DIAC suspends GSM Australian visa applications.
The Australian Department of Immigration, the DIAC, have temporarily suspended certain general skilled migration visas for Australia.
An update on the DIAC website states that from Saturday the 8th of May certain GSM visa applications will be suspended until the 30th of June 2010. A DIAC factsheet on the GSM suspension states that the demand for these GSM visas have outstripped the number of available places.
The Australian visas affected are listed below:
- Subclass 175 – Skilled Independent (Migrant) visa.
- Subclass 176 – Skilled Sponsored (Migrant) visa.
- Subclass 475 – Skilled Regional Sponsored (Provisional) visa.
The DIAC states that; “The temporary suspension is being implemented to ensure that the occupational profile of applicants for GSM clearly reflects the needs of the Australian labour market.”
The suspension comes following a series of changes by the government to the Australian immigration program designed to attract more highly skilled migrants to Australia. It also comes after confusion over whether the DIAC were implementing the controversial capping and ceasing policy on Australian immigration.
This suspension will also include occupations listed on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) which the DIAC now say will be released this month. The suspension will remain in place until the end of June which is when the DIAC anticipates the new SOL will be implemented subject to amendments of the Migration Regulations 1994.
This suspension will affect all new applications for the GSM subclasses listed above. The DIAC will not now be taking any new visa applications for these subclasses. The Visa Application Charge will be fully refunded to the applicant however incurred fees such as medical examinations will not be refunded by the DIAC as the payments were not made to the government. Applications already submitted will be processed as normal.
It is advised that anyone wanting to make an application wait until after the suspension has been lifted. If you have mailed your application, providing it arrives with the DIAC before the 8th of May then it will be processed as normal. Any application arriving on or after the 8th of May will be considered invalid.
This subject is currently being discussed in our online forum, so let us know your views and if you have been affected by this suspension.
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One Response to “Australian Immigration Dept Suspends GSM Visas”
Comment by Raghu — May 8, 2010 @ 2:12 am
Information so valid in your site