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Skills assessments obtained within 60 days of receiving an invitation for a General Skilled Migration Visa will now be accepted by the Department of Home Affairs.
Skills Assessment required for GSM visas
To be eligible for a General Skilled Migration (GSM) Visa, applicants need to meet specific requirements, including having obtained a positive skills assessment. The skills assessment process evaluates an applicant's work experience, educational qualifications, and skills relevant to their nominated occupation.
Making an Expression of Interest (EOI)
The process of applying for a GSM Visa starts with submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) through the SkillSelect system. SkillSelect is an online platform that allows skilled workers to register their interest in migrating to Australia.
Receiving an invitation for a GSM visa
When an applicant receives an invitation, they will have 60 days to submit their visa application, including their skills assessment. The skills assessment must be completed by a recognized assessing authority relevant to their nominated occupation.
Previously, the Department of Home Affairs required applicants to have their skills assessments completed before submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) for a GSM Visa. However, the process can often be time-consuming, and some applicants might not have completed their assessments before receiving an invitation, which would mean that they would not meet the time of application criteria for a GSM visa and would have their visa refused.
To address this issue, the Department of Home Affairs has now announced that skills assessments obtained within 60 days of receiving an invitation for a GSM Visa will now be accepted. This new policy will provide more flexibility for applicants and streamline the visa application process.
The new policy will allow applicants to complete their skills assessment after receiving an invitation, giving them more time to prepare and organize their application.
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