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- Occupations Career information for skilled migrants. Our job guide has industry overviews, what you'll earn, how to find a job, licensing and registration info and industry contacts.
- Starting a Job Before you start to work in Victoria learn about your rights and responsibilities as an Australian employee.
- Get Connected, Get a Job A wide range of industry associations and professional associations are available to help you find a job and meet other professionals in Victoria, Australia
- Victorian Industries Information on Victoria's industries, including the work industry in Melbourne. Profiles on industry size, job guides and industry contacts for finding work in Victoria.
- Visas & Immigrating
- Skilled Visas An overview of the migration visas available to skilled professionals and tradespeople interested in migrating to Australia.
- Business Visas An overview of the migration visas available to business professionals and owners interested in migrating to Australia.
- State Sponsorship The Victorian Government sponsors visas for skilled and business migrants interested in living in Victoria, Australia.
- Occupation Lists See the Victorian State Sponsorship list to find out if your occupation is in demand and eligible for state sponsorship by the Victorian Government.
- How to Migrate Find out about the process of how to migrate to Victoria, Australia. Victoria's Skilled and Business Migration Program offers assistance in a number of ways.
- FAQs About Skilled Sponsorship & Visas Answers to migrant questions about skilled sponsored visas offered by the Victorian Government in Australia.
- Living in Victoria
- Melbourne & Regional Victoria Information and interactive maps of Melbourne and the different regions of Victoria, Australia.
- Cost of Living Information on the cost of living in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Useful for people looking to live and work in Melbourne and regional Victoria.
- Housing & Property Information on accommodation, housing and property in Melbourne and regional Victoria.
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- Education & Childcare Information on education in Victoria, including kindergarten, primary school, secondary school, universities and training.
- Health & Medical Information on the healthcare system in Victoria, Australia, including information on finding a doctor and paying for healthcare.
- About Victoria General information and facts about Victoria and Australia including the government, entertainment, sports, banking, media and communications.
- Relocation Checklist Relocation checklists to use for migrants who move to Victoria. Checklists for preparing for departure and arriving in Victoria.
- Running a Business
- Why Victoria? Reasons for starting and running a business in Victoria, Australia.
- Going into Business in Victoria Information about starting up a business in Victoria.
- Banking, Tax & Legal Requirements Information about banking and taxes for businesses in Victoria.
- Business Support & Networks Information about the support available to businesses in Victoria.
- About Us
- Our Department Information about the Victorian Government's Skilled and Business Migration Program, which manages the Live in Victoria website.
- News & Events The latest news and events from the Skilled and Business Migration Program covering topics for skilled migrants, business migrants and migration agents.
- Services We Offer About the Skilled and Business Migration Program's services for prospective skilled and business migrants, Victorian employers and migration agents.
- Publications Links to downloadable publications and forms about immigrating to Melbourne or regional Victoria.
- Contact Us Contact details for the Skilled and Business Migration Program including address, phone numbers and email addresses, and a general enquiry form.
- Glossary of Acronyms & Abbreviations A list of acronyms and terms that relate to migrating to Victoria, with definitions and relevant links.
Skilled - Sponsored (886) Visa
The Victorian Government offers state sponsorship for highly qualified international graduates under the Skilled – Sponsored (886) visa and other visas in a range of highly sought occupations. State sponsorship can assist you to meet the requirements for this visa.
On this page you’ll find important information about Victorian visa sponsorship under the Skilled – Sponsored (886) visa, including:
- Minimum eligibility requirements
- How to apply for Victorian sponsorship
- Assessment criteria
- Your sponsorship obligations
The Skilled – Sponsored (886) visa is a permanent residency skilled migration visa for international graduates with an occupation in high demand in Australia’s labour market. The visa is administered by the Commonwealth Government’s Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC). Prior to applying for this visa you must be sponsored by a state or territory government, or by an eligible relative living in Australia.
If you plan to lodge an application for Victorian state sponsorship under the Skilled – Sponsored (886) visa, you should read this information carefully and check the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) website to ensure you meet all visa eligibility requirements and for information about how to lodge your visa application.
Read more information about Victorian state sponsorship and other skilled sponsored visa options.
Minimum eligibility requirements
Victoria sponsors a limited number of international graduates annually. Minimum eligibility requirements and assessment criteria are used to select the highest calibre applicants with the greatest chance of finding employment and settling in Victoria.
Meeting the minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee Victorian Government sponsorship. Read more about how sponsorship applications are assessed.
Age
You must apply to DIAC for the Skilled – Sponsored (886) visa before your 50th birthday.
English language
All applicants must have an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of at least six in each band score. Certain occupations require a higher standard of English for the purpose of state sponsorship - these occupations are specified on the State Sponsorship Occupation List for Victoria.
Please note that:
- You must provide your IELTS assessment when you lodge your online application
- If you are a citizen of the USA, UK, Canada, Republic of Ireland or New Zealand, you are not required to submit an IELTS assessment.
- If you are required to provide an IELTS assessment, you must upload a scanned copy of your IELTS results as part of the online sponsorship application.
Occupation
To apply for Victorian state sponsorship under the Skilled – Sponsored (886) visa, your occupation must be listed on the State Sponsorship Occupation List for Graduates in Victoria. Some graduate occupations have additional requirements, such as requiring an offer of employment, specialisations, work experience requirements and additional English language requirements; these are also noted on the occupation list.
To be eligible to apply for one of the 100 PhD graduate sponsorship places, you must have completed a PhD in Victoria. You must provide evidence of successful completion of your PhD and a skills assessment for an occupation on DIAC’s State and Territory Skilled Occupation List (SATSOL) – Schedule 1 and 2, which you can access from the DIAC website.
Victoria applies occupation quotas to the number of sponsorships it offers to ensure that state sponsored skilled migrants coming to Victoria have a mix of skills that address Victoria’s labour market needs. Check the State Sponsorship Occupation List for Graduates in Victoria for notification of the status of these quotas, including closed occupations.
See under 'off-list nominations' on the FAQs about Skilled Sponsorship page.
Work experience
Check the State Sponsorship Occupation List for Graduates in Victoria for any work experience requirements for your occupation.
Finances
You must have adequate financial resources to support yourself and your dependants (if you have any) when you migrate to Victoria, or while you look for suitable employment. The table below shows the financial resources you must have access to, to support your sponsorship application.
We do not require evidence of these financial resources.
| Onshore applicants |
|
|---|---|
| All applicants |
AUD required |
| Working in nominated occupation |
20 000 |
| Not working in nominated occupation |
See offshore requirements |
| Offshore applicants |
|
| Number of dependants |
AUD required |
| Individual applicant |
30 000 |
| 1 |
35 000 |
| 2 |
40 000 |
| 3 |
50 000 |
| 4 |
60 000 |
| 5 |
70 000 |
| 6 or more |
80 000 |
Offer of employment
You may be required to provide a current job offer in your nominated occupation to support your sponsorship application if:
- this is a requirement for your occupation on the State Sponsorship Occupation List for Graduates in Victoria, or
- you are currently living in another Australian state.
If you are required to provide a job offer, it must be for employment in your nominated occupation for permanent (not casual) work, for at least 20 hours per week, and for at least six continuous months.
To provide evidence of your job offer you should provide a contract or letter of offer from your employer which includes your employer’s Australian Business Number (ABN) and contact details.
Your commitment to Victoria
You must commit to living and working in Victoria for at least two years. If you are currently living in another Australian state, you must provide a current Victorian job offer to support your sponsorship application.
Declaration
You and your agent (if applicable) must read, understand and sign the Victorian sponsorship declaration in order to be considered for Victorian Government sponsorship.
Download the declaration form for the:
read and sign it, and upload it as part of your online sponsorship application.
Detailed resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
Your CV is a critical document used to assess your suitability for Victorian state sponsorship as an international graduate. It must provide evidence of your skills, work experience, and academic achievements and a detailed, chronological list of all relevant employment.
You should take the time to ensure your CV is professionally presented, descriptive and provides our assessors and industry advisors with a comprehensive reflection of your skills, work readiness, employment history and work experience. You should explain any gaps in employment.
Your CV should include:
- detailed descriptions of relevant tasks and responsibilities performed within any employment you may have undertaken
- dates of employment (including month and year)
- dates of education and training including any academic specialisations.
A relevant job offer from a Victorian employer can provide evidence of your work readiness and employability.
Your application will be refused if your CV is too brief or does not include these details. If your application is refused, you must wait for six months after the application has been closed before you are eligible to reapply.
Please see our sample CV for a guide on preparing your CV.
Skills assessment
Your skills assessment must match the occupation you have nominated in your sponsorship application. You do not need to provide the skills assessment document when you initially apply. A skills assessment will only be requested if your application proceeds to the final stages of selection.
To find out where to have your skills assessed, go to the Australian Skills Recognition Information page on the DIAC website.
DIAC requirements
Successfully attaining Victorian sponsorship does not guarantee that you will be granted an Australian visa. You must also meet DIAC’s visa requirements.
Check DIAC’s eligibility requirements for the Skilled – Sponsored (886) visa.
Processing time
The average processing time for Victorian skilled sponsorship applications is currently 12 weeks. In some instances, it may take longer to assess applications. You will be notified of the outcome of your sponsorship application by email.
There are five steps to be considered for Victorian state sponsorship. Meeting the minimum eligibility requirements is the first step, and does not guarantee an offer of sponsorship.
1. Check the minimum eligibility requirements for Victorian sponsorship
Refer to the Minimum eligibility requirements section above.
2. Prepare your documents
When you lodge your online application, you must provide:
- a detailed resume or CV
- Victorian sponsorship declaration
- IELTS results (if applicable)
- offer of employment (if applicable).
You may be requested to provide additional documents if your application proceeds in the selection process. These documents can include:
- skills assessment (mandatory)
- trade qualification/certificates
- education transcripts
- evidence of licensing.
If these documents are requested, you will be given reasonable time to provide them.
You can submit scanned copies of these documents as part of your online sponsorship application. We do not require hard copies of any documents. Alternatively, you can email these documents to smp.applications@liveinvictoria.vic.gov.au if you did not submit them with your online application.
3. Lodge your sponsorship application
You can lodge your application for Victorian sponsorship online and submit your supporting documents through our online application system.
If you experience technical difficulties, email webmaster@liveinvictoria.vic.gov.au
Fees and charges
There is no application fee for Victorian sponsorship.
Family members and dependants
Include any dependants in the online sponsorship application that you intend to include on your visa application.
4. Confirm acceptance of state sponsorship offer
If your Victorian sponsorship application is successful, you will be sent a sponsorship notification letter by email. You have four months from the date of receipt of this email to lodge your visa application and provide notification of your visa reference number. If we do not receive your valid visa reference number within this period, your application will expire and your file will be closed.
5. Lodge your visa application
You can now lodge your visa application. DIAC is responsible for issuing and administering all Australian visas. Contact DIAC directly or visit the DIAC website for information about lodging your visa application, visa requirements, obligations and processing times.
6. Notify us of your visa outcome
As part of your visa sponsorship commitment, you must notify us of your visa outcome by emailing: smp.applications@liveinvictoria.vic.gov.au
Meeting the minimum eligibility criteria for Victorian state sponsorship is the first step in the assessment processes, however it does not guarantee an application will be successful.
You can check Victoria’s minimum eligibility criteria for the following skilled visa sponsorship programs:
- Skilled - Sponsored (176) visa
- Skilled - Sponsored (886) visa
- Skilled - Regional Sponsored (475 and 487) visas
Every application for state sponsorship is assessed individually with a focus on your ability to address a number of assessment criteria, including:
- your ability to meet the minimum eligibility criteria,
- the demand for your particular skills and expertise, and your ability to find work in Victoria,
- the suitability and transferability of your qualifications, skills and experience - including any specialist capabilities - to the needs of Victoria’s labour market,
- your ability and commitment to establishing yourself, and any dependants, in Victoria with a view to your prospects for long-term settlement in Victoria, and
- the demand for your occupation in relation to the allocated quota of sponsorship places.
Applicants who best meet the assessment criteria are offered sponsorship. Meeting the minimum eligibility criteria does not guarantee sponsorship.
Your sponsorship obligations
Notification of visa grant
You must email us with notification of DIAC’s decision on your visa application.
Live and work in Victoria for two years
You, and any sponsored dependants, must live in Victoria for the first two years of your sponsored visa.
This two-year period begins when your Skilled – Sponsored (886) visa is granted by DIAC.
Complete five email surveys
There are five short surveys that you must complete over the two year period. The surveys will be sent to you via email. You will receive your first survey when your visa is granted by DIAC.
The responses and feedback in the surveys are used to evaluate and improve the Victorian Government’s Skilled and Business Migration Program.
Employment
While we hope you are able to find work in your nominated occupation, it is not mandatory to work in your nominated occupation.
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