Immigration South Australia has launched a new website, full of new information about their migration program for skilled and business visas. Together with a fresh website, they have also published new requirements for the program year 2020-21, which has several new features and conditions. Interestingly enough, the new Occupation List will only be available from mid-October 2020, but in the meantime South Australia is allowing anyone who has an occupation on any of the General Skilled Migration lists (MLTSSL, STSOL and ROL) to apply for an Expression of Interest. If the state believes that a candidate might support the state’s economic recovery due to Covid-19, they might be invited to apply.
Below are the new basic requirements for applications, with our comments:
Applicants must meet Home Affairs minimum requirements for age, English levels and Points
This is an obvious requirements, but the state always reinforces that a skilled visa will require the applicant to have a skills assessment, be less than 45 and have at least equivalent to 6 on IELTS;
Applicants must nominate an occupation eligible for a 190 or 491 nomination on the Skilled Migration Occupation List and have a valid and positive Skills Assessment for that occupation
While the state’s occupation list is yet to be released, South Australia is accepting application for any occupation on the General Skilled Migration list from the Commonwealth. This is probably a temporary feature that should be replaced by the state’s occupation list after October 2020;
Applicants must be currently working in South Australia for at least the last 3 months, and for at least 40 hours per fortnight
This is a similar requirement that used to apply for most international graduates of South Australia, and it has now been extended to ALL applicants;
PhD and Masters by Research graduates are exempt to meet the work experience requirement
This is also similar to what it used to be, the state has just simplified the option.
South Australia has also published ‘Preferred requirements’, which should increase the likelihood of receiving an invitation:
Applicants with Proficient English overall or higher
As always, English is a key element of any application, and reaching equivalent level of 7 on IELTS will offer better prospects of being invited;
Applicants with at least 90 Points in your Expression of Interest (including state-nomination points)
This is similar to the “High Points” criteria available for some occupations until June 2020. More points now mean more chance to receive an invitation (at least until they released the list in mid-October);
Applicants who are currently working in South Australia for at least the last 12 months in their nominated or closely related occupation and claiming Points for Australian work experience
This has always been a massive preference of South Australia, and they have now made it very clear. There will be also some special concessions available from October 2020;
Applicants who are currently living and working in outer regional South Australia
Very good concessions available: if living outside of greater Adelaide, the applicant can be working in ANY occupation a minimum of 30 hours per fortnight!
Applicants who meet the critical skills listed here for Commonwealth Government’s Travel Exemption Requirements
These include occupation in the fields of medical technology, critical infrastructure, telecommunications, engineering and mining, supply chain logistics, agriculture, primary industry, food production, and the maritime industry.
There are also special concessions and waivers available for long-term residents of South Australia, i.e. those who have been living for at least 5 years in the state.
If that’s your case, please book a consultation so we can assess your eligibility for a state nominated visa.
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