Victoria Province in Australia has opened applications for two visa pathways that allows you to work, study, and live permanently in Australia without a job offer.
Sources reports that anyone looking to move to Australia with the prospect of permanent residency now has an opportunity to do so through the Visa 190 or Visa 491 routes.
These visas do not require a job offer, and you can become an Australian citizen if eligible. However, the selection is based on various factors including an IELTS test.
Here’s more information about the visa pathways:
Visa 190
The Visa 190 is a permanent Australian visa intended for skilled migrants nominated by an Australian state or territory government.
This visa offers the opportunity to relocate to Australia without the requirement of a job offer.
If your application is successful, you gain the ability to live and work in Australia indefinitely, and it could potentially pave the way for Australian citizenship in the future.
Visa 491
The Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa or visa 491 offers skilled immigrants the opportunity to reside, study, and work in specific regional areas for a period of five years, with the option of obtaining permanent residency.
To qualify, you must select an eligible province or state and live and work there for three years. After this period, you gain the flexibility to relocate and work in any region of Australia.
Moreover, within a span of two to three years after acquiring the visa 491, you may apply for permanent residency.
It’s essential to note that the 491 visa is categorized as a regional provisional visa, while the 190 visa is a state or territory-nominated permanent residency visa.
The primary distinction lies in the level of freedom it offers regarding your choice of location for living and working within Australia.
Expression of Interest
Both visa 190 and visa 491 offers the opportunity to relocate to any province within Australia without the requirement of a job offer.
Luckily, Victoria Province has also initiated the Expression of Interest (EOI) application process.
The launching of this EOI system, signified its readiness to accept applications or expressions of interest from individuals aspiring to immigrate to that particular province.
With an understanding of these visa pathways, here is the eligibility criteria and the application process.
Who can apply
Qualification is based on the following:
- Be ready to live in Victoria province.
- Have your Registration of Interest (ROI) chosen.
- Be under 45 years old.
- You’d need some competency in English
- Hold a valid Skills Assessment.
- Have experience in an occupation listed here for this visa.
- Score at least 65 points on the Australian Government’s points test for your Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect.
How to Apply
The visa process involves four steps:
The visa application process can be summarized in four steps:
- Start by submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs through SkillSelect.
- Once you have your EOI number from SkillSelect, apply for a Victorian nomination by filling out a Registration of Interest (ROI) on the Live in Melbourne portal.
- If you receive an invitation, proceed to complete a nomination application within the Live in Melbourne portal.
- Upon approval of your nomination application, you can then proceed to submit a visa application for your chosen visa to the Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs.
Find out more here
Register of Interest (ROI)
When evaluating Registration of Interests (ROIs), the selection process takes into account various factors based on the information provided in your Expression of Interest (EOI) and ROI. These factors include:
- Age
- Proficiency in the English language
- Years of experience in your nominated occupation
- Educational qualifications and occupation skill level
- Skills of your partner (if applicable)
- Salary (for onshore candidates)
It’s essential to note that particular emphasis will be placed on jobs in the following industries:
- Healthcare
- Social services
- Information Communication Technology (ICT)
- Teaching roles in early childhood, primary, secondary, and special education
- Advanced manufacturing
- Infrastructure
- Renewable energy
- Hospitality and tourism (especially for the 491 visa)
Skills Assessment
It’s important to obtain a skills assessment from the appropriate governing body. Hence, you must reach out to the authority that corresponds to your occupation and initiate the assessment process.
Professionals who are experienced in your field in Australia will guide you on the specific documents to submit. Once you’ve collected these documents, they will evaluate whether your skills and qualifications align with the requirements in Australia.
Following their assessment, you’ll receive either a positive or negative outcome.
Skills assessments are provided by designated skills assessment organizations.
These organizations are responsible for verifying that your skills align with the specific standards necessary for employment in a related occupation.
These assessments cover a wide range of occupations, each often having its dedicated assessment body to evaluate whether you possess the necessary skills for that particular job.
