WHATSAPP
Australia ended the 2019-20 program year on a high with the release of SkillSelect invitation results for the months of May & June. Two different Expression of Interest (EOI) draws held 25 March & 11 June invited a total of 850 candidates under Subclass 189 & 491 visa types.
A Subclass 189 is a points-based permanent visa option for independent skilled workers. It is most popular among candidates without a job offer who is looking to settle in Australia for better work opportunities and lifestyle. Newly added Subclass 491 provincial visa type allows eligible skilled workers and their family to settle in the regional areas of Australia. It will later guarantee them a permanent residence in Australia.
Since its inception in 2012, Australia SkillSelect rounds invited eligible candidates with the highest-ranking EOI based on a points system. But in the wake of fighting the present pandemic, Home Affairs were forced to switch to “targeted invitation rounds” in May & June 2020. The department also issued an explanation for the need to conduct “targeted rounds” so as to ensure the migration and visa settings remain consistent with public health measures and also not displace job opportunities for Australians.
Preference is given to Medical & Scientific occupations
With the current pandemic in focus, SkillSelect invitation rounds are increasingly focussed on immediate skill requirements. As a result, nearly 96% of total 850 invitations went to Medical occupations including Registered Nurses, General Practitioners and Resident Medical Officers, Other Medical Practitioners, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, and Psychologists. Some core scientific occupations including Medical Laboratory Scientists, Chemists, Life Scientists, also received invitations. The rest of the invitations were shared by occupation group of 2339 Other Engineering Professionals which included Aeronautical, Agricultural, Biomedical, Environmental Engineers.
All the invitations required the candidates to have a qualifying cut-off score of 85 points for Subclass 189 visa type and 70 points for Subclass 489 visa option.
Skilled business people or investors looking to settle in Australia can also receive an invitation to apply for a nomination from the SkillSelect system. Business Innovation and Investment Visa options allow the Australian provinces to nominate such candidates based on their EOI. You could be eligible too. Fill-up this free assessment to know more.
The details like Occupation ceilings for the new SkillSelect 2020-21 program year is yet to be released. The ongoing pandemic situation has also made the Immigration invitation rounds unpredictable and focused on immediate skill requirements. Until the borders of Australia are open for immigration, CanApprove advises future offshore immigrants to show patience, meanwhile, work on their skill assessment and language proficiency to score better on their SkillSelect EOI.
To know more about Australia Immigration and your options for immigration, talk to our expert consultants today!
