SkillSelect’ – Invitation to apply
A new ‘SkillSelect’ system from 1 July 2012
Prospective applicants will submit Express of Interest (EOI) online
EOI mandatory for all skilled visas except ENS/RSMS and 457 visas
All preliminaries, e.g. skills assessment, JRP and English test to be completed before EOI submission, and persons are responsible for any fees incurred
State sponsored and employer sponsored EOI’s will be invited to apply for visa
Remainder EOI’s will be electronically ranked by score on points test
Occupational ceiling applicable for each occupation on SOL
Successful EOI’s will be sent invitation automatically to apply for visa
Visa applications to be lodged within 2 months of invitation
EOI’s stay on database for 2 years, unless removed earlier as result of visa grant
EOI’s are free and can be submitted online from anywhere in the world
For onshore applicants, EOI’s are not visa applications, hence no entitlement to bridging visa or review rights
EOI’s can be submitted from 1 July 2012, and first round of invitations had begun to go out
New priority processing priorities from 1 July 2012
P1: RSMS
P2: ENS
P3: State/Territory nominations
P4: Schedule 1 of new SOL
P5: All other applications