New Point Test for Australian Skilled Migration Visa

Those who are still interested in applying for Australian permanent resident visa through Skilled Migration stream may face new points test. The Australian Government will set the pass mark at 65 points. It is proposed this new point test will be implemented to applications made from 1 July 2011.

The changes require applicants have better English language skills, more extensive skilled work experience, higher level qualifications obtained in Australia and overseas and different age ranges.


Points will no longer be awarded on the basis of an applicant’s occupation, but all applicants must still nominate an occupation on the applicable Skilled Occupation List.

To know further about the information on this, find on the following Australian Immigration Websites:

http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/pdf/points-testfaq.pdf

Be Smart, Be Savvy

Melbourne stays no. 3 for liveability

Melbourne remains the third most liveable city in the world, according to the latest rankings by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

Ranking 140 global cities on 30 criteria covering stability, healthcare, culture, environment, education and infrastructure, the think tank of The Economist magazine gives Melbourne a score of 97.5 out of a possible 100.

Vancouver and Vienna remain no.1 and no.2, scoring 98.0 and 97.9 respectively.

Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, was rated the most unliveable city in the survey, with a total score of just 37.5. Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, tied with Algiers as the second worst, followed by Port Moresby.

The EIU highlighted the poor scores of cities hosting upcoming sporting events. Johannesburg, home of the 2010 soccer World Cup, ranked just equal 92nd with a score of 69.1 - the same as Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the main hosts for the 2014 World Cup. New Delhi, host of this year's Commonwealth Games, ranked 113th with a score of 58.6.

Top 8 cities
1. Vancouver
2. Vienna
3. Melbourne
4. Toronto
5. Calgary
6. Helsinki
7. Sydney
8. Perth and Adelaide