Australian Immigration Daily News

The following is an email received by Migration Alliance from Vetassess which clears up questions that RMAs have asked during our Brisbane conference:

Here is my reply to the following questions I received  at the VETASSESS presentation I gave to Migration Alliance last Saturday in Brisbane.  You kindly offered to arrange for my reply to be forwarded to the agents who attended that presentation.

Questions

1.       Is our Pathway 2 criteria the same as TRA’s?

Answer:  Yes, our criteria is the same as TRA’s as we are required to follow the Pathway 2 criteria specified by TRA.  The TRA website explains this pathway:

Pathway 2, under the Offshore Skills Assessment Program, is for applicants who hold a relevant Australian qualification.

The TRA website advises applicants for a Pathway 2 assessment as follows:

You must submit decision ready* documentary evidence of your skills, employment experience and Australian qualification to a TRA-approved RTO for assessment. The RTO you choose will tell you what documentation is required.

You must demonstrate at least three years full time paid employment in a relevant and directly related trade, including 12 months full time paid employment in the nominated trade in the two years before you lodge your application. Evidence of employment undertaken on a part time basis can also be considered and counted toward the employment requirement on a pro rata basis.
 
If your evidence demonstrates that you have the necessary skills and experience relevant to your nominated occupation, you will be invited to participate in a technical assessment ………….
 
If successful, your TRA-approved RTO will issue you with a skilled migration outcome letter that can be presented to DIAC with your visa application.

If unsuccessful, the RTO will advise you of gaps identified in your skills and experience.

2.       Do Australian trade qualifications  achieved through RPL of employment meet the VETASSESS employment criteria for a Pathway 2 Skills Assessment?

Answer:  The RPL employment will be taken into consideration against the criteria for Pathway 2 criteria (see above). Generally, successful VETASSESS Pathway 2 applicants have worked several years in their nominated trade occupation with recent employment in that trade before they gain an Australian trade qualification.  This employment may have been undertaken on-shore or off-shore.

3.       Can VETASSESS provide a Skills Assessment for an air-conditioning mechanic from Israel?

Answer:  No, under an agreement with TRA, VETASSESS only assesses air-conditioning tradespersons from the United Kingdom.   Applicants in this trade from other countries should contact TRA for advice.

Regards,

Rosemary Woodger
Acting Executive Director
VETASSESS

The incoming coalition government has put to the sword Andrew Metcalfe, who for many years was the secretary and head of DIAC. Mr Metcalfe oversaw a number of paradigm shifts on innovations in policy and law whilst he headed up the Department.

A few years ago there has seemed to be a failure on part of DIAC to engage members of the public (its clients) and RMAs. DIAC initiated a program around the slogan ‘people are our business.’

Mr Metcalfe was a very strong head of DIAC and oversaw a culture of control driven by DIAC with successive Ministers being deeply influenced by departmental strategic and tactical initiatives.

Scott Morrison is the new Minister for Immigration & Border Protection.  He is already moving quickly to address the vexed and polarised issues around irregular maritime arrivals.

As of today, no permanent protection visas will be issued to unauthorised arrivals. They will have to apply for temporary protection visas (TPVs).  Since there are no statutory provisions for TPVs, more than 23,000 bridging visa E holders will be living in legal limbo for sometime until the new laws are passed.

It would be a safe bet to conclude that a TPV bill will be introduced quickly and it will find support from a wounded Labor parliamentary party.

The Migration Alliance also anticipates Bob Correll PSM will become the new Secretary of the newly labeled Department.  Mr Correll, known as ‘Uncle Bob’, in the Australian Public Service, was a Deputy Secretary to Immigration, and Employment before that. He has spent the last twelve months or so as Morrison’s closest adviser on migration matters.  Bob is no neophyte to the job.

The other big area of reform will be around some relaxation of temporary sponsored work visas. The pendulum is about to swing back towards employers and against red-tape with regards to 457 visas – the largest visa category granted in the overall migration program. 

Already, the July 2013 reforms are creating a flood of rejections, appeals and compliance issues, as anecdotally reported to the Migration Alliance. It will reach crisis levels if not addressed immediately.

With 457 visas, there will be less bipartisanship.

Tony Abbott has long been supporter of a ‘Big Australia’. He wants the Department to be both the good cop and the bad cop with regards to the migration program.

The Prime Minister has said previously about a multicultural migration program:

“Australians have usually made it easier for immigrants to embrace their new home by appreciating that they would come to terms with life here in their own way and at their own pace. In the meantime, the different accents and different flavours of contemporary Australia have been a strength, not a weakness.”

His views are very generous. Indeed Abbott has stated the commitment of migrants to Australia should not be questioned.

It augurs well.

Since 1996, the migration program has become more weighted towards migrants who have English language abilities, qualifications and are generally self-reliant taxpayers.  It has left Australia better able to address its ageing population pressures.

Former ALP Senator and commentator, John Black, noted in the The Weekend Australia recently that the Liberals election messages were penetrating the migrant voter more than ever where migrants have strong English capacities. Where the capacity is weaker, they do not hear the Liberal message, which is filtered through migrant press and radio.

The political implication being a shift in the way migrant voters vote. It is a more aspirational professional class of migrant voter than the previous generation.  Over recent years, many international students and temporary work visa holders, who eventually become voting citizens have keenly felt the growing red-tape as much as migration agents and businesses. 

The Liberal messages resonate more than ever to migrant constituencies. 

Can the Liberal machine maintain that political advantage over the longer term and create a new constituency for itself?

An Abbot Government should be able to help forge a new national consensus about growing Australia through the migration program, one that resonates with votes in western Sydney and multicultural Melbourne.

As always, the policy proof will be in the legislative pudding.

The Migration Alliance will be expecting some strong outcomes for the student and skilled migrant visa reforms as a priority.  

It is also expecting a more relaxed culture in the Department with fewer arbitrary powers around ‘genuine temporary entrants’ and a renewed commitment to resolve the migration status to avoid the growing number of appeal applications and visa over-stayers. 

This instrument operates by specifying classes of persons who are eligible to make an application for a subclass 600 (Visitor) visa to Australia via the internet on form 1419 (Internet).

For more information and further details click here:

http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2013L01699

Sydney Tafe held a Scholarship Presentation on 18 June 2013 to acknowledge students who were awarded scholarships from the contributions received through 457 Training Benchmarks. Migra

457 business sponsors were invited to the presentation to see first hand how their funds were used. 

Each student told their own story of how the funds have helped them to achieve their potential:    

•    Tim is an Aboriginal student who has overcome personal life challenges and is now studying music.  Tim wants to “help people through music” and volunteers teaching piano at Redfern Community Centre.
•    Adam is a young refugee orphan who arrived in Australia at age 14 with minimal schooling and no English language skills.  Adam wants to be a builder and is now studying building and construction. 
•    Alex has overcome homelessness to follow his goal of studying and working in the field of audio and sound production.
  
Business sponsors can easily become an acknowledged sponsor of a Sydney Institute scholarship for a student enrolled in a course related to their industry.  The following link provides further information: