Current Australian Immigration processing lead time as of March 2007

The ASPC is current experiencing some delays in receipting and acknowledging applications and regrets the inconvenience this may be causing applicants and their representatives.

Please note that these delays do not affect the date on which a valid application is recorded as having been received and this is the date used for processing purposes.

The ASPC is currently receipting offshore applications received on 23 January 2007 and onshore applications received on 23 January 2007.

Processing and Allocation Information

As advised on the departmental website processing of an application will usually commence within seven (7) working days of its receipt by the department. This means that an application is receipted, acknowledged and a file number is allocated.

Once this has occurred a case officer is appointed to assess each application as soon as possible, however, the ASPC receives a large number of applications and you will not be contacted immediately.

Applications lodged on or before the dates shown below have been allocated to case officers for further processing.

ONSHORE APPLICATIONS

Student/Graduate

Paper based applications: 08 September 2006 (subclass 880) and 31 August 2006 (subclass 881) and 01 September 2006 (subclass 882)

E-lodged (online) applications: 22 October 2006 (subclass 880) and 11 September 2006 (subclass 881) and 11 September 2006 (subclass 882)

Skilled Independent Regional (Provisional) (SIR VISA)

Paper based applications: 1 November 2006
E-lodged (online) applications: 15 December 2006

New Zealand

All applications: 28 August 2006 (all subclasses)

OFFSHORE APPLICATIONS

Applications for Classes BN, BQ, BR and UZ (subclasses 134, 136, 137, 138,139 and 496)

Priority Applications: 20 June 2006
Non-Priority Applications: 06 June 2006

Skilled Independent Regional (Provisional) (SIR VISA)

Paper based applications: 30 August 2006
E-lodged (online) applications: 01 February 2007

If a visa application was made more than two weeks before the relevant date shown above and you have not been contacted by a case officer please contact the Adelaide Skilled Processing Centre from the web page http://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/visa-enquiries/professionals.htm

Applications eligible for priority processing

1. Applicants whose nominated occupation is on the Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL)

2. For applicants whose nominated occupation is not on the MODL, applications for any of the following visas are given priority:

a) Skill Matching (Migrant) (Class BR) - Subclass 134 - Skill Matching
b) Skilled - Independent (Migrant) (Class BN) – Subclass 137 - Skilled - State/Territory-nominated Independent
c) Skilled - Australian-sponsored (Migrant) (Class BQ) - Subclass 139 - Skilled - Designated Area Sponsored
d) Skilled - Independent Regional (Provisional) (Class UX) – Subclass 495 - Skilled - Independent Regional (Provisional)
e) Skilled Designated Area-sponsored (Provisional) (Class UZ) – Subclass 496 - Skilled Designated Area-sponsored (Provisional)
f) Skilled New Zealand (Residence) visa class (Class DB) - Subclass 863 - Skilled - Onshore Regional-Sponsored New Zealand Citizen
g) Skilled Australian-sponsored Overseas Student (Residence) (Class DE) - Subclass 882 - Skilled Designated Area-sponsored Overseas Student

Eligibility for priority processing does not mean that any processing requirements can be waived.

Offshore Applicants can now initiate Health and Character Checks before being allocated a case officer

The inclusion of health forms on the department’s website means that applicants can reduce the time taken to finalise the application by commencing health and character checking before their application is allocated to a case officer, however, applicants and migration agents should be aware that:

Applicants are responsible for all costs associated with medical examinations and providing police clearances;

Health examinations and police clearances have limited validity periods, generally for a period of 12 months;

If clearances expire before the application is finalised they may be requested again, and must be provided at the applicant’s cost;

The ASPC may need to undertake other checking in respect of the application that can delay a decision; and

Undertaking health examinations and providing police clearances does not guarantee an application will be successful.

Applicants and Agents can monitor which applications are currently being allocated for assessing through this e-mail service before deciding when to undertake health and character procedures.

If you decide to undertake these checks before being allocated a case officer it is suggested that these checks be initiated when allocation dates are within three months of your date of lodgement.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT:

Applicants are not obliged to undertake these checks now and may wait until receiving a further request from the department.

If any applicant is pregnant - please contact this office for further advice before any person included in the application commences health or character checking.

Non-migrating family members of SIR visa applicants should not undertake health and character checking unless specifically requested to do so.

Medical Examinations

Information on health checking requirements and medical forms can be obtained at http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/health-requirements/index.htm

Please pay careful attention to the information available on this page including Form 1071i detailing health requirements for permanent entry to Australia. Visa applicants in Australia must contact Health Services Australia (HSA) to arrange a health examination.

Applicants outside of Australia must arrange their health examination with a panel doctor and/or radiologist nominated by the Australian Government. A list of panel doctors and radiologists is at
http://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/panel-doctors/index.htm

Please note that the panel doctor is required to send all medical results to the Local Clearance Unit in Australia and not give them to applicants or their representatives. Information about the Local Clearance Unit including their address is available at http://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/australia/processing-centres/lcu-sydney.htm

Before attending a health examination applicants need to:
1. Print off the required numbers of forms 26 and/or 160 to present to the panel doctor and radiologist; and
2. Complete the “Office use only” box to indicate the visa class applied for (eg subclass 136), the file reference number and / or the ICSE Request ID number on each form.

Police Clearance Certificates

Police Clearance Certificates are required, for each member of the applicant’s family unit aged 16 years or over, regardless of whether or not they are migrating. Clearances are required for each country the applicant has lived in for a cumulative total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years.

Applicants should also provide an address history for any other relevant persons who need to satisfy the character requirements as part of this application.

For information on obtaining police clearances please refer to the Form 47P Character

Requirements available at http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/47p.pdf

Finalising Applications

Please note that the information provided above is not about the time it will take to process an application to completion. The time it is expected to take to process a General Skilled Migration visa application to completion is detailed in the department’s service standards. Service standards are specified for applications lodged with complete documentation. Individual cases may take longer than the service standard depending on the completeness and complexity of the case. For further information on service standards see: service standards

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