23 September 2015 1.08 am
2611	ICT Business and System Analysts	60	20 March 2015 7.11 pm
2613	Software and Applications Programmers	60	12 December 2015 12.49 am

 

Occupation Ceilings:

An occupation ceiling will be applied to invitations to apply to migrate under the points based skilled visas of the general skilled migration programme. There will be a limit on how many invitations are issued in these subclasses for a particular occupation to ensure that the migration programme is not dominated by a small number of occupations.

Occupational ceilings do not apply to, State or Territory Nominated, Employer Sponsored or Business Innovation and Investment visa subclasses.

Due to high levels of demand, the below three occupation groups will be subject to pro rata arrangements to ensure availability of invitations across the programme year:

• ICT Business and System Analysts
• Software and Applications Programmers
• Accountants.

The table below shows the occupation ceilings for the 2015-2016 programme year for each occupation on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) by four-digit ANZSCO code unit group, and the number of invitations issued for each occupation in the current programme year to date:

Occupation ceilings for the 2015-16 programme year

Occupation ID	Description	Ceiling Value	Results to date
1331	Construction Managers	5640	75
1332	Engineering Managers	1014	21
1335	Production Managers	3582	3
1341	Child Care Centre Managers	1000	11
1342	Health and Welfare Services Managers	1410	38
2211	Accountants	2525	1605
2212	Auditors, Company Secretaries and Corporate Treasurers	1000	1000
2241	Actuaries, Mathematicians and Statisticians	1000	56
2245	Land Economists and Valuers	1000	29
2312	Marine Transport Professionals	1000	38
2321	Architects and Landscape Architects	1650	229
2322	Cartographers and Surveyors	1000	41
2331	Chemical and Materials Engineers	1000	396
2332	Civil Engineering Professionals	2970	901
2333	Electrical Engineers	1230	431
2334	Electronics Engineers	1000	637
2335	Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers	1788	1326
2336	Mining Engineers	1000	144
2339	Other Engineering Professionals	1000	913
2341	Agricultural and Forestry Scientists	1000	102
2346	Medical Laboratory Scientists	1362	104
2347	Veterinarians	1000	60
2349	Other Natural and Physical Science Professionals	1000	23
2411	Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teachers	1980	108
2414	Secondary School Teachers	8352	338
2415	Special Education Teachers	1158	17
2512	Medical Imaging Professionals	1092	68
2513	Occupational and Environmental Health Professionals	1578	66
2514	Optometrists and Orthoptists	1000	21
2521	Chiropractors and Osteopaths	1000	23
2524	Occupational Therapists	1000	76
2525	Physiotherapists	1104	99
2526	Podiatrists	1000	28
2527	Speech Professionals and Audiologists	1000	41
2531	General Practitioners and Resident Medical officers	3558	258
2532	Anaesthetists	1000	32
2533	Internal Medicine Specialists	1000	34
2534	Psychiatrists	1000	24
2535	Surgeons	1000	17
2539	Other Medical Practitioners	1000	427
2541	Midwives	1000	30
2544	Registered Nurses	13872	1882
2611	ICT Business and Systems Analysts	1536	1366
2613	Software and Applications Programmers	5364	4544
2631	Computer Network Professionals	1986	1460
2633	Telecommunications Engineering Professionals	1000	502
2711	Barristers	1000	3
2713	Solicitors	3252	187
2723	Psychologists	1212	65
2725	Social Workers	2166	143
3122	Civil Engineering Draftspersons and Technicians	1000	49
3123	Electrical Engineering Draftspersons and Technicians	1000	17
3132	Telecommunications Technical Specialists	1000	21
3211	Automotive Electricians	1000	7
3212	Motor Mechanics	6108	123
3222	Sheetmetal Trades Workers	1000	5
3223	Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers	4416	36
3232	Metal Fitters and Machinists	8070	51
3233	Precision Metal Trades Workers	1000	2
3241	Panelbeaters	1134	2
3311	Bricklayers and Stonemasons	1656	42
3312	Carpenters and Joiners	7290	124
3322	Painting Trades Workers	2802	26
3331	Glaziers	1000	1
3332	Plasterers	1866	12
3334	Wall and Floor Tilers	1284	4
3341	Plumbers	5130	72
3411	Electricians	8772	127
3421	Airconditioning and Refrigeration Mechanics	1038	16
3422	Electrical Distribution Trades Workers	1000	8
3423	Electronics Trades Workers	2076	32
3513	Chefs	2475	93
3991	Boat Builders and Shipwrights	1530	0
3941	Cabinetmakers	1000	4
4112	Dental Hygienists, Technicians and Therapists	1000	34