Thank you for your email in relation to your visa application under Australia's General Skilled Migration program.
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> The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, has set new priority processing arrangements for certain Skilled Migration visas. These arrangements are designed to better address the needs of industry by targeting skills in critical need across a number of sectors. The new priority processing Direction commenced on 23 September 2009.
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> The Direction applies to applications in the pipeline that have not been finalised and to applications lodged with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship on or after 23 September 2009.
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> The priority processing arrangements apply to the following visas from 23 September 2009:
> * Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS);
> * Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS); and
> * General Skilled Migration (GSM) visas except for:
> - Skilled - Recognised Graduate Subclass 476;
> - Skilled - Designated Area - Sponsored (Residence) Subclass 883;
> - Skilled - Regional Subclass 887.
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> Under the new Ministerial Direction the following processing priorities (with the highest priority listed first) apply:
> 1. applications from persons who are employer sponsored under the ENS and the RSMS;
> 2. applications from persons who are nominated by a State/Territory government and have nominated an occupation on the Critical Skills List (CSL);
> 3. applications from persons who are sponsored by family and whose occupation is listed on the CSL;
> 4. applications from persons who are neither nominated nor sponsored but who have nominated an occupation on the CSL;
! > 5. applications from persons who are nominated by a State/Territory government and have not nominated an occupation on the CSL;
> 6. (i) applications from persons whose occupations are listed on the Migration Occupations in Demand List; and
> (ii) applications from persons who are sponsored by family and have not nominated an occupation on the CSL;
> 7. all other applications are to be processed in the order in which they are received.
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> The CSL is a list of occupations developed in response to the changing critical skills needs of Australia. The complete list of occupations on the CSL is available on the Department's website at: <http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/g ... cal-skills-list.pdf>
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> As your nominated occupation is on the CSL, you will receive priority processing. This means that your visa application will be assessed in the order listed above according to whether you are sponsored by an employer; nominated by a state or territory government, sponsored by a family member or an independent applicant.
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> Applicants with a nominated occupation on the CSL who have applied for either an onshore or offshore GSM visa, are estimated to have their visa application finalised within 12 months from their lodgement date.
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> Further information on the Ministerial Direction is available on the Department's website at: <http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/g ... ation/whats-new.htm>
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> Information on our current processing timeframes can be obtained by sending a blank email to: aspc.processing@immi.gov.au
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> This is an automated service providing processing information only. Please do not send any other enquiry or information to this email address.
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