7 STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL Subclass 491- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) - STATE NOMINATION
There are11,200 places allocated for state/territory nomination in this year’s migrationplanning levels. This is significantlylow compared to the last years’ allocation. Due to its low level, it isexpected that the competition among prospective migrants will become stiffer.The Filipino young graduates and professionals in Australia will continually facewith the same pressure to compete and push their EOI points. In addition, asCOVID-19 impacted the nomination considerations, the applicants including the Filipinoprofessionals are required to persuade the states on the value of theirpositions in the government’s response to address the negative impact ofCOVID-19 to public health and Australian economy.
Whilst itis true that several states have closed the nomination, it is also true that itcan open anytime if the allocations are not filled up. This could mean that theFilipino professionals and qualified graduates in Australia will have anotherchance to make an application for state nomination under the Subclass 491-Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa. Meanwhile, what I think would behelpful at this stage is for Pinoy professionals and young international graduatesin Australia to understand how the state nomination works so they can adapt tothe shifting Australian visa preferences and allocations.
I willshow some of the simple and yet effective ways to obtain a state nomination forSubclass 491 Skilled-Work Regional (Provisional) Visa. But before that, let us look at 3 basic butimportant points in state nomination.
3 Basicbut important points
Seeking astate nomination is one of the quickest ways to be invited to lodge a visaapplication with the Department of Home Affairs.
If youare following my posts and videos, you know that Subclass 491 requires either astate nomination or sponsorship of an eligible relative. For this purpose, we shall focus on the statenomination.
There are3 points that Filipino professionals and young international graduate visa holdersneed to understand about state nomination are:
First, isto keep in mind that Australia has 6 states and 2 territories. You have 6 + 2 chances of getting nominated-- which means that on your side --- youhave to know the states and territories in Australia, and then see for yourself/ or with the help of your migration agent or lawyer where you are most likely to be invited. For example – if you are a cook – which statewould accept you / or is willing to give you a nomination.
If youare coming from a student visa, it is important to think of the state where youare most likely fitted as soon as you receive your Subclass 485 TemporaryGraduate Visa ; or even before embarking on a student visa.
Second, eachstate / territory has a migration plan that is dependent on the federal(overall) migration plan. The Department of Home Affairs has alreadyannounced that the overall planning levels for the Year 2020-2021 remains at160,000. The skilled visa intake for this year is reduced to 54,200 only. Outof that number, there is 11,200 places for state/ territory nominated visas namelySubclass 491 - Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa and Subclass 190-Skilled Nominatedvisa. So, you will see that the 11,200 places will be shared by the 6 statesand 2 territories. For example, if youcan recall, the state of Victoria had only around 800 places to give away,while the state of Queensland is almost at the same limited nominationallocation. There is not a lot thisyear! So, you will need to step up and open for all the possibilities.
But donot despair because – whether it is thousands or hundreds of allocations -- youonly need 1 visa to realise your dream of staying, working, and living inAustralia. That is the third point. Regardless of the allocation numbers, you willonly need one visa to be able to stay, work and live in Australia underSubclass 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa. Do not let the number dampen yourspirit. Keep working and push thatscore. I am sure, you know how to bump up those scores right? If you do not,check out my previous postings and videos – you will find some tips there.
Now thatyou are aware of the 3 points above, you may now approach a state nominationusing the 7 steps that I prepared for you.
There are7 STEPS to bring you to a successfulstate nomination
The firststep that you need to do is to find out if you meet the requirements set bythe Department of Home Affairs.
Beforeapproaching any of the 6 states or 2 territories, ensure first that you have /or will meet the requirements set by the Department of Home Affairs for SC 491-Skilled Regional Visa.
What arethe basic requirements again?
1. Under 45 years old,
2. competent English,
3. positive sills assessment in yournominated occupation in the list
4. have a minimum point test score of65
Rememberthat if you are single, you will get higher points. If you are double (with a partner) it isstill okay – but get your partner’s skills and English ability assessed toincrease your points. Remember what I said, the higher the score, the betterchances of getting invited. So, keep on pushing to raise those score before orduring EOI. And of course, avoidanything that would decrease your points before the invitation. Keep all yourclaims updated. There is nothing more disappointing than receiving aninvitation but failing to meet the visa requirements because your claims are nolonger updated.
The secondstep is for you to check whether the state / territory that you want toapproach is open for nomination.
Statesare normally open for nomination. However, due to COVID-19, all statesnominations have temporarily closed, some of them have opened for a limitedtime while others have no clarity on whether it is open or not. The assumption that we are taking is that astate is open for nomination if there is no explicit announcement of itsclosure or suspension as in the case of South Australia. We just must remember that there are 11,200places allocated for state nomination for this year – those places will need tobe filled up this year. Make use of this time to prepare and check what youneed when looking for a state nomination.
If yourchosen state is open for nomination, the third step is to check the eligibilityrequirements or criteria and see if you will pass.
If thestate you want to approach is closed, you will have to wait and monitor itsre-opening. However, if the state isopen, remember that -- each state has its own criteria that you must meet inaddition to the criteria of the immigration. Remember also that each state mayhave different categories or streams that you may need to choose depending onyour situation. For example, ACT has 3categories such as ACT Residents, Offshore applicants and PhD candidate; SouthAustralia has Talent and Innovators Program, Internal Graduates and Residentsof SA; whereas Tasmania has 6 different and specific categories thatspecifically target different groups such as Tasmanian graduates, workers, overseas applicants, those with joboffers , those with family in Tasmania and those that want to start a smallbusiness in Tasmania. If streams areavailable, you will need to select one that is most appropriate to yoursituation and check as well if it is the strongest choice for the visaapplication.
The otherthings that you need to check are the following:
1. Check whether your occupation is on the state list - it is not uncommon for a state to have ashorter list of occupation than the MLTSSL or STSSL – it is precisely because –states want migrants who can contribute in the particular economic needs anddemands of the state. Like for example,South Australia - has the SNOL – StateNominated Occupation List and the SOL - The Supplementary Skilled List;Victoria and Queensland have followed the Immigration’s Critical Skills Listand the PMSOL (Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List); In the NorthernTerritory – they have what they call NTMOL - The Northern Territory MigrationOccupation List.
- Check the selection considerations of the states – usually, states indicate their preference, priority, and those types of applications they will outrightly eliminate. For example, Queensland specifically said that it want a decision ready application and fresh EOI; South Australia prefers applicants who specifically mentioned South Australia than those who selected “ANY”; NSW wants the applicants to have a job or a letter of offer. But in general, the states will not consider the applicant who has been refused or cancelled a visa.
- Your location / residency – check whether the state you want to nominate you requires that you be located within the state when you lodge and while waiting for the invitation. In some cases, you are not eligible to get a nomination if you are in Australia but are not a resident of the state you are asking for nomination. You will be at a greater if you nominate a state where you are located / residing or working. In general cases, only the offshore applicants are exempted from residency within the state / territory requirements for obvious reason.
- Check the level of English required in the territory. The threshold requirement of the Department of Home Affairs is competent level of English only. However, there are some states that require a higher level of English to be invited, like for example WA requires for proficient English in the General Stream category.
- Finally, always on the lookout of the opening and closing of dates of the states. Some states are open all year round while other states may open for short period of time. For example, - Queensland is notorious for opening one day and closing the next. New South Wales on the other hand gives ample time, say announcing at least 1-2 weeks opening before closing. The state of Victoria, just recently, announced their opening and last day of EOI.
Once you are happy and believed that you have met the requirements of the Department of Home Affairs and the state, the fourth step is to lodge an EOI(Expression of Interest) in the Skillselect. However, if you have any doubts about any part of the requirements – please do not risk it. You may contact a registered migration agent or a lawyer to confirm whether your understanding is correct. In the alternative – you may also seek the full service/ or assistance of a reputable migration agent / lawyer to handle the entire process for you.
EOI is in the Skillselect where you will need to enter your details and claim your points based on the documents you already have. This is where you put your details, select the state/ territory, the visa type, and points you are claiming against all the criteria. If you want to avoid the common mistakes Filipino applicants do with their EOI, you may read my blog entitled EOI mistakes and how to avoid it.
The fifth step is to express intention to the state to seek its nomination. Seeking a nomination from the state requires another set of procedure, that are normally written in the guidelines. For example, the state of Qld has a specific procedure and timing to seek a nomination. If you received a copy of my brochure, you would see that there are 6 steps there to seek Queensland Nomination. On the other hand, ACT requires a candidate to complete an ACT Matrix, while Victoria has recently introduced its own version of EOI with specific instruction on what and how todo it.
If the nominating state has its own EOI and invitation rounds (like Victoria and Queensland) – you would need to receive an invite first from the State and then from the Department.
The sixth step is to respond to the invitation of the Skillselect to lodge a visa application. This is the step wherein you will lodge apply for Subclass 491- Skilled Work Regional(Provisional) Visa.
Once the visa application has been lodged and paid, you will then need to wait for the Visa Outcome.
Visa Outcome is the last and final step. The visa outcome is a decision made on your visa application. If your visa application is successful, you will receive a visa grant with details on visa conditions. If your visa application is refused, you will receive a letter with a decision record – which should provide you with the reasons for refusal and a notice of whether there is an opportunity for you to appeal.
My Tips?
1. If after knowing the requirements of the states- if you are still think that you will not make it – seek the help of a registered migration agent or lawyer to find out if there are other migration options for you. Sure, they charge a consultation fee but remember – they are professionals and spend a lot of time and money to give you the most updated and correct information. Second, they are experienced. You may be doing this job for yourself the first time – but reputable registered migration agents and lawyers have done a similar application like yours hundreds or thousands of times. They know the ins and outs in the visa application process. On top of that – they can pool reliable resources that are not commonly available to the public to win your case. Third, believe me - reputable migration agents work hard to get your visa application granted because they are happier when you are happy. No amount of money can pay for the joy and fulfillment that comes along a satisfied client.
2. If you cannot obtain a state nomination or thinks that the opening of the states will take a while, try to check whether you have any relative in the regional areas of Australia that may be willing to sponsor you. If you do, ask for their sponsorship so you do not need to wait for the opening of the state.
3. My last and final tip – Benjamin Franklin once said that “ FAILURETO PLAN IS PLANNING TO FAIL” . I cannot reiterate enough that you will need to plan to get your visa at the shortest possible time especially when time, money, dreams, and future are all at stake. Without proper planning, you may easily get lost. Plan early, and be confident.
If you need any assistance or help with your Subclass 491- Subclass 491- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa – contact us!
Auspac Visa is a trusted Australian migration agency for Filipinos all over the world. It is founded by Teresa Cardona, a lawyer and a registered migration agent (MARN0640100) . The office is based in Brisbane and is considered as the home for all Filipino professionals, partners, families, students, graduates, and trainees who want to visit, live, work, and permanently stay in Australia. Auspac Visa provides qualified, reliable and affordable assistance, advice and representation on all Australian migration, visa matters, reviews and appeals.
For Visa updates, news and blogs https://www.auspacvisa.com.au/auspac-visa-blog
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Contact : +61 (7) 3218 7334 Email us: contact@auspacvisa.com.au
Visit us: www.auspacvisa.com.au / Level 23, 127 Creek St Brisbane QLD 4000
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Video Link:
7 STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL Subclass 491- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) - STATE NOMINATION - https://youtu.be/JCN2Iayaj84
