Victorian State Migration Plan
The Victorian State Migration Plan for sponsorship under Subclasses 176, 886, 475 and 487 General Skilled Migration (GSM) visa applications opened 3 November 2010.
Victoria has two eligibility lists:
- Subclass 886 State Sponsorship Eligibility List for Graduates
- Subclasses 176, 475 and 487 State Sponsorship Eligibility List
Please note:
- Applicants must also meet the Victorian Government’s eligibility criteria to be considered for visa sponsorship; and
- The number of skilled migrants that the Victorian Government can sponsor against each occupation listed on the State Sponsorship Eligibility Lists is limited by a quota and by an overall cap on the total number of applications that can be sponsored each year. (When the limit has been reached for an occupation, advice will be placed against the relevant occupation(s) on the State Sponsorship Eligibility Lists stating that applications are not currently being accepted for that occupation. For 2010-2011, Victoria’s cap is 4500 visa grants, which includes primary and secondary applicants.)
Australian Capital Territory State Migration Plan
The ACT State Migration Plan (SMP) opened 5 November 2010 enabling the ACT Government to nominate skilled migrants (Subclass 176) or graduate students (Subclass 886) who have:
- An occupation on the SMP Skills List;
- Skills and experience that will be of benefit to the ACT economy;
- Sufficient English language ability which will provide reasonable employment opportunities in the current ACT labour market;
- An occupation with sufficient employment opportunities in an industry relevant to the ACT at time of lodgement;
- Sufficient financial resources to settle in the ACT while seeking employment;
- A demonstrated commitment to living and working in the ACT for at least two years; and
- Met all Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) visa requirements for General Skilled Migration.
Please note: It is entirely at the discretion of the ACT Government whether applications for Nomination through the Skilled-Sponsored Scheme are granted or denied.
New South Wales State Migration Plan
TBA
The NSW Department of State and Regional Development has advised no release date for the NSW SMP is imminent but that it will not include a major shift away from what is currently in place outside of a few additional occupations.
Policy settings for language ability is expected to be the same and priority will be to address those applicants in the backlog in Adelaide Skilled Processing Centre in the next plan.
Northern Territory State Migration Plan
NT's State Migration Plan has now been published at:
http://www.migration.nt.gov.au/docum...ge_List_FA.pdf
Queensland State Migration Plan
Applications for Queensland Government state sponsorship are now open under the Queensland State Migration Plan (SMP) for:- Skilled Sponsored (Migrant) Visa (Subclass 176);
- Skilled Regional Sponsored (Provisional) Visa (Subclasses 475 and 487); and
- Skilled Sponsored (Residence) Visa (Subclass 886).
The state government has also released processing timeframes information and announced a limited number of sponsorships are also available under the Queensland Off-List Nomination Program.
South Australian State Migration Plan
TBA
While the South Australian SMP remains TBA, the SA Government has released a
State Sponsorship Interim Occupation List and has furnished the following advice on the Immigration SA website:
Immigration South Australia will be accepting new applications for sponsorships for skilled migrants who wish to live and work in SA.
While we await the finalisation and implementation of the State Migration Plan and the State Sponsored Migration List (SSML), the on-line application form is re-instated to offer sponsorships for a limited number of occupations that have been identified as priority skills for our State.
If your occupation is not on this Interim List it means that it is:
- Not on DIAC’s Skilled Occupations List, Schedule 3; or
- It has not been identified as a priority occupation for this state and will not be considered for sponsorship.
When the SSML is released you can apply for sponsorship if:
- Your occupation is on the list; and
- You meet all the requirements; and
- You wish to live and work in SA.
As this is an interim measure, it is acknowledged that the criteria may not provide a pathway for all skilled migrants such as international students. However, consideration is being given to addressing these gaps when the full SSML is released.
If you have already submitted a "complete" application to Immigration SA and your occupation is included in this Interim List, your application will be processed accordingly. You do not need to send a new application at this stage.
Applicants must ultimately meet all DIAC requirements to be granted the appropriate visa. You should read all the information provided even if you have applied for sponsorship before. There are significant changes to criteria and procedures from previous year’s programs.
Interim List to State Sponsored Migration List or SMP
If your sponsorship application for an occupation from the Interim List is approved and if this occupation also appears on the SSML/SMP when it is published, your visa application will be elevated to Priority 2 by DIAC provided it meets all the requirements under the SSML/SMP.
Tasmanian State Migration Plan
The Tasmania State Migration Plan apparently quietly came into existence on 3 December 2010, but it has not yet been officially announced, and the Tasmanian government website currently does not give information about their State Migration Plan.
The Tasmanian Government and DIAC have advised that full details of the Tasmanian State Migration Plan will be on the Tasmanian government website early next week.
Western Australian State Migration Plan
The Western Australia Department of Training and Workforce Development has released the Western Australian Skilled Migration Occupation List (WASMOL) for its State Migration Plan.
While the list contains many occupations, there are strict guidelines and criteria for WA state sponsorship. Please check these carefully. They include:- English language and work experience requirements for different visas and occupations
- Criteria for Managers and Professionals
- Criteria for technicians and trade workers
- Special conditions for Working Holiday (Subclass 417) visa holders (must have work experience in nominated occupation in their home country "before working in their nominated occupation while onshore on a qualifying visa”)
- Special conditions for applicants for WA sponsorship for Skilled-Sponsored (Subclass 886) visas (must hold a Skilled – Graduate Subclass 485) visa, and they “will need 18 months work experience in their nominated occupation after gaining their qualification. Work experience will need to be gained in Western Australia on a full time, continuous basis”)
- Criteria for off-list nominations include English language and work experience job offer requirements
Pilot for Food Trades
WA advises: There are a large number of applications in the food trades currently in the Department of Immigration and Citizenship processing pipeline. Despite this, these occupations have been retained on the WASMOL due to forecasted demand over the next four years. State Migration WA will pilot the use of a panel of industry experts to determine employability of chefs and cooks. State sponsorship will be based on meeting the criteria for technicians and trades and the recommendation of the panel.
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General Information
Applicants who have not yet lodged a visa application and who want to obtain nomination from a state or territory government should contact that government directly.
MH
State Migration Plans - what's happening!
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