The Australian Government announced that it will close the Global Talent Visa in late 2024 and replace it with the new National Innovation Visa. Follow this link for more details about the National Innovation Visa.

GLOBAL TALENT VISA – Opportunities remains

All you need to know about Global Talent Visa is on this page: CLICK HERE

Immigration changes

Since the Australian Federal Labor government came into office last May 2022, they have announced a few changes to Australian Immigration law policy including changes to the Global Talent Visa.

In September 2022, the Australian Federal Government announced that the allocation for the Global Talent Visa for the 2022-23 Migration Program will be decreased from 15,000 places to 5,000.  We have previously talked about this in our video which you can watch here.

Government Updates

Then in October 2022, the government released Ministerial Direction No. 100 which changes the processing priorities and provided for the prioritisation of healthcare and teaching occupations as well as offshore permanent and provisional applications.  Ministerial Direction 100 also removed the priority given to the Global Talent and Business Innovation and Investment Programs.

Later in the year, the Department of Home Affairs closed the mailboxes for the Global Talent regions and announced that “In line with Australian Government priorities, the Global Talent Officer (GTO) concierge service and Global Talent Expression of Interest (EOI) prioritisation function is no longer available. Departmental Officials (Global Talent Officers) will no longer consider and endorse requests for priority processing of an EOI from individuals or agents on behalf of individuals for the Global Talent (subclass 858) visa.”

This means that the EOI candidates are no longer able to request for the support of the GTO to have their EOIs prioritised. Before this change, with the support of a GTO we were able to get successful EOI results for our high calibre clients in as little as 2 business days.  EOIs that were prioritized were decided in 1-3 months’ time. Now EOIs are assessed in order of receipt, however, Hong Kong nationals and residents and candidates of extremely high calibre may still receive priority assessment.

Last February 2023, the Department of Home Affairs provided information to the migration profession in relation to the change in the role of the Departmental officers or representatives. The Global Talent Officers’ role had been changed and they are now referred to as Global Skills Attraction Officers to reflect the new focus, service and functions.

Generally, Global Skills Attraction Officers are tasked to “attract overseas skilled migrants through the permanent Migration Program to help fill critical skill shortages in Australia.” And their role is “largely promotional”.  This

The Global Talent Taskforce website had also been changed and it is now Global Australia and, while still aiming to attract the best and brightest talents, is now more about attracting investments to Australia. The information about the Global Talent Program has been largely removed from the website.

Priorities

This shows the Australian government’s shift in priorities or focus, that is, that they prefer to attract overseas skilled migrants through the General Skilled Migration which includes subclasses 189, 190 and the employer sponsored visas. In line with this, the government had increased the allocations across these skilled visas. And in December 2022 extended 35,000 sc-189 invitations.

Opportunities Skills remains for the Global Talent Visa

The Global Talent Visa though would still be a good visa option for high performing individuals especially for those over 45 years old. It would also be attractive for those whose professions are not listed in the skilled occupations list, for those who do not want to or cannot get a skills assessment for their occupation and for those who do not have at least “competent English skill” required for most skilled visa as the Global Talent Visa only requires functional English.

If you are interested or if you want to check if you meet the criteria for the Global Talent Visa, you can take our free GTV assessment here

How can Work Visa Lawyers help?

Work Visa Lawyers is highly experienced in all parts of the Global Talent visa application process. We are able to assist with all aspects of the application, and can also provide advice in relation to:

• your eligibility for a Global Talent Visa
• documents to demonstrate your skills and ability to attract salary

Work Visa Lawyers will provide an eligibility assessment before advising you to proceed with a visa application.

Our team of experienced Immigration Lawyers and Migration Agents look forward to assisting you with your Australian visa or appeal.

Based in Adelaide South Australia, we provide Australian Immigration advice to people and businesses from all over the world.

SOURCES:

Department of Home Affairs, Migration Program planning levels, https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/what-we-do/migration-program-planning-levels

Department of Home Affairs, Skilled visa processing priorities, https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/news-media/archive/article?itemId=973

Department of Home Affairs website, SkillSelect, Invitation rounds https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/working-in-australia/skillselect/invitation-rounds

Global Australia website - https://www.globalaustralia.gov.au/

It has been over three years since the 491 on one and 494 skilled regional visas were created. Many visa holders are waiting for the date when they can apply for a 191 visa.

The 191 visa is a permanent visa pathway for the 491 and 494 visas. With this visa, you can stay in Australia permanently and apply for citizenship once all other requirements are met.

Please note the full legislative instrument has not yet been made.

We expect further developments will soon be announced to clarify the requirements for the one on one. Please watch the video below to have a deep understand about 191 Visa requirements.

The 191 Visa requirements

There are two main streams for the 191 visa application.

The first one is through the regional provisional visa, the 491 and the 494. The second one is the Hong Kong regional strain for Hong Kong passport holders. To be eligible for the regional provisional strain. For the 191, you must have held the 494 for or 491 visa for three years have earned the minimum income threshold requirement for the last three financial years as the holder of the above provisional visa have complied with the conditions of the regional provisional visa.

(191 Visa Condition 8579)

There is a residential requirement for applicants who've held the 491 or 491 visa. This is condition 8579. The holder whilst in Australia must live, work and study in a designated regional area at the time the visa was granted. This also applies to eligible secondary visa holders.

191 visa requirement and criteria

Most people might be confused about how to calculate the income year for the 191 visa.

A relevant income year is counted if the income year ended before the date of the application. The applicant held a regional provisional visa for all or part of the income year. Another criteria that draws a lot of attention is the amount of income.

For now, people are sticking with the number of 53,900 as the income threshold required for the 191 visa. The government may refer to this temporary skilled migration income threshold or TSMIT  as that amount? However, there is no legislative instrument that mentions the exact number. Instead, they use the minimum income threshold on the department's website. The TSMIT has been frozen at 53 900 since 2013.

It could be reviewed and adjusted up at any time.

Case study - Income threshold

We're going to give you an example of how the relevant income year is calculated.

Applicant A has their visa granted on the 16th of November 2019. So, when can they apply for a one on one visa? Given that they may all income and other requirements.

The three relevant income years will be counted from the 2019 to 2020 year. Then the 2020 to 21 year. And finally the 21 to 2022 financial year. However, only into after the 16th of the 11th 2022. Can the applicant apply for the visa because that's when the three years residence requirement will be met.

We hope this scenario is helpful to clarify your questions. If you have other questions, you can look at booking an appointment for a consultation with us to get the best advice.

(Hong Kong 191 Visa Streams)

Most Hong Kong or British national overseas passport holders will be eligible to apply for the 191 visa. If the applicants have held the following visas, the 457, the 482 or the 485 visa lived work and study during the three years ending immediately prior to the application. Have functional English complied with all other conditions attached to the eligible visa when they were in Australia. Please note that multiple visas, including visas of the same subclass, cannot be combined to meet the criteria.

191 Visa Documentation

The most important documents to be prepared are residential documents and taxable income documents.

It is important to remember that applicants need to compile three years of documents, so planning ahead is very, very vital.

You must provide proof that you've lived, worked and studied in a designated regional area. You must also provide proof of earning a minimum taxable income for the full 491 or 494 holders. Income evidence can be taken from the Australian taxation Office.

Talk to a professional lawyer or agent for the best advice in relation to a 191 application. There are still some clarifications that are required from the Federal Government. The Federal Government needs to hurry up in relation to making the instruments and policy to provide the requirements for the 191 visa.

When they're doing this, we encourage them to consider flexible requirements for the following situations.

Those that were not able to meet the income requirement due to the effects of the COVID on the employment market.

Another situation is visa holders that may have suffered family violence and have been unable to meet the income requirements. We look forward to some more flexible policy and socially responsible policy from the Department of Home Affairs.

There are more than ten thousand applications made for Visa 887 (Pathway to PR from Skilled Visa 489) from 1 July 2021 to 30 November 2022.

With the current report, there are less than 3000 visa grants between July 2021 and November 2022.

Recently, Department of Home Affairs has made a great progress in deciding the 887 applications. Most applicants who lodged their 887 visa applications by October 2021 have got their visas or been contacted by a Case Officer.

Granting PR to people that have been living and working in Australia endorses the pathway from Provisional Visa to Permanent Visa is effective.

It brings confidence to skilled migrants to consider a Provisional Visa when a Permanent Visa is not available to them.

Processing more permanent visa for regional migrants can encourage they move from metro areas to regional locations.

To apply for an 887 the visa holder must have held a 489 visa (Which is replaced by 491 Visa now) to live in a regional area for 2 years and work full-time for at least one year.

To apply for a 191 the visa holder must have held a 491 visa to live in a regional area for 3 years and have more than $53,900 taxable income for three financial years. The 191 visa application was open in November 2022.  

We do hope that they will grant more permanent visas for regional Australia and for Australia’s reputation, as Australia is facing severe skills shortages in regional areas.

Topics Related:

• Skilled (Residence) (class VB) Skilled - Regional (subclass 887) visa

The 189 visa is back!

The 189 visas have a new potential channel to migrate to Australia. The 189 visa has been ignored during the pandemic.

Lots of skilled migrants didn’t even have the intention to apply for 189 visas even though it was always open.

This was due to the high points required for some occupations and the invitation process being super slow.

However, the new government has a preference for PR visas and there are severe skills shortages.  

The 189 is now the main visa option to attract skilled migrants.

Have a deep understanding about 189 visa rules and the process by watching the video below:

What is a 189 Visa?

Let’s look at more details of the 189 visa.

This is a purely points-based visa that does not require sponsorship and gives a direct PR grant.

For other skilled visas like 190, 491 or 482, 189 visas will need to have a state, employer, or even family member to sponsor.

This is the most popular program for migrants onshore and offshore which do not specifically require work experience or a high English score.

They can bring their family and there is no restriction on the location of work and life.

Eligibility Criteria:

To be eligible for the 189 visa, you must be under the age of 45.

You must also have a relevant skill assessment for an eligible occupation.

Your occupation must be listed in the Medium and Long term Strategic skilled list.

Popular occupations are including those in accounting, health, teaching, ICT, STEM majors and some trades occupations (chef, carpenter…)

English language proficiency is required with minimum Competent English which is IELTS 6 each band or PTE 50 each band.

Finally, you must meet the health and character requirements, which include a police check and medical examination.

Australian PR Points System:

The Visa 189 is assessed based on a points system.

Points are awarded for various factors, such as age, education, work experience, and English language proficiency.

All factors are shown here on the side.

To be eligible for the visa, you must score a minimum of 65 points on the assessment.

However, it is worth noting that the actual points required for visa grants may vary on each occupation.

This normally picks the highest scores in the pool for the invitation.

Please watch our video link above on how to maximize your PR points in Australia.

Invitation process:

There are many factors that could influence the process except for points which includes:

-       Demand of the occupations at the time

-       The occupation ceiling

-       The lodgement date of the application

This is why there were a huge amount of invitations have been sent out in December 2022.

Application Process:

So, you meet the eligibility criteria and have scored enough points. What's next?

The next step is to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through the Department of Home Affairs Skill Select portal.

Many people have been stuck in this step.

We suggest maximizing your points and looking at the invitation round for the invited points of your occupation.

Once you receive an invitation to apply, you will have 60 days to submit a complete visa application.

The application must include all required documents, such as your skill assessment, English language test results, and police check.

It's also important to provide a detailed and accurate application, as any mistakes or omissions can result in a delay or even refusal of your visa.

Timeframe and Costs:

It's important to note that the processing time for a Visa 189 application can also vary.

Currently, the average processing time is around 9-12 months, but this can change at any time.

In terms of costs, there are fees associated with both the visa application and the grant.

These fees include the visa application fee, skills assessment fee, and English language test fee and health examination fee.

If you have family members to include in the application, please also calculate for your best fund preparation.

It's important to check the most up-to-date fees and ensure you have the necessary funds before submitting your application.

You can check your fee in the link provided in our website page.

Post-Visa Grant:

So, you've received the good news that your visa has been granted. What now?

Firstly, congratulations! You are now a permanent resident of Australia.

However, there are still a few more steps you need to take before you can fully settle in.

You must provide your tax file number, enrol in Medicare, and obtain a social security number.

Once you have PR you can consider the next step of Australian citizenship.

To do so, you must meet the eligibility criteria, which includes meeting the residency requirements and passing the citizenship test.

The 189 visa is a go-to option for most skilled workers looking to migrate to Australia and make it their permanent home.

By understanding the eligibility criteria, points system, application process, timeframe and costs, and post-visa grant requirements, you can give yourself the best chance of success in your visa application.

You can also find further information:

• 189 Skilled Independent Visa 

• Latest Australian Immigration Updates December 2022 - Direction 100 Skilled Visa Processing, State Nomination updates, Global Talent and Business Visa updates

BOOK AN APPOINMENT

If you still have questions about the 189 visa, please contact us.

Recently an announcement from The Hon Jason Clare MP, Minister for Education and the Hon Clare O’Neil MP, Minister for Home Affairs have communicated that international higher education graduates with eligible qualifications will be granted an extra two years of post-study visa.

The eligible occupations that have been targeting includes, health, teaching, engineering and agricultural fields. Find more information about the eligible occupation and qualification list.

This new extension will be practised from 1^st of July 2023.

Additionally, work hours cap for international students will be increased from 40 to 48 hours per fortnight. The International student working hour cap factsheet provides information about the new procedures.

In case you have questions regarding visa updates, please contact our team.

Contact us

Stay informed about the February immigration News by watching this video and have a privilege information about States Nomination in ACT, SA and WA for 190 - 491 visas and NZ path to PR. The article will bring highly important topics related to processing times and new actions from the Australia Government.

General Skilled Migration

The federal government has given out 35,000 189 invitations in December.

This is the biggest round on record for Australian immigration.
This is causing many ripple effects across the migration system.
The skills assessment bodies are now getting clogged up with new applications as everyone rushes to put in a skills assessment to try take advantage of these new opportunities.

Another example is that many of the states are trying to come up with more attractive criteria because of all the 189 visas that are providing competition.

Queensland State Nomination

Queensland has adjusted its policies and is now prioritizing skilled workers living and working in Queensland.
Those who meet the requirement should get ready for an application.
More details are in the article below.

South Australian State Nomination

The final allocations for South Australia are for GSM subclass for 190 and 491 8,000 Places, for Business Innovation and Investment Program 70 Places.

There is no more business visa allocations to the states and territories as of the announcement in December.
It's clear that the new government is focusing on skilled migration and that business visas are on the backburner as each state nomination.

ACT State Nomination

The ACT has received 4050 nomination places equally distributed across the 491 and 190. Only ten places have been given to the Business and Investor Program.
This is a significant uplift in nomination places compared to the previous years for the 190 and 491.

WA State Nomination

Western Australia is one of the high-performing states at the moment.
There were over 5000 invitations in December for skilled migrants from Western Australia.
The state has seen a successful year so far with easier requirements and more generous invitations.

Today, a total of 16,085 invitations have been sent out for migrants both onshore and offshore for western Australia.
One of the reasons for the increased numbers is that the foreign on one visa does not now require a job offer or a job contract.

The Western Australian Government will have an invitation round every month.
The invitation round will occur in the first week of every month.
This allows adequate time for the processing of the large number of applications.
I feel like every time I meet with a client and they want to know about their best state nomination options, I end up talking about Western Australia.

This is because the Western Australian criteria are often lower than the other states

We will be making a separate video to discuss the WA state nomination requirements in detail.

Working Holiday Visa

Working holiday visas from the 19th of January 2022 to the 30th of June 2023, working holidaymakers in any sector anywhere in Australia may continue to work for the same employer or organization for longer than six months without requesting permission.

Backlog Status Update.

The new government was left with almost 1 million visas in the department in June 2020, so Andrew Giles has posted on his Twitter account saying that there have been over 4 million visas processed since June 2020 to the backlog is now down to 600,000, with a promise to improve this by the middle of 2023.

Migration is expected to rebound to the pre-pandemic levels, according to a recent report.

General News

In other general news, recently, universities in Australia have backed a reset in migration policies.
It states that the current migration system is not delivering the required talent to meet the needs of the economy.
This comes as the country faces a skills crisis leading to calls for a refresh of the migration system.
The Government is now aiming for a more targeted approach to migration that aligns with the country's economy and needs.

New Zealander’s path to PR.

Good news for New Zealanders. The process of obtaining permanent residency in Australia has become easier with the elimination of the income and health checks for those who have already lodged a 189 New Zealand stream. This helps make the process a lot quicker. The change is aimed to improve the relationship between New Zealand and Australia.

International Students are Back in Fashion.

International students are seen as a key to the migration program. International students are not only a source of revenue for universities, but also a potential source of future migrants.
The fact is that many international students end up staying and becoming permanent residents.
Now the government is recognizing that these students bring a wealth of knowledge, skills and cultural diversity to Australia.

We hope that international students may be given more pathways when the reviews to the migration program are announced later this year.

Pacific Workers and Their Families.

Labor is being urged to boost regional migration.
The Pacific Worker families are expected to join their mine applicants in 2023-2024 under a new scheme.
There are calls for an increase in skilled migration cap and for early learning pathways to be added to universities for free.
A former official has stated that Australia is on track for a migration boom in 2023, with arrivals exceeding Treasury forecast.

Please if you have any questions you can Contact us or book your appointment.

Are you a Café or Restaurant Manager looking to migrate to or work in Australia?

Qualified Café or Restaurant Managers have visa options to migrate to or work in Australia as this occupation is in the different skilled occupation lists, meaning it is an occupation that is needed in Australia or there is a skill shortage that needs to be addressed.

The visa options for a café or restaurant manager, depending on the applicant’s circumstances, can either be employer-sponsored or under the general skilled migration (GSM).  

The visas available for a café or restaurant manager, depending on whether they are eligible includes:

• Skilled Nominated (subclass 190)
• Provisional (temporary) visas that can lead to permanent residency visas:
  • Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489) - State or Territory nominated
  • Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482) - Short Term Stream (subject to caveats)
  • Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (provisional) (subclass 494) - Employer sponsored stream
  • Skilled Work Regional (provisional) visa (subclass 491) State or Territory nominated
• Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186)

Applying under the General Skilled Migration (GSM)

If you are applying under the GSM or the state-nominated visa, you need to:

1. Check your eligibility first and checking if you have the required points needed.

Points are based on the following:

1. Age
2. English language skills
3. Skilled employment/work experience (outside and in Australia)
4. Educational qualifications
5. Australian study requirement
6. Specialist education qualification
7. Credentialled community language
8. Study in regional Australia
9. Partner Skills
10. Professional year in Australia
11. Nomination or Sponsorship

 Please arrange an appointment for the best advice by clicking the button below.

Book an Appointment

2. Get a positive skills assessment

The assessing authority for café or restaurant manager is VETASSESS.

Generally, to get a positive skills assessment the qualifications required is a s a qualification assessed as comparable to the educational level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Diploma or higher (ANZSCO Skill Level 2).

To meet the assessment criteria, you should be able to meet any of the following:

1. Have the minimum the comparable Diploma or higher AQF level AND highly relevant major field of study PLUS 1 year highly relevant employment duration OR
2. Have the minimum the comparable Diploma or higher AQF level AND a minimum AQF Certificate IV level with highly relevant major PLUS 1 year highly relevant employment duration OR
3. Have the minimum the comparable Diploma or higher AQF level PLUS 2 years highly relevant employment duration OR
4. If employment is prior to the completion of the qualification at the required level - Have 4 years of highly relevant paid employment duration with at least 1 year of highly relevant employment within the last five years before applying PLUS have the minimum the comparable Diploma or higher AQF level. The remaining three years of pre-qualifying period may be within the last ten years.

3. Submit your Expression of Interest

You do this through the Department of Home Affairs’ SkillSelect website. In your EOI you would need to provide the details of your:

• Your English language test
• Educational and qualifications
• Skills Assessment
• Employment history

This is where the points you are claiming will be calculated.

4. State nomination

The requirements for each state and territory for state nomination differs. The process may defer depending on which state you want to sponsor you. Some states like Tasmania requires the applicant to submit their Registration of Interest and wait for an invitation to apply for state nomination.

5. Invitation to apply for the visa

6. Apply for the visa

If applying for an employer-sponsored visa

If you have an employer willing to sponsor you, you can look at the employer-sponsored visa options.

Subclass 494

If you are based in a designated regional area in Australia and have an employer who is willing to sponsor you, have at least 3 years relevant work experience then this visa may be for you.  This visa is valid for 5 years and after 3 years of holding this visa and upon meeting the eligibility requirements, you may be able to apply for the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191).

Subclass 482

If they have an employer who cannot find a qualified Australian worker to work as café or restaurant manager, then the employer may be able to sponsor you for the Subclass 482 visa – Short Term stream.  However, caveats apply for nominating a café or restaurant manager for this visa, that is, you will not be eligible if you work in a limited-service restaurant. Limited-service restaurants are those places such as fast food or takeaway food services, fast casual restaurants, drinking establishments that offer only a limited food service, limited-service cafes similar to mall cafes.

Subclass 482 visa holders may be sponsored by their employer for permanent resident visa, the  Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa, after they have worked for their employer for at least 3 years full time while holding a sc-482 visa.

Subclass 186

As mentioned above, eligible subclass 482 visa holders may be able to apply for this visa if they have worked full time for their sponsoring employer for at least 3 years. Note that from 1 July 2022, eligible 457 and TSS – short term stream visa holders will be able to apply through the Temporary Residence Transition stream. The pathway will be accessible for two years from its commencement on 1 July 2022.

Alternative tiles:

• Food and Beverage Manager
• Restaurateur

Others occupation titles that might be consider:

• Café or Restaurant Manager
• Hotel or Motel Manager 
• Hotel Service Manager
• Accommodation and Hospitality Manager
• Cook 
• Chef
• Pastry Cook

If you want to check if you are eligible for any of the above visas, please contact our office on (+61) 08 8351 9956 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Or book an appointment with one of our experienced Immigration Lawyers and Registered Migration Agents here.

Our team of experienced Immigration Lawyers and Migration Agents look forward to assisting you with your Australian visa or appeal.

This article is not intended to be or taken as migration legal advice. The author of this article disclaims any liability for any action or omission on the information provided or not provided in this article. You should always consult an immigration lawyer or a registered migration agent (like Work Visa Lawyers) to form an informed opinion on your immigration matter.

The Australian Government announced that it will close the Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP) from July 2024 and replace it with the new National Innovation Visa. Follow this link for more details about the National Innovation Visa.

In August 2022 the States and Territories were only given a total of 810 allocations for 188 visas.  All states and territories aside from Move to South Ausralia have now run out of business visa allocations.

On 8 December 2022, the Migration Program Planning Levels for 2022-2023 were released.

Unfortunately, the Federal Government did not allocate any more places to any of the states/territories for Business Investment Visa 188.

So with no state nominations available, the Federal Government has effectively closed the 188 visa for this migration year, up until the 30 June 2023.

This is a type of stealth closure, without an announcement by the Federal Government, but with the same effect.

The 188 visa is called the Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP).

There are four streams of the 188 visa:

• Business Innovation stream-  188a Visa - for succesful busines owners. 
• Investor stream-2.5 million Investment Visa 188B Australia
• Significant Investor stream- 5 Million Investment Visa Australia - Visa 188C SIV 
• Entrepreneur stream- Visa 188E Australia. This visa stream lets you carry out entrepreneurial activities in Australia. You can stay for up to 5 years .

Each stream requires that the applicant to obtain state nomination before lodging a visa.

With no further allocations available to the states from the Federal Government, the 188 has been effectivly closed up until 1 July 2023.

Today’s ever changing economic climate can result in necessary changes to business plans.

What happens if you were approved for state nomination based on a particular business plan, and then this plan changes after your 188A visa is granted?

Overview of 188a Business Innovation Visa Australia

Social Workers is one of the occupations that are in great demand in Australia and worldwide.

According to Health Direct of Australia, Social workers are allied health professionals who help people who are in crisis and need support.

The target clients of social workers are elder people, disabilities or people who have suffered from family violence…

Social workers will provide counselling, supporting information, and referral to other services to address the issue.

This is a highly skilled occupation in Australia, and it is currently in very high demand.

Social Work is on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) of Australia.

That means clients who are working as Social Workers can apply for all the General Skilled Migration visa options, including 189 visa, 190 Visa, and 491 Visa.

Being listed in MLTSSL can be beneficial for migrants who are seeking for employer sponsorship program which will give them a pathway to Permanent Residency.

This article only discusses the options in the Skilled migration program including 189, 190, and 491 visas.

There are many more occupations that are popular to get Australian PR by Skilled Migration program.

Here is the article for the best 10 courses to study to get Australian PR>>

Qualification for practicing as Social Worker

To be qualified as a social worker in Australia, you must complete at least Bachelor course in Social work.

There is no registration required to work as a social worker.

This is recommended to be working as a social worker and getting Australian Skilled Visa (PR).

Most courses in social work provide internship programs during the last year which is very helpful for Skill Assessment and securing job in the future.

Bachelor of Social Work in Australia usually takes 4 years to complete while a master’s degree only takes 2 years.

Please be advised that the pre-requisite for Social work course could be complicated.

You may need to seek professional advice to see if you are eligible for the course entry requirement.

Skilled Migration program - Get PR as Social Worker

There are 3 main streams under skilled migration program which we will talk about later and how social workers can secure one of the three to get their Australian Permanent Residency.

189 Visa – Skilled Independent Visa Pathway

This is a points test based permanent residency visa which requires applicants to calculate their points through the Expression of Interest system.

The minimum 65 points must be met to be eligible to lodge EOI for 189 Visa.

In the recent invitation round, Social Workers with minimum of 65 points received invitations from the Department of Home Affairs to apply for the 189 visas.

190 Visa State Nominated – Permanent Residency

190 Visa is state nominated visa which only happens when applicants are invited by a state or territory to apply.

Each state or territory has its own occupation list and nomination requirements.

Please refer to each state’s website for their criteria.

491 Skilled Regional Visa Pathway – 5-year temporary visa

The state nomination requirement also applies to 491 skilled regional visa applications; however, the other requirements are much easier for 491 visas comparing with 190 visa criteria.

Especially some occupations are not required to have work experience to be nominated 491 visas.

You also have a permanent residency pathway through 191 Visa after meeting certain requirements.

The benefits of 491 visa is that you will have Medicare card even though you have yet a permanent resident.

In the current 2022-2023 financial year, Social Worker is on every single state/territory’s occupation list.

Social Worker as mentioned, is a very demanding occupation in Australia.

Social Work graduates may easily find ways to get Australian PR through a skilled migration program.

Let’s look at an overview of the state and territory’s nomination requirements.

NSW State Nomination requirement for Social Workers

 Social Worker is on the Visa 190 occupation list of New South Wales. Applicants need to have been living in NSW for at least 6 months.

NSW just get rid of their minimum points requirement.

This, in our opinion does not make much difference unless there is no applicant with points over 65 or 70 like the last minimum points for social workers.

VIC State Nomination requirement for Social Workers

VIC is open to all occupations this Financial Year. Applicants who meet the standard criteria can apply.

The more experienced you are and the higher points you have, the you are more likely to get an invitation.

SA State Nomination requirement for Social Workers

As always, SA’s state nomination policy is steady and friendly, especially to its international graduates. - if you have been working as a Social Worker in SA in the last 3 months, you will be eligible for a 190.

However, there are more streams for social workers from interstates or offshore to be invited.

Please refer to Move to SA website for more information.

WA State Nomination requirement for Social Workers

WA reduced its entry criteria this financial year. It got rid of the Job Offer and English requirements for its graduates.

WA is becoming one of the most attractive states for the Skilled Migration program in Australia.

ACT State Nomination requirement for Social Workers

Social Workers remain on its Critical Occupation List. However, the 190 Matrix points are relatively high.

TAS State Nomination requirement for Social Workers

The new Attribute system is introduced this year. Extra attribute points can be claimed for Social Workers.

Skill Assessment for Social Workers

The Social Workers’ skill assessment authority is AASW. There are five Criteria that must all be met for a positive assessment for migration and employment purposes:

Criterion 1: The qualification must be a specific qualification major in social work.

Criterion 2: The qualification must be regarded as a professional social work qualification in the country of training.

Criterion 3: The learning outcomes of the professional social work qualification is comparable to the learning outcomes that graduates of AASW-accredited social work qualifications must demonstrate.

Criterion 4: At least 980 hours of field education in at least two placements and with two contrasting practice foci, with a requirement that one placement must be in direct practice.

Criterion 5: English language with only IELTS accepted at 7.0 each band

To most applicants, demonstrating the high-level English skill the biggest challenge in this process.

If you are struggling to get the required English level, then you may be assessed as other occupations, including:

• Community Worker 411711
• Welfare Center Manager 134214
• Disabilities Services Officer 411712
• Family Support Worker 411713
• Residential Care officer 411715
• Youth Worker 411716

The above occupations are assessed by ACWA, which offers an English waiver.

However, those occupations are not included in the Medium and Long Term Strategic Skilled List which may give you fewer PR options.

Souce:

• https://www.aasw.asn.au/careers-study/assessment-of-social-work-qualifications-international-or-australian-for-migration-and-or-employment-purposes
• https://www.acwa.org.au/migrants/skills-assessment-criteria/