Although it is the largest Australian
State, Western Australia (WA) has a disproportionately small population of 2.5
million people. This is a major reason for prevalent labor shortages and job
vacancies in various local industries. Foreign workers – as well as
international graduates from WA colleges/universities – who have the necessary
skills and qualifications to occupy jobs that cannot be filled by the domestic
population, can pursue Western Australia Migration.
The most popular pathway for long-term
relocation to WA is to be nominated for a particular visa by the local
government. Nominees can subsequently apply for the relevant visa to the
federal immigration authority – Department of Home Affairs (DHA). In order to
qualify for nomination, foreign nationals must fulfil the eligibility
requirements of the WA government, as well as those of the DHA.
One of the major conditions is that the
applicant’s primary skilled occupation must feature on the relevant SOL List Australia. Certain occupations may require registration or licensing. There are
also other requirements related to English language skills, work experience,
job offer and education. Eligibility requirements depend on the stream and visa
that the candidate is applying for.
Aspirants can explore two visas for
immigration to WA via state nomination. Both of these are points-tested visas,
i.e. eligibility of candidates is determined by a point-based system.
Skilled
Nominated Visa (Subclass 190): The WA 190 Visa
allows foreign skilled workers nominated by a state government to permanently
live and work across Western Australia. Being nominated for this visa grants 5
additional points to the candidate.
Skilled
Work Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 491): The
recently launched Subclass 491 Visa WA allows foreign skilled workers who are nominated
by the state authority, or sponsored by an eligible relative, to live and work
in a designated regional area of WA for up to 5 years. Currently, all areas in
WA are considered ‘regional’. An applicant under this visa can claim 15 points
for state nomination. After three years of living and working in the state,
eligible visa holders can apply for permanent residence.
Eligible aspirants – who have a score of 65
or more points – can submit an Expression of interest (EOI) via SkillSelect,
indicating their interest in being nominated by WA, or any state/territory.
This EOI is accessible to the state government agency, which identifies and
invites the highest-scoring candidates to apply for nomination. Candidates must
submit the application within 28 days. If nominated, they can apply for the relevant
visa to DHA.
Upon arriving in the state, the visa holder
must register their arrival with Western Australia Migration Services, have
sufficient funds to cover the settlement cost and living expenses in Australia
for at least the initial three months, commit to living and working in WA for
at least two years, and fill a settlement survey at six-month intervals within
this two-year time span.
