Skill Select EOI Invitation Results for March 21st, 2018

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Skill Select EOI Invitation Results for March 21st, 2018

 

The Department of Immigration has released the analysis of the 21st March 2018 round results (Expressions of Interest – EOI) for the visa subclass 189 (Skilled Independent) and 489 (Skilled Family Sponsored). EasyMigrate’s Principal Migration Consultant Mr Cyrus Mistry has reviewed these results:Broad Overview: For the sixth time in succession, the number of invitations provided by the Dept of Immigration is very low and disappointing.  – only 305 which is the same as the last round of invitations! Once again, not a single “Accountant” was invited! The total number of invitations for this financial year (July to March 2018) has been 14,466 so I expect that in the remaining financial year (April-June 2018) it is likely that there will be some increase in the number of invitations provided by the Department of Immigration… but I am beginning to lose hope.

Once again for this latest round of invitations under the subclass 189 (Skilled Independent) visa, only 300 invitations were issued, at 70 points or above. Only five invitations were issued to SC489 Family-Sponsored applicants – 4 at 80 points and 1 at 75 points. 

As I have mentioned in my previous newsletter, This is a decrease of about 2250 invitations per month compared to the October 2017 invitations,  it is about 1105 invitations less than the November 2017 round. The December 2017 round, January 2017 round, and February 2017 round and March 2018 round have all been very low with the number of invitations, with only 610 invitations per month (305 invitations x 2 invitation-rounds each month). My estimate is that the current rounds are only at about 25-30% of the usual monthly track-record before October 2017.

Please note that these figures do not include invitations under the state-nominated subclass 190 and state-nominated “Regional” subclass 489.

For this round, most invitations (193) were to applicants who have 75 points. Another 50 invitations went to persons with 80 points. 10 invitations were given to applicants having 85 points or more.

47 applicants were invited at 70 points. There were NO INVITES to applicants with 60 or 65 points.

As I have mentioned before – when the number of invitations are so low, then anomalies creep in – let me explain. My estimate is that about 15% of the “invitations” usually do not get taken up (because of the applicant’s changed circumstances). These “invitations” expire after 60 days and lead to a “re-invite” in the next round of invitations (maximum two invites). When the number of invitations is reduced by DIBP to a paltry 300 (instead of the usual 2000-3000 per month) then these “re-invitations” tend to skew the results and give inaccurate statistics.

For the occupations subject to pro-rata arrangements, Accountants did not get any invitations on 21st March 2018. I am hoping that DIBP recommences invitations for “Accountants” soon. Accountants have been excluded (or dramatically reduced) since Oct-Nov 2017 invitation-rounds!

Electronics Engineers got invited at 75 points with the date of effect 20-03-2018, so they seem to have waited ONLY ONE DAY IN THE QUEUE! Unfortunately, this is only for 75 point applicants, all others lost out.

Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers got invited at 70 points with a date of effect 14-11-2017.

Other Engineering Professionals got invited at 75 points with the date of effect 09-03-2018. The new date 09-03-2018 is quite significant – waiting in the queue is down to TWO WEEKS but only for 75-point holders! As the number of “invitations” increase over the next few rounds, this is a good sign for other engineers who are waiting at 70 points and 65 points.

ICT Professionals (Business and Systems Analysts, Software Programmers and Network Professionals) got invited at 75 points with visa date of effect ranging between 07-02-2018 and 16-03-2018 – about 1 month’s waiting in the queue, but the good news is only for 75-point holders.

21 March 2018 Invitation Round

The table below (published by Department of Immigration – now renamed Depart of Home Affairs – DoHA) shows the number of invitations issued in the SkillSelect invitation round on 21 March 2018.

Invitations issued on 21 March 2018

Visa Subclass Number
Skilled – Independent (subclass 189) 300
Skilled Regional (Provisional) (subclass 489) 5

During 2017-18 program year the following numbers of invitations have been issued:

Invitations issued during 2017-18 program year

Visa subclass Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June Total
Skilled – Independent (subclass 189) 2000 2000 3500 2500 1400 600 600 600 600 13800
Skilled – Regional Provisional (subclass 489) 210 256 93 57 10 10 10 10 10 666
Total 2210 2256 3593 2557 1410 610 610 610 610 14466

The above figures do not include invitations issued for State and Territory Government nominated visa subclasses. State and Territory Governments nominate throughout the month for specific points tested skilled migration and business innovation and investment visas.

21 March 2018 results

The following graph shows the points for clients who were invited to apply in the 21 March 2018 round.

Invitation process and cut offs

The highest ranked clients by points score are invited to apply for the relevant visa. For clients who have equal points scores, the time at which they reached their points score for that subclass (referred to as the date of effect) determines their order of invitation. Expressions of Interest with earlier dates of effect are invited before later dates.

SkillSelect first allocates available places to Skilled – Independent visas (subclass 189) and then the remaining to Skilled – Regional (Provisional) visas (subclass 489). If all places are taken up by subclass 189 visas then there will be no invitations issued for subclass 489 visas in these occupations.

Visa Subclass Points score Date of effect
Skilled – Independent (subclass 189) 70 27/11/2017  1:01 PM
Skilled – Regional Provisional (subclass 489) 75 15/02/2017  12:37 PM

Due to high levels of demand, and in keeping with previous years, the below occupation groups will be subject to pro rata arrangements to ensure availability of invitations across the program year.

Point scores and the dates of effect cut off for the pro rata occupations in the 21 March 2018 invitation round.

Occupation ID Description Points score Date of effect
2211 Accountants N/A N/A
2212 Auditors, Company Secretaries and Corporate Treasurers 80 31/01/2018  1:04 PM
2334 Electronics Engineer 75 20/03/2018  9:19 PM
2335 Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers 70 14/11/2017  10:56 PM
2339 Other Engineering Professionals 75 9/03/2018  5:42 PM
2611 ICT Business and System Analysts 75 07/02/2018 7:13 PM
2613 Software and Applications Programmers 75 3/03/2018  11:05 AM
2631 Computer Network Professionals 75 16/03/2018  5:01 AM