On 1 January 2013, the department ceased accepting any new applications for the following visas:
- Skilled – Sponsored (Residence) Visa (Subclass 886)
- Skilled – Independent (Residence) Visa (Subclass 885)
- Skilled – Regional Sponsored (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 487)
This facilitates the transition to SkillSelect Visas, Australia’s new system for selecting skilled migrants.
If you are interested in the Points Tested skilled migration you must submit an Expression of Interest on SkillSelect and receive an invitation in order to lodge a visa application.
To obtain an invitation, prospective migrants should register their details in an Expression of Interest (EOI) at www.immi.gov.au
Migrants must meet certain criteria before their EOI can be considered in each invitation round.
This places greater emphasis on employer sponsorship and state/territory government nomination.