Offshore Skilled-Offshore Skilled-Sponsored (Subclass 176) Visa

This permanent residence visa is for eligible skilled people who:

Are outside Australia or New Zealand citizens in Australia on a Special Category (Subclass 444) visa, and have a positive skills assessment for their nominated occupation are sponsored by an eligible relative, or nominated by a State or Territory government achieve 100 points on the General Skilled Migration points test.

What does nomination by the Northern Territory Government mean?
The Northern Territory Government nomination is given on the basis that you are committed to living and working in the Northern Territory. If you are nominated by the Northern Territory you will be expected to reside, seek employment and settle with your family in the Northern Territory if your visa is granted. If your visa application for a Skilled-Sponsored visa is successful, you will be granted an Australian permanent residence visa by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC). More detailed information, including nomination and application forms, is at www.immi.gov.au

Eligibility
To migrate to the Northern Territory under the Skilled-Sponsored visa scheme you must be:

• eligible to be granted a visa by DIAC
• nominated by the Northern Territory Government.

The Northern Territory Government will consider your application if:

• your skilled occupation is listed on the Northern Territory's State Migration Plan Skilled Occupations Lists 1&2, or
• you have a skilled occupation not on the Northern Territory's State Migration Plan but you can provide evidence of positive employment prospects, or
• you have successfully completed eligible studies at any Charles Darwin University campus in the Northern Territory, or
• you have a skilled occupation and can demonstrate strong family, friends or other connections in the Northern Territory.

You must:

• submit persuasive evidence to demonstrate your employability in the Northern Territory in your nominated occupation
• meet all conditions associated with your occupation.

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How do I apply for nomination by the Northern Territory?
You need to:

• ensure that you meet the eligibility criteria for the Northern Territory’s Skilled-Sponsored nomination and can provide evidence of your employability in the Northern Territory
• demonstrate you have the required financial capacity to settle in the Northern Territory (any support networks you have in the Northern Territory will be taken into account)

• read, understand and agree to the obligations set out for Skilled-Sponsored nomination by the Northern Territory
• provide a copy of your positive skills assessment for migration purposes for your nominated occupation carried out by the appropriate Australian assessment authority
• provide evidence that you meet the English language requirements
• meet DIAC’s basic visa requirements in relation to age, recent work experience or eligible on shore study, health and character.

To meet the basic requirements for a Skilled-Sponsored (Subclass 176) visa you must (at the time you apply):

• be under 45 years of age
• meet the relevant English language threshold for your occupation (all applicants lodging this visa will need to have IELTS scores of 6.0 or higher in each component of the test)
• nominate a skilled occupation on the State and Territory Skilled Occupations Lists 1&2 (SOL) at www.immi.gov.au/skilled/sol/
• have a positive, migration related skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority for that occupation and have been employed for 12 out of the last 24 months in an occupation listed on the State and Territory Skilled Occupation List have recent work experience in your nominated occupation if you are nominating a trade occupation or have met the 2 year Australian study requirement in the last 6 months with a qualification closely related to your nominated skilled occupation.

You and all persons included on your visa application must be able to meet all other DIAC visa requirements including the health and character requirements for permanent residence.
Detailed information about the General Skilled Migration Scheme is in the DIAC Booklet 6 General Skilled Migration atwww.immi.gov.au/allforms/booklets/booklets.htm

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How do I apply for Northern Territory sponsorship?
You should complete and sign a Northern Territory sponsorship application form and declaration form for the Skilled-Sponsored visa and email it to the Department of Business and Employment at migration.dbe@nt.gov.au, together with:

• a certified copy of your skills assessment and qualifications
• a current, detailed curriculum vitae
• certified copies of evidence of financial resources in Australian dollars
• certified copy of your IELTS test result as evidence of English language proficiency
• certified copies of the ID page of your passport and those of your dependent family members
• a statement demonstrating your commitment to the NT (see Commitment to the NT).

If you are in Australia you should also include a copy of your current visa.
What are my commitments if I am nominated by the Northern Territory?
By accepting Skilled-Sponsored nomination from the Northern Territory you are agreeing to:

• live, and work in your skilled occupation (or a closely related skilled occupation), and settle your family in the Northern Territory for a minimum of 2 years after arriving in Australia, or from the grant date of your permanent residence visa
• keep DBE informed of the status of your visa application, and when you arrive, current contact details for 2 years
• participate in surveys conducted by DBE in monitoring the Skilled-Sponsored scheme in the Northern Territory.

Further information
It is recommended that you visit the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s (DIAC) website for comprehensive information on eligibility and the visa application process. The website is www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/176/
Department of Business and Employment
Postal Address: GPO Box 9988, Darwin NT 0801 Australia
Email: migration.dbe@nt.gov.au
Web: www.migration.nt.gov.au

• Download the Offshore Skilled-Sponsored (Subclass 176) Visa factsheet.

DISCLAIMER:The Northern Territory of Australia and the Department of Business and Employment disclaim any liability or responsibility or duty of care towards any person for loss or damage (including special, indirect or consequential loss or damage such as loss of revenue) suffered or caused by any use or reliance on this information. While care has been taken in the production of this Fact Sheet, it is provided as general information only. The Northern Territory of Australia and the Department of Business and Employment accept no responsibility (including for negligence) for errors or omissions and do not assert or imply that it is complete, accurate or current. No person should rely upon the information in this Fact Sheet for the purpose of making any serious, business or investment decisions without obtaining independent and/or professional advice in relation to their particular situation.

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