Visas & Advice Detail
Skilled Australian visa changes
It has recently been announced that as of September some skilled Australian visa applicants will face changes to the skills assessment procedure
From 1st September applicants with skills in certain trade occupations will no longer be able to apply to Trades Recognition Australia in order to have their trades assessed for Australian migration purposes - something all nominated occupations must be - and will instead have to apply to what is called the VETASSESS Consortium. The trades which will be affected by the changes are: General Electrician; General Plumber; Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic; Motor Mechanic; Bricklayer; Carpenter and Joiner; Electrical Powerline Tradesperson; and Cable Jointer.
It is expected that this could potentially lengthen the trades assessment process as it is expected that applicants in these occupations will now have to undergo a self assessment to gauge their suitability for the overall assessment, a paper based pre-assessment which will weigh up qualifications and work experience, a technical interview and a practical assessment.
These changes apply for all required applicants from the UK, India, Sri Lanka, South Africa, the Philippines.
More details about these changes, and others which are set to come into play this September, are set to be announced by Australia's immigration department in the coming weeks.