The Queensland Government has re-opened its intake of state nominated migration visas under the subclass 489 and subclass 190 visa categories.
What is state nominated migration?
Queensland state nominated migration enables qualified migrants with a commitment to living and working in Queensland to be sponsored for temporary and/or permanent residence. In order to be eligible, applicants must commit to living and working in Queensland for the first two years following grant of their visa.
What visa categories are available?
Under the subclass 190 visa category, applicants gain permanent residence and an extra 5 Points on the Skilled Migration Points Test. They may also be able to access occupations not available under the subclass 189 visa category. State nominated migration enables state governments to invite applicants to apply for a visa – they do not need wait for an invitation under the SkillSelect invitation rounds. Successful visa holders can live anywhere in Queensland following the grant of their permanent residence and can include family members in their application.
Under the subclass 489 visa category, applicants gain temporary residence and an extra 10 Points on the Skilled Migration Points Test for this visa. They are eligible to apply for permanent residence under a special pathway following 2 years residence in a regional area of Queensland and 12 months of working in their nominated occupation during this time. The temporary visa can be renewed if the applicant requires more time to meet the requirements for permanent residence. A successful subclass 489 visa applicant can live anywhere within the designated regional area postcodes of Queensland and can include their family members in the application.
What occupations are available?
The Queensland Government has internal quotas for the number of nominations available for each occupation on their State Migration Plan Occupation Lists. Once the quota is full, no more nominations will be provided for the current migration year, which commenced on 1 July 2016 and ends on 30 July 2017.
The occupation list is updated frequently.
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