Popular Occupations Getting Frequent Invitations! A Migration Choice You Can’t Afford to Miss – A Stable, Clear and Time-Saving State Nomination Plan!

The reason it’s our top recommendation is that, pandemic or not,Canberra has always been very favourable towards IT and engineering graduates, reflected specifically in the frequency and number of invitations.Secondly, against the broader trend of tightening migration, Canberra state nominationstill offers stable policy and frequent invitations.For graduates wanting to reach their migration goal as soon as possible, it’s undoubtedly a reassuring choice. What’s more, whether it’s Canberra’sMatrix points system, invitation scores, invitation timing, or the specific invitation criteria and quota usage, everything is very clear and easy to understand.

There are relatively few uncertain factors, so you can read the situation fairly clearly.

At the same time, the frequency of Canberra state nomination invitations is also high,with Matrix invitations now issued every week, applications processed quickly, and nominations granted week after week.

As at 1 April 2021,this financial year Canberra still has 248 places remaining for the 190, and 321 places remaining for the 491.With quota usage managed and planned by the state government,places remain plentiful.

Now that we’ve covered the advantages, let’s look at the application requirements for Canberra state nomination:

Residency requirement: must have lived in Canberra for at least 6 months before being invited (3 months for the 491)

Work requirement: must have worked in Canberra for at least 6 months before being invited (6 months for the 491 too); this prior work does not need to relate to the nominated occupation

– Occupation requirement:

The applicant’s assessed occupation must be on the ACT critical list. This list sees some minor changes every 4 months, but is generally quite stable — IT and engineering in particular have remained firmly on the list long-term

*For the situation of employer-sponsored visa holders, please contact us for advice — we won’t go into detail here

Spouse and child requirements:The applicant’s spouse and children must either be within Canberra or outside Australia. If you want to include your spouse or children as secondary applicants, your spouse will also need to meet the requirement of having lived in Canberra for six months (3 months for the 491), and the relationship evidence must already be ready before the Matrix application is submitted (the date needs to be supported by documentary evidence).

If you need to claim points related to your spouse (such as for work), your spouse will need an IELTS score of 6 in each band (PTE 50 in each). For the Matrix points your spouse can contribute, please see the spouse points section below.

Residency commitment: the applicant must sign a statutory declaration committing to live and work in Canberra for two years after the visa is granted.

So what type of applicant is Canberra state nomination suited to?

Let’s use Xiao Ming, a student from interstate, as an example. Xiao Ming is an IT graduate who has just finished his degree and been granted a Subclass 485 work visa.If Xiao Ming goes down the Canberra 190 path, the base points he can achieve are:

• IELTS 7 across all bands (10 points)

• skills assessment in a critical occupation (20 points)

• 6 months’ work in Canberra in the nominated occupation (5 points)

• IT work experience (20 points)

• Master’s degree (15 points)

• Total = 70 points

In addition, if Xiao Ming wants to submit a Canberra 190 application,he’ll need roughly another 5 points,as 75 points is a fairly safe score to reach.These 5 points can come from:

1. Completing a PY (Professional Year) in Canberra

A skills assessment is the mandatory first step for both skilled migration and state nomination. As an IT graduate, Xiao Ming can meet the skills assessment requirement using his qualification plus a one-year PY completion certificate. He can therefore complete this year of PY study in Canberra, which adds Canberra’s one-year local study points (5 points) plus one year’s Canberra residency points (5 points) = 10 points.

2. A year’s work experience in Canberra

As an IT graduate, Xiao Ming can meet the skills assessment requirement using his qualification plus one year’s work experience in the nominated occupation. Xiao Ming can complete this year of work experience locally in Canberra, adding one year’s residency points (5 points) and one year’s work experience points (5 points) = 10 points.

Through either of these two approaches, Xiao Ming not only meets the mandatory skills assessment requirement, but also achieves his goal of adding 10 points to his Canberra Matrix score.

3. IELTS 8 across all bands

Beyond meeting Canberra state nomination’s basic requirement of IELTS 7 across all bands, Xiao Ming’s English is strong, so he can add an extra 5 points via an equivalent PTE score for 8 across all bands (8 across the board earns +15 points, 7 across the board earns +10 points).

4. Spouse points

For Xiao Ming, who has a spouse, Canberra’s spouse points are also a major boost. The points a spouse can contribute include:

• Spouse with IELTS 7 across all bands or higher (5 points)

• Spouse’s employment (5-15 points)

• Spouse or relative who is a PR or citizen (10-20 points)

• Spouse with a higher-education qualification plus IELTS 6 in each band (5 points)
  

If instead applying for the Canberra 491, Xiao Ming would only need around 60 points for a fairly safe score. Of course, if the 190 requirements can be met, we recommend prioritising the 190, since it’s permanent residency in one step, saving considerable time and effort.

Some recent Canberra state nomination invitations