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Immigration Daily News Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS)/Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) policy update regarding changes to the ability to lodge Decision Ready applicationsAustralian Immigration Daily News
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Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS)/Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) policy update regarding changes to the ability to lodge Decision Ready applications
Migration Alliance received the following email from the DIBP on 2 January 2014, an announcement which refers to a change happening for RMAs in late December 2013! After the fact....but anyway....
Dear Registered Migration Agents
From late December 2013 registered migration agents will no longer be able to lodge applications with the department via the ‘Decision Ready’ process (see Agents Gateway for further information). All applications lodged under the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS)(Subclass 186) and Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS)(Subclass 187) visa programmes will now be queued and allocated by date of lodgement with the department. Further information will be available on the Agents Gateway shortly.
The department would like to remind agents that the department recognises that registered migration agents play an important part in delivering our programmes. We are looking to strengthen our working relationship with migration agents, with a view to improving visa processing times for clients. The most important way that you can assist the department is by lodging complete visa applications. This significantly helps us to process applications quickly and efficiently and benefits our mutual clients.
Where you have any queries on the above update, please ensure those queries are directed through the ‘Permanent Employer Sponsored Visas’ channel available in the form of the Agents Gateway: www.immi.gov.au/gateways/agents/contact/feedback/
Kind regards,
Migration Agents Policy Section
Visa Framework & Family Policy Branch
Department of Immigration and Border Protection
Comments
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Monday, 06 January 2014"Great decision" in context of statement "We are looking to strengthen our working relationship with migration agents, with a view to improving visa processing times for clients".
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Monday, 06 January 2014
Sent this in to the MAS about 10 mins ago:
To the Manager
Thanks for the email.
Was there any reason for this to be axed?
Was there any high level stakeholder consultation about this decision?
Why was the notification sent out on January 2nd 2014 when the decision came into effect in late December 2013?
Agents are starting to feel angry about 'lack of notice'.
Thanks. -
Monday, 06 January 2014Thank you Liana!
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Monday, 06 January 2014
Another Departmental brain wave that will ensure exactly the opposite of the purported aim. Not dissimilar to the axing of interviews for partner visas that has seen decision ready applications taking 15 months or more as opposed to as quickly as 45 minutes prior to change. Maybe it is a way to try to justify the several thousand dollars our clients pay for what is, in reality an hour or two of paper shuffling. It would be interesting to see OMARA's [and their overseers at DIBP] opinion if RMAs were to charge a similar fee, taking into account that DIBP staff do NOT have to satisfy any continual eligibility criteria.
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Monday, 06 January 2014
Just so that the Department realizes that we are actually checking the agents gateway, there is no "further information" anywhere on any corner of the website, the gateway, or anywhere else for that matter. So, what "Further" information could we have about this seemingly random decision?
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Monday, 06 January 2014
it seems that the more we went forward in relations with the Dept, the more we also went backwards [back to the good old days. Funny, but I recall some years ago after a similar bout of confrontation, the Dept in the Western region for a short time invited local agents to "meet their officers" over a cup of tea. What now? a cup of hemlock??? RBOck
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Monday, 06 January 2014
Thanks Liana. I believe that this is an extremely poor decision that could have negative consequences for many RMA's who, like myself, use our access to the DRC program as a point of differentiation when talking to potential clients. If we can't offer the assurance of a priority application, there is definitely a dis-incentive for clients to use RMA's at all. And for DIBP to frame this statement in a release that says that they recognise our value and want to strengthen their relationship with the industry is unfathomable.
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Friday, 10 January 2014
The DIBP has responded to my enquiry re why this was axed:
Dear Ms Allan
I am responding to your email of 6 January regarding the department’s decision to cease the Decision Ready option for migration agents.
Permanent Employer Sponsored Entry’s experience over the past 18 months is that a significant proportion of applications marked “Decision Ready” were more often incomplete. This initiative was introduced in early 2012 to fast track decision ready applications, however the term became a misnomer and we have found it more efficient and fairer to allocate by date of lodgement with the expectation that the application will be submitted with all required documents.
This new approach requires all applicants to provide a complete application where by virtue of having all required documentation it will be processed reasonably quickly and efficiently. Agents should be finding that we are allocating and processing at faster rates compared to 12 months ago when we had a huge backlog from the July 2012 legislative changes.
Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.
Regards,
Clare
Clare McNamara
Director Permanent Employer Sponsored Entry
Department of Immigration and Border Protection -
Saturday, 11 January 2014
Hi can anyone tell me what is processing time for RSMS logged from south australia 2014 after logged a approved nomination to DIBP
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Monday, 20 January 2014
Is there anyway DIBP can include ENS186 applications on below table?
http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/estimated-allocation-times.htm
Regards,
Imran -
Tuesday, 11 February 2014
Hi Ms Allan,please could you tell me how much time rsms take now after rcb approval if we apply offshore.thanks in advance.
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Friday, 14 February 2014
hi Allan could you please tell me how long RNS file will take after employer nomination .thanks
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Tuesday, 18 February 2014
Please can you advise if a 'decision ready' application was applicable on 06 December 2013?
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Friday, 21 February 2014
Hi, I have applied decision ready rsms on 18 dec 2013. Can you please mention tht how long it may take for approvel cause its already been 2 months n i hv nt seen any update on my immi account.
Thanks
Jag -
Thursday, 06 March 2014
Hi
Can you please tell me can I still apply for rsms visa, because
Somebody told me that immigration is not taking any new file regarding
Rsms. Did they really stop accepting new files -
Saturday, 26 April 2014
Hi could u tell me plz any English requirements will be changed for RSMS in South Australia ?
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Thursday, 23 March 2017
Hi I apply 187 visa regional sponser 1 November 2016 what time my file open
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Friday, 31 March 2017
Hi, I have applied for 187 nomination can anyone tell me how much time it will take to open my file.
Thanks
Immigration blog
Thanks for the news. Did DIBP say why the decision ready scheme has been axed? Was there any high level stakeholder discussion about this?