Chain Migration a new pathway to an Australian skilled Visa
In July 2014 Immigration SA have announce a new state nominated option which is called ‘Chain Migration’.
Chain migration is a new pathway to gain South Australian sponsorship for a skilled visa.
Chain migration allows international graduated with Australian qualifications to apply for state nominated visas (489 or 190) if they have a relevant relative that is an Australian Citizen or PR that is settled in South Australia.
Here are the details from Immigration SA:
“The benefits of the chain migration pathway:
· Ability to apply for a permanent (190) or provisional (489) visa
· Access to a more extensive occupation list compared to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection's (DIBP) Skilled Occupation List (SOL)
· Instant visa invitation from DIBP once approved for state nomination
· Priority visa processing with DIBP”
“Requirements
To qualify for the chain migration pathway, applicants must:
· Have completed a Bachelor degree or higher
· Meet all DIBP criteria and Immigration South Australia criteria
· Have 60 points on the DIBP points test.
To qualify for the chain migration pathway, the family member in South Australia must:
· Be the applicant’s grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, brother or sister. Applicants can still apply if it’s a step or adoptive parent/sibling.
· Be an Australian Permanent Resident or an Australian Citizen
· Have resided in South Australia for the past twelve months. “
Here are the requirements of Chain Migration as detailed on Immigration SA Website:
“Chain Migration is a state nomination pathway for applicants who have an immediate family member permanently residing in South Australia.
12.1 Chain Migration applicants can apply for occupations listed as ‘Special conditions apply’ on the State Occupation List.
12.2 Chain migration applicants can apply for occupations that are listed on the South Australian Graduate List.
12.3 Chain Migration applicants who are international graduates of Australia (who meet the work experience requirement listed under point 7) can apply for a provisional (489) visa or permanent (190) visa for any occupation listed as ‘available’ on the State Occupation list.
12.4 The applicant needs to meet all DIBP and Immigration SA criteria.
12.5 The applicant must have completed a Bachelor degree or higher in the field of their nominated occupation.
12.6 The applicant’s immediate family member in South Australia must meet all criteria listed under 12.6 below.
12.6.1 The family member residing in South Australia must be the applicant’s grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, brother or sister. Applicants can still apply if it’s a step or adoptive parent / sibling.
12.6.2 The family member must be over 18 years of age.
12.6.3 The family member in South Australia must be either an Australian Permanent Resident or an Australian Citizen.
12.6.4 The family member must be currently residing in South Australia and have resided in South Australia for the last twelve months.
12.7 The Applicant’s family member in South Australia is required to complete a Statutory Declaration to confirm that they meet the all chain migration criteria.”
Commentary by Chris Johnston:
The Chain Migration pathway is a great new opportunity for many to apply for an Australian visa.
It should make for some interesting situations.
People with relatives already in SA will clearly be the first to use chain migration.
The Chain Migration pathway will also give more incentive for people outside of Australia, with family that have already migrated to South Australia, to choose to study in South Australia.
But the incentive of Chain migration could have wider results. If you have the points but cannot get state nomination anywhere in Australia then you may want to consider asking your Australian Citizen or PR family members to move to South Australia. Once these Australian Citizen or PR family members have lived in South Australia for 12 months or more then you may be eligible for a Chain Migration sponsorship.
Source and date of accuracy:
Immigration SA:
http://www.mia.org.au/documents/item/380
https://www.migration.sa.gov.au/eligibility_requirements
This information is accurate on the 26 July 2014. Immigration SA and DIBP will change requirements in an ongoing manner and all current requirements must be established prior to lodging an application.
Do You Need Help?
At Work Visa Lawyers we are experience in assisting applicants with the Expression of Interest, State Sponsorship and Visa application process for state sponsored subclasses 190 and 489. We can also assist with the Independent 189.
If you require further information regarding an application or your Australian visa optionsyou can contact us through:
(08) 7225 5091 or +61 8 7225 5091
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