How To Move To Australia, Victoria Province – Job Or No Job

Looking to move to Australia but not sure where to start? Well, we’ve got some exciting news for you!

Victoria Province in Australia has opened applications for two visas that allow you to work, study, and live permanently in Australia.

So if  you’ve ever dreamed of making a move to Australia with the prospect of permanent residency, this is the time and post for you. 

Disclaimer: All information provided in this blog is obtained from the official government website and you are advised to do more research. 

Summary: 

• You can now move to Victoria Province in Australia using the Visa 190 and Visa 491
• These visas do not require a job offer, and you can become an Australian citizen if eligible.
• A positive skill assessment result is required. So is an IELTS test.
• Selection is based on various factors

Move to Australia – Victoria Province

Victoria Province in Australia has just opened an application for 2 visas that allow you to work, study and live permanently in Australia. 

So let’s talk a little about them – the Visa 190 and Visa 491

Visa 190

The Visa 190 is a permanent Australian visa for skilled migrants who have been nominated by an Australian state or territory government. 

This visa lets you move to Australia without needing a job offer. If you get approved, you can live and work there indefinitely. And, it might help you become an Australian citizen in the future.

​Visa 491

The Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) enables skilled immigrants to reside, study, and work in specific regional areas for five years, with an option for permanent residency.

All you need to do is choose a province or state that is eligible for the visa. You’d have to live and work there for 3 years. Afterwards, you can migrate to live and work in any region of Australia. 

Within two to three years of possessing the visa 491, you may also apply for a permanent residence.

The key difference is that the 491 visa is a regional provisional visa, while the 190 visa is a state or territory-nominated permanent residency visa. The 190 visa offers more freedom in terms of where you can live and work within Australia.

Expression of Interest

​These two visas (visa 190 and visa 491) allow you to move to any province in Australia without a job offer and luckily Victoria Province has opened an Expression of Interest (EOI) application. 

When a province opens an EOI (Expression of Interest) system, it means they are accepting applications or expressions of interest from individuals who want to immigrate to that specific province.

Now that you understand these 2 Visas, let’s look at who can apply and how to apply.

Who can Apply? 

Qualification is based on the following: 

• Be dedicated to living in Victoria province.
• Have your Registration of Interest (ROI) chosen.
• Be under 45 years old.
• You’d need some competency in English 
• Hold a valid Skills Assessment.
• Work in an occupation listed on the eligible skilled occupation list for this visa.
• Score at least 65 points on the Australian Government’s points test for your Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect.

How to Apply 

The visa process involves four steps:

1. Send an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs through SkillSelect.
2. With the EOI number from SkillSelect, apply for Victorian nomination by submitting a Registration of Interest (ROI) on the Live in Melbourne portal.
3. If you receive an invitation, complete a nomination application within the Live in Melbourne portal.
4. If your nomination application is approved, proceed to submit a visa application for your chosen visa to the Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs.

Here’s some more information about the application process 

ROI selection

When selecting ROIs, they consider the following factors according to the information you have 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.

You should know that some jobs in the following industries will receive special attention:

• Health
• Social services
• Information Communication Technology (ICT)
• Early childhood, primary, secondary, and special education teachers
• Advanced manufacturing
• Infrastructure
• Renewable energy
• Hospitality and tourism – this is specifically for the 491 visa

Skills Assessment 

Let’s talk a little about the Skills Assessment. 

Skills assessments are granted by appropriate skills assessment organizations. These organizations ensure that your skills adhere to the specific standards required for working in a related occupation.

There’s a list of jobs, and most of them have their own special group to check if you have the right skills for that job.

This is why it’s important that you get a skills assessment from the right authority. It’s up to you to contact the authority that matches your job and get the assessment.

The Australian experts in your field will let you know which documents to send. After you gather those documents, they’ll check if your skills and qualifications match what’s needed in Australia. Then, they’ll give you either a positive or negative assessment result.

Final Thoughts 

Fingers crossed you get a Positive assessment result, then, you’ll continue with the application process on their website and you’re well on your way to moving to Australia! 

You might as well start getting ready because you might be moving soon. In light of this, here are some travel hacks to know when you’re traveling to Australia. You’re welcome!

Let us know in the comments what kind of content you’d like to read and if you found this helpful, share it with someone who’d need it. It could go a long way.