#invitation round

[journeyjottings]

Albanese Government Targets Education and Health Skills in Migration Plans

THE SKILLS GOVERNMENT targets in the points-tested Skilled Independent category give a clear signal of the skills it thinks will be in long-term demand. It also gives a signal to overseas students what courses it wants them to study if they want to maximise their chances of securing permanent residence.

The Skilled Independent category is a purely discretionary category that governments ramp up or down depending on demand in other skill stream categories to deliver whatever level of permanent migration program has been set (currently 190,000 plus 3,000 places in the Pacific Engagement Visa and not counting New Zealand citizens who now have a direct pathway to Australian citizenship).

Prior to 2017-18, both Labor and Coalition governments maintained the Skilled Independent category at well above 40,000 places per annum. Along with a cut to the overall migration program, former Home Affairs Minister and now Opposition Leader Peter Dutton cut the Skilled Independent category in 2017-18 and 2018-19 to less than 35,000.

The Skilled Independent category was further reduced during the pandemic with the closure of international borders. The focus of the migration program shifted towards state and territory-nominated visas as well as the new Global Talent Visa and the Business Investment and Innovation Program (BIIP) visas. The Coalition also started clearing the partner visa backlog it had illegally engineered.

The new Labor Government increased the overall migration program and along with it, the size of both the Skilled Independent category and state-nominated categories. The Global Talent visa and BIIP visas were significantly reduced given a range of concerns with these visas.

To deliver the larger Skilled Independent category, the Labor Government dramatically increased the size of invitation rounds for this category, reduced the frequency of these, lowered pass marks and initially targeted a very wide range of occupations.

The Coalition Government tended to issue small invitation rounds of usually less than 1,000, run these relatively frequently and use very high pass marks.

The very large invitation rounds under the Labor Government were partly due to an increase in the portion of invitations that did not convert to visa grant (often due to initial claims against visa criteria not being met when checks were undertaken). Nevertheless, the large invitation rounds created a backlog of applications that meant invitation rounds did not need to be run as frequently.

In late December 2023, the Government issued its first invitation round in the Skilled Independent category for 2023-2024. The two outstanding characteristics of this invitation round were its relatively small size compared to invitation rounds in 2022-2023 and the very narrow range of skilled occupations that were targeted.

This invitation round also does not distinguish between offshore and onshore applicants. That must mean the Government expects relatively few onshore applications and is seeking to attract offshore applications at a time when it is also trying to drive down net migration.

The most striking feature of the latest invitation round is that it focuses almost entirely on health and education-related occupations. There are no occupations in occupational segments such as IT, finance, engineering or trades.

This will send a very clear signal to potential offshore applicants as well as to overseas students looking to use an Australian qualification to apply for skilled migration. It will leave a large portion of the 600,000 plus students and around 200,000 temporary graduates currently in Australia (as well as possibly around 100,000 former students on a COVID-related visa) in immigration limbo if they do not have health or education-related qualifications.

While those students and temporary graduates could still migrate via an employer-sponsored or state-nominated visa, their options have now been significantly narrowed

Source: Independent Australia

[domesticdevil]

well dogs, it’s spring time. you know what that means?

TIME TO STICK OUR HEADS OUT OF THE CAR WINDOW WITHOUT GETTING FROSTBITE.

[larrylimericks]

30Jun24

Cos the footy match wasn't on view, One festival set made the news: A telly on trolley (Rocks carried by Oli) — Hail the new God of Glasto: our Lou!

[a-dauntless-daffodil]

For vaggie that spear is her support animal/therapist

For charlie, it's a rival she'd like to throw in lava but can't cause, it's vaggies support 'animal'

silly headcanon plot twist- Charlie's jealously at the spear ISN'T silly or irrational at all, it's a subconscious manifestation of Charlie's desperation for her girlfriend to actually open up emotionally to HER instead of to a WEAPON, confide fears and problems in CHARLIE, and a very frustrated, very also-emotionally-constipated-in-her-own-way Charlie doesn't wanna pin that frustration on Vaggie directly so she deflects all her anger to the spear, which as an inanimate objects, can't get any hurt feelings over this or decide Charlie is too much and dump her

we've done it. we've cracked the silly headcanon and found the angst waiting underneath XD XD XD

or maybe the above is all just what the hazbin crew speculates together, in their weekly "there's no way those two idiots don't have shit going on in their relationship" chaggie hotel gossip meet-ups

[jtl-fics]

Fluent Freshman - Part 18

PREVIOUS

Weirdly enough the only thing that FF can think of as they head down the stairs is the first Saw movie.

That one happened IN a bathroom right? He kind of watched all of them in a row to prepare himself for whatever Andrew might decide to do to him. But he’s near positive that one happened in a bathroom. It was derelict and he didn’t think it really had running water (or did it? Didn’t the guy wake up in a half-full tub? His memory is hazy in his bathroom related desperation and may be trying to protect him from thinking about water).

All leading to the main thought going through his head as he slowly headed down the narrow stairway to his death.

Would Andrew let him use the facilities before he’s handcuffed to a pipe?

The worst part about all of this is that he is not sure if he needs to take a dump or if he just needs to fart, he knows he has to take a piss. He’s read that when you die your body will relax and it’ll all just flow out of you and Nicky gave him these pants so he feels bad but he also does not want to face his death without pants. If he needs to take a shit then they’re definitely going to be absolutely ruined, if it’s a fart well…Andrew can’t kill him any further? He can mutilate his corpse a little but FF won’t be around to experience it.

No matter what he’s definitely going to piss himself. He had way too much water at Sweeties trying to consume the spicy ice cream.

You may be wondering why FF has not run away from his predicament and is walking down these steps without protest or comment or plea for his life.

First of all he is pretty sure that if he makes any sudden movements he will ruin these pants that Nicky bought for him. Second of all Andrew had already told him once that he wouldn’t accept any pleading for mercy he still remembers how he asked Andrew, “Please give me back my pen?” and Andrew had shot him a look that had his stomach cramp and his fingers itch for the bottle sweet pink relief in his backpack.

“I don’t like that word, don’t use it around me.” He said.

FF ever the pragmatic sort, “Which one?” He had asked because he had said a few, “I don’t want there to be a misunderstanding.” He followed up with when Andrew glowered at him only for the glare’s intensity to increase 10 fold.

“Don’t use the first word of your first statement or the last word of your second.” Andrew grit out and got up to leave without a word.

Message received loud and clear Andrew did NOT like words ‘Please’ or ‘Misunderstanding’.

So FF knows that any pleading for mercy would ABSOLUTELY result in Andrew not letting him take a bathroom break before him and Captain Neil make destroying him into a couple activity. The fact that Captain Neil is here is a bit of a shock but maybe Captain Neil has finally gotten the other Freshman Dealer up to snuff.

Maybe Kevin really did want to dissect him to figure out how Strikers keep passing straight to him?

They reach the door at the bottom of the stairs.

Ah, time to face the music.

At least he’d texted Gran that he was going to die when they had gotten into the club and the bathroom had not made itself readily apparent. Sure it was about his current ‘gotta piss / gotta shit’ situation but he’d been wise to keep his cause of death vague in that text.

The door opens and…

This is the NICEST torture chamber FF has EVER seen. (And after his desperation watch of all the Saw movies he has seen quite a FEW)

“Minyard, Josten, and Guest. Table 6 is yours.” A voice comes from the side and when he looks over there’s a man in quite a nice uniform standing behind a soft-lit bar polishing a glass looking every bit like a bar tender at those high-end places you see in movies. He looks around a bit more and there are some other people down here. It’s not quiet per se but it is a comfortable level of noise in comparison to the IQ dropping noise upstairs.

“C’mon Smith.” Andrew juts his chin towards a table in the back.

FF follows but continues to try and fit this nice little room into his world view.

Do these people watch other people get tortured to death for fun on a Friday night? Unlikely considering the upholstery on the booths and chairs looked like it’d stain if blood got on it. Was this perhaps a trafficking location where Andrew would sell off his organs to the highest bidder? He looked at the other patrons who seemed a bit higher class than the general club scene upstairs but not like they had the money to buy one of his kidneys. Maybe-

“Do not tell Nicky about this place, ever.” Andrew says as they slide into the booth. FF nods but can’t help but tilt his head slightly in an unspoken question, “He would absolutely tell any and everyone about it. Eden’s wants to keep this place a secret from the general public.” Andrew explains.

“Nicky currently thinks that there’s a straight swingers club down here.” Captain Neil says with a huff of laughter.

“Eden’s is cool, even though there’s some sick shit in the basement.” Floats through his head again.

What the fuck was a swinger?

His fingers itch for his phone but he’s currently talking with Andrew and Captain Neil so that’d be rude but they’re talking to him like he absolutely knows what a swinger is and he DOES NOT.

“It’s quieter down here. Figured you’d prefer it.” Andrew says as he gets up and heads towards the bar down here where the bartender was aggressively cutting ice chunks.

He and Captain Neil sit in silence for a few seconds before Captain Neil offers him a slight smile, “I know you’d rather be with your grandma and you and Andrew prefer not to say things out loud but we’ve really liked hanging out with you.” Captain Neil says.

????????????????????????????????????????????????

That’s such a nice thing to say to someone.

Especially someone like FF.

Especially especially when they’re planning on killing him?

He hopes his confusion stays off his face as he nods once. “It’s been fun.” It’s not even really a lie. Thanksgiving yesterday had been nice and loud and FF had missed the chaos of a Family Dinner more than he had ever realized. The car ride had been…a time but once he’d asked Andrew to either keep his eyes on the road or let him out Andrew’s hands had stayed at 10 and 2 and the ride had been smooth. Aaron and Nicky’s weight against him had been nice too, a warm memory before he developed a possible life long aversion to whipped cream. He’d gotten to go Black Friday shopping and Captain Neil even helped carry it home for him. Baking bad been nice even if the stress of doing it with his life on the line was less so. The subsequent nap and day spent doing normal college guy things had been…it’d all been nice.

It’s starting to feel like….

“Drink this.” Andrew puts a drink down in front of him.

No Andrew definitely wants his bladder to burst.

“What is it?” He asks instead looking at the creamy looking drink with suspicion.

Andrew rolls his eyes as he hands Neil a fruity looking drink as he sits with what is a few fingers of scotch. “It’s virgin.” Andrew says not answering the question at all and must pick up that FF won’t be drinking it until he gets the full answer because he continues after a moment, “It’s like a Pina Colada but with bananas instead.” Andrew answers.

It’s not that FF hates banana but why in the world would Andrew grab him this? Was it just one of the few virgins options on this place’s fancy menu or-

“Bananas will help get your stomach acid back down.” Andrew says, “Since you’re an idiot and ate that mango ice cream just because you wanted to impress that girl.” He rolls his eyes.

“Impress that girl?” There weren’t any girls at the table and how in the world would him eating that god-forsaken spicy ice cream impress anyone other than Betsy. Even Betsy would only be impressed by the depths he was willing to reach just to avoid what he perceives as an awkward social situation.

“The waitress.” Neil reminds him as if that cleared anything up.

“Yeah,” he says as if he has understood the conversation but he has not. “It was spicy mango.” He says because maybe if he keeps the conversation going he’ll get enough context clues to understand what might be his last conversation.

Andrew let out a huff of laughter and pushed FF’s drink closer to him, “Drink your fancy Banana smoothie Casanova.” He says.

No closer to understanding the conversation he accepts that it might be something that only becomes clear after he sheds his mortal coil and is no longer given a -10 INT debuff by his full bladder and revolting stomach.

He takes a sip.

Oh that’s actually pretty good.

It feels like he can feel it sizzling in his stomach and soothing the discomfort there. Maybe he should look into Banana smoothies as a replacement for what Abby has called a ‘concerning co-dependence’ in regards to Pepto Bismol. No one can put him on a medical watch if it’s just banana smoothies he’s chugging down like they’re going out of style.

“Thanks,” he says, “that was good.” He admits before reaching into his jacket and moving past the Megamind toy and grabbing his wallet. “What do I owe you for that?” He asks.

“We’re even.” Andrew waves away the money.

“You bought the stuff for breakfast, those brownies, and the pie tomorrow.” Neil says and FF blinks surprised to hear that they were talking about the pie he didn’t think he was going to get the chance to make.

“You don’t need to buy a spot with us.” Andrew says and FF leans back slightly at the intensity on Andrew’s face as he says it. “I invited you here because I wanted to. The brownies were good but if you don’t feel like making the pie tomorrow? It’s not like I’m going to drive you back to Palmetto and leave you on Abby’s doorstep.” He says.

FF feels gears start to turn in his head.

“It’s good pie.” He hears himself say.

“I didn’t even know about the pie when I invited you.” Andrew says and…

Andrew and FF sit in silence but honestly it’s not like Andrew’s sharpening his knives. The two of them mostly just do their own work or read. FF has been getting his German literacy up to snuff so that he can read the language when he goes there to visit Nicky’s fiance next year. He likes how serious Andrew is about learning it so that he doesn’t have to ask Captain Neil a thousand questions and it’d be nice if Andrew wasn’t obviously planning on murdering him.

Andrew brings dried apples and sends Captain Neil along with probiotic yogurts to their meetings. Both of those things tend to soothe his stomach and the yogurt that had been unflavored before was now vanilla which he liked a fair bit. It would have been a really nice gesture if it wasn’t for the fact that Andrew was making fun of his tummy troubles.

Andrew will put his foot down in practice sometimes when Kevin is getting too demanding wanting to know exactly how FF intercepted his passes to Neil. Kevin always backs off and Andrew will do the same when Jack starts to get a little too personal in his attacks at FF or when Sheena decides she’s going to be a bitch. It’d be nice if it wasn’t Andrew staking his claim that he was the one who was going to make FF’s life miserable.

Andrew drove FF around for an hour after Greg had shown up. He found out later from one of his friends that Andrew had threatened Greg after he had power walked away into the building. Andrew had driven him around and had only started heading towards the tower when FF had relaxed. It would have been nice if Andrew wasn’t trying to lure him into a false sense of security.

Andrew had invited him to his Family’s house over Thanksgiving when the bad storm had ruined his Thanksgiving plans. Andrew had threatened Jack to stop him from eating his Grandma’s pie and complaining about it. Andrew had stopped messing around with Captain Neil when FF had made it clear he was uncomfortable being in a car where the driver wasn’t paying attention to the road. Andrew had twice made him go to bed in the last couple hours.

It’d be nice if…

“We’ve really liked hanging out with you” Captain Neil had said.

Andrew was just trying to be nice.

Embarrassment rolls over him like a wave but FF has many years of pretending like he’s not going to die from embarrassment, “Thanks for inviting me. I’ll still probably make the pie tomorrow.” He offers.

Andrew’s eyes change slightly and FF is under the impression that he’s happy to hear that.

“Just enjoy your drink Smith.” Andrew says.

FF does go back to sipping his drink and letting more and more memories of things Andrew had done come to him and lets his embarrassment grow.

He finishes his drink and only then realizes that he is a code red in terms of bladder capacity. The new knowledge that this is not a torture chamber but in fact yet another overture of friendship from Andrew paired with his desperation finally loosens the question from his mouth, “Where’s the bathroom here?” He asks.

“There isn’t one downstairs but just head up stairs and hug the wall to the left.” Captain Neil answers.

“Bring your phone. If Frank doesn’t recognize you to let you back in.” Andrew reminds him.

FF nods and heads out of the club and up the stairs.

He might be doing a bit of a potty dance so he forces himself to become unnoticeable because he does not need cool people at a cool club to see him about to piss himself. Once he enters into a stealth mode that the United States Military would like to talk to him about he hugs the wall and nearly cries tears of relief when he sees a door labelled MEN.

He doesn’t think about the possibility of letting up on stealth mode because he is sure that he is about to make a face that he does NOT want any human being to see when he unzips his pants and starts to take the world’s most life-affirming piss on the planet.

As his bladder empties his brain is able to process the understanding that he had come to down in the basement he had thought would be his final resting place.

Andrew has been trying to be nice (and succeeding it was all so nice! He feels like an asshole! He is an asshole! Gran always told him that assuming makes an Ass out of U and Me. He had just thought it was funny grandma humor not valuable life advice!)

The night wasn’t going to end with Andrew’s knife in his stomach, it was probably just going to end with Nicky puking on his shoes (which is fine because these are the shoes Nicky was letting him borrow for the club anyways, they’re his shoes to puke onto.)

A secondary relief fills his system. His stomach, soothed by the Banana smoothie and now this, feels like it might actually let him live through the night.

While FF was distracted with a piss that would have made any number of cult leaders jealous with the number of divine revelations he was experiencing he failed to notice a second man enter the bathroom.

There was a reason that FF always ALWAYS became noticeable when he was at a urinal and the man who came to the urinal right next to him was showcasing that VERY reason.

He was trapped here for at least ten more seconds and he could hear the man grumbling distractedly but didn’t really pay it too much attention until…

“Fucking Wesninski Brat.” He grumbled under his breath.

Oh god dammit.

NEXT

MASTERPOST FOR ALL PARTS OF FLUENT FRESHMAN AU

Per your requests:

@i-have-three-feelings @blep-23 @dreamerking27 @andreilsmyreligion @belodensetdust @rainbowpineapplebottle @yarn-ace @iwouldlikesometea @lily-s-world @obscureshipsandchips @booklover242 @whataboutmyfries @sahturnos @pluto-pepsi @dreamerthinker @passinhosdetartaruga @leftunknownheart @aro-manita-muscaria @hologramsaredead @Chaoticgremlinswishtheycouldbeme @tntwme @tayspots @nick-scar @crazy-fangirl2524 @blue-jos10 @stabbyfoxandrew @splishsplashyouropinionistrash @sammichly @the-broken-pen @bitchesdoweknowu @very-small-flower @ghostlyboiii @its-a-paxycab @bisexual-genderfluid-fan @cheesecookie @theoneandonlylostsock @foxsoulcourt @blueleys @adverbialstarlight @elia-nna @can-i-just-stay-in-the-corner @nikodiangel @foxandcrow-inatrenchcoat @hallucinatedjosten @satanic-foxhole-court @vexingcosmos @chalilodimun @insectsgetcooked @angry-kid-with-no-money @queer-crows @lillyndra @themugglemudperson @readertodeath @apileofpillows @mortalsbowbeforeme @hellomynameismoo @next-level-mess @youreonlylow @interstellarfig @notprocrastinatingatalltoday @percyjacksonfan3 @queenofcrazy27 @bsmr261 @ghostlyscares @spencellio @adinthedarkroom @harpymoth @sufferingjustalilbit @anxietymoss @oddgreyhound @ohno-myhyperfixation-itsbroken @ken22789 @atiredvampire @isoldescorner @not--a--pipedream @azure-wing​ @bushbees​  @roonilwazlib-main​ @crumplelush​ @foldedaces-paperbirds​ @thesenseinnonsense​ @let-tyrants-fear​

[tangledinink]

repostober day whatever today is. anyway, you ever drop acid in the middle of the woods? lol me neither, that'd be CRAZYYYY...

[what-the-bally-hell]

you must've been looking for me, sendin' smoke signals

they have been plaguing my mind since I first watched poe party, I love them so much so I attempted drawing them

bonus drawing under the cut (it's not as good soz)

[smile-files]

a doodle of my new teardrop gjinka!! i think they turned out pretty cute :)

[moon-language-0]

original artwork by Jenny Holzer and Guiltipleasure (edit by me)

my fill for the @stevetonydarkfests dark valentine exchange has been revealed! this fic also checks off the "Gender Dysphoria" square for my @steverogersbingo card (as interpreted through an omegaverse lens). sexy in a DARK way. do heed the warnings with this one, folks.

venture HERE if you dare... 🖤

[kaz-brekker-dont-sleep]

Broke: Kaz is Wylan’s dad.

Woke: Kaz and Wylan are equals, and there is no dad here.

Bespoke: At the end of the series, Wylan owns a fortune. He’s respectable. He’s a homeowner in a safe neighborhood. He discourages bad behavior in his friends and challenges them to do better. He sells Kaz a boat to help him get his girl and make his way in the world. Wylan is Kaz’s dad. 

[artbyblastweave]

this is not about character arc or anything like that, but if Shrinking Rae invincible had black hair she would be a good character model for animated Taylor Hebert

I see where you're coming from, but I respectfully disagree- her hair is the wrong texture and I think she's far more conventionally attractive than Taylor should be. But if you mean the character model Taylor Hebert would actually be likely to receive in a studio-backed animated adaptation of Worm, then yeah, I find it plausible that's in the ballpark of how quote-unquote "odd-looking" they'd let her get.

[politicalprocrastinator]

Ruby being willing to marry mundy is the only explicit reference to her bisexuality so far this season Steven Moffatt unfortunately remains unparalleled when it comes to toxic bisexual representation

[duusheen]

KEATON STRATTON for @rainymoodlet | Kiss Me in Komorebi 🌹

If Keaton were to think about his ideal man, he might be... tall, with black hair, with an unconditional love for his family, hot brown eyes... okay, yes, like Daniel Taylor. The first time Keaton saw the man was during his appearance on Jupiter York's bachelorette show, and when found out he would have his own show, Keaton tried to apply. Unfortunately, all the slots were filled and he was put on a provisional "just in case" list, whatever that means. Keaton returned to his ranch and forgot about it. Until now, at least, when the production made him an unexpected offer he couldn't refuse.

"Hello, Mr. Stratton, are you still interested in being on the show?"

More about Keaton 👇🏽

Keaton was born and raised in Chestnut Ridge. He met Margaret, or Maggie as everyone calls her, when he was in school and they had a huge friendship that turned into something more at prom. Keaton wasn't interested in a college degree; he just wanted to run his family's ranch so he did that after highschool. Unfortunately for him, he also discovered his interest was in guys rather than girls just when Maggie told him she was pregnant. He married her out of duty, but was absolutely honest from the start, and from that moment on Maggie became his best friend. She has been his biggest support over the years, and they both worked together to raise their daughter Lara. But Maggie fell in love and remarried, leaving Keaton alone with his ranch. He thought being a rancher would be enough for him, and it was... for a few years at least, but not anymore.

Some facts about Keaton:

He cut his hair just for the casting, as his ex-wife assured him that his normally messy look wouldn't get him a spot on the show.

When he saw on TV what happened with Julian and Julien, a small part of Keaton had hopes that maybe they would open up more slots for other participants, but he didn't allow himself to really think about it until the production called him saying there was a place for him.

Keaton divorced three years ago, but he has an excellent relationship with his ex-wife and her new husband as well.

His greatest pride is his 16-year-old daughter, Lara.

The hardest part of all this has been leaving his beloved horse on the ranch, but Keaton trusts that Lara and Maggie will take care of her in his absence.

[cubffections]

cubbie mornieee dearies, it's quite early though so i may lay in my cave a bit more hehe .. may this monday start a beautiful week for you, 's important to cherish each and every day okie? love u & keep smiling ♥︎

[sysig]

Dr. “Has to get a good grade in therapy” Doran (Patreon)

[kissycat]

Ugh. Even if I am negative + well enough to go to that job interview on Wednesday, 1) travelling 8 hours by train is not physically undemanding especially if I can't sit, 2) I probably won't perform great in a job interview if it's literally the first social interaction after a week of sickness and isolation, 3) I probably still won't have the energy to engage as fully as I normally would. So I should just email tomorrow and ask to move it. But what if that makes them decide against me, whether consciously or subconsciously 😓. Well then that is as it is.