Revised and Expanded Occupation List by Immigration SA

Immigration SA will be publishing a revised and expanded occupation list for the 2018/19 program year and re-opening the 489/190 application system later this week.

We have updated our skilled nomination requirements and international graduate of South Australia requirements and waivers. Please review these requirements in full before applying.

We look forward to receiving your applications.

The General Skilled Migration (GSM) state nomination requirement changes are detailed below and will apply to all applications submitted when the system re-opens.

Immigration High points

South Australia will continue to offer a high points pathway for applicants from a broad list of 469 occupations who have a minimum of 80 points on the Department of Home Affair’s points test.

This category enables the State to continue to attract high calibre applicants (high levels of English, considerable work experience and higher qualification levels).

There are quotas for the high points category and during the program year, the minimum points requirement may increase and specific occupations may be closed for high points nomination.

Chain migration

As previously advised, the chain migration pathway, which also provides access to a broader occupation list, is available for state nomination for a provisional 489 visa.

The immediate family member will need to be residing in South Australia for a minimum of 24 months. The family member can be an Australian Citizen, permanent resident or a South Australian state nominated 489 provisional visa holder.

International graduates of South Australia

As previously advised, to meet the work experience requirement, international graduates of South Australia must be currently working for the last three months in a skilled occupation in South Australia (rather than just having commenced working in a skilled occupation in South Australia).

The three months work experience requirement applies to Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Higher Education graduates, regardless of which occupation list they are applying under. Previously VET graduates applying for an occupation on the Supplementary Skilled List were required to have 12 months’ skilled work experience in South Australia.

Some occupations have a requirement for international graduates of South Australia to be working in their field for the last 12 months in South Australia. Please note: this requirement has now been expanded to include international graduates who have been working for the last 6 months in their field in a country region of South Australia.

International graduates of South Australia accessing a work experience waiver via achieving Proficient English or Proficient Plus overall (see international graduate waiver requirements) will now only be eligible to apply for a 489 provisional visa. This change is to encourage ongoing commitment to South Australia, as this group is yet to achieve skilled employment in the state. For the majority of occupations in which an onshore applicant can access a 190 permanent visa, this will be available to international graduates currently working for the last three months in a skilled occupation in South Australia.

International graduates accessing a waiver will need to continue to reside in South Australia post-graduation.

Commitment to South Australia

Immigration SA will retain the requirement that immigration applicants residing interstate are not eligible to apply for South Australian state nomination. State nomination is for those who genuinely want to settle in South Australia.

The following changes will apply to applicants with a history of working or studying interstate and are intended to maximise the commitment to settling in South Australia:

• Applicants who have studied or worked interstate in the last 10 years (and not in South Australia) will only be eligible for State nomination for a provisional 489 visa.
• Applicants who have studied or worked in another state (as well as in South Australia) in the last 10 years will generally only be eligible for State nomination for a provisional 489 visa unless it is clear that their commitment is more clearly aligned to South Australia than any other Australian state or territory. Key factors that will be taken into account will include the time spent in South Australia, the most recent Australian location an applicant spent time in, and what they were doing in these locations (i.e. study, work).

The 489 visa only allows skilled migrants to live and work in a regional area of Australia (with the whole of South Australia being classed as “regional”). Applicants who have worked or studied interstate should select a 489 visa in the state nomination application. See 1.3 Commitment to State for further details.

Immigration SA will only provide one nomination per applicant. If an applicant is nominated for a 489 visa, they cannot subsequently apply for a 190 visa.

Separate documentation

All documentation in support of an immigration application must be uploaded in the online application form. For the 2018/19 program year, any documents emailed separately will not be considered in the assessment process and will be deleted.

If needed, you can scan multiple documents and save them as one attachment in the application form.

Please note: separate documents will only be accepted when Immigration SA requests them as part of the assessment process.