Australian visa change likely to hit Irish migrants

Up to 20,000 would-be migrants seeking to live and work in Australia, many of them Irish, face the prospect of having their visa applications cancelled under tough new visa regulations brought in by the Australian government.

In a recent move the Australian Immigration and Citizenship Department have revoked the wide-ranging Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL), are phasing out the Critical Skills List (CSL) and will use a tougher new Skilled Occupation List (SOL) to be announced at the end of April 2010, to take effect in mid-July 2010.

Robbert Lynch, manager of the www.aussieJobs.ie website said, 'the scrapping of the Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL) will prove a major blow to many Irish people who would have qualified for visas to Australia, based on the additional "points" available through their occupation or specialisation. Traditionally the most popular trades to qualify under the MODL were Carpenters, Bricklayers, Gasfitters, Electricians, Plumbers, Hairdressers and Mechanics – now that this is not an option, many people may not be able to get a work visa for Australia. We have to monitor the situation closely to see what this new Skilled Occupation List (SOL) will offer people – and how it will affect their plans to live and work in Australia.'

The tough new rules will also include provision for the ‘capping’ of visas for certain occupations to ensure that the Skilled Migration Program (SMP) is not dominated by a handful of occupations.

Lynch went on to say, 'under the new system the list of occupations in demand will be tightened so that only highly skilled migrants will be eligible to apply for independent skilled migration visas – with a focus on high value professions and trades. Priority will be given to skilled migrants who have a job to go to with an Australian employer. For those who don’t have an Australian employer willing to sponsor them, the bar is being raised.'

All offshore General Skilled Migration (GSM) applications lodged before 1 September 2007 will have their applications withdrawn and visa application fees refunded, however exceptions will apply for certain Skilled Graduates and those with pending General Skilled Migration (GSM) visa applications.

Robbert Lynch of AussieJobs.ie said, 'the Australian visa system is one of the toughest and most complicated visa systems in the World. Getting the application right, filling in the correct forms and providing all the necessary information was hard enough, but these changes will make it even more difficult and confusing for applicants. Luckily, because our guide-book is an electronic ebook we were able to respond to the changes announced immediately and could include the latest information in our book. We also update the book by e-mail for 12 months after purchase, so customers are always up to date on the latest changes to the visa system.'