South Australia has opened its skilled migration program for the 2021-22 migration year for both onshore and offshore applicants for skilled migration to Australia.
Skilled migrants who are already living in South Australia and satisfy state and federal requirements are eligible for applying for a state nomination.
Skilled migrants currently residing in South Australia can apply for a state nomination under three categories: International Graduate of South Australia, Talent and Innovators Program, and Currently Working in South Australia, which includes long-term residents of the Australian state.
Onshore applicants can apply for a state nomination from South Australia for the 2021-22 migration year for occupations including audiologist, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, and speech pathologist.
Provided that the onshore applicants successfully obtain a state nomination from South Australia, they can then lodge an application to the Australian federal government for the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) – which is a permanent residency visa – or the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) – which has a validity period of five years – for skilled migration to Australia.
Offshore applicants must lodge a Registration of Interest (ROI) to apply for a state nomination from South Australia for the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491).
International graduates from South Australia, who meet the state’s educational requirements, will receive additional points on their applications when applying for either the subclass 190 or the subclass 491 visa.
For onshore applicants, an ROI is only required if they are applying under the Talent and Innovators Program.
For offshore applicants, however, submitting an ROI is mandatory, which demonstrates their skills in specific trades and health-related occupations, along with their proficiency in English.
Eligible occupations for offshore applications looking to apply for skilled migration to South Australia include bricklayer, carpet and joiner, fitter (general), fitter and turner, floor finisher, glazier, maintenance planner, metal machinist, painting trade worker, panel beater, roof tiler, stonemason, and wall and floor tiler.
Skilled migration applicants who are applying from outside Australia are required to have at least two years of work experience with good proficiency in English. In some cases, up to eight years of work experience with a superior level of English proficiency will be given priority.
South Australia’s state government has also made exceptions for applicants who are currently living and working in outer and regional South Australia.
Long-term residents working in fields other than their nominated occupation can also qualify for South Australia’s skilled migration program for 2021-22.
