GENERAL SKILLED MIGRATION
                      ADELAIDE PROCESSING INFORMATION

 This is an automated e-mail response which provides updated information on
 skilled migration applications being processed by the Adelaide Skilled
 Processing Centre (ASPC).  Please do not reply to this email address as
 this mailbox is not monitored.  Contact details for the ASPC are listed
 below.


                              IMPORTANT NOTICE
              Changes to Priority Processing – 8 February 2010
   Direction No. 45 - Order of consideration - certain skilled migration
                                   visas

 The Migration Act 1958 contains powers by which the Minister can consider
 and finalise visa applications in an order of priority that the Minister
 considers appropriate.  Departmental officers are required to follow this
 Ministerial direction, which applies to every stage of visa processing.

 The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, has set
 new processing priorities for certain skilled migration visa applications.
 The direction came into effect on 8 February 2010 and applies to new
 applications lodged on or after 8 February 2010, and those already lodged
 or in the final stages of processing, and replaces the previous Priority
 Processing Direction (No. 42) which commenced on 23 September 2009.

 The new priority processing arrangements apply to the following visa
 programs:
 ·    The Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS)
 ·    The Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS)
 ·    General Skilled Migration (GSM).

 The following GSM visa subclasses are exempt from the priority processing
 provisions specified in Direction 45:
 ·    Skilled – Recognised Graduate Subclass 476
 ·    Skilled – Graduate Subclass 485
 ·    Skilled – Designated Area – Sponsored (Residence) Subclass 883
 ·    Skilled – Regional Subclass 887.

 Applications for these visa subclasses will be processed in the order in
 which they are received.

 The following GSM applications are exempt from Direction 45

 ·    applications that have been remitted by the Migration Review Tribunal
 for reconsideration;
 ·    applications where it is readily apparent that the criteria for grant
 of the visa would not be satisfied;
 ·    applications by members of the family unit of a person who holds a
 temporary or provisional GSM visa (subsequent entrant applications).
 ·    visa applications for a Skilled – Regional Sponsored Subclass 487
 visa where the applicant holds a Skilled – Independent Regional
 (Provisional) Subclass 495 visa, Skilled – Designated Area-sponsored
 (Provisional) Subclass 496 visa, Skilled – Regional Sponsored Subclass 487
 visa or Skilled – Regional Sponsored Subclass 475 visa at the time they
 apply.

 The Skilled Migration visa processing priorities

 Under the Ministerial Direction, the following processing priorities (with
 highest priority listed first) apply:
 1.   Applications from people who are employer sponsored under the ENS and
 the RSMS.
 2.   Applications from people who are nominated by a State/Territory
 government agency under a State Migration Plan agreed to by the Minister.
 3.   Applications from people who are nominated by a State/Territory
 government agency and whose nominated occupation is on the Critical Skills
 List (CSL).
 4.   Applications from people who are neither nominated nor sponsored
 under Priority Groups 1,2 or 3 but whose nominated occupation is listed on
 the CSL.
 5.   Applications from people who are nominated by a State/Territory
 government agency whose nominated occupation is not listed on the CSL
 6.   (i) Applications from people whose occupations are listed on the
 Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL); as well as
 (ii) Applications from people who are sponsored by family and whose
 nominated occupation is not listed on the CSL.
 7.   All other applications are to be processed in the order in which they
 are received.

 The complete list of occupations on the CSL is available on the
 department’s website:
 http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/pdf/critical-skills-list.pdf


 Application Processing Times – GSM Applications


 Information on application processing times is published on the
 department’s website at
 http://www.immi.gov.au/about/charters/client-services-charter/visas/8.0.htm


 If your application is in any of priority groups 2, 3 or 4, it is
 estimated that your visa application will be finalised within 12 months of
 your lodgement date.  Please note that processing times can be affected by
 circumstances beyond the department’s control.

 If your application is in any of priority groups 5, 6 or 7 and you have
 applied for an offshore GSM visa or intend to apply for an offshore GSM
 visa, it is unlikely that your application will be finalised within 3
 years of the date of the application.

 If your application is in any of priority groups 5, 6 or 7 and you applied
 for an onshore GSM visa or intend to apply for an onshore GSM visa, it is
 unlikely that your application will be finalised within 2 years of the
 date of the application.

 Please note that your nominated occupation is the occupation you nominated
 at the time you lodged your application and cannot be changed.

 Application processing times are indicative only and are based on the
 current visa application rate, the current Priority Processing Direction,
 and the availability of places in the Migration Program.

 Please do not contact the Department to request your application be
 exempted from the Minister’s Priority Processing Direction.  Departmental
 officers must adhere to the Minister’s Direction and you will be contacted
 by the Department when your application is allocated to a case officer.

 Processing priorities are subject to change. Any changes to these
 priorities or processing times will be updated on the Department’s website
 at: http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/whats-new.htm

 Priority Processing Exemptions


 Visa Subclasses 476, 485 and 887 are exempt from the priority processing
 changes.  Applications under these subclasses will continue to be
 processed in the order in which they were received by the Department – the
 following subclass by application lodgement date identifies cases
 currently being considered:

 Visa Subclass

 ·    Skilled – Recognised Graduate Subclass 476
 VF 476 (paper):  25 February 2010
 VF 476 (e-lodged):  25 February 2010
 ·    Skilled – Graduate Subclass 485
 VC 485 (paper):  5 May 2009
 ·    Skilled – Regional Subclass 887
 VB 887 (paper): 2 March 2010

 Other Processing News

 CHANGES TO THE SKILLED MIGRATION PROGRAM

 In addition to the new Priority Processing Direction the Minister has
 announced other changes to the GSM Program.  Information about these
 changes has been published on the Department’s website at:
 http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/whats-new.htm

 INFORMATION ABOUT PROVIDING DOCUMENTS

 Applicants for General Skilled Migration (GSM) are strongly encouraged to
 submit supporting documentation electronically.  Providing scanned copies
 of documents reduces postal and administrative delays in receiving and
 processing information.

 GSM processing offices accept scanned copies of original documents
 (non-certified) provided they are in colour. If you scan documents in
 black and white, then they must be scanned copies of certified copies. The
 valid file types for attaching documents are BMP, DOC, DOT, GIF, JPG, PDF,
 RTF, TXT and XLS.

 Information which will assist you in attaching documents to your
 application or in emailing them to the department is available on the
 department’s website at:
 http://www.immi.gov.au/e_visa/general-skilled-migration-attachments.htm

 E-lodged applications

 If you e-lodged this application you are strongly encouraged to attach all
 the supporting documentation to the application in the web-browser. This
 is the preferred procedure for providing supporting documents for an
 e-lodged application.

 If for any reason you cannot attach documents in the browser then you can
 email the documents as scanned attachments to:
 adelaide.gsm.documents@immi.gov.au

 Paper lodged applications

 If you lodged a paper application you can still provide supporting
 documentation electronically.

 To provide additional documents to the GSM Adelaide office please email
 the documents as scanned attachments to:
 adelaide.gsm.documents@immi.gov.au

 When emailing documents to the department please ensure that you include
 an application reference number as the first part of the subject line of
 your email.  You can use either the Transaction Reference Number (TRN) or
 file reference number for this purpose.

 Do  not send this office any original documents or provide paper copies of
 documents  attached to the browser or sent by e-mail unless asked to do so
 by a departmental officer.

 MEDICAL RESULTS

 If you have undertaken your medical examination at Health Services
 Australia (HSA), please do not post your medical results to us unless your
 case officer requests you to do so.  Please store your results in a secure
 place and do not open the sealed envelope.

 BRISBANE PROCESSING

 Information regarding applications processed in Brisbane can be obtained
 by sending a blank email to the following email address:
 gsmb.information@immi.gov.au

 CONTACTING US

 Email:
 ·    If you have not yet lodged a GSM application then enquiries should be
 made using the on-line enquiry form at
 http://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/forms/gsm/pre.htm
 ·    If you have already made an application then all enquiries for the
 ASPC and BSPC need to be made using the on-line enquiry form at:
 http://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/forms/gsm/post.htm or

 Telephone:
          1300 364 613 (in Australia) for the cost of a local call; or
          +61 1300 364 613 (outside Australia)

          Contact Hours: (Australian Central Time):
          0900 to 1600 Monday to Friday

 Please note: due to the large volume of calls we receive, from time to
 time you may experience lengthy delays before getting to speak to a
 customer service officer.

 LINKS

 General Skilled Migration – What's New
 http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/whats-new.htm

 Critical Skills List
 http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/pdf/critical-skills-list.pdf

 Last updated:  16 March 2010

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