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On March 18th 2018 the new TSS visa replaced the old 457 visa. We have summarised the information most important for visa applicants and visa holders to know about this new TSS visa. 1.What if I am still waiting for a decision on my 457 visa? Applications that have been submitted before the 18th of March 2018 will continue to be processed under the “old” rules. We have also summarised the transition regulations for current 457 visa holders and 457 visa applicants. You can find all possible scenarios here . 2. What streams fall under the TSS visa? The TSS Visa has 3 streams. For the Short-term stream Your occupation must be on the STSOL You need to have relevant work experience of at least 2 years You genuinely intend to stay as a short term visa holder You will work directly for the sponsor unless exempt from this For the Medium-term stream Your occupation must be on the MLTSSL You need to have relevant work experience of at least 2 years You will work directly for the sponsor unless exempt from this Labour agreement stream This stream is for people who have negotiated a labour agreement with the Department. 3. How many years of work experience do I need to have? You have to have at least 2 years of work experience in the nominated occupation. This can be waived if you are sponsored under a Labour Agreement. 4. What is the English requirement for the TSS visa? For the Short-term stream you need to have an average of 5 in IELTS, with no scores under 4.5. Find all scores and alternative tests here . For the Long-term stream you need to have at least 5 in each band and it is not enough to have an average of 5. 5. What is the Health requirement for the TSS visa? This visa is subject to criterion 4007, which means that if the applicant has a health problem, they can still be granted a visa if the cost to the community is “not undue”. 6. What occupation lists should I look at? You can find an updated combined list of all occupations here. 7. Is there a work restriction on the TSS visa? The work restriction is similar to the previous 457 visa in that the person can only work for the sponsor in the occupation they have been sponsored under. Once granted, you must start work within 90 days of grant or arrival in Australia. The visa risks being cancelled if the visa holder stops working for more than 60 days. 8. How much does the TSS visa cost? Short Term Stream: $1,150 Medium Term Stream: $2,400 Labour Agreement Stream: $2,400 9. Is a 457 sponsorship approval also valid for the TSS Program? Yes, an existing sponsorship approval can be used for the TSS visa as well. A new TSS Sponsorship Approval is valid for 5 years. 10. What are the Labour Market Testing Requirements for the TSS visa? LMT means that employers who wish to sponsor someone on a TSS visa must first prove that they have first tried to fill the position with an employee in Australia. This usually involved showing that the position has been advertised but there were no suitable candidates available. 11. How will the Market Salary be assessed? It is expected that the minimum salary will be specified for some occupations (see also caveats ). The general Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold remains at a minimum of $53,000. The salary must be at least the Annual Market Salary for that position. 12. Are there any changes to nomination requirements? Yes, there are a few minor changes in the nomination requirements for the TSS visa. The TSS visa will only be for full time positions. The period of nomination must be exactly specified sating whether the nomination is for 1, 2, 3 or 4 years. The nomination costs must be paid by the sponsor.

“I think I can do this alone, why would I need a migration agent?” If you know exactly what you are doing and if you feel confident lodging your own visa application, then NO, you wouldn’t need a migration agent. If you are up-to-date with the latest legislation changes, are familiar with exemptions to rules and regulations and also know what exact documents are required in support of your application, then you are ready to lodge your visa application by yourself. However, if you have read a lot of information about your specific visa on the internet and are not sure how to interpret the information then, YES you would be advised to consult a migration agent. If you hear “advice” from different people who are contradicting themselves and they all tell you to do one thing or the other because it’s worked for them, then YES you should definitely consult a migration agent. If your case is complex and doesn’t tick all the boxes, then that’s a big YES too. What does a migration agent do? How much will the migration agent cost? The costs can vary significantly depending on the visa you are applying for.  The costs also depend on: Can a migration agent fast-track  your application? No, they cannot. However, it is their job to make your migration process easier and thereby faster. You won’t need to spend hours, days or even weeks in endless forums on the internet only to hear contradicting advice and not have a clear understanding of your own situation. Where can I find a migration agent? If you wish to consult a migration agent, you absolutely need to make sure he/she is a registered migration agent with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority. You can use the registry to find a registered migration agent. If an migration agent has been recommended to you, make sure to look them up in the registry to ensure they are registered. If you have any questions or would like to request a consultation, you can contact us any time.

This list of eligible skilled occupations is valid as of 17th January 2018. Currently, these occupations are “stuck in traffic” meaning they might be removed, added or moved between the lists. On this page you will find occupations that have been added to the lists have been moved between the MLTSSL and the STSOL have been completely removed from the lists state occupations have caveat changes only These changes will only have an impact on applications that have been lodged either ON or AFTER 17 January 2018. If you have lodged an application BEFORE the 17th of January 2018, you will not be impacted by these changes. 1. New Occupations added to the STSOL Property Manager ***  Caveats: The following positions are excluded: if the nominated base salary is less than AUD$65,000 if the positions is with a businesses that has less than 5 employees if the position is with a business that has an annual turnover of less than AUD$1M positions that are not in regional Australia – see Eligible Postcodes in Regional Australia. Psychotherapist No Caveats Real Estate Representative *** Caveats: Excludes any of the following positions: if the nominated base salary is less than AUD$65,000 if the positions is with a businesses that has less than 5 employees if the position is with a business that has an annual turnover of less than AUD$1M positions that are not in regional Australia – see Eligible Postcodes in Regional Australia. 2. Occupations moved from STSOL to the MLTSSL Horse Breeder *** Caveat: The following positions are excluded: positions that predominantly involve low skilled tasks (e.g. fruit picking or packing, feeding of livestock or animals); or positions that are not located in regional Australia – see Eligible Postcodes in Regional Australia. Note: this caveat has not changed. Management Consultant *** Caveat: The following positions are excluded: positions in businesses that have an annual turnover of less than AUD$1M positions in businesses that have less than 5 employees; or positions with a nominated base salary that is less than AUD$90,000. Note: Amended caveat – base salary requirement raised to $90,000. 3. Occupations no longer on the lists Building Associate (ANZSCO 312112) Hair or Beauty Salon Manager (ANZSCO 142114) 4. State Occupation Lists If you are looking for state occupation lists, we have them all summarised here. 5. Caveat Changes to Occupations     If you are looking for state occupation lists, we have them all summarised here.

IELTS Test for Australian Immigration – Will our Migration Expert pass it? Your English Test score will more often than not determine whether you qualify to apply for a certain visa or not. This is why during our consultation, we often discuss the English Test requirements and what your visa options based on your English Test score. There are multiple tests you can take if you wish to migrate to Australia but the IELTS test for Australian Immigration seems to be the one that the majority of people is most familiar with. So in order to understand our clients better and to see for ourselves what it is that they need to know to pass the IELTS test for Australian Immigration, our migration expert decided to take it himself. Read our interview with him about what he thinks about the IELTS test as an evidence of your English language skills: 1.Why did you take the test? Firstly, I took the test to understand the level of skill that may be required. I had always wanted to assess my English through IELTS as I’ve been in this industry for so long and have seen so many clients comment on the world’s most famous and probably the most widely accepted exam. This would allow me to better understand the clients situation and guide them in the correct path if they needed guidance. Secondly, it was also one of the ways that you can meet the English requirements to become a Registered Migration Agent (RMA). To become an RMA, an IELTS score of overall 7 (with a minimum of 6.5 in each) was required for me, which is technically ‘Competent English’ but can also mean I required Proficient English. Proficient English is where I am required to achieve a 7 in each (which would allow me to get 7 overall to meet the requirements to become an RMA) 2. What do you think was good about the test? I enjoyed the listening part of the exam, it was all very well organised, the service was good, and all the little things. As I have studied in Australia for more than 9 years of my life in Primary and Secondary School, and another 4+ years at university level, I understand the importance of English. In my opinion, the IELTS exam is not something that truly tests someone’s English language ability. 3.What did you think was bad about the test? In my honest opinion, the test is very old fashioned. Why? Because you sit down in a room for close to 3 hours doing the Writing, Reading and Listening Tasks (in that order). And afterwards you talk to someone in your Speaking part of the exam. Writing – It is not particularly difficult although there is time pressure. You write about the topic or question that they have asked ensuring that your spelling, grammar, punctuation and structure is in the proper manner. Although I am worried about the way they may be marking this. Reading – Reading starts off easy but becomes quite difficult. It’s more comprehension testing rather than your reading and understanding ability itself, although I know that they are interrelated. But the difficulty with choosing the matching passage to a statement or the correct word to a statement/passage does not clearly tell anyone my English reading and understanding ability when it comes to everyday communication, even if it is for business purposes. Listening – The listening part was quite easy as you listen and fill in the blanks initially. But it gets harder as you have to quickly read, interpret the person talking, and find the suitable sentence or appropriate word for the blanks. I would say this is one of the easier parts of the exam if you do not have trouble understanding different accents. Speaking – They ask some random questions in the 1 on 1 interview while everything is being recorded. Then they ask you to speak about something for 1-2 minutes which I found quite difficult. Being fluent in English meant I was talking quite quickly about the topic and managed to cover most things in under a minute so I started to deviate from the actual question. It is an awkward conversation and I believe your accent can have a great influence in the results. 4.Do you think the test is a good representation of a persons’ English language skills? Personally, I do not think this is a good representation. It’s a very old method and the same person may get slightly different results depending on the marker or even the country they take the test in. 5. What do you think of this test compared to other English tests? I have not sat other English exams but I do know what they involve and what they are like since clients often tell me. I believe PTE is a good exam which does not take a lot of time and is marked in a very fair manner as it is an electronically marked. The results are also released in roughly 24 hours as compared to the IELTS exam which takes 13 days. For healthcare professionals, there is also the option to take the OET, a test specifically designed for healthcare professionals. 6. What do you suggest our clients do before taking the test? I would definitely recommend preparing for any exam in order to improve your results. I personally studied and prepared for roughly 10 hours before sitting the exam. This is after studying in Australia for over 13 years of my life. It is always very important to understand the structure of the exam and the type of questions that may be asked. 7. Where can you find out what score you need to get for the test? Depending on what the purpose for you exam is, most requirements can be found on the DIBP website. Alternatively, you can always call us to find out exactly what score is needed for your individual visa requirements.

If you are reading this, then you are most likely thinking about moving to Australia. And if you are thinking about moving to Australia, you are also thinking about how to stay there. While many people try to test the waters first by coming to Australia on a temporary visa, a large group of people has already decided that they want to move permanently and they are looking for ways to do so. 1. Permanent Residency through Sponsorship Company Sponsorship If a company or organisation decides to sponsor you, they can do that temporarily (for example through 482 Visa Sponsorship) or they can  use the ENS Direct Entry Stream, which is a permanent employer sponsored visa. State Sponsorship An Australian state sponsorship can also be an option to live in Australia as a permanent resident. That means that if an Australian state or territory government decides to sponsor you based on your skills, you will be able to work and live in Australia as a permanent resident. Relative & Partner Sponsorship If you have a relative in Australia or you are married or in a de facto relationship with an Australian (or New Zealand) citizen/ (or permanent resident), they can sponsor you as well (see: Partner Visas).  2. Permanent Residency through Skills This visa is points-tested. That means that if you have enough points based on your skills, age, experience etc. you can get invited to apply for this visa. It allows you to work and live in Australia as a permanent resident. (link to visa on mca) If you are invited to apply, you will have to meet the points score indicated on your invitation letter. Here you will find the points table to calculate how many points you would get: How to calculate points for skilled migration? Don’t forget the first step in this “skilled” journey is to find your occupation on the list, see which visas you can apply for and then start getting your documents ready. If you don’t fit into any of these categories, or you can’t see your road here please contact us to help you find your way to Australia.