On 25 October, the Labor Government officially released the highly anticipated 2022-2023 new federal Budget. The migration quota that everyone has been watching was confirmed to rise from 160,000 to 195,000! Compared with the previously planned figures, the Subclass 189 allocation jumped from 16,652 to 32,100 places — an increase of 15,448 places, a rise of 92.77%.
The Recovery of the 189 Is Already in Sight
)
The First Three 189 Invitation Rounds of This Financial Year
Signs of recovery have already appeared.
In this financial year’s 189 invitation rounds, after 12,200 places were issued when the floodgates opened on 22 August, a second round of invitations was issued on 6 October, with 11,714 places. This second round invited large numbers of offshore engineering candidates on 65 points, with commonly invited occupations including Civil, Electronic, Electrical, Materials, Mechanical, Environmental, Industrial and Mining engineers, among others.
Most importantly, the scores were essentially 65 points. What does 65 points mean? It is the minimum score required under the points-tested skilled migration system.
)
How Overseas Engineers Can Pursue the 189 / Skilled Migration
Today I will focus on how overseas engineers can pursue the 189.
At present, anyone wishing to lodge a 189 Skilled Independent migration application must first have English results and a skills assessment. English is something everyone is familiar with (IELTS or PTE), but a skills assessment is even more important than English — or rather, more fundamental. Every Australian points-tested skilled migration stream requires a skills assessment; without one, even 100 points is useless.
EA Skills Assessing Authority (Most Engineering Occupations)
)
EA divides engineering occupations into:
Professional Engineer
Engineering Technologist
Engineering Associate
Engineering Manager
As to how to decide which EA category an applicant belongs to, the applicant needs to be assessed based on their qualifications or their qualifications plus work experience. In most cases, it will be one of the first two categories. Please contact me for a specific assessment.
Common engineering occupations assessed by EA that can go through the 189 pathway:
Chemical Engineer
Civil Engineer
Transport Engineer
Electrical Engineer
Mechanical Engineer
Telecommunications Engineer
Engineering Technologist
Civil Engineering Draftsperson
Successful EA Skills Assessment Cases — Engineering
Mechanical Engineer
)
Civil Engineer
)
Heating and Ventilation Engineer
)
Geotechnical Engineer
Engineering Technologist
)
Some Engineers Can Obtain an Additional Skills Assessment
The VET assessing authority, VETASSESS, is one of the main assessing bodies designated by the Department of Home Affairs and assesses more occupations than any other body. VETASSESS divides the occupations it assesses into Groups A, B, C, D, E and F.
It mainly assesses two broad types of occupations:
1. Professional occupations
2. Trade occupations
In addition to an EA skills assessment, some engineering roles can also go through VETASSESS — i.e., holding one EA skills assessment and one VETASSESS skills assessment at the same time.
For example, a civil engineer can hold an EA skills assessment as Civil Engineer together with a VETASSESS skills assessment as Civil Engineering Draftsperson.
Why Obtain an Additional Skills Assessment?
Because the 189 and some state nomination programs are currently trending towards inviting lower-skilled occupations — for example NSW 190 — or applying lower requirements to them.
Successful VETASSESS Skills Assessment Cases — Engineering
Civil Engineering Draftsperson
)
Once a skills assessment has been obtained, applicants should not consider the 189 only. Engineering applicants who are open to a two-step PR pathway could also consider the Subclass 491 regional state nomination in various states, where the EOI points bar is lower.
The 190 is another option. Different state nomination channels have different requirements and suit different engineering occupations; you can choose based on your own situation. Below are the offshore state nomination submission requirements for this financial year:
Australia’s 189 program has explicitly prioritised offshore applicants this financial year, and state nomination programs are also offering more places to offshore candidates than before, in order to make up for the overseas talent loss caused by two years of closed borders. Combined with the overall increase in quotas, the opportunity has genuinely arrived for offshore applicants!
There are countless offshore migration pathways — there is always one that suits you. But everything starts with a first step, and being willing to take that first step is the most critical step to success. If after reading this article you have any further questions, you are welcome to add me on WeChat and I will tailor a sensible migration plan for you one-on-one.
