Recent Encouraging new rules.

• NEW - Skilled Occupation List Changes March 2019.
  
  On 11 March DHA introduced a number of new occupation lists affecting General Skilled and Employer-sponsored migration. In total, 36 occupations have been added to the MLTSSL list. 27 occupations have been removed from the STSOL to the ROL list.
  
  
• NEW - Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Subclass 491 visa.
  
  These Visas will be implemented from November 2019, “Regional” being defined as for all of Australia except Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
  
  
  • Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa: for people sponsored by an employer in regional Australia.
    
    
  • Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa: for people who are nominated by a State or sponsored by an eligible family member to live and work in regional Australia.
    
    

Visas will be granted with a validity period of up to five years to live and work in regional Australia. Holders of the new skilled regional provisional visas will be able to apply for a Permanent Residence visa.

• NEW - Extra options for international graduates from regional institutions.
  
  This initiative provides an extra year of post-study work rights for international students who graduate from the regional campus of a registered university or institution with a higher education or postgraduate qualification; and maintain ongoing residence in a regional area while holding their first Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa.

• NEW - Changes to the POINTS TEST from 16th November 2019.

  These changes are relevant to existing Subclass 489,189 and 190 and the new Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Subclass 491 visa.

• 10 points - for Specialist Educational qualifications. (Currently 5 points.) (Increased )
• 10 points -for applicants with a skilled spouse - (under 45 with Competent English, suitable skills assessment and with an occupation on the same skilled occupation list). ( Currently 5 points).( Increased )
• 10 points - for applicants who do not have a spouse or de facto partner or who have a spouse or de facto partner who is an Australian citizen or a Permanent resident (New)
• 5 points for applicants with a spouse or de facto partner who has competent English (New)
• 15 points - for applicants who are nominated by a State, or who are sponsored by a suitable family member. These points are relevant to applicants for a Subclass 489 visa or the new Subclass 491 visa. Currently 10 points. ( Increased )

• NEW - Commencement of the 5 year Sponsored Parent visa (Temporary) Subclass 870 visa.

  The introduction of the new temporary sponsored parent visa for bringing in overseas parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents will be available from 17 April 2019. The visas will be valid for 3 or 5 years at a cost of $5,000 and $10,000 respectively. The new parent visa will be renewable for a combined maximum of 10 years.
  
  Sponsors can only sponsor two parents at any one time and have a minimum household taxable income threshold of $83,454.80 and have no debts to the Commonwealth.