HEMISPHERE MIGRATION NEWS

Recent changes to the Australian visa scheme have delivered some people in occupations like Recruitment Consultants not just a quiet ultimatum, but a direct, clarion call to action. A fortunate and select number of recruiters, holding both a 482 visa and a Bachelor’s degree, can still apply for a Direct Entry 186 visa prior to Midnight on the 28th of February 2018.
After the clock strikes midnight on this otherwise innocuous day, the Direct Entry 186 Pathway for Recruitment Consultants ANZSCO 223112 – and a range of other occupations – will disappear. So, what then for experienced recruiters wishing to remain in Australia as permanent residents in the future?

For the Employee
If I’m describing you above, there are a couple of important elements you need to consider:
* You’ll have to demonstrate three years of Recruitment Consultant experience in addition to your degree
* You must complete a Skills assessment with Vetassess prior to making the decision to apply

Remember, too, that you’ll also need your employer to nominate you for the position of Recruitment Consultant (i.e. that you are currently employed in or are looking to be placed into). Options outside this pathway are drying-up across the entire Visa scheme as the Department of Immigration looks to tighten English Language requirements, and further checks are being mooted for Partner visas.

The tried and tested route of working for two years with an employer and having them nominate you is still there. However, each rule change brings greater uncertainty to these conditions and currently the Department of Immigration provides no guarantees of eligibility for this 186 ENS (Temporary Residence Transition) path.

If, in the short-term, the Department of Immigration continues honouring this pathway, its usefulness will diminish over time as less and less Recruiters are deemed eligible given that an increasing number will be granted visas after the announcement date of the 18th of April 2017.

So, is it too late to complete your 186 Direct Entry Visa?
Not for the organised, experienced and motivated professional.
There are a few easy steps that will make the difference to your career and life going back to rain, sleet and wet snow or staying here and catching waves at Bondi whenever you want to:
* Step 1: Submit your Vetassess skills assessment asap
– You’ll need references for three years of work experience. Note: references are not about how good you are at your job, but more akin to Statements of work
– Also, you’ll need Police checks for all countries where you’ve been resident for over 12 months in the last 10 years
* Step 2: Make sure you have a solid commitment from your employer to nominate you
* Step 3: On receipt of your positive skills assessment, immediately lodge your 186 Direct Entry application – certainly well before the 28th of February 2018
* Step 4: Go to work with a renewed purpose and direction for the future

For the Employer
Hesitation in nominating your best employees in the next 4 months could result in directionless, unmotivated employees not committed to building relationships – or your profit margins – given they have no chance of staying in this country. It may not show in the first 18 months, but new visa holders will face the uncertainty of the new TSS visa which compels them to renew after 2 years. What form that renewal takes is currently unknown, nor is the lead-time to approval.

If you’re concerned about building strong, committed teams that subscribe to your values and mirror your long term commitment to your business, then sitting up in March next year lamenting “Oops, I should have gotten involved!” is not going to help.

The time for smart employers to act is now!