VisaSouth Australia treats 65 points as a threshold for graduate nomination
Graduates who live and work in South Australia should check their occupation and the current visa expiry condition before registering interest in skilled nomination.
Official announcement date: not established (undated guidance)
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Who can use the South Australian graduate stream
International graduates living and working in South Australia can check the state’s graduate stream for subclass 190 or 491. The state uses 65 SkillSelect points, including nomination points, as a threshold. Higher points do not improve ranking for a state invitation.
The state requires a valid positive skills assessment, competent English and an age below 45 at nomination approval. Applicants need six months of South Australian residence and six months of full-time work after finishing their course, with current employment of at least 30 hours weekly. The job must be related to the nominated occupation and match the first two digits of its occupational code. The study criteria include a registered course of at least 46 CRICOS weeks, at least 75% of the qualification completed in South Australia, and a year of residence in the state during study. The occupation listing sets the minimum qualification level.
Check the state’s 22 October program notice as well as the standing graduate page. The notice currently opens onshore registrations to people living and working in South Australia whose visas are due to expire by 31 January 2027. This is an expiry condition on the applicant’s existing visa. The notice gives no separate 31 January filing deadline. Overseas candidates use the offshore selection process, which starts with the federal expression of interest.
Check the occupation and record the federal reference
Search the state’s Skilled Occupation List by occupation name or code and inspect the pathways shown for the exact result. The listing lets readers check whether the graduate stream is available for their occupation and see any occupation-specific requirements. This is useful where two jobs have similar titles but fall under different occupation codes. Use the code that matches the skills assessment and occupation entered in the federal system.
The state’s How to apply guide directs onshore applicants to create a federal expression of interest in SkillSelect, nominate South Australia as the preferred state and keep the EOI identification number. Then register for the state Apply Portal and lodge a Registration of Interest with that number and the mandatory documents. A registration lets the state decide whether to invite a nomination application. It costs nothing. If the state issues a Not Invited decision, the guide says another registration cannot be filed for three months.
Prepare evidence for two separate state submissions
For the initial registration, the state document checklist asks for the Home Affairs visa approval letter, a CV and a current employer reference. Ask the employer to put the dates, work location, hours, salary, job title and duties in a signed letter on company letterhead. This gives the state dates and employment details to compare with the registration.
The same checklist gives fuller requirements for the nomination application after invitation. Prepare the passport identity page and all pages of the skills assessment. The South Australian residence evidence includes a current lease or room agreement with proof of payments, and bank statements showing salary and ordinary spending across the required work period. A driver’s licence or mobile phone statement is insufficient for the checklist’s residence requirement.
Budget for nomination and check the invitation deadline
The state’s skilled migration overview lists AUD 394 for a nomination application in either subclass. The state terms describe a payment surcharge of 1.17%, GST for onshore applicants and a 48-hour payment window after submission. The portal amount should be checked before payment. The terms also say drafts are deleted after 14 days from creation. Check any deadline in the invitation as soon as it arrives and leave time to upload the required evidence before submitting.
State approval is one step toward a visa. The subclass 190 pathway page explains that after state approval, Home Affairs sends the invitation to apply for the federal visa. Use the deadline in that invitation for the federal application and check the separate federal charge there. The state terms also require documents supporting nomination to remain valid through the decision. Check the expiry date on your skills assessment when preparing the nomination application, especially if you obtained it well before the invitation. The state says expired evidence can lead to refusal.
