On this Page:
- FREE State Migration Plan Tools
- What is a State Migration Plan?
- State Migration Plan - State \ Territory Sponsorship Statistics 2011 - 2012
- How do I apply for State Sponsorship Under a State Migration Plan?
- What are the advantages of applying for skilled migration under a State Migration Plan?
- State Migration Plan Requirements Compared
- Processing Times for State Sponsored Migration under a State Migration Plan
- State Migration Plan & Skill Select
- State Migration Plan - Update Summary for 2011/2012 Program Year
Intending applicants are able to apply for State Sponsorship from the following Australian States & Territories:
- New South Wales (NSW)
- Victoria (VIC)
- Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
- Northern Territory (NT)
- Tasmania (Tas)
- Queensland (QLD)
- South Australia (SA)
- Western Australia (WA)
Free State Migration Plan Tools
Use our FREE 176 State Sponsorship Search Tool to find out instantly if your nominated occupation is included on a State or Territory Migration Plan!
If your occupation is included on a State or Territory Migration Plan, you can take our FREE 176 Australian Visa Eligibility Assessment to find out more about the basic visa criteria and your likely points award under the new points test.
What is a State Migration Plan?
Under their respective State Migration Plans, each State Government is able to sponsor Australian skilled visa applicants who have:
- an occupation on the State Migration Plan Occupation List
- skills and experience relevant to the sponsoring State
- demonstrated a commitment to living and working in the sponsoring State.
State Governments can nominate Australian skilled migrants in the following visa categories:
- Skilled - Sponsored (Migrant) Visa (Subclass 176)
- Skilled - Sponsored (Residence) Visa (Subclass 886)
- Skilled - Regional Sponsored (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 475)
- Skilled - Regional Sponsored (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 487)
State Migration Plan - State / Territory Sponsorship Statistics 2011 -2012
How do I apply for state sponsorship under a State Migration Plan?
If your nominated occupation is included on a State Migration Plan eligibility list you may apply for State Sponsorship under a State Migration Plan. Australian State and Territory Governments are currently able to sponsor under their State Migration Plan for the 2011/2012 program year.
If your occupation is not on a State Migration Plan eligibility list, you should still check with each State or Territory government to see if they are willing to consider Off-List Nominations – they may have a separate list for Off-List Nominations.
Once you have determined which State Migration Plan(s) includes your nominated occupation, you will then need to carefully consider the particular requirements of each State and Territory government before lodging your skills visa application. These include:
- work experience requirements
- IELTS test requirements
- particular specialisation within an occupation
- amount of money required to settle in the State
- job offer for particular sponsorships
These criteria are distinct from the requirements for the State Sponsored visa, and in many instances are more onerous than the visa requirements. For example, the minimum work experience requirement for a State Sponsored visa is 12 months in the past 24 months, but under some State Migration Plans, the work experience requirements are much greater. This is also the case with respect to the IELTS test scores – some State Migration Plans require English-speaking nationals to complete an IELTS test for particular occupations. Potential Australian visa applicants should also carefully review financial requirements which impose additional criteria under some State Migration Plans.
What are the advantages of applying for Skilled Migration under a State Migration Plan?
- Priority processing of your skilled migration application (currently applications being allocated for processing within weeks of lodgement with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship).
- Apply for the Subclass 176 State Sponsored permanent residence visa and receive 5 extra points on the Points Test.
- Apply for the Subclass 475 State Sponsored provisional (three year) visa and receive 10 extra points on the Points Test.
- Get support from the Sponsoring State Government on arrival in Australia.
When applying for skilled migration to Australia under a State Migration Plan, visa applicants are required to give an undertaking that they intend to remain in the sponsoring State or Territory Government for a period of 2 years. While this is not a condition imposed on the Subclass 176 visa when permanent residence to Australia is granted, it is important that applicants have a genuine intention to reside in the sponsoring State or Territory.
State Migration Plan requirements compared
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The Western Australia (WA) State Migration Plan requires applicants to have an occupation on the WA occupation list and meet the visa criteria for skilled migration to Australia. The WA State Migration Plan does not impose any additional requirements to new applications under their State Migration Plan. Under the WA State Migration Plan applicants will also require sufficient funds for the first 3 months to settle in WA but there is no specific amount.
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South Australia (SA) has one of the largest lists of skilled occupations available for sponsorship under its State Migration Plan and provides for Off-List Nominations (in limited circumstances). In recent months the planning levels for many occupations have been filled particularly in respect of IT occupations so if you are considering applying to SA don’t delay. Many occupations have IELTS test requirements higher than that required for the visa process and financial requirements are high. The SA State Migration Plan also includes a rating system for availability with some occupations on the list subject to a warning that ‘Special Conditions Apply.’ The Special Conditions are generally that only applicants who completed studies in South Australia will be sponsored.
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The Victorian (VIC) Government imposes employment experience requirements higher than that required for the visa, generally requiring applicants with at least two to five years work experience. Under the Victorian State Migration Plan there are set amounts of money required to meet the financial requirements. The State Migration Plan includes a range of occupations on the eligibility list and Off-List nominations are not available.
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The Northern Territory (NT) Migration Plan has a particular emphasis on employment offers as a requirements for most occupations for sponsorship by the Northern Territory Government. They are currently advising that processing of applications for sponsorship could take as long as 3 months which may be a deterrent to many applicants hoping to lodge an application prior to the introduction of Skill Select on 1 July 2012.
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Queensland (QLD) & New South Wales (NSW) also seek to ensure applicants are committed to residing and working in that State. Both States have chosen to limit the number of occupations available for the State Sponsored (subclass 176) visa and implemented a broad list of occupations available for sponsorship under the Skilled Regional Sponsored (Provisional)(Subclass 475) visa. Unlike the subclass 176 permanent State Sponsored visa, it is a condition of the subclass 475 State Regional Sponsored visa that the visa holder reside in the nominating State. Subclass 475 visa holders will be required to demonstrate that they have lived in the nominating State for two years and worked for 12 months before they will be eligible to apply for a permanent visa.
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The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) State Migration Plan underwent major changes in February 2012 and is now a great option for many skilled migrants seeking State Sponsorship. While the ACT State Migration Plan for the 2011/2012 year has significantly reduced the number of occupations available it has ensured the requirements mean that those occupations on the eligibility list can obtain sponsorship where they meet the requirements for the visa. This common sense approach to the State Sponsorship process means that applicants who meet the criteria for skilled migration to Australia can also expect that they will be able to satisfy ACT’s State Sponsorship criteria.
Find out instantly which State or Territory governments are sponsoring for your occupation with our online 176 State Sponsorship Search Tool.
Processing Times For State Sponsored Migration
The Department of Immigration says it is currently allocating cases lodged under State Migration in February 2012. This means that cases are being allocated within weeks of lodgement. All applications lodged prior to February 2012 should already have a case officer assigned.
Only cases with an occupation on a State Migration Plan receive the highest priority under General Skilled Migration.
The quick processing times for applications lodged with State Sponsorship under State Migration Plans make it important for applicants to ensure their application is well prepared and "decision ready" on lodgement to ensure their skilled migration visa can be granted efficiently. This includes providing sufficient documentation to support the requirements for the visa. If you lodge your application without sufficient documentation to prove you meet all the requirements, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship will be forced to write to you to request further documents - this will slow the processing of you application.
State Migration Plan & Skill Select
Skill Select will require applicants to nominate areas where they intend to reside. It is anticipated that State or Territory Governments will then be able to nominate applicants from the Skill Select register. Applicants nominated by a State or Territory Government under Skill Select are then likely to receive an invitation to apply for skilled migration.
Further details regarding Skill Select and how this will affect applications under a State Migration Plan will be available in April 2012.
STATE MIGRATION PLAN
Summary update for 2011/2012 program year
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|---|---|---|---|
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Yes |
December 2011 |
Minimum 2 years work experience, Financial requirements from $30,000 | |
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Yes |
February 2012 |
Most IT occupations full |
|
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Yes |
2011 |
Limited occupations for 176 visa, more expansive list for 475 visa | |
|
Yes |
January 2012 |
New 2011/2012 occupation lists now available | |
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Yes |
February 2012 |
State Migration Plan requirements same as minimum skilled visa requirements | |
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Yes |
2011 |
Requirement for job offer for 176 permanent residence sponsorship, sponsorship for 475 visa no job offer required | |
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Yes |
2011 |
Requirement for job offer in most occupations |
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|
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Yes |
February 2012 |
New 2011/2012 occupation lists now available, criteria for sponsorship in line with visa criteria for most occupations |
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Other Related Australian State Migration Plan Articles:
State Migration Plan Now Available!
State Migration Plan - South Australia Planning Levels Reached
State Migration Plans Update - 2 November 2010
State Migration Plan - New Details Released
State Migration Plan - Frequently Asked Questions
Skilled Visa Processing Times
New Priority Processing Guidelines take effect 14 July 2010
State Migration Plans for General Skilled Migration Delayed
DIAC Announce Occupations Available for State Migration Plans
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