Are you applying for a General Skilled Migration (GSM) visa?

The General Skilled Migration (GSM) visas include the subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa, subclass 190 Skilled Nominated visa and the subclass 489 Nominated or Sponsored (Provisional) visa. This blog is focused on the first stage of applying for one of these visas – to find out more about the general process of these visa applications, click here.

What information do I need to provide in an EOI?

Before you can apply for a GSM visa you will need to lodge an EOI via SkillSelect. An EOI simply registers your interest in the application. You will be required to provide a range of basic information including;

• given names and surname
• date of birth
• country/ies of citizenship
• country/ies of former residence
• qualifications
• level of English language ability
• nominated occupation
• employment history
• preparedness to live and work in regional Australia
• business and investment history
• business assets.

You do not need to provide documents with your EOI, but you should have them available. For example, you must undertake your skills assessment and English test before submitting an EOI. You cannot lodge an EOI on the basis of something you intend to get as you will be invited on the basis of the date that you lodged your EOI and the points that you are assessed on at that time. You will then have to show documents when you are invited to apply and these must have been in date when you lodged the EOI.

What happens after I lodge an EOI?

SkillSelect will then give you a points score and rank you to determine who will be invited to apply for a visa. After you lodge an EOI, it is your responsibility to ensure that it is kept up to date because if you are invited to apply and your information is outdated, you may not get the chance to change it.

How long is an EOI valid for?

Once you have completed an EOI it will be stored in SkillSelect for two years. You can withdraw your EOI at any time. If you are invited to apply and you make an application that is granted, refused or withdrawn, your EOI will be removed from the system.

What happens if I provide information in my EOI that I cannot back up with supporting documents?

Your invitation to lodge a visa application is based only on the information provided in your EOI. If you lodge a visa application and your points score is less than what is claimed in your EOI, your visa will be refused – even if you still pass the points test based on the documents you can provide or meet other threshold criteria.

It is also important to note that while you do not have to provide documents to evidence the information at this stage, evidence will be required once you are invited to apply. If you cannot show documents to support any employment you have had in the past or any education you have done, do not include it on your EOI as your visa application will then be refused. You will not receive a refund of any visa application charge if your visa application is refused.

Here is an example:

For example, John Smith submits an EOI and claims that he can meet 70 points. If John is then invited to apply but can only provide documents that prove 65 points, his visa application will be refused. John would have needed to provide documents that proved all 70 points he claimed on his EOI for there to have been a valid application – even though his is still over the threshold with the documents he can provide.

If you are considering lodging an EOI for a GSM visa and would like to know more about what information you should or should not include, please contact a member of our migration team.