New Priority Processing Arrangements for GSM Visas

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has announced new General Skilled Migration (GSM) processing priorities:

1.     Applications from people who are employer sponsored under the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) and the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS);

2.     Applications from people who are nominated by a state or territory government agency with a nominated occupation that is specified on that state or territory's state migration plan:
- Applications which have already been nominated by a state or territory government with an occupation that is subsequently specified in their nominating state or territory's state migration plan will receive Priority 2 processing.

3.     Applications from people who have nominated an occupation on the new Skilled Occupation List (SOL) - Schedule 3 in effect from 1 July 2010:
- This includes all applicants with a nominated occupation of Accountant, except those already in Priority 1 or 2; and

4.     All other applications are to be processed in the order in which they are received:
- Existing applicants with a nominated occupation of Computing Professional (nec), Hospital Pharmacist and Retail Pharmacist who already have a case officer will be contacted by the case officer about their processing arrangements:
- DIAC advises that priority 4 applicants will have "a long wait".

The following GSM subclasses are subject to priority processing:

• 175; 176; 475; 487; 495; 496; 497; 861; 862; 863; 880; 881; 882; 885; and 886.

The following are exempt from priority processing and will be processed in the order in which they are received:

• Applications for Subclass 476; 485; 883; and 887;
• Applications that are remitted to DIAC by the Migration Review Tribunal (MRT);
• Applications where it is "readily apparent that the criteria for grant of a visa would not be satisfied"; and
• Applications from subsequent entrants.

These priority processing arrangements apply to applications already lodged with DIAC, as well as to future applications. Case officers do not have any discretion to exempt applications from priority processing. See DIAC's Frequently Asked Questions sheet for further information.