The Victorian government under its 2022-2023 migration program seems to encourage both onshore and offshore candidates to apply for Victorian government sponsorship program. As per the statement by the Victorian government, the initiative “provides skilled migrants a route to permanent resident status in Victoria and skilled migration program is accessible to individuals residing in Victoria and internationally.” It further adds that the “successful candidates boost companies and the state’s overall economy by bringing their expertise to Victoria.”
The 2021-2022 skilled migration program in Victoria was highly competitive with over 15,000 applicants submitted Registrations of Interest (ROI). The applicants that missed nomination in 2021-2022 skilled migration program can re submit Registration of Interest (ROI) for 2022-2023 program.
The highlights of the new program are as follows:
1. All occupations on Department of Home Affairs occupations list can apply for State Migration Plan (“SMP”).
2. Applicants are no longer required to be using STEMM skills and working in a target sector to apply for SMP.
3. Victorian government will be selecting applicants living outside Australia for the subclass 190 visa in all eligible occupations.
4. Onshore applicants must be employed and working in Victoria.
5. Victoria’s 2022-2023 Skilled Migration Program is now open.
6. The process to apply for SMP is still through Registration of Interest (ROI).
7. Prioritizing health occupations for subclass 491 visa nominations.
Eligibility for subclass 491 and subclass 190 visa
To be eligible to apply for nomination for subclass 491 or subclass 190 visa, you must:
1. Have had your Registration of Interest (ROI) selected.
2. Have a valid skills assessment in an occupation on the eligible skilled occupation list for this visa.
3. If you are onshore, you must be living and working in regional Victoria in skilled employment at the time of nomination for subclass 491 visa. If you are offshore, this requirement does not apply.
4. Be under 45 years of age.
5. Be committed to living in Victoria.
6. Have Competent English.
7. Have achieved at least 65 points on the Australian Government’s points test for your Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect.
Registrations of Interest (ROI)
To be selected for Victorian skilled visa nomination, you must first submit a Registration of Interest (ROI). The information provided in the SkillSelect EOI and the ROI helps Victorian government to select applicants for Victorian visa nomination.
The ROI will remain in Victorian government system for selection until it is withdrawn, selected or the program year ends. The final day to submit the ROI is Friday, 5 May 2023.
One of the major changes is that the ROI form for the 2022-23 program is considerably shorter than in previous years. The rationale behind shorter form is that the Victorian government considers the information provided in the EOI when assessing the ROI. Therefore, it is important that the EOI is accurate and up to date.
ROI will be selected from August 2022 to May 2023.
When selecting ROIs, Victorian government considers the following factors according to the information provided in the EOI and ROI:
• Age
• English language level
• Years of experience in your nominated occupation
• Education and occupation skill level
• Partner’s skill (if applicable)
• salary – onshore candidates only
The following occupation groups will also be prioritized:
- Healthcare and social services
- Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
- Advanced manufacturing, digital and innovation economy
- Chef, cook, accommodation and hospitality managers – for the subclass 491 visas
- Early childhood, secondary and special education teachers.
During the completion of the ROI, you may be asked to provide an estimate of your annual earnings.
Your earnings are one of many factors used to select ROIs for invitation.
There are no minimum earnings required to be eligible for Victorian visa nomination.
You cannot update a ROI once it has been submitted.
You can only have 1 active ROI submitted at any time. You cannot submit a separate ROI for each visa subclass. If you wish to change the visa subclass, or anything else on your ROI, you must withdraw the existing ROI and submit a new ROI.
Nomination quota for Victoria
Victoria has the highest quota for subclass 190 visa at 9,000 compared to other States and Territories. In relation to subclass 491 visas, it has only 2,400 quotas.
Further information
If you would like any further information on the updates to the Victorian Skilled Migration Program for 2022-2022 or any Australian immigration matter, please contact our office.