skilled migrants, SkillSelect,
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SkillSelect is the Australian Government’s digital platform for skilled workers to express their interest in obtaining a visa to live and work in Australia.
What is SkillSelect?
SkillSelect is an online service managed by the Australian Government to regulate its skilled migration programme according to Australia’s economic needs. It supports skilled workers interested in migrating to Australia, allowing them to express their interest in applying for a skilled visa.
It significantly reduces the visa processing time and allows employers to find skilled workers while reducing advertising and recruitment costs.
Visas
SkillSelect covers certain skilled visas. This includes the Skilled independent (Subclass 189) Visa, Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) Visa, Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (Subclass 491) Visa, and Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) (Subclass 188) Visa.
The Skilled Independent (Subclass 189) Visa
The Skilled Independent Visa allows workers under 45 with the skills Australia needs to live and work permanently anywhere within Australia.
You must satisfy the points test and be invited to apply for the skilled independent visa. With this visa, you can study and sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residency.
Skilled Nominated (Subclass 190) visa
The Skilled Nominated (Subclass 190) Visa allows skilled workers to live and work in Australia as permanent residents. You must be invited to apply for this visa, have an occupation on the Skill Shortage List, have a suitable skills assessment for the occupation, and satisfy the points test.
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (Subclass 491) Visa
The Skilled Work Regional (Subclass 491) Visa is for skilled workers who want to live and work in regional Australia. This visa has a duration of 5 years and allows you to live, work, and study in a regional area of Australia. You can also apply for permanent residency three years after your visa is granted.
You must be invited to apply for this visa, have an occupation on the Skill Shortage List, have a suitable skills assessment for the occupation, and satisfy the points test.
Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) (Subclass 188) Visa
The Business Innovation and Investment (Subclass 188) Visa allows you to stay in Australia for up to five years. The Business Innovation stream is a provisional visa for people with business skills, enabling them to operate a new or existing business in Australia. The Investor stream is a provisional visa that requires you to invest at least AUD $2.5 million in Australian investments that maintain business or investment activity.
If you are not eligible for a skilled visa, click here to explore your visa options.
Australia Visas for Civil Engineering and Surveying Professionals
Who can apply via SkillSelect?
Skilled applicants interested in undertaking work in Australia can submit an EOI (Expression of Interest) through this service. An Expression of Interest is not a visa application.
There is no fee to create or submit an EOI in SkillSelect and you will be asked to submit information. This includes:
- Basic personal information
- Nominated occupation
- Study and education
- Level of English skills
- Details of a skills assessment related to your nominated occupation
- Business and investment experience
Your occupation must be listed on the Skilled Occupation list to apply for one of the skilled visas. This list of occupations is in high demand throughout Australia’s states and territories.
You may be required to participate in a skills assessment or appropriate points test. Applicants can then be found, nominated for a skilled visa or invited to lodge a visa application.
Click here to check whether your occupation is on the skilled occupation list. This is important for the Australian Government to know as different skills and jobs apply to different visas.
Expression of Interest (EOI) Application
You need to set up an account in SkillSelect to receive an Expression of Interest number. The information required is:
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Country of passport
- Citizenship
- Relationship status
- Email address
Once you receive your EOI number, your account will automatically be activated, and you can collect information to submit with your EOI.
Preparing your Expression of Interest (EOI)
Certain documents need to be prepared before you submit your Expression of Interest.
You will need a skills assessment report from a relevant assessing authority for your nominated occupation. If you are a Civil Engineer, you will need a positive skill report from Engineers Australia.
Find your relevant assessing authority | Australian Government – Department of Home Affairs
You will also need proof of English language proficiency and a score of at least competent English. A valid passport is considered evidence of competent English if you obtain citizenship in Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or the USA.
English language visa requirements | Australian Government – Department of Home Affairs
Documents to provide your education qualifications are required. You must provide the name of the qualification, course and institution, campus and country where you study and the specific dates.
Details of your work history for the past ten years must be provided. This includes the position, names of your employer, dates of employment, and if the work was related to the occupation you are nominating in your Expression of Interest.
Submitting your Expression of Interest (EOI)
When you have submitted your EOI, it will remain active in the system for two years. The Australian Government may invite you to apply for a visa during this time. SkillSelect will also give you an indicative points score based on the information you entered.
You can log in and update your details if your circumstances change. You may want to update your EOI if
- You have gained new work experience
- You have gained a higher qualification
- You have improved your English language ability, or
- Your family situation has changed
Invitation to apply for a skilled visa
If you are invited to apply for a skilled visa, you will have 60 days from the invitation to submit the visa application online.
Before applying, ensure all the required information and documents are attached to avoid delays in the processing stage. You must provide evidence to support all the claims you have made in your EOI.
When you have submitted your EOI, it will remain active in the system for two years. The Australian Government may invite you to apply for a visa during this time.
If you do not accept the invitation to apply for a visa within 60 days, you must wait until you are invited. There is no guarantee a second invitation will be given.
Your EOI will be removed if you receive two invitations and don’t lodge a visa application in response to the invitations. It will also be removed if you receive an invitation to lodge a visa application for a permanent or provisional visa and are subsequently granted that visa.
Occupation ceiling for invitation rounds
An ‘Occupation ceiling’ is a cap on the number of invitations issued for independent and skilled regional (provisional) visas. This means that there is a reasonable upper limit on how many EOIs can be invited for skilled migration from an occupation group. It ensures a diverse mix of the Australian workforce and maintains a balance in the labour market.
During invitation rounds, the Department of Home Affairs issues invitations to apply for visas within these limits. If an occupation reaches its ceiling, no further invitations for that occupation will be issued within that program year, highlighting the competitive nature of the process and the importance of having a high points score or being in a high-demand occupation to increase the chances of receiving an invitation.
The occupation ceiling does not apply to State or Territory Nominated or Business Innovation and Investment visa subclasses.
Source: Australian Government | Department of Home Affairs
Last Update: 7 February 2024
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Information provided on this web site “Site” by ConsultANZ, is intended for reference only. The information contained herein is designed solely to provide guidance to the user and is not intended to be a substitute for the user seeking personalized professional advice based on specific factual situations.
This Site may contain references to certain laws and regulations which may change over time and should be interpreted only in light of particular circumstances. As such, information on this Site does NOT constitute professional migration or legal advice and should not be interpreted as such.
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