After major visa changes from last year, international students and skilled migrants are heading into 2020 facing an uncertain future.
Our experts at Australia Migration Services say the effects of the latest overhaul of Australia’s migration program, including the introduction of two regional visas (491 Skilled Work Regional and 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional) are just beginning to be felt.
While the federal government announced this regional push last year, it is largely up to the states to implement it, as state sponsorship is required for the majority of places.
One such state that has very recently decided to announce certain changes is Western Australia. The state of Western Australia has implemented the “Regional WA only category” for certain health care related occupations including the following:
252711 Audiologist
253111 General Practitioner
254111 Midwife
254413 Registered Nurse (Child and Family Health)
254414 Registered Nurse (Community Health)
254415 Registered Nurse (Critical care and Emergency)
254422 Registered Nurse (Mental Health)
254423 Registered Nurse (Perioperative)
251511 Hospital Pharmacist
All the occupations that fall under the “Regional WA only” category must have an offer letter or the contract of employment from a regional area to be able to apply for Graduate stream or General stream. Applicants who have a nominated occupation identified on the Western Australian skilled migration occupation list (WASMOL) or Graduate occupation list (GOL) may be eligible for Western Australian State nomination using one of the following visa subclasses:
- Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190); or
- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491).
Since the start of this year, Australia Migration Services (AMS) have been receiving overwhelming responses from many individuals seeking state sponsorship as well as employment opportunities. Applicants seeking employment opportunities for visa purposes, such as the 491 visa, can now use AMS jobs and seek advice from experienced recruitment consultants that have been in this field for more than a decade.
