A Look at the 2022/23 Skilled Migration Visa Nomination Program: Victoria

Victoria’s 2022/23 Skilled Migration Program is now open to both applicants living in Victoria and overseas. The program provides skilled migrants with a pathway to permanent residency in Victoria. The program aims to secure applicants who can benefit Victorian employers and the broader Victorian economy.

Notably, Victoria will now be accepting Registrations of Interest from applicants living overseas. In response to the demand for a wide range of skilled workers in Victoria, the number of eligible occupations has increased. It now includes all occupations on the Department’s Skilled Occupation list.

Following consultation with Victoria, the following nomination levels have been allocated for 2022/23:

By way of overview, for the 2021/22 program, the following places were filled:

Victoria assesses eligible applicants against criteria unique to their jurisdiction.

Applicants living in Victoria and overseas can submit an ROI after meeting the 2022/23 eligibility requirements:

• Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)
  • To be eligible to apply for Victorian Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa nomination, you must:
    • Be committed to living in Victoria,
    • Have had your Registration of Interest (ROI) selected,
    • Be under 45 years of age,
    • Have at least Competent English,
    • Have a valid Skills Assessment in an occupation on the eligible skilled occupation list,
    • Have achieved at least 65 points on the Department of Home Affairs’ points test for your Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect.  
• Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491)
  • To be eligible to apply for the Victorian Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) visa nomination, you must:
    • Be committed to living in Victoria,
    • Have had your Registration of Interest (ROI) selected,
    • Be under 45 years of age,
    • Have Competent English
    • Have a valid Skills Assessment in an occupation on the eligible skilled occupation list for this visa,
    • If you are onshore, be living and working in regional Victoria in skilled employment at the time of nomination. If you are offshore, this requirement does not apply,  
    • Have achieved at least 65 points on the Department of Home Affairs’ points test for your Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect, including the 15 points for state and territory nomination.

Registration of Interest for Victorian Visa Nomination

As with previous years, applicants will first need to submit a Registration of Interest (ROI) and then be selected on competitive merit to apply for visa nomination. ROIs will be selected from August 2022 to May 2023.

The information provided in your SkillSelect EOI and your ROI will be used to select applicants for Victorian state nomination.

When selecting ROIs, Victoria considers the following factors according to the information provided in your EOI and ROI:

• Age,
• English language level,
• Years of experience in your nominated occupation,
• Education and occupation skill level,
• Partner’s skill (if applicable),
• Salary – onshore candidates only
  • Your earnings are one of many factors used to select ROIs for invitation; however, there is no minimum amount of earnings required to be eligible for a Victorian visa nomination

The following occupation groups will also be prioritised:

• Healthcare and social services
• Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
• Advanced manufacturing, digital and innovation economy
• Chef, cook, accommodation and hospitality managers – for the 491 visa
• Early childhood, secondary and special education teachers.

Victorian nomination process

The visa process consists of four stages:

1. Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs using SkillSelect
2. Submit a Registration of Interest (ROI) for Victorian nomination in the Live in Melbourne portal, using the EOI number received from SkillSelect
3. If you are invited, you must submit a nomination application in the Live in Melbourne portal
4. If your nomination application is successful, you must submit a visa application for your selected visa with the Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs within 60 days

This article contains general information on the 190 and 491 visas, as well as Victoria State Nomination, which are correct as of the date of writing this article. Changes to the migration program can occur without notice. The above information is not intended to be legal advice. 

To explore your skilled visa options with Victoria, contact Migration Affairs for a consultation today!