The basic requirements:
- Under the age of 50 years
- Meet 60 points on the points test (489 sponsorship gives 10 points)
- Competent level English
- Relative sponsored (eligible relative) or state sponsored (meet state nomination criteria)
- Nominate occupation on relevant occupation list
- Suitable skills assessment for nominated occupation
- Meet health and character requirements
Find: 489 visa points test sheet
For those with relatives in Australia but are unable to meet the requirements for relative sponsored 489 visas due to, for example, not being able to nominate
an skilled occupation list (SOL) or not having relatives residing in a designated area, it’s not game over. It’s easy to miss, but there are a few states that, through state sponsorship, will accept applicants with with relatives in those states. The benefit? The applicant is now able to nominate an occupation from other state occupation lists, which tend to be broader in occupations. The applicant is now also however, subject to the state’s nomination criteria. Each state has its own set of nomination requirements, and these are in addition to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection’s (DIBP) 489 visa requirements. Both state and DIBP requirements must be met for the approval of a state sponsored 489 visa. A state sponsored 489 visa holder is subject to condition 8539, which requires them to reside in regional / low population growth metropolitan areas.
Find: List of designated areas
Find: List of regional / low population metropolitan areas
Here are the states that have a relative pathway under state sponsorship.
Northern Territory
Visit: Northern Territory’s State Migration Site
Northern Territory (NT) will consider applicants who have strong and well established family connections in the NT. Applicants have access to the NT occupation list and short term skilled occupations list (STSOL).
South Australia
Visit: South Australia’s state migration site
South Australia (SA) has a chain migration pathway under its state nomination criteria; those with immediate family members who are permanently residing in SA are able to nominate an occupation on the state occupation list or the supplementary skilled list.
Other criterion that have to be met:
- Minimum of a bachelor degree or higher qualification. The qualification must be included and recognised through a skills assessment. Australian or overseas qualifications are acceptable.
- Relative:
- Family member residing in South Australia must be your grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, brother or sister. You can still apply if it’s your step or adoptive parent / sibling
- Family member must be over 18 years of age
- Family member in South Australia must be either an Australian Permanent Resident or an Australian Citizen
- Family member must be currently residing in South Australia and have resided in South Australia for the last 12 months
- Family member in South Australia is required to complete a statutory declaration to confirm that they meet the all chain migration requirements
Quotas apply to nominations under the chain migration category. Once this quota is reached, applications under this category may be closed or further requirements may apply.
Tasmania
For those applying for state nomination from Tasmania under their family pathway, they will be able to nominate an occupation from the state’s occupation list or short term skilled occupations list (STSOL).
Tasmania’s family pathway requirements are that the relative:
- is an Australian Permanent Resident or an Australian Citizen
- has lived as a permanent resident or an Australian Citizen in Tasmania for 12 months or more
- is your parent, child, sibling, aunt, uncle, first cousin, or grandparent
- agrees to support you when you arrive in Tasmania and assist you in the process of gaining employment in Tasmania.
Tasmania does not have occupation ceilings on state nominations.
