Now, Victoria is going to expands pathway for international graduates, there will be more opportunities for international students.
𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐍𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟒𝟗𝟏 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐚 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒-𝟐𝟓:
Before heading towards the details, let’s have a look at the key features of this initiative:
𝐚. 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬: For the 2024-25 program year, the Victorian government will reserve at least 500 subclass 491 nomination places specifically for overseas students who graduated from Victorian educational institutions. This allocation is at least 25% of the total allocation for this category.
𝐛. 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: Those international graduates who are currently living and working in Melbourne (onshore) will now be eligible to submit a Registration of Interest ROI for the Subclass 491 visa nomination. Through this change, there will be a new and clear pathway for those overseas graduates who want to relocate to regional Victoria.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐚 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝟒𝟗𝟏?
Victoria’s skilled regional work (provisional) visa 491 is designed for skilled workers, including overseas students, who live and work in regional parts of Victoria. This visa provides a new pathway to permanent residency for onshore recent graduates living and working in Melbourne and Regional Victoria.
Through this pathway, skilled workers and talented international students will have a chance to contribute to the economy of regional areas of Victoria. However, there are two significant streams that cater to recent offshore Victorian graduates, more specifically from Melbourne and Regional Victoria.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐚 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝟒𝟗𝟏?
This exciting initiative by Victoria to expand pathways for the program of 2024–25 will attract more international students to Victoria, where they might find their place after fulfilling specific eligibility criteria.
𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝟒𝟗𝟏 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐚 𝐢𝐧 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚.
𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐂 𝟒𝟗𝟏:
To apply for a skilled work regional provisional visa, you must:
i. Be nominated by a state or territory government agency or an eligible relative who can sponsor you to apply for subclass 491.
ii. Have a relevant occupation included on the skilled occupation list.
iii. Have a positive skill assessment for your relevant occupation.
iv. Be invited first to apply.
v. Meet the point test score.
𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐎𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐥𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞
For recent onshore students who are living in Melbourne and graduated from Victorian educational institutes, here are the eligibility criteria for Subclass 491, such as:
𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐥𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞
If you live in Melbourne, you can apply for this Victorian nomination for the 2024-25 program of the year. Once you obtain subclass 491, you ought to relocate to designated regional areas of Victoria to live, work, and study.
𝐓𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐬 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐝
You must hold either Student Visa Australia subclass 500 or Temporary Graduate subclass 485 when submitting your application for a Victorian nomination.
𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞
Though there is good news for the recent graduates that they are exempt from these regional employment requirements. This means you are still eligible whether you are not currently working , working in non-skilled employment, or working outside of Victoria for an employer-based job.
𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞: 𝐈𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 “𝟎” 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 (𝐑𝐎𝐈).
𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚
International graduates who completed their graduation while living in regional parts of Victoria are eligible to apply for Subclass 491 Victorian nomination 2024-25.
𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚.
𝐚. 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚
You should have lived in designated regional Victoria for at least three years. After securing Victoria’s skilled work regional visa 491, you must continue staying, working, and studying in the regional parts of Victoria. There is a greater focus on maintaining your residency in regional Victoria than in other streams.
𝐛. 𝐓𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐚 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐝
Similar to Melbourne graduates, you are also required to hold a study visa subclass 500 or Temporary Graduate Visa 485.
𝐜. 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞
Just like Melbourne, you are exempt from the regional employment requirements. Whether you are working or not and working in non-skilled employment, you are still eligible for the Victoria state nominations for subclass 491.
𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞: 𝐇𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐎𝐈. 𝐀𝐧𝐲 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.