South Australia 491 Visa Program

Nomination Requirements for 491 Visa SA – State Government

• Residency Requirements

By submitting the application, you are indicating that you intend to live and work in South Australia with a view to long-term settlement.

If you are in Australia but not currently residing in South Australia, you can only apply through the Talent & Innovators Employment Program (see below).

If you are currently living outside Australia, check South Australia’s Skilled Occupation List to see if your occupation is available to offshore applicants. Eligible offshore applicants must submit a Registration of Interest (ROI) application. You can find out more information on our latest post.

• Occupation

You must have an occupation on South Australia’s Skilled Occupation Listand meet the eligibility requirements for that occupation.

• Skills Assessment

You must have a valid and positive General Skilled Migration skills assessment from the relevant authority. Skills assessment must be for your nominated occupation. Furthermore, it needs to be issued within the last three years or if the skills assessing authority has specified a shorter validity period, the skills assessment is only valid until that specified date.

• Work experience

You must meet work experience requirement listed for your nominated occupation. Skilled work experience must be undertaken post-course completion and must satisfy the requirement of a minimum of 20 hours per week or 40 hours per fortnight of paid employment in your nominated or closely related occupation. However, if you are already working in South Australia or you are a South Australian graduate, you may be eligible for exemptions or waivers to the work experience requirement, as specified in the occupation requirements.

• English

You must meet minimum English language requirement listed for your occupation.

If you are currently working in a skilled occupation in South Australia, you are required to have at least competent English. However, if your nominated occupation requires registration or licensing to practice in South Australia, you will need to ensure you meet the English requirement set by the registration or licensing authority to work in South Australia.

If you hold a passport from the following countries, the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada or New Zealand, you do not need to provide an English test result.

• Points

You must meet minimum points requirement listed for your occupation (including state nomination points).

Available Nomination Programs

There are 3 available nomination programs for 491 South Australia visa. The following is a brief introduction to these programs.

• Talent and Innovators Program

This program allows the state to nominate high calibre applicants under one of the following five streams:

1. 1. 1. Employment stream: For highly skilled migrants who are working for South Australian businesses
      2. Outer Regional South Australia workforce stream: For skilled applicants working for outer regional South Australian businesses (who do not qualify to apply directly for state nomination but wish to provide a submission for consideration)
      3. Start up and small business stream: For entrepreneurial skilled migrants who have started their own business in South Australia
      4. High performing graduate stream: For high performing graduates who have completed their qualification at a South Australian higher education institution
      5. Independent talent stream: For high calibre applicants seeking state nomination

Applicants who meet the guidelines for the Talent and Innovators Program will need to submit an ROI via the Skilled & Business Migration portal. The SA Government may invite you to apply for state nomination if your ROI is selected.

• Currently working in South Australia (including long-term resident of SA)

This program is for applicants who are currently residing and working in South Australia. The eligible applicants may also be qualified for additional concessions and waivers. There are 3 streams under this program:

1. 1. 1. Currently living and working in South Australia: The applicant must be working at least 20 hours per week or 40 hours per fortnight in the nominated or closely related occupation in South Australia for the duration required for the nominated occupation. For 491 nomination, the applicant must be currently working for the last 6 months in SA, unless specified differently for the occupation.
      2. Living and working in regional South Australia: Concessions to the work experience requirements are available for applicants who are living and working in outer regional SA. The applicant must be employed and residing in an area outside of Greater Adelaide. If the applicant is currently living and working in the regional SA for the last 12 months in any occupation (doesn’t need to be a skilled occupation nor related to the nominated occupation), the applicant may be eligible to be nominated for a 491 visa nomination under this stream.
      3. Living and working in South Australia as a long-term resident: This stream is for long-term residents who are living and working in SA in other skilled occupations. There are 3 options under this stream, which are international graduates and partners, Other temporary visa holders, and Safe Haven Enterprise visa holders.

• International Graduate of South Australia

If you are an international graduate of South Australia, you may be eligible for this program. However, you will need to meet many requirements, for instance:

• • • Your SA course must be CRICOS registered, with a minimum of 46 CRICOS weeks;
    • A minimum of 50% of your qualification must have been completed in SA;
    • You must have resided in SA for at least one year during your period of study;
    • You must have continuously resided in SA post-course completion;
    • You must meet any course requirements or minimum qualification levels listed for your occupation;
    • You must meet the specific work experience requirements listed for you nominated occupation, unless specified differently for your occupation;
    • You must be working at least 20 hours per week or 40 hours per fortnight in your nominated or closely related occupation in SA for the duration required for your nominated occupation, unless specified differently for your occupation.

If you are a high performing graduates of SA, you will need to submit an ROI for the Talent and Innovators Program. Furthermore, waivers to the skilled work experience requirements may be applicable to you.

Ausdirect Migration for SA 491 Visa

South Australia general skilled visa is extremely competitive; therefore, it is highly recommended to engage professional services in order to achieve the best outcome for your visa application.

Our team at Ausdirect Migration is very experienced in managing migration programs in relation to South Australia Visa applications. We have provided top quality migration services to onshore and offshore clients to support them study in SA and apply for migration through SA.

Book a consultation with us today. We look forward to hearing from you and the opportunity to assist you in managing your immigration journey.