Victoria State Migration Plan Signed

The Australian Government recently introduced changes to the skilled state sponsored visa scheme.

The Victorian Government now has a formal agreement with the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship, concerning the state sponsorship of skilled migrants to Victoria under the Skilled - Sponsored (176 and 886) and Skilled - Regional Sponsored (475 and 487) visas. This agreement is called the State Migration Plan.

Applications for Victorian Government state sponsorship will open under the State Migration Plan on 3 November 2010.

Under the agreement, the number of skilled migrants that the Victorian Government can sponsor against each occupation listed on the State Sponsorship Eligibility Lists is limited by a quota, and by an overall cap on the total number of applications that can be sponsored each year.

For 2010-11 Victoria’s cap is 4,500 visa grants, which includes primary and secondary applicants.

To inform you when the limit has been reached for an occupation, advice will be placed against the relevant occupation/s on the State Sponsorship Eligibility Lists stating that applications are not currently being accepted for that occupation.

For a list of occupations eligible for Victorian Government state sponsorship consideration, see the Eligibility Lists.