Source: The Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP)
24 Jan 2014

Are you a Streamline Visa holder and thinking about changing your course? If yes, you need to ensure that you continue to meet the conditions of your student visa.

Recently, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) has released some important information on changing course in Australia:

•   Changing course advice for streamlined visa holders

If you want to change to a new course and you were granted a visa under the streamlined visa processing arrangements you must maintain enrolment in a streamlined visa processing eligible course (or package of courses) with an education provider participating in the arrangements.

To check if your new course is eligible for streamlined visa processing, or to learn more about these visas, see streamlined student visa processing.

Important: If your new course is not with an education provider participating in the streamlined visa processing arrangements, read the information below about changing education providers.

If you enrol in a course (or package of courses) that is not eligible for streamlined visa processing, you no longer meet the criteria for which your visa was granted and may be considered for visa cancellation.
•   Changing your level of qualification

If you want to change your level of qualification, you will need to apply for a new student visa because your visa subclass will change.

Example: You want to change from a bachelor degree to Certificate IV.

Important: Your eligibility for a visa may be affected if you change your course(s) of study before a decision is made on your visa application.

•   Changing education provider advice for streamlined visa holders

If you were granted a visa under the streamlined visa processing arrangements you must stay enrolled in a streamlined visa processing eligible course with an education provider participating in the arrangements.

You can check if your new education provider is participating in the streamlined visa processing arrangements.

Important: If you enrol to study with an education provider that is not participating in the streamlined visa processing arrangements, you no longer meet the criteria for which your visa was granted and may be considered for visa cancellation.

•   Changing course advice for visa holders who are not on streamlined visas

If you want to change to a new course at the same level of qualification, you do not need to apply for a new student visa unless your current visa is about to expire.

If your new course will be with a different education provider, read the information below regarding changing education providers.

•   Changing education provider advice for visa holders who are not on streamlined visas

If you are intending to change education provider, you should contact your current education provider for information. In most circumstances the new education provider will be restricted from enrolling you if you have not completed six months of the main course of study for which your visa was granted.

If you want to change provider before completing the first six months of your main course of study you must contact your current education provider for permission and receive a release letter. You will require a letter of offer from the new provider in order to apply for a letter of release from your original education provider.

If your education provider does not give you permission and you are not satisfied with the outcome you should first access the internal appeal process with your education provider. If you are still not satisfied you can appeal the education provider’s decision at an external complaint handling body, such as the State or Territory Ombudsman or the Overseas Student Ombudsman.

Detailed information can be viewed on DIBP website.

New Student Visa Assessment Levels, Streamlined Processing and Education Provider List
Updated: 4 November 2013

Source: Department of Immigration and Border Protection
Student Visas: Changes to Assessment Levels from early 2014

Following the release of the Review of the Student Visa Assessment Level Framework 2013 Report the Government has announced a proposed simplification of the Student Visa Assessment level Framework which would include:

• Only three assessment levels (AL1, AL2 and AL3)
• Countries and education sectors currently subject to AL4 would  be reduced to AL3.
• Financial requirements for an AL3 student visa applicant would be reduced from the current 18 months to 12 months. These funds must be provided by a close relative of the student visa applicant.

The proposed changes would lower the minimum evidentiary requirements needed for the grant of a Student visa for
AL3 countries and education sectors, providing a benefit to prospective students.
 Streamlined student visa processing from early 2014

 Streamlinedvisa processing arrangements will be available to certain low immigration risk non-university
education providers who offer Bachelor, Masters and Doctoral degree courses. This would be an extension of the
arrangements that have been available to the university sector since March 2012.

See: Proposed extension of streamlined visa processing to non-university education providers

See also joint media release New streamlined student visas to grow Australian education by Ministers Morrison and
Pyne.

New List of Eligible Education Providers and Educational Business Partners

NewLegislative instrument IMMI 13/124 [F20-13L01846] Migration Regulation 1994 – Specification of Eligible
Education Providers and Educational Business Partners specifies a new list of eligible education providers and their
educational business partners for subclass 573 Higher Education Sector and 574 Postgraduate Research Sector Student
visas and specifies eligible education providers for subclass 575 Non-award Sector Student visas.

These changes include the addition of educational business partners, the removal of some educational business partners and updating the details of some educational business partners already specified.

This new list will be effective from 23 November 2013.

Updated: 4 November 2013

Source: Australian Computer Society (ACS)

Changes to ACS Skills Assessment

Graduate Skills Assessment Application Process Changes

The ACS is choosing to implement the changes effective from January 15, 2014, (instead of October 28, 2013) which will provide certainty to those studying courses that are scheduled for completion in the final months of 2013.

The implementation of the ACS graduate application changes will ensure applicants are being assessed in line with the Migration Amendment (Skills Assessment) Regulation 2013 changes announced by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection to take effect on Oct 28, 2013.

The ACS is committed to providing a robust assessment service that accurately identifies an applicant’s ICT skills and their compatibility with the skills that the Australian Government has identified as being in shortage.  To aid clarity and enhance consistency, the ACS has reviewed the current suitability criteria for applicants with an Australian study component in their skills assessment.
The following changes will come into effect on Jan 15, 2014:

•   The ACS Temporary Graduate – 485 skills assessment will clearly state that it is specifically for the purpose of applying for a subclass 485 visa application.  Applicants with an Australian study component that are applying for a subclass 485 visa will be assessed on the Australian qualification only, based on the completion of the relevant Australian Bachelor degree or higher.

•    Applicants with an Australian study component that wish to apply for permanent residency will require either 1 year of relevant work experience or completion of an ACS Professional Year Program to receive a suitable skills assessment which can be used for general migration purposes.

•   The ACS Post Australian Study Skills Assessment is intended to support graduates in applying for permanent residency under the General Skilled Migration or Employer Nomination Scheme after completing an Australian study component.

•   The Australian study component is taken into consideration because of the value of studying in Australia and the exposure to Australian culture and language, which in turn places applicants in a better position to be employed in their nominated occupation.

•   The work experience or professional year program is assessed for suitability of the full skills assessment and the applicant is considered skilled from the completion date of the relevant Australian degree.  The Post Australian Study Skills Assessment can be used for migration purposes in general.
For more information, please visit the Australian Computer Society website.

Updated: July 2013

Please note – the following visa price change information is introduced by DIBP.

Source: The Department of Immigration & Border Protection (DIBP)
New Student Visa Charge

From 1 July 2013, the amount a visa applicant will pay as a first installment of the Visa Application Charge (VAC) will no longer be a single prescribed amount, but will instead comprise a number of the following pricing components:
* Base application charge ($535)

* Additional applicant charge (where there are additional dependents in a visa application – charge varies according to visa category and age of dependents)

* Subsequent temporary application charge of $700 (where a person makes an application for a visa while they are in Australia and they hold, or the last substantive visa they held was, a visa specified by the Minister in an instrument in writing)

* Non-Internet application charge of $80 (where a person lodges an application for a visa by means other than making an Internet application, where it is possible for that person to lodge an Internet application).

ETAs, eVisitor visas and Refugee and Humanitarian visas will not be affected, nor will Citizenship applications. Existing fee exemptions, such as the nil visa application charge for secondary exchange students, for example, are also not affected by the changes.

Here are some scenarios to explain the new student visa charge:

1. The student is single and renews the student visa in Australia for the first time.
No subsequent temporary application charge applies. If the application is lodged online, no non-internet application charge applies. If lodged by paper, $80 non-internet charge applies.
2. The student is single and renew the student visa in Australia for the second time or even more.
$700 subsequent temporary application charge applies. If the application lodged online, no non-internet application charge applies; if lodged by paper, $80 non-internet charge applies.

3. The student is married and renews the student visa with the spouse in Australia for the first time.
No subsequent temporary application charge applies. If the application lodged online, no non-internet application charge
applies; if lodged by paper, $80 non-internet charge applies to each applicant.

4. The student is married and renews the student visa with the spouse in Australia for the second time or even more.
$700 subsequent temporary application charge applies to each applicant. If the application lodged online, no non-internet
application charge needs to pay; if lodged by paper, $80 non-internet charge applies to each applicant.

5. The student is married and renews the student visa in Australia for the second time while the spouse joined the
student after the first student visa was granted and wants to renew dependent visa for the first time in Australia.
$700 subsequent temporary application charge applies to the main applicant but not the dependent. If the application lodged online, no non-internet application charge needs to pay; if lodged by paper, $80 non-internet charge applies to each applicant.

6. The student is married and renews the student visa with the spouse for the second time overseas
No subsequent temporary application charge applies.
For further information, please click here.

Updated: June 2013

Annual Update of Skilled Occupation List – 1 July 2013

The Skilled Occupation List

The Skilled Occupation List (SOL) will change from 1 July 2013, with five occupations to be removed. The SOL determines which occupations are eligible for independent and family sponsored skilled migration.

The updated SOL is based on expert advice from the Australian Workforce Productivity Agency (previously known as Skills Australia). The list of occupations reflects the Australian Government’s commitment to a skilled migration program that delivers skills in need in Australia. The SOL will continue to deliver a skilled migration program focused on high value skills that will help to address Australia’s future skill needs.

Summary of changes to the SOL
The following changes have been applied to the SOL.

Occupations removed from the SOL

Occupations on the SOL from 1 July 2013

For more information, please click here.

Updated: April 2013

Student Visa and Migration Updates

Next SkillSelect Invitation Rounds to be held in May 2013

The department conducts rounds of invitations to apply to migrate on the first Monday of the month. If there is a second invitation round in a month, that round will be held on the third Monday of that month.

In May 2013, two invitation rounds will be held for the Skilled – Independent and Skilled – Regional (Provisional) visa subclasses covering a maximum of 2000 Expressions Of Interest in that month.

The table below lists the maximum number of invitations that will be issued in the respective rounds, by visa subclass.

6 May 2013

20 May 2013

Occupation Ceilings

An occupation ceiling may be applied to invitations to apply to migrate issued under the points based skilled visas of the
migration program. This means there will be a limit on how many Expressions of Interest are issued for skilled migration
from an occupation group. This ensures that the skilled migration program is not dominated by a small number of
occupations.

The following occupations have reached their annual occupational ceiling:

Chemical and Materials Engineers

ICT Business & System Analysts

Electronic Engineers

Telecommunications Engineering Professionals.

No further invitations can be issued for these occupation groups until 1 July 2013. This limitation does not apply to
Employer Sponsored or Business Innovation and Investment visa classes. For the state and territory nominated visas, a
state or territory will not be able to nominate you if your nominated occupation has reached its occupation ceiling. For
clients with an Expression Of Interest in these occupation groups, your Expression Of Interest will remain valid for two
years from the date you submitted your Expression Of Interest.

The below occupations have not yet reached their ceiling levels, however, 75% or more of the invitation ceiling levels for
these occupations have been reached. Intending migrants who have selected any of these as their nominated
occupation should submit their EOI to have a chance of being invited before their occupation reaches its ceiling:

Other Engineering Professionals (500 of 540)

Software and Applications Programmers (4567 of 5160)

Any ceiling reached will be reset on 1 July 2013.
For more information, please click here