Australia increases its skilled visa quotas. Here’s how to apply

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As a result of pandemic lockdowns, Australia finds itself in a position where a lack of skilled workers is affecting its economy. In a bid to correct this it has increased the quotas for several skilled visa categories.

When Covid hit in 2019, Australia was one of the first countries to close its borders in a bid to stop the virus from spreading to its population. Unfortunately, as the country is historically reliant on migrant labour, this led to a large skills shortage. Two years later, with 96.2% of people in Australia over the age of 16 fully vaccinated, the country has gone back to normal, welcoming back international tourists, students and especially skilled workers.

How Australian work visa quotas have increased

Australia’ announced its 2022-23 Migration Program planning levels last week. In a bid to boost Australia’s economic recovery post-pandemic, the government has increased quotas for a number of skilled visa types – bringing the grand total of skilled Australian visas it plans to give out this financial year to an impressive 109,900 (70% of total visas available).

State Nominated visas, in particular, are proving to be a high priority for the Australian federal government and it has raised the visa quotas by a considerable amount.

While eased restrictions around the temporary Employer Nominated visa is good news, finding an employer to sponsor you can be difficult. There might be a better opportunity for you to go to Australia on a Skilled Independent, State Nominated or Regional State Nominated visa if you have the relevant skills, education, qualifications and experience. Currently, there are between 40 and 500 in-demand occupations depending on the skills shortage list you look at.

Skilled visa quota increases

Visa category2021-22 quota2022-23 quota
Employer Nominated (subclass 186)22, 00030, 000 (36% increase)
Skilled Independent (subclass 189)6, 50016, 652 (156% increase)
Skilled Nominated Visa State/Territory (subclass 190)11, 20020, 000 (79% increase)
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491)11, 20025, 000 (123% increase)

The state of the Skilled Independent visa

The Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) is the most attractive Australian work visa because if you score a certain number of points and you are employed in a certain occupation, this independent visa allows you to live and work in any part of Australia. However, the Skilled Independent visa has been ineffective in addressing skills shortages in specific areas of the country, which meant the government started granting larger quotas to State Nominated visas instead.  

In good news for those hoping to apply for this coveted visa, the quota for the Skilled Independent visa has now increased by an impressive 10,152 for the 2022-2023 financial year.

State Nominated visas to consider

Not only are there larger quotas for state visas, but each state and territory has its own skills shortage list. This means there is a far greater opportunity to move to Australia on a State Nominated visa compared to the Skilled Independent.

State Nominated (subclass 190) visa

This is a permanent visa, means you have Australian permanent residency from the moment you land in the country. You will need to live and work in the state that nominated you for at least two years. Thereafter, you can move to wherever you like.

Regional State Nominated (subclass 491)

This is a temporary visa with a clear pathway to permanent residency and with some benefits that other temporary Australian visas don’t offer, like full access to Medicare. You will need to live and work in the particular region that nominated you for three years and earn a taxable income over AUD 53,000 for each of those years in order to apply for permanent residency.

Regional skills shortage lists are much longer than the state or national lists and there are therefore a much greater variety of occupations available.

How to obtain an Australian skilled visa

All of these visas require an invitation to apply from either the national or state government. Before submitting your visa application, you’ll submit an expression of interest (EOI) with all your relevant information. The government will then send invitations to its choice candidates. To stand the highest chance of being selected, it’s important that you apply to the region or state most in need of your skills and tailor your application specifically for them.

General requirements to qualify for an Australian skilled visa:

  • You must be under the age of 45
  • You must nominate an occupation on the appropriate skills list
  • You must do a skills assessment
  • You must meet the English language criteria
  • You must be of good health and good character
  • You must meet the legislated points score (which are awarded for factors such as age, experience and education).

Documents and certificates you’ll need:

  • English language test results
  • Skills assessment documents
  • Education qualifications
  • Employment experiences and references
  • Sponsorship documents (if needed for your visa type)
  • Tax documents, payslips, etc.
  • Identity documents and passport photos of you, your partner and your dependants
  • Personal documents of you, your partner and your dependants, such as unabridged birth certificates, copies of adoption papers, marriage certificates, divorce certificates or death certificates
  • Character documents such as police clearance certificates from every country, including your home country, where you spent a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years since you turned 16.

Note: Some documents, such as police clearance certificates, have expiration dates so be careful not to apply for the documents too early in the process.

Sable International has years of experience processing and advising on Australian visa applications. We can ensure that your application stands the best chance of success by helping you to determine the best route for your unique circumstances and family situation and guiding you every step of the way.

You can get in touch with us at [email protected] or by calling +27 (0) 21 657 1526.

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