South Australia skilled migration updates
South Australia skilled migration updates
On 28 Feb 2019, Immigration SA has offered some changes alto its general skilled migration program offering greater opportunities for the migrants to live and settle in SA.
The major changes are as follows:
- Rewarding international students that have long- term residents of South Australia
- Expansion of the high performing graduate category for South Australia graduates
- Removal of the minimum Bachelor’s degree requirement under the Chain migration category
Rewarding international students that have long- term residents of South Australia
To recognise the current and former students for their contribution, Immigration SA will offer state nomination for the provisional 489 visas to any applicant who:
Is a current or former international student residing in South Australia AND
Has resided continually in South Australia since Mar 2012 or earlier and continues to reside in SA AND
Is currently working in SA in any occupation for at least the last three months or studying a course within a min duration of one academic year in SA.
Expansion of the high performing graduate category for South Australia graduates
For South Australian graduates with a bachelor’s degree graduates or masters by coursework after a South Australian bachelor’s degree, the work experience waiver required a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 6.0. This mark remains for those seeking nomination for a permanent 190 visa.
For other students who have performed very well in their studies, but not to a GPA of 6.0 and above, Immigration SA will offer Provisional visa nomination (subclass 489) to those scoring a GPA of 5.20 to 5.99. This will allow these students to spend longer in South Australia than via other temporary pathways available, giving them more time to establish their careers.
This expansion is most relevant to those students completing courses where an occupational skills assessment is possible immediately upon course completion, such as engineering and accounting/business degrees. Some courses, particularly those assessed by VETASSESS, require at least 12 months of skilled work experience before a skills assessment can be awarded.
To access this waiver, the applicant must have completed their South Australia degree within the last two years and continued to live in South Australia since then.
Removal of the minimum Bachelor’s degree requirement under the Chain migration category
Since its introduction in July 2014, chain migration has allowed a pathway for many migrants to join with their family members in South Australia.
For applicants with an eligible family member already residing in South Australia, the chain migration pathway offers access to occupations on the Supplementary Skilled List, but since its introduction, this required a minimum bachelor’s degree or higher.
This bachelor’s degree requirement has now been removed; meaning access to a range of trade occupations that are not on the State Nominated Occupation List is now possible for those with eligible family in South Australia.
The chain migration pathway continues to offer access to a provisional visa, not a permanent visa.