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Coming to Australia

Skilled Migrant Profile


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Skilled Sponsored Migration


The Government of the State of New South Wales will nominate applicants with high level skills and experience required in Sydney under the Skilled Sponsored 176/886 visa program. This visa requires nomination by a State or Territory Government to the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC).


Selection Criteria
To qualify for NSW State sponsorship you must:

  • be under 50 years of age
  • have qualifications and experience in the occupations listed below
  • attain 65 points on the DIAC skills test
  • have had your skills assessed by the appropriate Australian assessing authority.
    Click here for more details.
    For more information on overseas qualifications and skills recognised in Australia go towww.immi.gov.au/asri
  • have the English language skills specified for your occupation.
    For details on International English Language Testing System visit www.ielts.org
  • have been in paid employment on a full time basis in your nominated occupation for the period specified.

Commitment
Under the Skilled Sponsored visa you commit to live and work or study in NSW for the first two years of your time in Australia. If you are applying from offshore, you should advise NSW of your contact details on arrival and let us know your success in finding a suitable employment.


The Program
NSW Trade and Investment is administering this program and will consider applications for nomination in the skilled occupations listed. If you believe that you have the qualifications and experience in the specialisations nominated and the required English language skills you can apply.
Nomination does not guarantee you a job. However, your job prospects in the longer term in the occupations listed should be good as these skills and specialisations are in demand in Sydney and NSW.
Overseas students studying in Australian tertiary institutions should consider the NSW regional migration program as they are unlikely to have the work experience required for Skilled Sponsored visa.
International English Language Test (IELTS) scores must meet the required minimum score (7.0 or 8.0, refer to table) for each of the four components of the test (speaking, reading, writing and listening). The test score results must not be more than two years old. Applicants from the USA, UK, Ireland, Canada and New Zealand do not need to provide an IELTS score result unless requested by NSW Trade and Investment.


Skills required
The NSW Government seeks to attract highly skilled professionals and business people to Sydney and NSW in the fields of finance, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and information and communications technology and sustainable environmental technologies.
View the Selection Criteria for the following sectors:

FINANCE

Sydney, Australia's financial services centre, offers great career opportunities for financial service industry professionals in a range of fields such as legal, corporate finance, Treasury funds management, foreign exchange, sales and capital markets.

ICT

NSW with its capital, Sydney, is a leading centre for information and communications technology (ICT) in the Asia Pacific. NSW offers great career opportunities for ICT professionals.

PHARMACEUTICALS AND BIOTECHNOLOGY

New South Wales (NSW) and its capital, Sydney, are home to 80 per cent of the multinational pharmaceutical companies in the country and 70 per cent of pharmaceutical companies with Asia Pacific regional headquarters in Australia. The State offers great career opportunities for professionals in these industries.

SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES

Environmental technologies and services are growth elements in many established industry sectors, including renewable energy, energy efficiency, construction, manufacturing, transport and mining.
The NSW Government is supporting growth within the sustainable environmental technologies sector by investing $20 million for skills development and training initiatives.


NSW Off-List Nominations
Applications for visa nomination for Skilled Sponsored visas by NSW will only be accepted for occupations published on the lists shown on the website.


Case Studies
Read case studies of skilled migrants who have successfully settled in NSW.

  • Emma Johnson
  • Harald Ott
  • Pinaki Chatterjee
  • Andrew Polak
  • Hanqing John Zhu

How to Apply
To apply to be nominated for a Skilled Sponsored visa by NSW please complete the application forms below.

  • General information [form 1]
  • Declaration by applicant or migration agent [form 2]
  • Document checklist [form 3]

The following application fees must be paid by bank cheque or money order payable toIndustry & Investment NSW and enclosed with your application:
Skilled Sponsored Visas (Sub classes 176, 886)
$265.00 (including GST)
Applications received from offshore applicants will be exempt from the GST component. The fees for these applications will be $240.00.
Please note that NSW Trade and Investment does not accept on-line applications. Applications should be posted to:


Manager, Skilled Migration
NSW Trade and Investment
Level 47 MLC Centre
19 Martin Place
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia


or


GPO Box 5477
Sydney NSW 2001
Australia
You will be sent a result Letter that will advise the outcome of your application.  If your application is successful, your application form will be stamped and signed by the authorised officer from NSW Trade and Investment.
You must complete and return the form enclosed with the result letter with your DIAC application (TRN/BCC) reference number within 90 calendar days from the date you were sponsored.  If you do not reply within this time your sponsorship will lapse.
You must submit forms 1, 2 and 3 and the documents requested in form 3.


Processing of Applications
Processing time for successful applications is currently on average three to four weeks. Please check this website for updates on processing times.


Registration On Arrival
If you are an offshore applicant, once you have been granted your visa and have settled in NSW please register your contact details with us at bizmigration@business.nsw.gov.au.  Please let us know of your success in finding suitable employment in NSW in your nominated occupation.  We may contact you to survey you on your experience settling in NSW.


Migration advice and assistance
NSW Trade and Investment does not provide a migration advice and assistance service.
The Department has access to information from the Commonwealth Government of Australia on Australian migration law and may forward information to you as a general guide or make suggestions as to possible avenues for application. It is recommended that you obtain specific advice relevant to your circumstances from a licensed Migration Agent.