The DIAC seem to have changed the rules of engagement once more (now after enlightening us of our application fee!!). We initially applied in March '10, I was the primary applicant and on the Critical Skills List (and I am still on the new Skilled Occupation List) so we previously had priority, we were going for a relative sponsored 176 and had already had a Case Officer assigned though delayed getting medical checks while my wife had our first child. Can anyone shed any light on what priority group we are now in as I can't see any reference to relative sponsored applications?? I'm assuming we're in priority group 3 so our application (seemingly only months away) now won't be finalised until Dec 2011.

There is no reference to relative sponsored visas as being sponsored by a relative is not relevant to processing either way. You are either cat 3 or cat 4 processing depending upon whether your job is on schedule 3 or schedule 4 of the new SOL.

Thanks. I can't find any reference to a 'schedule 3' or 'schedule 4'? Is there any way of getting a refund as I can't believe they can put people in priority 4 which is basically indefinite hold when they were happy to take payment under different rules.

Update - sorry - found it now. I think I'm on schedule 3 as that's where my occupation is and it states all GSM applications, but schedule 4 states it's for subclasses 176, 886, 475 and 487. So does anyone know whether I'm cat 3 or 4?? I can't believe they've taken all this time to make a poor system even worse and in between have been accepting thousands of dollars in payment.

I have already told you how to check it and you have found the schedules. Schedule 3 = Cat 4. Schedule 4 = Cat 4.

Source: http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/gener...ssing-faqs.pdf

i did read o DIAC web site on 19 of July 2010 about priority processing the following :

Occupations on the SOL - Schedule 3 in effect at 1 July 2010 – priority group 3

All applicants with a nominated occupation on the SOL - Schedule 3 are included in priority group 3. This includes both independent applicants and applicants sponsored by an Australian family member or nominated by a state or territory government (but not on a state migration plan).

Priority group 3 includes all applicants with a nominated occupation of accountant, except those already included in priority groups 1 or 2.



Please referee to DIAC site on What's New Page

simply if your job listed in sol 3 , then you are in priority group 3

Thanks for that toti - the difficult bit was Schedule 4 specifically states 176 class visa's which worried me, but I'm fairly sure we're Priority Group 3, so delayed but ok (for now!!). I still think it's very poor that they have possibly been taking money off people then consigning them to Priority Group 4. They really should have made it such that people would continue to be processed as per the rules at the time they paid their fee.

Typo.

Sch 3 = Cat 3..