Australian Immigration Daily News

1. TSS Update

The Department of Home Affairs (Home Affairs) advises that TSS applications will be processed in the following order:

1. applications lodged by accredited sponsors
2. applications lodged for positions that are located in a regional Australia
3. applications lodged under the Labour Agreement stream
4. all other applications

Processing time for TSS applications depends on a number of factors including the Stream under which an application is made as well as whether the nominee is an existing 457/482 visa holder.  On average, the processing time for a TSS application (as per updated Global Processing Time) is between 32 to 50 days in 75% of all cases.

Home Affairs also confirmed that it will no longer accept priority processing service requests as of 5 September.  This means that any TSS applications lodged on or after 6 September with accompanying priority processing request will result in the request no longer being acknowledged and the TSS application will be processed under the abovementioned arrangements.

1.      Employer Sponsored Entry Program

The Home Affairs released the following statement in relation to Employer Nomination as well as Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme.  The provisions will come into effect on Monday, 3 September 2018 which include new arrangements for managing queries regarding refusal decisions for the Permanent Employer Sponsored Entry (PESE) program (subclass 186 and 187 visas) will come into effect.

From 3 September 2018, all queries related to refusal decisions for subclass 186/187 visa applications should be sent to Employer Sponsored Program Management (ESPM) via the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. mailbox.

Running CPD’s at a higher cost does not in my view reflect that such CPD’s are better quality or that they contain substantial and relevant content needed by agents to work through such complex immigration framework.  I have been a solicitor for 8 years and worked in migration industry since 2009.  Those of us who have been in the industry long enough remember how simple it was to lodge a 457 nomination which virtually contained everything required to for a favorable assessment on the form. There were fewer submissions, no caveats, no begging and pleading with the Department.

In the year 2018, the rules are different, our industry has changed, and immigration became complex, very complex.  The complexity of our immigration framework requires diligent training and ongoing continuing professional support from those who know and understand this framework, those who can offer practical advice and those who are able to pass the knowledge to new and existing agents, in other words, being able to deliver a quality CPD session.  It is an unfortunate over simplification to state that running CPD sessions at higher prices guarantees quality and substance.

I was born and raised in Tajikistan and moved to Australia as a refugee at age of ten.  I went to a public school in the western suburbs which meant that my education was government funded.  I started my journey in Australia without any prior knowledge of English or Australian culture.  I did at the time have a great support system which included my family and my teachers at school.  I wanted to study law but given my socio-economic background the odds were not in my favour.  Nonetheless, I persevered to achieve my goal.  My school had quality teachers and they were receiving countless offers to  leave the public sector and work in private schools.  Nonetheless, they stayed because to them, it was not about the money, it was about the value of education and the ability to provide quality education to all students.  Their effort paid off as many of us went on to achieve our goals and pursue our dream careers. From very early stages of my life, I learnt that better education does not necessarily come from a higher cost.

Current invitation round

An invitation round for skill select took place on 4 October 2017 with the next round due on 18 October 2017. For the remainder of the year, invitation rounds will be issued twice per month.

The following information may be useful to those who submitted their expression on interest and currently waiting on an outcome:

This afternoon, Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) provided registered migration agents an update on employer sponsored visas 

Migration Alliance Members might find the following summary useful: