Migration Alliance queried the status of Priority Group 5 applications last week.  The DIBP have responded as follows:

Dear Ms Allan, XXXXXXX [name removed for privacy reasons] passed your e-mail to the Skilled Migration Policy branch as the issues raised by your members are handled in this branch. 

As you would appreciate, Australia runs a demand driven skilled migration program to meet the current and emerging skill needs of the Australian labour market and to strengthen the whole economy.  Skilled migration policies are tailored to meet this objective and have always changed to reflect the prevailing economic conditions of the time. 

Migration Alliance members might be interested in the verifications checks being used by case officers at the DIBP in relation to Training Benchmark B applications:

UNCLASSIFIED

To Whom It May Concern,

DIBP admits that it has used an RMA secret list in the allocation of applications to case officers but makes no apology for the use and insists that it has been for the purpose of ‘triaging’ applications.

In a recent statement DIBP says that the “list was previously used within the temporary or provisional Partner visa caseload to help triage and streamline the allocation of applications to officers of appropriate seniority, depending on the complexity of the case.”

The statement suggests that right up to October 2013, applications for partner visas were allocated to case officers according to the list. According to the statement the list was ‘removed from use between August and October 2013’.

This contradicts a news report that quotes an email from the director of the department's Migration Agents Policy section in March to a concerned migration agent that said "Lists A and B go back nearly 10 years so it is unfortunate that this has been dragged out again as they are really old ...".

The statement contends that, “Triaging applications based on complexity did not impact on visa decision-making”.

Australian legislation explicitly defines who is permitted to provide advice on matters governed by Australian Migration Law.

The specific law governs ALL visas.

The transfer to and entry into Australia is only permitted by holding a valid visa.