491 Visa For South Australia
The Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP), allows applicants who have been sponsored by an eligible relative or spouse in Australia, who qualify for a Temporary Subclass 491 (Work – Skilled) visa are able to live, work and study in South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory.South Australia (SA) offers a special visa subclass 491 visa to skilled overseas workers who want to live and work in the state. To qualify for subclass 491 visa, applicants must have English language ability and relevant qualifications which are equal to or better than those offered in South Australia.
Visas are required for travelling to Australia to live permanently. It is important to obtain the right visa based on your purpose of visiting and the basis of application. Contact Australia Visa Consultants if you have questions regarding visas or would like to apply.
South Australia has opened its Skills Migration program for the financial year 2021 – 2022 and start receiving applications for 190 and 491 nominations. For this financial year nomination allocation, South Australia has been allocated 2,600 places for 190 and 491, which is 600 more places compared the financial year 2020 – 2021. This would mean that there are more chances to get a nomination from South Australia Government.
The state nomination requirement in South Australia, as always, is the most complex and difficult to navigate. However, it is also considered an opened and generous skilled migration program in Australia when this state opens its doors to applicants not residing in South Australia as well as offshore applicants.
There are several streams under which you can apply for a state nomination in South Australia, depending on your situation. However, there is a set of common requirements that you need to meet, and we will put these requirements in the simplest way.
Common South Australia State Nomination Requirements
| Factor | Detailed Requirements |
| Residency | · If you are in South Australia: you might be eligible to apply for almost all streams in the program.· If you are in Australia, but not in South Australia: you can only apply through the Talent & Innovator Employment Stream· If you are offshore: you can check the South Australia’s Skilled List to see which occupations are eligible for the state nomination. |
| Age | You must be under 45 at the time of nomination. |
| Occupation | Your occupation must be on the South Australia’s Skilled Occupation List.Note: each occupation might have their own set of requirements and you must meet these requirements. |
| Skills Assessment | You must have a valid positive skills assessment for your nominated occupation. |
| Work Experience | Work experience will depend on your nominated occupation.If you are required to meet work experience, it must be undertaken post-course completion, and must be at least 20 hours/ week.You might be waived the work experience in some circumstances. |
| English | English requirement varies depending on your occupation. However, the minimum English requirement is Competent English. |
| Points | Although the minimum points required by the Department of Home Affairs is 65 (including state nomination points), you might need to have high points as required by your nominated occupation. |
South Australia’s Skilled Occupation List
Unlike the majority of other states/ territories in Australia, the requirement of Skilled Migration program in South Australia also depends heavily on which occupation you are nominating. The occupation list in South Australia not only informs you which occupations are eligible for the state nominations, but also shows you what requirements you have to meet. Navigating the occupational list in detail is important to understand:
- What type of nomination you are eligible for: 491 or 190?
- Which stream to apply under?
- How many years of experience that you must have?
- How many points do you have to earn to be eligible?
- What is the English requirement?
- Whether you can apply from offshore?
Subclass 491 SA nomination criteria
To be eligible for the Subclass 491 SA nomination, you must be under 45 at the time of nomination. Your occupation must be listed on SA’s Skilled Occupation List. In addition, you must also meet the following mandatory requirements:
- satisfy the Department’s English levels
- have a valid and positive skills assessment for your nominated occupation
- worked in SA for at least 3 months in your nominated occupation or closely related occupation; worked at least 20 hours per week or 40 hours per fortnight; and the work must be undertaken post-qualification completion and you are paid at the appropriate rate for the skill level. If you have completed a PhD or Masters by research from a SA education institution, you do not have to satisfy the work experience requirement
Preferred requirements
- have Proficient English or higher
- score at least 90 points (including the extra 15 points for Subclass 491 SA nomination)
- currently working in SA for at least the last 1 year in your nominated occupation or closely related occupation and claiming points for this work experience
- currently working and living in outer regional SA
- meet the critical skills listed for Travel Exemption Requirements.
Meeting of Subclass 491 SA nomination guarantee a visa?
You should note that even if you satisfied all the nomination requirements, there is no guarantee that you will be nominated. This is due to an annual quota allocated to the SA government. However, if your occupation is listed in the critical sectors, you will be given priority.
If you are living and working in outer regional SA, you should notify the SA government in an email advising that your EOI has been lodged.
If you identified as having met the critical skills, the SA government will send you an invitation to submit a nomination application. You will be given 14 days to lodge your nomination application. You will be required to include evidence to substantiate the points you claimed in your EOI. There must not be any discrepancies, including your nominated occupation. Once you have submitted your nomination application, you are not permitted to provide additional documentation, unless requested.