It’s time to look at the effect of the significant changes to partner points from 16/11/2019
The following changes will be implemented on that date :
Partner points (only 1 score allowed)
10 points – if you are single
10 points – if you have a partner who is an Australian citizen or Permanent resident
10 points – if partner has an acceptable skills assessment and competent english
05 points – if your partner has competent english (IELTS 6,6,6,6 or equivalent)
00 points – any other case
This will affect ALL the points test categories for EOIs not yet invited (189,190,491)
Also note that the 489 will close on that date as well.
Also EOIs are then ranked the following way if points are EQUAL:
Ranking Order (if all other points claims are EQUAL)
· First – primary applicants with a skilled spouse or de facto partner
· Equal First – primary applicants without a spouse or de facto partner
· Second – Primary applicants with a spouse or de facto partner who can demonstrate competent English but does not have the skills for skilled partner points (age and skills)
· Third – Primary applicants with a partner who is ineligible for either competent English or Skilled partner points. These applicants will be ranked below all other cohorts, if all other points claims are equal.
Currently 66% of points test applications have a partner included and 34% are single people. So going forward approximately one third of all EOIs (the single applicants) will gain 10 extra points on 16/11/2019. They will be happy.
The other two thirds of all EOIs (those people with a partner) will gain either 0, 5 or 10 points depending on the skills and english language ability of their partner. To break this down only 10% of those applicants with a partner are currently claiming partner points (ie they have an acceptable skills assessment). The other 90% of those with a partner will have to hope their partners english is at least competent (IELTS 6,6,6,6 or equivalent) to get 5 points. Currently only 12% (of all application) declare partner english skills at this level in their visa applications. Although presumably some could do better if they had to, and we have assumed this will happen.
(In the past DHA required the partner’s occupation to be on the same list as the primary applicant to claim partner points. Until we see something different we will have to assume that is the same rule in November 2019)
So in summary from 16/11/2019 we believe that on an existing EOI score on 16/11/2019
34% will gain 10 points from being single or having an aussie partner
06% will gain 10 points from a partner with skills assessment and competent english
20% will gain 5 points from having a partner with competent english
40% will gain 0 points
The effect of this is if you are competing in an occupation where the invitations are being given at 80 points AFTER 16/11/2019, and your partner has no skills assessment and poor english you are going to struggle. This is because if you only get 80 points, you will be ranked at the BOTTOM of all the 80 point EOIs. So you are going to need 85 points for an invitation. That is going to be hard when you can’t claim any partner points at all !
In short what DHA are saying is that if you have a partner on your application they are potentially taking away an invitation that could have gone to another single highly skilled applicant. So your partner had better have skills or at least good english language ability. I am not saying this is fair, but it is the clear message DHA are giving here
The other issue that we need to have explained from DHA is how are they going to work out the effect date for an EOI lodged before November 2019 when they add all these new partner points on. Usually a change in points gives an EOI a NEW effect date. So if you have an Accountant “A” who has been waiting on 80 points for an invite since 15/10/2018 and you have Accountant “B” waiting on the same score since 15/05/2019, what happens when they BOTH get 10 points for being single on 16/11/2019 under the new rules ?
Do they both have 90 points with the SAME effect date of 16/11/2019 when they get this points increase ? That seems unfair. This needs to be sorted out and we will try to find out asap.
These new changes (there are also specialist study points) will effect the time taken for people to get an EOI invitation to lodge their points test visas. We will factor these in when we have more information about DHAs policy on this asap
You are welcome to share this article with any of your friends if you find it useful. Please send any questions to query@iscah.com
Also next week we will be providing access to an excellent new product for our clients and facebook followers . We think many of those waiting for an EOI invitation will find it useful if not essential. Watch out for details in a few days time …
Regards
Steven – Iscah
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