SkillSelect

Sometimes misspelled as Skills Select or SkillsSelect.

SkillSelect is the Australian Government’s online immigration portal.

There are no Skillselect Visas, it is simply the online platform through which you make an Expression of Interest to apply for a Skilled Working Visa. The most popular visas applied for via SkillSelect are the 189 and 190 Permanent Residency Visa classes.

Eventually it’s anticipated that SkillSelect will make it easier to secure an employer sponsored visa on the 457 visa class as the platform is designed to link employers with potential skilled migrants.

SkillSelect Explained
Everyone considering moving to Australia based on their skills and experience must start their journey with the SkillSelect portal. In order to begin you’ll be required to complete an Expression of Interest, also known by the abbreviation EOI.

Is the EOI a Visa? Can I get a SkillSelect 189 visa?
Unfortunately not, the expression of interest via the Skillselect platform is simply a lengthy and detailed notification that you would like to apply for an Australian Visa, it is not a visa application in itself although it does allow the Australian Government to make a decision on whether to select you from the pool of candidates during what are called ‘Invitation Rounds’.

SkillSelect Invitation Round
Applicants are selected from the pool of other candidates on a regular basis and the current Skillselect invitation round schedules for 2016 and 2017 happen twice a month for the 189 visa with individual States and Territories being more regular and dependent on the status of the your nominated occupation as it relates to the 190 Visa Australian Immigration program in place in the region.

SkillSelect Occupation List 2016 / 2017
The SkillSelect Occupation list is updated every six months and is the result of ongoing consultation and feedback from the current performance of the National Immigration Program. every six months occupations drop off the list, some are added and a number are red flagged for removal. If your occupation drops off the Occupation List you will be unable to immigrate to Australia via this platform.

When shall I do my EOI Expression of Interest on SkillSelect?
It’s important that you don’t complete the EOI until you have had your Skills Assessed by the assessment body responsible for your occupation code. This is a mandatory state for your Australian Skilled Visa application and must be completed prior to your EOI.

Anything you say must be factually true, i.e. in the example above it will ask if you’ve had your Skills Assessed positively. If you answer yes, even though you haven’t actually had one done, regardless of your future intention it could result in your eventual Visa being refused; you will have technically made a false declaration to the Australian Dept. of Immigration.

What questions are asked on an Australian Expression of Interest?
The questions on the EOI are around the following topics:
Name, address, passport
Your occupation and employment experience
Education details
Questions about your English language ability
Questions on your Skills Assessment
Details on your Business or Investment experience (if applicable)

Once you’ve been through all the questions on your Expression of Interest via the SkillSelect online portal you enter the application pool of other candidates. Employers can scan this pool as well as the individual Australian States & Territories and once selected you’ll receive by email what is known as an ‘invitation to apply’.

Do I have to accept my invitation to apply for an Australian Visa through Skill Select?
You are not obligated to apply for any visa you get invited for although we do find that many do take the first opportunity available so they can secure their visa and move to Australia.

Sometimes it doesn’t always work out that you receive an invitation to apply for your desired State so it’s important to keep an open mind and be as flexible as possible. When you receive an invitation to apply do make note of the timeframe because should you not accept the invitation to apply it will automatically expire and you won’t then receive another invitation from the same State without cancelling your Expression of Interest and making a new one.

It’s also worthwhile noting that quite often the system suffers from errors and shutdowns and should SkillSelect be offline when you go to accept your invitation to apply for a visa you’ll be unable to. The best advice is never leave your acceptance to the very last minute!

Skillselect Processing Time
An expression of interest submitted via Skill Select will remain valid for a period of up to two years. After this time the EOI will automatically expire. In reality though the team at Let’s Go Global have seen invitations to apply arrive in less than a week from submitting a clients Expression of Interest. The SkillSelect processing time is as unique as every Australian EOI application and so it’s important that we put together the best possible Expression of Interest via Skillselect on your behalf.

Skillselect Points calculator
After submitting your Expression of Interest visa the SkillSelect system your points will be calculated. However, this requires an actual live application to be made and given that you cant make any assumptions at EOI stage then its far better and easier use use our Skillselect Points calculator to calculate your migration points. If you require any further assistance or professional clarification take our free online visa assessment in the first instance.

Let’s Go Global provides comprehensive visa and immigration consultancy services for individuals, families and businesses. We’re an independent network dedicated to maximizing your Australian Immigration potential and needless to say are not associated with the Australian Government.

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