Western Australia’s Construction Visa Subsidy Program (CVSP) is a targeted initiative designed to alleviate acute workforce shortages across the State’s construction sector by facilitating the attraction, recruitment, and retention of skilled migrants. The CVSP operates alongside Commonwealth visa pathways and provides staged financial support to eligible WA employers and skilled migrants to offset mobilisation, visa, and settlement costs.
Program Overview and Objectives
- Purpose: To expedite the engagement of suitably skilled workers into Western Australia’s construction industry, spanning residential, commercial, civil, and resources-adjacent projects.
- Mechanism: State-administered subsidies paid in stages to eligible employers and/or skilled migrants to offset the costs of skilled migration, onboarding, and settlement.
- Policy Context: Complements Commonwealth skilled migration settings (e.g., employer sponsorship under the Temporary Skill Shortage visa and permanent pathways), and aligns with WA’s industry growth and housing delivery targets.
Program Streams: WA Employers and Independent Skilled Migrants
The CVSP operates under two main streams:
- CVSP Employer Sponsored Stream (WA Employers)
- CVSP State Nominated Stream (Independent Skilled Migrants)
CSVP Employer Sponsored Stream
This stream supports Western Australian employers who sponsor skilled migrants under visa subclasses 482 (Skills In Demand), 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional), or 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme). Employers must be undertaking building and construction work in Western Australia, in an eligible occupation.
Eligible employers can access up to $10,000 per skilled migrant, paid in three milestones:
- Milestone 1: $2,000 when the employer registers for the program.
- Milestone 2: $4,000 when the skilled worker’s visa is granted.
- Milestone 3: $4,000 when the skilled worker commences employment.
This structure helps businesses manage recruitment and migration costs at each stage of the process, ensuring financial support throughout sponsorship and settlement.
CSVP State Nominated Stream
The State Nominated Stream supports skilled migrants who secure visas through Western Australia’s State Nominated Migration Program (SNMP) under subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated) or 491 (Skilled Work Regional) visas.
To qualify, skilled migrants must:
- Hold or be granted a 190 or 491 visa through WA’s SNMP.
- Be employed by a business undertaking construction work in Western Australia.
- Work in an eligible occupation listed under the CVSP.
Eligible migrants can receive up to $10,000 in two milestone payments:
- Milestone 1 – Offshore applicants: $5,000, Onshore applicants: $2,500
- Milestone 2 – Offshore applicants: $5,000, Onshore applicants: $2,500
Eligible Occupations
The CVSP covers a wide range of occupations critical to the construction sector, including:
- Construction Project Manager, Contact Administrator and Project Builders
- Trades such as Carpenters, Electricians, Plumbers, Bricklayers, Concreter, Tilers, and Plasterers.
- Civil Engineering Draftsperson, Civil Engineering Technician, Architectural Draftsperson, Civil Engineer, and Architect
A full list of eligible occupations can be found here.
For the purposes of this program, building and construction work is defined as:
- residential – including the building of houses, apartments, units and townhouses; and
- commercial – including the building of schools, hospitals, shops, offices and factories.
Benefits and Impact
- Employers: Expanded talent pool, partial offset of sponsorship and mobilisation costs, improved project continuity.
- Skilled migrants: Settlement support, clearer pathways into WA construction roles.
- State outcomes: Supports housing supply, key infrastructure delivery, and industry capacity.
Uses of the Subsidy
Applicants will be eligible to utilise the subsidy to offset costs incurred in the migration process. These may include but are not limited:
- recruitment costs;
- fees paid to an authorised migration representative;
- visa application fees; and
- relocation costs.
Employers must continue to meet all mandatory sponsor obligations (e.g., Skilling Australians Fund levy, market salary rates) and cannot pass prohibited costs to visa applicants.
Key Takeaway
The CVSP provides a pragmatic, targeted subsidy to accelerate skilled migration into Western Australia’s construction sector. When aligned with robust compliance and retention strategies, it can materially reduce mobilisation friction and support delivery of critical housing and infrastructure projects across the State.
If you are an employer in Western Australia’s construction sector or a skilled worker exploring visa options, Migration Affairs can help you navigate the CVSP. Contact Migration Affairs today for expert guidance on building your workforce or career in Western Australia’s construction industry.
Changes to the migration program can occur without notice. The above information is not intended to be legal advice and is correct as of the date of writing this article.
Contact Migrations Affairs to speak with our immigration experts for tailored advice on the circumstances and eligibility.
