Do well in your studies and a visa could well be waiting for you in South Australia. In a drive to draw and keep the best brains in the state after graduation, the South Australian government has announced that it will be making it easier for talented international graduates of South Australian public universities to qualify for state nomination through the ‘high performing graduate’ category.

High performing graduates from other South Australian higher education institutes may also be considered on a case-by-case basis according to Immigration SA, the South Australian state department which manages state nomination policies and processes state nomination applications.

As at 30 June 2015, there were 374,566 student visa holders in Australia with over 40% studying in the Higher Education Sector.  Over one third of students were from China (22.0 per cent) or India (13.0 per cent). Less than 10% of the total foreign student population in Australia, study in South Australia’s 3 public universities namely University of South Australia, University of Adelaide and Flinders University.

That could change with this policy which is set to make the state more attractive to international students, particularly the high-achievers. Immigration SA, has announced that graduates must meet all of the following requirements to be eligible for the program:

• Currently residing in South Australia
• Studied at a South Australian public university, which includes: Flinders University; University of Adelaide; or University of South Australia
• Completed one of the following qualifications: PhD, Masters by Research, GPA of 6.0 or above in a Masters by Coursework degree (following completion of a Bachelor degree in South Australia), First Class Honours in a dedicated Honours year (following completion of a Bachelor degree in South Australia); or GPA of 6.0 or above in a Bachelor degree

Note: GPA – Grade Point Average

Immigration SA says that it will offer state nomination to international graduates of South Australia who meet state and federal government requirements for a 190 or 489 General Skilled Migration visa. 

It says that the benefits of the ‘high performing graduate’ category include:

• access to a more extensive list of occupations on either the State Occupation List or the Supplementary Skilled List.
• waivers to Immigration SA’s work experience and English language requirements.

Graduates will still however need to meet the English and work experience required for your skills assessment and registration (if your occupation requires registration).