If you have spent time living and studying in South Australia, there are plenty of options to help extend your stay (or make it permanent).
What is a state nomination?
A state nomination lets the South Australian government nominate highly skilled migrants for certain visas to meet South Australia’s skills needs.
State nomination can help skilled migrants qualify for a skilled migration visa, which provides more permanent migration opportunities to Australia for international residents.
What are the requirements for state nomination in Adelaide?
When you apply for state nomination in South Australia, you will need to meet a range of requirements before submitting your application. These requirements can be different depending on the visa pathway you are applying for, and whether you are a skilled migrant, a business migrant, or an international graduate of South Australia.
In order to apply for a state nomination, your occupation must also be on South Australia’s skilled occupation list.
If you are a skilled migrant or an international graduate of South Australia, make sure you have met all the requirements on the State Nomination Document checklist before you apply for a state nomination.
To apply for state nomination, you must also register an account on the Skilled & Business Migration website.
What are Adelaide’s permanent skilled migration visa options?
The Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) is a permanent visa that allows you to live, work and study in Australia indefinitely. You may also hear it called, simply, as a work visa for Adelaide. When submitting your application, you are demonstrating to the government that you intend to live and work in South Australia in the hopes of settling there long-term. If you have this visa, you may be able to sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence and become an Australian citizen in the future.
State nomination from South Australia provides you with five additional points to help you qualify for a subclass 190 visa.
Can I get a regional skilled migration visa for Adelaide?
The Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) classifies Adelaide as a regional city. This visa allows skilled migrants to live and work in South Australia for up to five years and can be a path to permanent residency.
State nomination from South Australia provides you with 15 additional points to help you qualify for a subclass 491 visa.
How long does it take to apply for, and get, a working visa for Adelaide?
Processing times vary greatly. At present, processing times are indicated at 11-14 months for subclass 491 visa applications, while it can take between 14-17 months for the subclass 190 visa.
Both the subclass 190 and the subclass 491 visas cost approximately AUD$4,000 for the primary applicant. If you wish to include family members, the fees will be higher.
Is it harder to get a working visa in Adelaide compared to interstate?
The application process and eligible occupations vary between each state and territory. It’s important to research the options that your state offers (visiting your state government’s website will help) and remember that requirements might change.
Is it easier to get a work visa for Adelaide now?
South Australia has been relatively consistent with its program year after year. This makes SA very appealing to people considering state nomination as a way to achieve their goals of skilled migration and permanent residence. There are many more occupations on South Australia’s skilled occupation list than in other states and territories across Australia.
In addition, South Australia is very supportive of international students and provides more opportunities for graduates in South Australia to migrate to Australia via the state nomination program.
The South Australian government has also recently updated its nomination pathways to include additional pathways in its Skilled and Business Migration program for applicants that are considered leaders and innovators in their field.
If you’ve studied in South Australia, you might be able to apply for one of these visas through the following pathways:
Graduates in South Australia who apply via one of these pathways could be eligible for certain concessions or waivers, including:
- Extra points towards your visa point test
- Potential waivers or reductions to your work experience requirements
- Priority visa processing times
Are there any other recommended visas for international graduates from South Australia?
If you would like to stay in Australia after your studies, but you are not ready or eligible for the subclass 190 and the subclass 491 visas, you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485).
The subclass 485 visa lets you live, study and work in Australia temporarily after you have finished your studies, and bring your immediate family members to stay with you.
There are two ‘streams’ within this visa:
- The Post-Study Work stream for international students who have recently graduated with a degree or above from an Australian institution.
- The Graduate Work stream for international students who have recently completed a trade qualification or above, have an occupation on the MLTSSL, and are able to get a skills assessment. You may also need to apply for this visa if you studied at degree level but studied and held a student visa in Australia on or before 05/11/2011.
Both of these streams cost approximately AUD$1,650, with applications taking between eight to nine months to process on average at present
From January 2021 subclass 485 holders in the Post-Study Work stream might soon be eligible for a second subclass 485 visa if they have graduated from a regional educational institution and have lived in regional Australia (including Adelaide) on their first subclass 485 visa.
Are these visas only available to university graduates?
No! You don’t have to be a university graduate to access the visas mentioned here. If you’re eager to enter the workforce quicker, or to gain more practical, work-ready experience, gaining a qualification at a Vocational Education and Training (VET) provider is the perfect choice for you, and will allow you to meet the Australian study requirement.
To meet the Australian study requirement when applying for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485), the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) or the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491), you must have completed either:
- A single eligible qualification that requires at least 2 academic years study, or
- More than 1 qualification that results in a total of at least 2 academic years study resulting in an eligible qualification.
Your course, or courses, resulting in the award of an eligible degree, diploma or trade qualification, must be registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) and instruction must be completed in English.
Adelaide’s VET institutions offer you the opportunity to learn specific and practical job skills. It’s the perfect route for international students who are looking for a quicker path into the workforce and a focus on real-world and industry-based skills.
Learn more at StudyAdelaide.
