This is an automated e-mail response from the Adelaide Skilled Processing Centre (ASPC). Emails sent to this address only receive this auto response and no other action will be taken.

If you want to send documents or request information about an application please refer to the information on the department's website at:
http://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/visa-en ... ionals.htm

The information in this e-mail is updated for each Tuesday and you only need to e-mail this mailbox once per week to obtain the most recent information on allocation dates.

News

As of 21 May 2007 the Admin team in the ASPC changed the way they receipt and acknowledge applications to improve the service provided to clients.

The Admin team is moving towards receipting payment within 7 working days of receiving an application where e-mail communication has been authorised.
Applicants or their authorised representatives will receive acknowledgement that the department has received their documents and receipted the relevant visa application charge.

Once an application has been receipted it will undergo validity checking.
An acknowledgement letter with a client reference number and receipt will be sent about four weeks after lodgement if the application is valid.

Information on acknowledgement letter processing dates will continue to be included in this email.

If an application is determined to be invalid documents will be returned and a refund of the visa application charge arranged.

Please note that the ASPC is allocating resources to address the existing stock of applications that have yet to be receipted and acknowledged. You can refer to the section on "Receipting and Acknowledgement' of applications for current processing information.

Communicating with this office

Information on making telephone or email enquiries to the ASPC is located at http://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/visa-en ... ionals.htm

This system has been established to provide consistent and efficient responses to email enquiries and you are requested not to send enquiries to individual departmental officers regarding an application unless specifically requested to do so.

Please also be aware that the departmental officers who email out the acknowledgement letters are not able to respond to enquiries sent to their individual email addresses.

Providing evidence of commencing health, character and IELTS requirements

Applicants requested to provide health, character, or IELTS testing results to support their application do not need to provide copies of receipts unless specifically asked to do so; however, you do need to advise this
office:
1. The examination dates for medical checks;
2. The police clearances applied for and the date the application was
made;
3. The details of any IELTS test/s booked including test dates and the
name and location of the test centre.

Provided that you do this before the due date in any request letter from the department you do not need to request an extension of time if you are waiting to receive police clearances or IELTS results.

Receipt and Acknowledgment of Applications

Applicants and representatives who have authorised e-mail communication will receive confirmation that the ASPC has received an application and receipted the relevant visa application charge within 7 working days of the department receiving the application form.

Applicants and representatives who have not authorised e-mail communication will not receive separate advice that the ASPC has received and receipted an application and will receive the standard acknowledgement letter.

Please note that any delay in acknowledging an application does not affect the date on which a valid application is recorded as having been received and does not delay processing of the application.

As of 25th May 2007 the ASPC is

For Onshore Applications: receipting applications received on 21 May 2007 and acknowledging applications received on 21 May 2007.

Offshore Applications: receipting applications received on 26 April 2007 and acknowledging applications received on 19 March 2007.

Once an application has been acknowledged 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.

Processing and Allocation Information - For the week of 29 May 2007

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: 13 December 2006 (subclass 880), 31 October 2006 (subclass 881) and 24 November 2006 (subclass 882)

E-lodged (on-line) applications: 2 January 2007 (subclass 880) and 27 September 2006 (subclass 881) and 27 September 2006 (subclass 882)

Skilled Independent Regional (Provisional) (SIR VISA)

Paper based applications: 13 December 2006 E-lodged (on-line) applications: 18 December 2006

New Zealand

All applications: 5 September 2006 (all subclasses)

OFFSHORE APPLICATIONS

Applications for Classes BN, BQ, BR, UX and UZ (subclasses 134, 136, 137, 138, 139, 495 and 496)

Priority Applications: 31 August 2006
Non-Priority Applications: 17 August 2006

Skilled Independent Regional (Provisional) (SIR VISA)

Paper based applications: 30 August 2006 E-lodged (on-line) applications: 05 February 2007


Notes


Onshore: means that the visa being applied for can be granted while the
applicant is in Australia.

e-lodged: applications lodged on-line have quicker processing times. See:
Online Services - General Skilled Migration

SIR visas: All applicants for a Skilled - Independent Regional [SIR] visa receive priority processing.


Offshore: means that the visa being applied for can only be granted when
the applicant is outside of Australia.


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-en ... ionals.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:
o Applicants are responsible for all costs associated with medical
examinations and providing police clearances;
o Health examinations and police clearances have limited validity
periods, generally for a period of 12 months;
o If clearances expire before the application is finalised they may be
requested again, and must be provided at the applicant’s cost;
o The ASPC may need to undertake other checking in respect of the
application that can delay a decision; and
o 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 applicants for a SIR visa 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- ... /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/austral ... 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



Telephone + 61 1300 364 613 (outside Australia) 1300 364 613 (within
Australia)
Facsimile + 61 (0) 8 8237 6629 • Website: www.immi.gov.au
Webmail: http://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/visa-en ... ionals.htm

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See: http://www.immi.gov.au/functional/privacy.htm