Priority Processing for Skilled Migration Visas

Posted by on Oct 16, 2012 in News and Events

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen MP, has set new priority processing arrangements for certain skilled migration visas. These arrangements include the new skilled visa subclasses introduced in the skilled migration reforms and continue to give regional employer sponsored visas the highest processing priority.

The priority processing arrangements enable the department to consider and finalise visa applications in an order of priority that the minister considers appropriate.

The new priority processing arrangements apply to applications for the following visas:

  • Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS)
  • Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS)
  • Certain points based skilled migration.

From 1 July 2012, processing priorities (with highest priority listed first) are:

  1. applications from people who are sponsored under the RSMS program
  2. applications from people who are sponsored under the ENS program
  3. applications from people who are nominated by a state or territory government agency
  4. applications from people who have nominated an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) – Schedule 1 in effect from 1 July 2012
  5. all other applications.