Australian Immigration Daily News

Migration Alliance has received the following email update from the NSW government, "Live and Work in NSW":

2020-21 Financial Year Update

The NSW Government’s limited number of interim nomination places for the 2020–21 financial year have been exhausted.

We are currently awaiting confirmation of an additional allocation of places from the Home Affairs for the remainder of the financial year.

Regional Development Australia (RDA) offices will shortly commence assisting NSW Treasury managing applications for NSW nominations for the subclass 491 visa once the additional allocation has been confirmed.

Under this new arrangement, each RDA will be responsible for setting their own eligible skilled occupations for nomination and accepting and assessing nomination applications.

Information on applying for nomination through participating RDAs, including eligible skilled occupations, will be made available on their respective websites.

Nomination Criteria for a 491 visa in NSW will remain consistent across all regions and can be found below.

Please note that as a result of COVID-19 and significant reductions in Australia’s Migration Program Planning Levels, the chances of being nominated are currently low and you must meet the published nomination criteria to apply.

NSW 491 Nomination Criteria Updates

You must meet all the criteria in one of the three following three streams to be eligible for NSW nomination:

1. Living and working in regional NSW;
2. recently completed study in regional NSW; or
3. living and working outside of NSW.

Applicants who do not meet the criteria in one of these three streams may be refused unless otherwise agreed with NSW Treasury. 

-       'Closely related occupations' are defined as those having the same ANZSCO unit group, i.e. sharing the same first four digits.

-       'Designated regional areas' are determined by Home Affairs. Please see their website for a list of regional NSW postcodes. 

1. Living and working in regional NSW

To be eligible for NSW nomination under this stream you must:

• hold a valid skills assessment for an occupation that appears on your nominated region's occupation list;
• have been living in a designated regional area in NSW for at least the previous 12 months; and
• have been working in your nominated occupation, or a closely related occupation, in a designated regional area of NSW, for at least the previous 12 months. 

2. Recently completed study in regional NSW

To be eligible for NSW nomination under this stream you must:

• hold a valid skills assessment for an occupation that appears on your nominated region's occupation list;
• have completed study or education with an education provider, where:
• the study was completed within the previous 24 months;
• the education provider is located in a designated regional area in NSW;
• the study meets the Australian study requirement (as determined by Home Affairs from time to time); and
• the qualification obtained from this study has been assessed as closely related to your nominated occupation by the relevant assessing authority; and
• have lived in a designated regional area of NSW while completing your study. 

3. Living and working outside of NSW

To be eligible for NSW nomination under this stream you must meet all the criteria for at least one of the following categories:

a. Job offer in regional NSW

To be eligible for NSW nomination under this category you must:

• hold a valid skills assessment for an occupation that appears on your nominated region's occupation list;
• have an offer for ongoing employment that is:
• in the Applicant's nominated occupation, or a closely related occupation; and
• for a minimum term of 12 months and 35 hours of work per week;
• have an offer for ongoing employment from an employer that is:
• located in a designated regional area in NSW; and
• registered in Australia.

b. At least five years skilled employment experience (offshore Applicants)

If you reside outside of Australia, you must:

• hold a valid skills assessment for an occupation that appears on your nominated region's occupation list; and
• have at least five years of skilled employment in such nominated occupation, or a closely related occupation.

c. Family ties in regional NSW

To be eligible for NSW nomination under this category you must:

• hold a valid skills assessment for an occupation that appears on your nominated region's occupation list; and
• have an immediate family member in a designated regional area in NSW who satisfies all of the criteria below:
• a grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, brother or sister of the Applicant (including by virtue of a step or adoptive relationship);
• at least 18 years of age;
• either an Australian Permanent Resident, an Australian Citizen or a NSW nominated provisional visa holder (489);
• currently residing in a designated regional area in NSW; and
• has been residing in a designated regional area in NSW for at least the previous 24 months,
• and you must ensure that your family member has completed a statutory declaration to confirm that they satisfy each of the above chain migration requirements.

More information is available on the website.

Source: https://www.business.nsw.gov.au/live-and-work-in-nsw/visas-and-immigration/skilled-visas/skilled-work-regional-visa-subclass-491