1406 - SkillSelect - Booklet 11

SkillSelect

11

1406 (Design date 07/13)

About this booklet

This booklet is designed so that you can understand the steps for submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) via SkillSelect. EOIs are required in order to receive an invitation to lodge a visa application for the independent skilled, family sponsored skilled, state or territory sponsored and business innovation and investment migration programs.

You can also submit an EOI for the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS), Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) and the Temporary Business (Long Stay) 457 visa programs. By submitting an EOI for the employer sponsored programs, you can be found and contacted by an employer to discuss employment and sponsorship opportunities.

This booklet is intended as a guide only. You should visit the SkillSelect website at www.skillselect.gov.au to obtain up-to-date information.

This booklet is one of a series of booklets about migration to Australia. The booklets are:

1 Partner Migration

2 Child Migration

3 Parent Migration

4 Other Family Migration

5 Employer Sponsored Migration (Permanent)

6 Points Based Skilled Migration (subclasses 189, 190 and 489) visa

7 Business Skills Entry

9 Temporary Work (Skilled) (subclass 457) visa

10 Business Innovation and Investment

11 SkillSelect

For general information about migration to Australia, read information form 1126i Migrating to Australia, or visit the website www.immi.gov.au

Using a migration agent

You do not need to use a migration agent to submit an EOI. However, if you choose to use an agent, the department recommends that you use a registered migration agent.

It is important to note that you will only have one login to access your EOI account. You can only specify one email address to be contacted by SkillSelect about any invitations or messages in relation to your EOI account. All email notifications will be sent to the email address you nominate and it will be your responsibility to ensure you can access your emails and update your account with any change of email address.

Under Australian law, anyone who uses knowledge of migration procedures to offer immigration assistance to a person wishing to obtain a visa to enter or remain in Australia must be registered or exempt from registration.

All registered migration agents are bound by the Migration Agents Code of Conduct, which requires agents to act professionally in their clients’ lawful best interests. A list of registered migration agents is available from the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (Office of the MARA) website www.mara.gov.au

You can contact the Office of the MARA at:

Website: www.mara.gov.au

E-mail: [email protected]

Mail: PO Box Q1551 QVB NSW 1230 AUSTRALIA

In person: Level 10 111 Elizabeth Street SYDNEY NSW AUSTRALIA

Office hours are 9am – 5pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST)

Telephone: 1300 226 272 or +61 2 9078 3552

Fax: +61 2 9078 3591

The Office of the MARA investigates complaints against registered migration agents and may take disciplinary action against them. If you have a concern about a registered migration agent, you should contact the Office of the MARA. The Code of Conduct and complaint form are available from the Office of the MARA website.

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1SkillSelect

Contents

Introduction 2

Terms you need to know 3

Part 1 – Information for intending migrants 5

Expression of Interest (EOI) 5

Visa programs supported by SkillSelect 5

Submitting an EOI 6

EOIs submitted in SkillSelect 6

Invitation and selection process 8

If you are invited or selected 9

If you are not invited or selected 10

Bridging visas 10

Part 2 – Information for employers 11

Search for skilled workers in SkillSelect 11

Contacting skilled workers in SkillSelect 11

Advantages of using SkillSelect 11

2 SkillSelect

Introduction

SkillSelect is an online service that enables skilled workers and business people interested in migrating to Australia to record their details to be identified for a skilled visa through an expression of interest (EOI). People could be found and nominated for skilled visas by Australian employers or state and territory governments, or they could be invited by the Australian Government to lodge a visa application.

Intending migrantsThis booklet will help you understand the steps required to submit an expression of interest (EOI) using SkillSelect. Please ensure you read this entire booklet as it will help you to understand what requirements you need to meet to enable a complete submission of your EOI.

It is important to remember that the submission of an EOI is not an application for a visa.

If you are interested in the following visa programs, you will need to submit a complete EOI and receive an invitation before you can apply for a visa.

• Subclass 189 Skilled – Independent (Permanent) (Class SI)

• Subclass 190 Skilled – Nominated (Class SK)

• Subclass 489 Skilled – Regional (Provisional) (Class SP)

• Subclass 132 Business Talent (Permanent) (Class EA)

• Subclass 188 Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) (Class EB).

You can also express interest in the following visa programs on your EOI to be selected by an employer.

• Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme (Class EN)

• Subclass 187 Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (Class RN)

• Subclass 457 Temporary Business (Long Stay) (Temporary) (Class UC).

The booklet will also provide more information on the SkillSelect process and what you need to know before you submit an EOI.

Australian employersThis booklet has also been designed to assist Australian employers seeking to sponsor a skilled migrant. It contains information on accessing SkillSelect to source skilled workers seeking employer sponsorship.

Where to access SkillSelectTo submit an EOI, or to log on as an Employer, you must access the SkillSelect website www.skillselect.gov.au

A link will be available on the above website that will provide you access to the online EOI form, which you will need to complete, and submit electronically.

All EOIs must be submitted online using SkillSelect. No other submission methods are available.

Further informationFor further information, please visit the SkillSelect website www.skillselect.gov.au

For further support with the SkillSelect system please visit the SkillSelect Technical Support site at www.skillselect.govspace.gov.au

Clients can find technical FAQs under the Skilled Workers tab which can help them with any common system issues.

We will also post any major system updates or issues on this site.

3SkillSelect

Terms you need to know

The following terms may assist you with submitting an EOI.

Department Department of Immigration and Citizenship

Employed Having worked in paid employment for at least 20 hours a week.

English test An English test which is required to assess your English ability for migration purposes. The test score must be stated in your EOI and you must provide documentation of the test in your visa application if you are invited to apply.

Expression of Interest (EOI) An online form which allows an intending migrant to express interest in applying for a skilled visa. An intending migrant can only lodge a points tested skilled or business innovation and investment visa application once they have submitted a complete EOI and have subsequently received an invitation from the Minister to apply for a visa. Intending migrants can also express interest in the employer sponsored visa programs and be found and contacted by an employer to discuss employment and sponsorship opportunities.

IELTS International English Language Testing System

For more details about IELTS, please visit the IELTS website www.ielts.org

Intending migrant A person who submits an EOI in SkillSelect with the intention of migrating to Australia.

Invitation If, after submitting your EOI under SkillSelect, based on the rating of your skills and attributes and you have an occupation on the SOL, the Minister may issue an invitation to make an application for a skilled visa.

Occupation ceiling The occupation ceiling is a limit on how many people could be invited to apply for a skilled visa from a particular occupation group. Its purpose is to prevent the skilled migration program being dominated by a small number of occupations. Once the limit is reached for each program year, there would be no further invitations to apply for migration from that particular occupation group.

Pass mark This is the minimum number of points you must score to pass the points test for certain visa types. You must indicate that you reach the pass mark before you can be selected by SkillSelect for an invitation to apply for a visa with a pass mark.

Permanent visa Permanent visa holders are able to enter, live and work in Australia indefinitely. After a specified period they can apply for Australian Citizenship.

Points test For some visa categories, you must pass a points test. The pass mark changes from time to time.

For Points Based Skilled Migration, you must pass a points test. The pass mark changes from time to time. Before choosing a category to apply under, you should do a self-assessment. More details about the points test and self-assessment are given in Part 3 of Booklet 6, Points Based Skilled Migration www.immi.gov.au/allforms/booklets/1119.pdf

For current information on the business innovation and investment points test, refer to the department’s website at www.immi.gov.au/skilled/business/

4 SkillSelect

Provisional visa A provisional skilled migration visa allows the holder to enter, live and work in Australia for a specific period. Provisional skilled migration visas provide a pathway to permanent residence in Australia.

Skills Assessment A Skills Assessment is an assessment of an intending migrant’s skills and qualifications which is undertaken by a recognised assessing authority. A skills assessment needs to be completed in order to submit a complete EOI accurately reflecting the intending migrant’s nominated occupation. A full list of recognised assessing authorities can be located on the department’s website www.immi.gov.au/asri/

Skilled Occupation List The Skilled Occupation List (SOL) is a list of approved occupations that are available for permanent and temporary skilled migration to Australia.

An occupation must be nominated by the intending migrant to facilitate a complete EOI submission.

The department’s website contains current information on the SOL at www.immi.gov.au/skilled/sol/

SkillSelect SkillSelect is an online service that enables skilled workers and business people interested in migrating to Australia to record their EOI. Intending migrants could be nominated or receive an invitation to apply for a skilled visa.

Sponsor For some visa categories you must be sponsored.

For family sponsorship, a relative aged 18 years or over who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident or an Eligible New Zealand Citizen and is prepared to sponsor your application and who undertakes to assist the applicant, to the extent necessary, financially and in relation to accommodation for a period of 2 years. An eligible relative must live in a designated area of Australia. For a list of designated areas see www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/regional-growth.htm

For employer sponsorship, a sponsor is an Australian business or overseas business that has been approved as a standard business sponsor.

Substantive visa A substantive visa means a visa other than:

• Abridgingvisa;or

• Acriminaljusticevisa;or

• Anenforcementvisa.

5SkillSelect

Part 1 – Information for intending migrants

SkillSelect is an online service that enables skilled workers and business people interested in migrating to Australia to record their details to be identified for a skilled visa through an expression of interest (EOI). People can be found and nominated for skilled visas by Australian employers or state and territory governments, or they can be invited by the Australian Government to lodge a visa application.

If you want to migrate to Australia as a skilled migrant and you have the skills Australia needs, you may need to submit an EOI in SkillSelect.

Expression of Interest (EOI)An EOI is not a visa application, it is an indication that you would like to be considered for a skilled visa.

To submit a complete EOI you will need to provide a range of information online depending on the visa(s) you wish to be considered for. This could include:

• basic personal information

• nominated occupation

• work experience

• study and education

• level of English skills

• details of a Skills Assessment, related to nominated occupation

• business and investment experience.

For more details on what questions and information you will need to supply in your EOI, you should read the relevant booklet for the visa(s) you are submitting an EOI for.

Visa programs supported by SkillSelectYou are required to complete an EOI and receive an invitation before you can apply for the following visa programs:

• Subclass 189 Skilled – Independent (Permanent) (Class SI)

• Subclass 190 Skilled – Nominated (Class SK)

• Subclass 489 Skilled – Regional (Provisional) (Class SP)

• Subclass 132 Business Talent (Permanent) (Class EA)

• Subclass 188 Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) (Class EB).

You can also express interest in the following visa programs if you would like potential employers to view your EOI:

• Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) (Class EN)

• Subclass 187 Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) (Class RN)

• Subclass 457 Temporary Business (Long Stay) (Class UC).

You can express interest in a one or more of the above visas in your EOI.

Part X – Chapter heading

6 SkillSelect

Submitting an EOIIf you have researched your visa options and prepared the information required, you are ready to make an EOI. All EOIs must be completed online using SkillSelect.

There is no fee to create or submit an EOI in SkillSelect.

For the points based skilled migration programs, such as the independent skilled program, you will be ranked according to your score on the appropriate points test. You will be able to complete an EOI even if you do not meet the pass mark, however, you will not be eligible to be invited to apply for a visa.

When you submit your EOI, you will be shown your points score but will not be able to view your ranking position. This is because your ranking will change as people enter and leave SkillSelect.

For information about how to calculate the points test for skilled migration, visit the points test webpage at Part 3 of Booklet 6, Points Based Skilled Migration www.immi.gov.au/allforms/booklets/1119.pdf

For information about how to calculate the points test for business skills, visit the points test webpage at www.immi.gov.au/skilled/business

If you are submitting an EOI for a visa(s) that requires you to list a nominated occupation, you should visit the skilled occupation lists webpage at www.immi.gov.au/skilled/sol to establish if your occupation is a skill in need in Australia.

Once you have completed your EOI, it is stored in SkillSelect and is valid for 2 years.

Incomplete EOIs will also be stored for 2 years, but will not be eligible to receive an invitation. EOIs that do not comply with the terms and conditions of SkillSelect can be removed at any time. You will be asked to read and agree to the terms and conditions when you register for a SkillSelect account.

EOIs submitted in SkillSelectOnce you submit your completed EOI, you will receive a confirmation notification from SkillSelect. Your EOI will then remain in SkillSelect for a maximum of 2 years.

SkillSelect will calculate your points, assess your eligibility and will provide feedback when you submit for points tested and business innovation visas. You will be able to view a report to see where you were awarded points after you submit your EOI.

You can also access your EOI and update your information at any time. You may wish to do this if you have gained new work experience, gained a higher qualification, improved your English language ability and/or changed your family composition. If you provide updated information which changes your points score or your ability to make a complete EOI, SkillSelect will update your ranking and ability to be considered for an invitation automatically.

Be aware: If you are invited to apply for a visa, the information you submit in the EOI will be used as part of your application. If you provide incorrect, false or misleading information on your EOI, your application may be refused.

Be aware: It is your responsibility to access your EOI and update your details if your circumstances change.

7SkillSelect

It is your responsibility to update your EOI. It will be too late to update your EOI if you receive an invitation to lodge a visa application. Your invitation to lodge a visa is based only on the information presented in your EOI.

Helpful information when completing an EOIWhen you complete an EOI in SkillSelect each question has helptext available. To access the helptext, click on the question mark icon next to the question. If you require further information, the SkillSelect Technical Support site is located at www.skillselect.govspace.gov.au/. This site also includes a contact form for additional assistance if required.

If you receive an invitation to apply, and your score under the points test is less than claimed in your EOI, your visa may be refused even if you are able to pass the points test or meet other threshold criteria. If you receive an invitation and your points have decreased or your personal information is not accurate, you do not have to proceed to make an application. You should correct the information in your EOI and wait to receive another invitation.

If you receive 2 invitations and you do not lodge a visa application in response to either of these invitations, your EOI will be removed from SkillSelect. If you are unable to access your EOI for a length of time, then you can choose to suspend your EOI. While this will not extend the validity of your EOI it will stop you receiving invitations or contacts that you cannot act on, and will avoid your EOI being removed while you are, for example, on holiday and have received 2 invitations during that time.

If you receive an invitation to lodge a visa application for a permanent or provisional visa and are subsequently granted that visa, your EOI will be removed from SkillSelect.

If you are granted a temporary visa, such as the Subclass 457 Temporary Business (Long-Stay) visa, your EOI will still remain in SkillSelect for future selection unless you withdraw your EOI.

Be aware: There can only be one invitation on an EOI at any time even if more than one visa subclass has been selected. For example if you have a current invitation to apply for a subclass 190 visa you cannot receive an invitation to apply for a subclass 189 visa.

Be aware: It is your responsibility to ensure that you understand the questions on the EOI form. If you are unsure about a question, read all available helptext to ensure that you answer the questions as accurately as possible.

Be aware: You must be able to support the claims you make in your EOI with documentation and have this documentation ready to provide when making your application. An invitation to make a visa application may be issued within a short timeframe after you submit your EOI. You will have 60 days from the date of invitation to make a valid visa application.

Part X – Chapter heading

8 SkillSelect

Invitation and selection processDepending on what type of visa(s) you are interested in, you may receive an invitation to lodge a visa application, or an Australian employer may contact you to discuss employment and sponsorship opportunities.

Independent and Skilled Regional (Provisional) visasInvitations are issued automatically by the SkillSelect system to the highest ranking EOIs, subject to occupation ceilings. Invitations are issued regularly, such as every month.

State and territory sponsored visasState or territory governments will identify and select skilled workers that they wish to nominate. State and territory governments may assess people before they nominate them. If you are nominated by a state or territory government and you have indicated that your points score is above the current pass mark for that visa, you will receive an invitation to apply from the SkillSelect system, subject to occupation ceilings.

When you complete an EOI that includes one of these visa types, you will be asked which state or territory you wish to seek nomination from. You will be able to select one state or territory, or any state or territory. If you select one state or territory only, then staff from that government body will be able to view your EOI for this visa type. If you select any state or territory, staff from all state or territory governments will be able to see your EOI for this visa type..

Business Innovation and Investment visasState or territory governments will identify and select skilled business people or investors they may wish to nominate. State or territory governments may assess people to meet their needs before they nominate them. If you are nominated by a state or territory government and you have indicated that your points score is above the current pass mark, you will receive an invitation to apply from the SkillSelect system.

On a limited basis, sponsoring state or territory governments may award additional points towards the points test where they have determined that your proposed business is of exceptional economic benefit to that state or territory.

When you complete an EOI that includes one of these visa types, you will be asked which state or territory you wish to seek nomination from. You will be able to select one state or territory, or any state or territory. If you select one state or territory only, then staff from that government body will be able to view your EOI for this visa type. If you select any state or territory, staff from all state or territory governments will be able to see your EOI for this visa type.

Be aware: It is your responsibility to contact the state or territory government from who you are seeking nomination to discuss their processes and requirements.

9SkillSelect

Employer sponsored visa programsEmployers can search for skilled workers that they may wish to discuss job opportunities with. If you are contacted by an employer in SkillSelect, you can choose to contact them to discuss employment and visa opportunities. You do not need to receive an invitation from SkillSelect in order to apply for an employer sponsored visa.

When you complete an EOI that includes one of these visa types, you will be asked which state or territory you are interested in working and residing in. You will be able to select one or more state or territories, or any state or territory. Employers will be able to view your EOI and will be able to narrow their searches to specifically focus on skilled workers interested in their area. SkillSelect protects your personal information such as your name, date of birth and other characteristics that could personally identify you. This information will not be made available to employers.

Occupation ceilingsAn ‘occupation ceiling’ may be applied to invitations issued under the independent, skilled regional (provisional) and state or territory sponsored visas. This means there will be a limit on how many EOIs can be selected for skilled migration from an occupation group. This ensures that the skilled migration program is not dominated by a small number of occupations.

Once this limit is reached, no further invitations for that particular occupation group will be issued for that program year. Invitations will then be allocated to intending migrants in other occupation groups even if they are lower ranking. For the state or territory migration programs, a state or territory will not be able to nominate you if your nominated occupation has reached its occupation ceiling. You can view the occupation ceilings that apply to SkillSelect at www.skillselect.gov.au.

If you are invited or selectedIf you are invited to apply for a visa you will receive an invitation from SkillSelect. You will then have 60 days from the date of invitation to make a valid visa application online before the invitation expires. Applications received outside of this timeframe will not be valid and you will need to wait for a further invitation before being eligible to make an application.

The online visa application system will use information from your EOI, therefore you do not need to re-enter information already provided.

You must provide evidence to support your claims with your visa application. Health and character requirements will be assessed and requested during the visa application stage.

For assistance in lodging a visa application for:

• Independent, Family sponsored or State and Territory Sponsored Migration, refer to booklet 6

• Business Innovation and Investment Entry, refer to booklet 10

• Employer Sponsored Migration, refer to booklet 5

• Temporary Business (Long Stay) (Subclass 457) Visa, refer to booklet 9.

Be aware: If you do not make a valid visa application after receiving 2 invitations, your EOI will be removed from SkillSelect.

Part X – Chapter heading

10 SkillSelect

If you are not invited or selectedMany more people want to migrate to Australia than there are places available. This means not everyone who completes an EOI will receive an invitation to apply for a visa.

Your EOI will stay in SkillSelect for a maximum of 2 years. At any time during the validity of your EOI, you may update your details to reflect any additional qualifications or experience you may have obtained. This may increase your likelihood of being invited or an employer contacting you.

You may receive notifications from SkillSelect during this time to notify you of visa program changes, the expiration of your EOI, or other information that you may find useful. You will not be notified of the progress of your EOI or be able to obtain any updates on the likelihood of receiving an invitation.

After each invitation round for the independent and skilled regional (provisional) sponsored visas, the Department will publish on the SkillSelect website the lowest points scoring points test mark that allowed an EOI to be invited. This will give you an indication of your potential for receiving an invitation in future rounds.

An EOI is not a visa application. You cannot access merits review by the Migration Review Tribunal (MRT). If you want to express concerns to the department about the invitation process, you can provide feedback at www.immi.gov.au/contacts/forms/services

Bridging visasAn EOI is not a visa application and you will not be granted a Bridging visa by submitting an EOI. Your eligibility for a Bridging visa would only be considered once a valid visa application is lodged.

If you are in Australia and the visa you hold is about to expire before you are invited and able to apply for a skilled visa, you will need to apply for another visa to remain in Australia. If you do not meet the requirements for the grant of another visa, you will need to depart Australia before your visa expires.

11SkillSelect

Part 2 – Information for employers

SkillSelect helps Australian employers find skilled workers who want to migrate to Australia, and who claim to have the skills and experiences that make them eligible to be granted a skilled visa. It will allow employers to quickly and easily identify and contact skilled workers to fill skill shortages.

People wanting to migrate as a skilled worker to Australia first have to submit an expression of interest (EOI) with their skills and experience. On their EOI, intending migrants can indicate an interest in employer sponsorship and the states and territories of Australia where they are willing to live and work. They will also be able to indicate if they are willing to work outside capital cities, and in regional areas. Intending migrants will also indicate if they are interested in temporary or permanent migration.

Search for skilled workers in SkillSelectEmployers can search SkillSelect using a range of criteria such as the skilled worker’s occupation, qualifications or English language ability. Employers will be able to view details of skilled workers and then make contact with them to discuss sponsorship and employment.

Employers will need an AUSKey to use SkillSelect, and SkillSelect is a free service.

Australian businesses can register for an AUSKey to securely and conveniently access a range of government online services. To obtain an AUSKey or find out more, visit the AUSKey website at www.auskey.abr.gov.au

If you are one of the more than 800,000 existing AUSKey users, you are ready to use SkillSelect. You can access SkillSelect at www.skillselect.gov.au

Contacting skilled workers in SkillSelectIf you find a potential skilled worker, you can contact them within SkillSelect. You can submit a contact request in SkillSelect to the skilled worker with your contact details and a free text message. The skilled worker can then contact you to discuss employment opportunities.

Following discussions with the skilled worker, you may decide to sponsor and employ them. Information about how to sponsor a skilled worker to migrate to Australia is available at www.immi.gov.au/skilled/skilled-workers

Employers who identify people through their own selection processes will still be able to sponsor them without the skilled worker submitting an EOI in SkillSelect.

Advantages of using SkillSelectEmployers will benefit from using SkillSelect as it will enable them to quickly and easily identify potential skilled workers with the essential skills and attributes needed. This will reduce overseas advertising and recruitment costs to businesses, and assist in resolving skills shortages.

Another benefit of SkillSelect is the ability to address regional skill shortages. SkillSelect allows skilled workers to indicate whether they are willing to live and work in regional Australia. Employers can search SkillSelect and find skilled workers who have indicated a willingness to work in specific regional areas.