IMPORTANT POINTS FILIPINO PROFESSIONALS AND INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS / GRADUATES NEED TO KNOW TODAY TO SUCCESSFULLY LODGE AN EOI FOR SUBCLASS 491- SKILLED-WORK REGIONAL (PROVISIONAL) VISA FOR THE STATE OF QUEENSLAND
Subclass491- Work Skilled Regional Provisional Visa for Filipino Professionals - State of Queensland
So, you waited for the State of Queensland to open for nomination for Subclass 491-Work Skilled Regional Provisional Visa. And then it suddenly opened but for a limited time – from 29th September to 5thOctober 2020 only. With such a short notice, many Filipino professionals in Australia would've been left out. It is expected that Pinoy visa applicants who missed out will be asking if the allocation were filled up and whether there would be another chance of making an application for the state nomination.
For Filipino Australian graduates and professionals who were lucky enough to receive our free brochure just in time for the opening of Subclass 491 - Work Skilled Regional Visa for the State of Queensland on 29thSeptember 2020 – we wish you good luck. We hope to hear more Pinoy success stories in our FB Discussion Group.
For onshore qualified and eligible Filipinos who have missed the nomination, you can follow this post or be a member of the Pinoy Migration to Australia Fb Group to be updated and get some important and helpful tips about Filipino migration to Australia.
To assist Filipino professionals and those who just came out of student visa and Graduate Visa Subclass 485, here are some of the things that you can still do or work on in order to be in a good position to apply for an EOI once the state of Queensland re-opens.
Let’s start with understanding the basic information about Subclass 491- Skilled Work Regional Visa.
Subclass 491 -Skilled Regional (Provisional) Visa
The Skilled Work Regional(Provisional) (Subclass 491) Visa is a visa that is administered by the Department of Home Affairs, that enables points-skilled workers and their families to live, study and work in designated regional areas for a period of 5years.
The Subclass 491 is a provisional points-tested visa that assists regional Australia in accessing the people and skills it needs to grow and thrive.
This visa is for those who wish to settle in regional Australia and have the skills that are in high demand in Australia’s labour market.
This visa requires you to make an undertaking to live and work in the regional area in the postcodes given in the box. If you are being sponsored by a relative, your relative must be residing in any of the regional post codes in the box.
Eligibility
To be eligible for Subclass491 - Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa, you must meet both the eligibility criteria of the Department of Home Affairs and Business and Skilled Migration QLD (BSMQ)
Department of Home Affairs Criteria
To be eligible for Subclass491- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa, the Department of Home Affairs requires the applicant to meet the following:
• Points Test – has achieved at least 65 points or higher, inclusive of state nomination points.
• Skills Assessment – has obtained a positive skills assessment in your nominated occupation.
• Age – must be under 45 years old
• Language Ability – has met the minimum English language requirement of ‘competent, unless a higher English score is required by the relevant assessing authority
• Other – has complied /submitted the necessary documents required by the state once invited.
If you think you have met the threshold requirements of the Department of Home Affairs for Subclass 491-Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa, you may then proceed to lodge your EOI (Expression of Interest) in the Skillselect. Lodging an EOI is an easy step but be mindful of the pitfalls that can delay or totally miss you out in the invitation rounds. If you want to avoid the common EOI mistakes that most applicants do, check our video.
IMPORTANT CHANGES IN STATEOF QUEENSLAND NOMINATION PROCESS (impacts of COVID-19)
Subclass 491-Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa (and other relevant visas)
On 29 September 2020, the Business and Skilled Migration Queensland announced the opening of the state to nomination. In its announcement, BSMQ made it clear that it would only consider the applications that are decision-ready and those with occupation listed in a COVID-19 priority list and PMSOL.
In addition to the above, BSMQ has also outlined the nomination guidelines for other visas that may require nomination. The criteria mentioned here are for skilled migration, particularly Subclass 491- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (Subclass 491) Visa.
BMSQ Criteria for Subclass 491
To be eligible for the state of Queensland nomination, the applicant must:
1. Occupation in ‘CRITICAL SKILLS AND SECTORS’ list
• Applicant must have an occupation on the QSOL ‘Working in Queensland’ list.
• Queensland Skilled Occupation Lists (QSOL) reflect the current labour demand and change regularly, and these may change without notice.
• However, the latest news published on 29 September 2020 indicated a preference to the critical list and the PMSOL as the preferred and prioritized occupation. Refer to https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/critical-skills-and-sectors#toc-1
2. Live and Work in Queensland
• Applicant must have worked in his/her nominated occupation in a regional area of Queensland for at least 3 months
• Have a job offer for 12 months
3. Submit a Letter of explanation how you will meet the Department of Home Affairs ‘critical skills and sectors’ direction
After lodging the EOI, applicant must send the letter of explanation on how he/she meet the Department of Home Affairs ‘critical skills and sectors’ direction via e-mail to migration@qld.gov.au
4. Currently onshore (within Australia)
The applicant must be onshore. The QLD state nomination is closed to offshore applicant.
Steps to Seek Queensland Nomination and Visa Application
One of the most daunting steps for Filipino qualified professionals in seeking the Queensland Nomination is the EOI application itself as BSMQ requires a fresh and new EOI. This extra step in the nomination process is effectively asking the applicants to abandon their old EOIs in the Skillselect to ensure that ONLY the updated EOIs come into consideration. As you are probably aware, there are thousands of un-updated EOIs in the system. Applicants lodged their EOIs but never updated them. The only time they become aware of the expired English or skills assessment was when then received an invitation. To facilitate processing, BSMQ only wants a fresh and new EOI.
So, what then do you need to do?
Remember what BSMQ priority processing I listed above?
For Subclass 491- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa (and other relevant visa types mentioned on the website) BSMQ will only consider the application that are
• Decision-ready and
• Those with occupation in a COVID-19 priority area but with a FRESH EOI.
How then do you do it?
Below is a diagram which we prepared to guide you in making an application for state nomination and Subclass491- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa:
Now that you have finished reading my blog, it is time for you to ask yourself – Have I done what I need to successfully lodge an EOI for Subclass 491- Skilled Work Regional(Provisional) Visa. Always remember that a well prepared EOI can make a big difference in the chance of getting invited.
If you think this blog gave you some handy tips, let us know. Give us some feedback.
Or if you need any help or assistance with Subclass 491- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa or any points tested visa, contact us and we will be happy to help.
By Teresa Cardona, Lawyer and Registered Migration Agent 0640100| auspacvisa.com.au
Related Articles:
Subclass491 – Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa
SUBCLASS491 - This might be the only VISA that is good for you!
Subclass491 - Relative Sponsorship: Nasaan ang kamag-anak ko sa Australia?
Subclass491 and 190 Invitation Allocations per State and What it means
How to increase your chances of successful visa application
Looking for a Skilled Visa Option while Onshore?
Are you in the right occupation?
