Australia Immigration Updates

Australia Immigration: Latest Visa Updates & News

 

February 03, 2025

Australia’s Canberra Matrix Invitation Round Invites Overseas Applicants

The recent Canberra Matrix invitation Round held on January 30, 2025, invited candidates in Canberra and overseas applicants under various categories. The next invitation round is expected to be conducted before March 27, 2025. Detailed information is given in the table below.

Category	Visa Subclass	Invitations Issued	Minimum Matrix Score
Canberra Residents
Small Business Owners	190	12	115
	491	5	115
457 / 482 Visa Holders	190	22	N/A
	491	4	N/A
Critical Skill Occupations	190	170	N/A
	491	207	N/A
Overseas Applicants
Critical Skill Occupations	190	26	N/A
	491	98	N/A

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January 28, 2025

Australia Replaces ANZSCO with OSCA for Occupational Classification

Australia replaced ANZSCO with OSCA on December 6, 2024. OSCA is an updated framework for job classifications based on the needs of the Australian labor market.

The new additions to the OSCA codes are as follows:

• The addition of 300 new occupations and the removal of 250 occupations
• Increasing Unit Groups to 421, from 364 in ANZSCO
• 1,156 new occupations in OSCA, compared to 1,076 in ANZSCO

Note: The OSCA codes will soon replace the existing job codes on the SOL list used in ANZSCO.

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January 14, 2025

Northern Territory's General Skilled Migration (GSM) updated the nomination program for 2024-25

Northern Territory's General Skilled Migration has updated the allocation capacity for 2024-2025 programs. Currently, the allocation portal has been suspended. Eligible candidates' applications received before the suspension will still be assessed before the suspension will be for eligible applicants to be issued notifications.New applications can apply for the 2025-26 year program.

Onshore Applications that would be processed within the suspension

The applications will only be accepted of exception onshore applications whose:

• Visa expiring before July 1, 2025, and are not eligible for a Subclass 485 visa
• Applicants who qualify due to their age and are losing migration points below 65

Note: While the nomination of these exceptional candidates will be prioritized, there is no guarantee before the visa expiry. Onshore applicants can seek professional guidance, learn about alternative visa options, and ensure they stay lawful in Australia.

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January 08, 2025

Important Announcement: International students must submit Confirmation of Enrolment to apply for an Australia student visa 

International students must submit Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) instead of Letters of Offer from January 1, 2025. Applications without (CoE) will be invalid, potentially affecting their lawful status. This initiative aims to prevent visa misuse by ensuring that genuine students make applications. Applications previously submitted before January 1, 2025, with a Letter of offer, won't be affected by the new rule.

December 27, 2024

VETASSESS added 20 more occupations under the Australia new skill in demand visa

VETASSESS will accept applications for 20 additional occupations aligned with the Australian Government by introducing the subclass 482 and Subclass 186 visas. The Skill in Demand visa has been replaced by the Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482) and the new Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL). 

The new occupation includes: 

ANZSCO	Occupations
139917	Regulatory Affairs Manager
224714	Supply Chain Analyst
225114	Content Creator (Marketing)
234114	Agricultural Research Scientist
234115	Agronomist
234116	Aquaculture or Fisheries Scientist
234521	Entomologist
234612	Respiratory Scientist
311112	Agricultural and Agritech Technician
311113	Animal Husbandry Technician
311114	Aquaculture or Fisheries Technician
311115	Irrigation Designer
311217	Respiratory Technician
311314	Primary Products Quality Assurance Officer
312914	Other Draftsperson
362512	Tree Worker
362712	Irrigation Technician
451111	Beauty Therapist
451412	Tour Guide
451612	Travel Consultant

December 27, 2024

TRA mandates Skill assessment for the New SID visa 

Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) declared that Skills Assessments for 23 occupations are mandatory to apply under the New Skills in Demand visa. Candidates must take the New Skills in Demand visa skill assessment for their occupation under TRS’s responsibility to continue applying for the Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) skills assessment program. TSS applications received by TRA from 7 December 2024 will be assessed for a Skill in Demand visa.  

December 27, 2024

New ANZSCO codes are declared for Data Science, Cyber Security, and DevOps by ACS  

The ACS plans to launch 10 new ANZSCO codes for the CSOL (Core Skill Occupation List) and the SID (new Skills in Demand) visas. These new codes align with the labor shortage industry's demands for these skills. 

New ANZSCO Codes are as follows:

Cyber Security Roles
261315	Cyber Security Engineer
261317	Penetration Tester
262114	Cyber Governance Risk and Compliance Specialist
262115	Cyber Security Advice and Assessment Specialist
262116	Cyber Security Analyst
262117	Cyber Security Operations Coordinator
262118	Cyber Security Operations Coordinator
Data Science Roles
224114	Data Analyst
224115	Data Scientist
DevOps Role
261316	DevOps Engineer

December 13, 2024

Western Australia declared the  Invitation Rounds for State nominated migration program

Australia issued invitations on December 13, 2024, for the State nominated migration program:

Intending visa subclass	General stream	General stream	Graduate stream	Graduate stream
	WASMOL schedule 1	WASMOL schedule 2	Higher education	Vocational education and training
Visa subclass 190	450	600	340	105
Visa subclass 491	450	600	335	115

December 07, 2024

Australia launched the New Skilled in Demand visa instead of the TSS.

The Australia TSS visa will be replaced with the New Skill in Demand visa on December 7, 2024. The New Skills in Demand visa streams are Essential Skills, Core Skills Pathway, Pathway, and Skills Pathway. The new skilled-in-demand visa will cover 465 occupations, including Tech jobs, and will apply to Subclass 186 visas. This visa will enable business candidates to explore the streams that benefit employers and skilled professionals.

December 06, 2024

Australia introduced a National Innovation visa (subclass 858) visa instead of a Global Talent Independent visa. 

The Global Talent Independent visa has been changed to National Innovation (subclass 858). The processing and requirements for National Innovation (subclass 858) are the same as those for the GTI visa. To apply for a National Innovation visa, an applicant must:

• Must be nominated
• Apply for EOI
• Apply within 60 days after being invited

Note: Candidates recognized internationally by the federal and state governments with awards will be in priority lists 1 and 2. After that, Tier 1 and Tier 2 will be prioritised.

New Changes in National Innovation Visa

Processing cost: Candidates over 18 should pay AUD 4,840.00, and dependents under 18 must pay AUD 2425 and AUD 1210.

English language requirement: Functional Level English is required (Can be proved if an applicant has studied in an English medium school or IELTS band score of 5)

List of Priority Orders 

Priority Orders
Priority one	Exceptional candidates from any sector who are global experts and recipients of international ‘top of field’ level awards.
Priority two	Candidates from any sector nominated on the approved Form 1000 by an expert Australian Commonwealth, State or Territory Government agency.
Priority three	Candidates with exceptional and outstanding achievements in a Tier One sector:
	Critical Technologies
	Health Industries
	Renewables and low emission technologies
Priority four	Candidates with exceptional and outstanding achievements in a Tier Two sector:
	Agri-food and AgTech
	Defence Capabilities and Space
	Education
	Financial Services and FinTech
	Infrastructure and Transport
	Resources

Indicators of exceptional and outstanding achievements

Indicators of exceptional and outstanding achievements
Top-of-field Level Awards	Recipients of national research grants	Holders of PhDs with high-levels of academic influence or thought leadership	Other measures of high-calibre talent	Candidates nominated by an expert Australian Commonwealth, State or Territory government agency
Nobel Prizes	Receipt of a national level research grant for the highest quality research in Australia or from other countries showing that the individual is at the top of their field. These include but are not limited to:	Holders of a PhD with high-levels of academic influence or thought leadership in their field, such as:	Other measures of high-calibre talent may include:	Other indicators of exceptional and outstanding achievements we may consider in conjunction with nomination by an expert Australian Commonwealth, State or Territory government agency include:
Breakthrough Prizes	·         Australian Research Council grants	·         Recent publications in top ranked journals, for example Nature, Lancet or Acta Numerica		·         Athletes and creative who will raise Australia’s international standing in their field
Rousseeuw Prize	·         Department of Education Accelerator grants equivalent level grants from other countries. This includes:	·         A high h-index for their stage of career, for example an early career researcher with a h-index of 14	·         Recent keynote appearance at a high-profile international conference. For example:	·         Evidence of innovative investment activity with an established track record of supporting successful innovative ventures
Eni Award	-        United Kingdom Research and Innovation Grants program	·         A research-based degree from a top global university, for example, ranked in the top 100 World University Rankings by Times Higher Education	-        Web Summit; International Congress of Mathematicians	·         Evidence of promising entrepreneurial activities that will lead to the commercialisation of a product or service in Australia, particularly where linked to Commonwealth, State or Territory based innovation hubs.
Institution of Electrical Engineers Medal of Honor	-        Funding from the EU Commission		-        American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting or	·         Recognised intellectual property attributed to them, for example holding relevant international patents.
Fields Medal	-        Funding from the US National Science Foundation		-        International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium
Chern Medal	• Other similar level grants.
Abel Prize			·         Earning at or above the Fair Work high income threshold, where:
L’Oreal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science			-        There is written communication from an Australian employer offering employment in Australia with an annual salary equivalent to, or higher than, the high income threshold or
Turing Award			-        The primary applicant's current earnings are an amount equal to, or greater than, the high income threshold.
ACM Prize in Computing
Pulitzer Prize
International Booker Prize
International Tchaikovsky Competition Gold Medal
Olympic Gold Medal
Laureus World Sportsman or Sportswoman of the year

December 04, 2024

The Victoria government will now prioritize the Construction Trade Occupation for Australian skilled visas

Australia Victoria will prioritize the construction trade occupation for the skilled visa nomination program for 2024-25. The selected skill visas are Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) and Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) visas.

Below are the lists of prioritized Occupations list from the Construction Trade Occupation:

ANZSCO Code	Occupation Name
331211	Carpenter and Joiner
331212	Carpenter
331213	Joiner
333111	Glazier
333211	Fibrous Plasterer
333212	Solid Plasterer
334111	Plumber (General)
334112	Air Conditioning and Mechanical Services Plumber
334115	Roof Plumber
341111	Electrician (General)
341112	Electrician (Special Class)
342211	Electrical Lines Worker
342411	Cabler (Data and Telecommunications)
394111	Cabinetmaker

December 04, 2024

Canberra Matrix assigned application status and places as of November 28, 2024-2025

The Canberra Matrix allotted places for subclass visas each month, 190 and 491. Below is the allocation provided by November 28 for 2024-2025:

Category	Skilled Nominated (subclass 190)	Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491)	Total
2024-2025 Nomination Places Application Count (as of 28 Nov 2024)	1,000	800	1,800
Total Approvals	238	178	416
Total Refusals	18 (7%)	23 (12%)	41
Approvals by Residency Status
ACT Residents	NA	NA	358 (86%)
Overseas Residents	NA	NA	58 (12%)
Remaining Allocation	762	622	1,384

December 04, 2024

Tasmania Migration revised the Australia visa nomination status and processing time

Tasmania Migration updated the nomination status and processing time for Australian skilled visas:

Category	Skilled Nominated (subclass 190)	Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491)
Processing Times	The oldest application lodged on 19 October 2024.	Same as subclass 190.
Nomination Places Used	679 of 2,100	224 of 760
Nomination Applications Lodged (Not Decided)	247	96
Invitations to Apply (Not Accepted)	58	33
Registrations of Interest (ROI) on Hand	359	334

Key Changes:

Orange-Plus attribute

• One Orange-Plus attribute applicant will have to get more importance and get an invitation in 6 months.
• Skilled Nominated Visa candidates with one Orange-Plus attribute will receive an ITA for this year's program.
• Job Requirements: Candidates must have a job listed as a skill occupation to get the Orange-Plus attribute.

December 03, 2024

Australia introduced the New Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL)

Australia improved the new core Skill Occupation List (CSOL) on December 3, 2024. The new CSOL replaces the old fort in the temporary skilled visa program. On December 7, 2024, the TSS visa will be replaced and applied to the core skills stream of the new Skills in Demand visa. Subclass 186 visa candidates are eligible to apply for this list.