2019 October

Occupation ceilings An ‘occupation ceiling’ might be applied to invitations issued under the independent, skilled regional (provisional) 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.

State and Territory nominations State and Territory nominations 2019-20 program year Nominations by State and Territory Governments – September 2019 The number of intending migrants who received nominations from State and Territory Governments in September 2019 is shown in the table below: Visa subclass ACT NSW NT Qld SA Tas. Vic. WA Total Skilled Nominated

Invitations issued on 11 October 2019 The table below shows the number of invitations issued in the SkillSelect invitation round on 11 October 2019. Visa subclass Number Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) 1,500 Skilled Regional (provisional) visa (subclass 489) 0 No invitations are being issued for Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489), due to the introduction of the

New road safety regulations in Victoria could leave many temporary visa holders, including foreign students, unable to drive using their overseas licence if they do not get a local driver licence within six months of moving to the state. New driving laws commencing this week make it mandatory for all visa holders, including international students

Perth in Western Australia and the Gold Coast in Queensland are set to be classified as ‘regional’ for immigration purposes once changes are introduced in November this year. Longer 485 Graduate Visas The Western Australia and Queensland State Governments requested for Perth and the Gold Coast – respectively – to be classified as ‘regional’ in

CANBERRA MATRIX – INVITATION ROUND Invitation date: 24 October 2019 Number of Invitations Issued: 528 Matrix score range: All Matrix submitted with 115 to 65 points 60 point matrix submitted on or after 24 April 2019 and on or before 10 June 2019 The next invitation round will be held on or before 8 November 2019.

Student Visa Costs Increase Immigration has introduced almost immediate changes to the financial obligations for Student and Student Guardian visa applicants. From tomorrow, 24 October 2019, applicants will need to show they have access to a higher level of funds or income to cover annual living costs in Australia. The increased costs/income are as follows:

Changes to the Graduate Stream of the State Nomination Migration Program 17 October 2019 The State Nomination Migration Program (SNMP) Graduate stream will soon be more accessible for international students who study in Western Australia. On 16 October 2019 Premier Mark McGowan announced that the Graduate Stream of the SNMP will be extended to include

CANBERRA MATRIX – INVITATION ROUND Invitation date: 14 October 2019 Number of Invitations Issued: 402 Matrix score range: All Matrix submitted with 115 to 65 points 60 point matrix submitted on or after 14 April 2019 and on or before 30 April 2019 The next invitation round will be held on or before 29 October

Business and Skilled Migration Queensland (BSMQ) is dedicated to ensuring the successful settlement of migrants to Queensland. In September 2019, BSMQ held a Settlement Information Seminar and Expo for Mandarin speaking business migrants. The event attracted over 100 business migrants who heard from numerous speakers – including BSMQ business Case Officers, the Principal Advisor of