15 December 2021

11 January 2022

January 2022

16 February 2022

Mid-February 2022

29 March 2022

From Australia’s border closure in March 2020 through to the current reopening

Advantages:lower cost, more options, lower entry threshold

Disadvantages: competition is high; requires ongoing monitoring of policy changes across each state

The Australian Government’sbasic requirements for points-based skilled migration

(applicable to Subclass 491, 190, 189, and other categories)

1. Under 45 years of age;

2. English proficiency equivalent to IELTS 6 in each band (PTE, TOEFL, and other tests accepted);

3. A skills assessment in the nominated occupation;

4. EOI score meeting the minimum thresholdof 65 points

(upon receiving a formal state nomination, 5 points are automatically added for Subclass 190 or 15 points for Subclass 491, so the minimum base score required is 60 or 50 points respectively)

189For purely overseas applicants, this is no longer realistic

The Subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa may appear accessible on the surface,but the competition for points has long since reached an intense level. In practical terms, the Subclass 189’sscore requirements are now so highthat it is no longer a realistic option for overseas applicants, and over the past year or twoit has ceased to be a programme the Australian Government actively promotes, with very few invitation rounds issued; and even if the next financial year sees some improvement,purely overseas applicants have fewer available bonus points than onshore applicants, placing them at a natural disadvantage in the scoring competition,so it is no longer broadly recommended.

Subclass 491/190 State Nomination

State nomination across the various states is currently thelower-cost, more flexible, and more accessible option for purely overseas applicants — especially the Subclass 491.Regardless of which state’s nomination programme you pursue,you must first satisfy the Australian Government’s general points-based skilled migration requirements outlined above,of whichthe most critical areskills assessment and English language results— overseas applicants intending to pursue points-based skilled migration can begin preparing these elements now.Australia’s EOI points test includes components for overseas work experience, qualifications, English language ability, and more —contact us and we will arrange a professional points assessment tailored to you.

Basic Subclass 491/190 state nomination application process: submita statenomination application(most states include a pre-invitation stage) — receive a formal statenomination— lodge the Subclass 491/190 visa application —visa granted

Subclass 491 vs Subclass 190visa— the difference

The Subclass 190 offers a direct pathway to permanent residency,howevereach state sets a high bar with intense competition, and most states tend to favour granting Subclass 491 rather than 190 to purely overseas applicants

The Subclass 491 is a provisional PR pathway visa with a five-year validity period;holders enjoy access to Australia’s Medicare public health insurance; transitioning to permanent residency primarily requires three years of living and working in a designated regional area (all areas outside Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane qualify) and a minimum taxable income of AUD 53,900 per year,making it the more ideal and practical pathway for most overseas applicants at present.

State nomination programmes currently open to overseas applicants

(based on 2021–22 financial year policies; some adjustments are expected when the new financial year commences on 1 July 2022)

NSW State Nomination

(Australia’s most popular migration destination)

NSW state nomination is the most sought-after in Australia,with large allocations but fierce competition — high EOI scores are generally required, and the state government places significant weight on applicants’length of work experience in the nominated occupation and English language proficiency.

For example, in the invitation round issued by NSW in early April,one of our overseas clients with a base score of 55 points received a Subclass 491 pre-invitation, with a nominated occupation of architect,and eight years of relevant work experience.We have also previously had clients insocial work (an occupation in acute shortage in Australia), quantity surveying, and trade occupationsreceive invitations.

Minimum requirements for overseas Subclass 190

1. Under 45 years of age;

2. English proficiency equivalent to IELTS 6 in each band;

3. Occupation on the NSW Subclass 190 overseas occupation list with a relevant skills assessment;

4. Some occupations require more than three years of work experience;

5. Minimum EOI base score of 60 points

Minimum requirements for overseas Subclass 491

1. Under 45 years of age;

2. English proficiency equivalent to IELTS 6 in each band;

3. Occupation on the NSW Subclass 491 overseas occupation list with a relevant skills assessment;

4. Minimum EOI base score of 50 points

South Australia State Nomination

(largest number of occupations open to overseas applicants)

In terms of the number of eligible occupations, South Australia currently has the most welcoming approach to overseas applicants and was the first state to reopen an overseas nomination stream after the pandemic (with an initial opening in mid-2021),with available occupations growing to nearly 400 in total by early this year. In the current financial year, South Australia’s overseas streamoffers Subclass 491 for the majority of occupations, requiring at least eight years of relevant work experience in the nominated occupation.

The purely overseas applicant mentioned above who received a South Australia Subclass 491 invitation had a nominated occupation of Supply and Distribution Manager with a base score of 75 points.

General requirements for overseas Subclass 491 (some popular occupations carry additional requirements — please contact us for an assessment)

1. Under 45 years of age;

2. English proficiency equivalent to IELTS 7.5 in each band (higher for engineering occupations);

3. Eight or more years of relevant work experience;

4. Occupation on the state nomination list, open to overseas applicants, and with a relevant skills assessment

5. Minimum EOI base score of 50 points

ACT State Nomination (Canberra)

(high and consistent overseas invitation volumes)

After Canberra’s overseas stream was announced open in mid-January 2022, the Matrix pre-invitation system launched swiftly with a large first round; thereafter, roughly every one to two weeks, Matrix rounds have consistently included overseas invitations — predominantly Subclass 491 (most occupations invited in the 70–80 Matrix score range) — as well as Subclass 190, across a very diverse range of occupations.

Taking the most recent round on 28 March as an example (pink entries denote overseas stream invitations): accounting at 80 points received Subclass 491, PR/public relations at 75 points received Subclass 491, civil engineering at 80 points received Subclass 491, and IT-related occupations required a minimum of 80 points for Subclass 491.

(click to enlarge)

The ACT state nomination is the most rigorous and systematic of all state programmes, featuringits own proprietary scoring system — the Matrix, andoverseas applicants are assessed using a separate Matrix overseas scoring table, which differs from that used by local residents. Applicants first submit a Matrix application; once invited, they submit supporting documents; upon successful assessment, they receive a nomination.

Minimum requirements for overseas Subclass 190

1. English proficiency equivalent to IELTS 7 in each band (for most skilled occupations);

2. Occupation on the ACT Critical Skills list with a relevant skills assessment;

3. Currently employed full-time in the nominated occupation (overseas);

4. A job offer from a mid-to-large Canberra-based employer with 50 or more staff;

5. The primary and secondary applicants must have had no Australian residency in the past 12 months and must not hold any Australian visa other than a visitor visa;

Minimum requirements for overseas Subclass 491

1. English proficiency equivalent to IELTS 7 in each band (for most skilled occupations);

2. Occupation on the ACT Critical Skills list with a relevant skills assessment;

3. Currently employed full-time in the nominated occupation;

4. At least three years of post-graduation work experience closely relevant to the nominated occupation;

5. Pass the ACT Labour Market Test;

6. The primary and secondary applicants must have had no Australian residency in the past 12 months and must not hold any Australian visa other than a visitor visa — qualifying as overseas applicants

Northern Territory MINT Programme

(exclusively for purely overseas applicants, with an unbroken run of invitations)

This programme was the only state nomination stream that remained open and issuing invitations to purely overseas applicants throughout the pandemic, and it remains exclusively available to overseas applicants,with Newstars clients continuing to receive invitations and visa grants up to the present; no points competition is required, a wide range of common occupations are eligible, and the programme offers strong stability. Please note that applications cannot be submitted by individuals directly — they must be lodged through an authorised Panel Agent,and Newstars Beijing Office Director and MARA-registered migration agent Simon WU is one such authorised Panel Agent,for full details and an extensive showcase of success stories, please see:

One family after another securing their green cards! MINT vs EB-5 — a small-investment migration programme: Australia’s MINT or America’s EB-5? Short processing time, high stability!

In addition to the state programmes mentioned above,Tasmaniaannounced in late 2021 that it had reserved 500 allocation places for overseas applicants, though no invitations have been issued yet.In last week’s new financial year reform proposal, Tasmania retained its overseas job offer stream, with no changes to the specific requirements.

Overall, given the significant increase in state nomination permanent residency allocations for the new financial year,more favourable policies are expected across the states, with more states opening up to overseas applicants, and more occupation opportunities becoming available for overseas candidates.

Looking at it from a different angle,if you would like to explore state nomination options based on your own occupation(such as software developer, civil engineer, marketing coordinator, restaurant manager, financial investment adviser, etc.)you are welcome to contact us directly and we will arrange a specialist to prepare a tailored plan for you!

Advantages: a permanent residency allocation of 30,000 — the largest of any skilled migration category; no points test required; lower English requirements; a wide range of eligible occupations (currently 44 occupations enjoy priority expedited processing); Australia faces acute labour shortages in the short to medium term, making employer sponsorship one of the government’s most actively supported migration programmes

Disadvantages: requires substantial relevant work experience and a willing Australian employer to sponsor you

Employer-sponsored migration has remained open to overseas applicants from the beginning of the pandemic through to now,with no points test required; hundreds of occupations are eligible for employer sponsorship in Australia, and during the pandemic a priority processing list of 44 occupations was established, including accounting, auditing, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, and software engineering, with nomination and processing both completed quickly — and that remains the case today. During the pandemic, we saw a significant number ofpurely overseas IT professionals successfully migrating to Australia with their whole families through employer sponsorship.

For overseas applicants,employer-sponsored migration is best suited toapplicants with many years of relevant work experience and the corresponding qualifications,because, as the name implies, the most critical requirement is that an Australian employer is willing to sponsor you. The core reason employers tend to be willing to sponsor overseas applicants is theiroutstanding skills and experience— qualities that local applicants and candidates simply cannot match.

The most basic requirements for employer-sponsored migration (using the lowest-threshold Subclass 482 as an example)

– Medium and long-term stream occupations: English equivalent to IELTS 5 in each band (short-term stream: overall score of 5, with no individual component below 4.5)

– Nominated occupation must appear on the relevant occupation list

– At least two years of full-time work experience in the nominated occupation (experience must be closely relevant to the nominated occupation, counted from completion of the minimum relevant qualification, with full-time generally defined as 38 hours per week)

– A willing Australian employer to act as sponsor

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