April 2015 Update To State Nomination

To improve your chances of qualifying for a general skilled migration visa you should look into obtaining a State Nomination. However, in recent weeks the major states in Australia have been announcing updates regarding this, which applicants should be aware of. 

Specific to the 2014-2015 planning year, it has been brought to attention that the number of places available for the Skilled Nominated Subclass 190 and Skilled Regional Subclass 489 visas is close to full. So if you were hoping to apply for either of the above visas then you may want to consider boosting your application’s chance of success by going through the State Nomination route.

Due to the dwindling numbers of available spaces, there is a possibility that the processing time could be increased as a growth of applications is expected. So keep this in mind when considering filling your application for either Subclass 190 or Subclass 489.

The Skilled Regional Subclass 489 and also the Skilled Nominated Subclass 190 visa categories are close to becoming full in the current Australian financial year, 2014-2015. There will not be many successful applicants who are set to receive their subclasses up until the end of the current financial year. Any granted are expected to be done so until the start of the next planning year, which begins on 1^st July 2015.

In New South Wales, there have been a number of invitations sent out to a select few applicants who are considered ideal for the state nomination before they get the Subclass 489 visa. The criteria that an applicant has to meet to be invited to apply for the state nomination are as follows:

• Have over 60 points, including the 5 points for NSW nomination
• Have 60 points, and have Proficient English (ie 7 or more in each band of IELTS)
• Have 60 points, and have points for work experience in their nominated occupation
• ACT Now Closed for Nomination Applications

However, in the Australia Capital Territory the 190 subclass nomination program for 2014-2015 has been closed because the quota set has been reached for the year. To apply for the program, an individual will have to wait until it reopens in July. This is when the State Migration Plans are put into practise.

To discuss your options and to put forward all your visa questions, head over to OzVisaInfo.com